The 2002–03 USHL season is the 24th season of the United States Hockey League as an all-junior league. The regular season began on September 27, 2002, and concluded on March 30, 2003, with the regular season champion winning the Anderson Cup. The 2002–03 season was the first for the River City Lancers after relocating to Council Bluffs, Iowa, from Omaha, Nebraska, and the last for the Topeka ScareCrows, which relocated to Chesterfield, Missouri, after the season concluded.
The Clark Cup playoffs features the top eight team from the eleven-team league regardless of division competing for the league title.
Regular season Final standings
Note: GP = Games played; W = Wins; L = Losses; OTL = Overtime losses; SL = Shootout losses; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; PTS = Points; x = clinched playoff berth; y = clinched division title; z = clinched league title
East Division Team GP W L OTL PTS GF GA yWaterloo Black Hawks603817581221171 xCedar Rapids RoughRiders602726761157180 xDes Moines Buccaneers602727660200223 Chicago Steel602628659178204 Green Bay Gamblers601636840139215
West Division Team GP W L OTL PTS GF GA zLincoln Stars603714983214153 xTopeka ScareCrows603617779211166 xSioux City Musketeers603618678210186 xRiver City Lancers603619577178149 xTri-City Storm602728559183200 Sioux Falls Stampede602430654179223
Clark Cup playoffs
Quarterfinals
(1) Lincoln Stars vs. (8) Tri-City Storm
(3) Topeka Scarecrows vs. (6) Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
(2) Waterloo Black Hawks vs. (7) Des Moines Buccaneers
(4) Sioux City Musketeers vs. (5) River City Lancers
Semifinals
(1) Lincoln Stars vs. (6) Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
(2) River City Lancers vs. (5) Waterloo Black Hawks
Clark Cup Finals
(1) Lincoln Stars vs. (2) River City Lancers
Players
Scoring leaders Player Team GP G A Pts +/- PIM1Ryan PotulnyLincoln Stars54354378+32182Luke EricksonLincoln/Topeka64314071+21723Joe PavelskiWaterloo Black Hawks60363369+2632David BackesLincoln Stars57284169+101265Jacob MicflikierSioux Falls Stampede59313667+526Tomáš JaskoDes Moines Buccaneers60303767-3337Morod RadmacherSioux Falls Stampede60263864-3508Marty GuerinDes Moines Buccaneers60273360+1430Grant Goeckner-ZoellerSioux City Musketeers60273360+1960Brandon PolichSioux City Musketeers60174360+2079
Leading goaltenders Player Team GP MIN W L OTL SO GA GAA SV SV% 1Dominic VicariRiver City Lancers452507281426852.03902.914 2Jean-Philippe LamoureuxLincoln Stars34196722744712.16781.917 3Jordan PariseWaterloo Black Hawks351927211022822.55878.915 Michael ZachariasTopeka ScareCrows27157814742672.55545.891 5Nate ZiegelmannLincoln Stars28167215751722.58713.908
Awards Coach of the Year: P.K. O'Handley Waterloo Black Hawks Curt Hammer Award: Jake Taylor Green Bay Gamblers Defenseman of the Year: Matt Carle River City Lancers Forward of the Year: Ryan Potulny Lincoln Stars General Manager of the Year: P.K. O'Handley Waterloo Black Hawks Goaltender of the Year: Dominic Vicari River City Lancers Organization of the Year: Waterloo Black Hawks Player of the Year: Ryan Potulny Lincoln Stars Rookie of the Year: Joe Pavelski Waterloo Black Hawks
References
External links Official website of the United States Hockey League