Official Milestones

William Miller was selected to wear the bands for the first time in an ACHA game on September 18th in Ogden, Utah. William worked a hard-fought (4-3) overtime game between Weber State and Utah State. William had a great time and remarked that he appreciated the lattitude the NCAA rule book gave him to call the game. He also said he might enjoy being a referee more than a linesman (paging Tim Tate). William was supported by Travis Larsen (referee), Mike Vuich (line), and Josh Dangel (line).

Anthony Difederico has quickly completed his USA Hockey coursework and was quickly put to work on September 30th in Provo, Utah. Anthony stayed calm under pressure and was seen smiling and having a great time during the game. Anthony was supported by Joshua Burkart and Dave Spice even made an appearance to grab some images. We love seeing our new officials get in and get their feet wet so fast. I am sure that we are all excited to get a chance to work with Anthony and watch him advance!

William Miller was selected to wear the bands for the first time in an USPHL Junior game on October 1st in Provo, Utah. William worked a game that saw a Pueblo Bulls team come in ready to play and walk away with a 4-0 win over the Provo Riverblades. William was supported by Joshua Burkart (Line) and Michael Vuich (Line) in a 3 official system. It is really great to see our young officials move up and do so well!

Seth McDiarmid was selected to wear the bands for the first time in an USPHL Junior game on October 2nd in Salt Lake City, Utah. Seth saw a fresh Utah Outliers team take care of a somewhat tired Pueblo Bulls team in a 3-1 win. Seth was supported by Joshua Burkart (Line) and Josh Dangel (Line) in a 3 official system. Anyone that knows Seth knows that he prides himself on working hard and being consistent in his application of the rulebook. So happy to see him get this opportunity.

Ben Wilner hit 200 games on October 6th, 2021. This is very impressive given how long Ben has been with us. Anyone that has worked with Ben knows that he is a great partner and always keeps it light and fun. He has quickly worked his way up in our association and we expect great things from him in the future!

Matt Orr was selected to wear the bands for the first time in an ACHA game on October 8th in Provo, Utah. The game marked the first time that the Montana State D3 team played in Utah as they faced off against the UVU Wolverines. Matt was supported by Joshua Burkart (referee), Seth Anderson (line), and AJ Gilbert (line). Matt has worked tirelessly over the last few seasons to hone his skills as an official and we’re excited to see him continuing to advance and doing great things.

Joshua Dangel was selected to wear the bands for the first time in an ACHA game on October 16th in Provo, Utah. Josh worked a game that saw a Weber State team come in with determination to leave with a 3-1 win over BYU. Josh was supported by Tim Tate (referee), Joey Edwards (line), and Seth McDiarmid (line). Many of you have worked or played with Josh in the past and know him as a tireless competitor and a great partner. It is so nice to see our officials advance and do so well!

Seth Anderson was selected to wear the bands for the first time in an ACHA game on October 23rd in Ogden, Utah. Further, Nathan Young was selected to work the lines for the first time in an ACHA game. The game saw a hungry Weber State team over power UVU 5-0. Travis Larsen (referee) and DeOrr Wight (lines) supported these two. Seth has been a fantastic addition to our group since he landed here a few years ago. Those that have worked with him know he always brings a positive attitude and is an incredible partner. Nathan has worked to improve his skills over the past few seasons and is poised to become a great official. We are very excited to see him continue to advance and expect he will continue doing great things.

Josh Dangel was selected to wear the bands for the first time in an USPHL game on October 23rd in Provo, Utah. The game saw a prepared Provo Riverblades team overcome the Ogden Mustangs in Overtime (6-5). Josh was supported by Tim Tate (line) and Cody Madsen (line) Josh has had a fantastic year so far and has become a reliable and consistent presence on and off the ice. We are all excited to see what is in store for Josh moving forward

Cody Madsen was selected to work the lines for the first time in an USPHL game on October 23rd in Provo, Utah. The game saw a prepared Provo Riverblades team overcome the Ogden Mustangs in Overtime (6-5). Cody was supported by Tim Tate (line) and Josh Dangel (Referee) Cody has been coming on strong and performed great in a tight spot. With this experience, we are excited to see how he progresses.

Sarah Webber was selected to work the lines for the first time in an ACHA game on November 12th in Salt Lake City, Utah. The game was a tight and physical contest that saw the University of Utah women outlast the Buffalos 3-2. Sarah was supported by Eric Gierloff (line), Seth McDiarmid (referee), and Matt Orr (referee). Sarah has been an excellent official for us over that last few years. She called a confident game and we are very excited to see where she goes from here.

James Karlin was selected to work the lines for the first time in an ACHA game on November 10th in Salt Lake City, Utah. The game saw the University of Utah's D2 team overcome UVU 4-2. James was supported by Shawn Benvegnu (line), Andy VanWagoner (referee), and William Miller (referee). James has worked a ton of games for WIHOA over the last few years and has been focused on improving and honing his skills. Its great to see our officials advance and improve.

Jared Karlin was selected to work the lines for the first time in an ACHA game on November 19th in Provo, Utah. The game saw UVU overcome a 4-1 deficit to beat Wyoming 5-4. Jared was supported by Brock Roberts (line), Tim Tate (referee), and Matt Orr (referee). Jared has been focused on his skills over the last few seasons. It is exciting to see our officials get opportunities to work upper level games.

Nic Lund has worked his first game with WIHOA. We are so excited to see him continue to work games and advance as an official. Everyone, please offer a huge welcome to Nic when you see him.

Carson Strachan was selected to wear the bands for the first time on November 18th in Salt Lake City, Utah. The game saw U16 Eagles hand U16 Park City team a 4-1 loss. Carson was supported by Doug Brown (line) and Jared Karlin (line). Many of you have had the privilege of working with Carson over the last couple of seasons and know what an addition he has been. He is always ready to work and often goes out of his way to help other WIHOA officials. Carson has risen quickly due to his hard work and we are all excited to watch him continue to advance.

Brett Fuller was selected to wear the bands for the first time on December 17th in Park City, Utah. The game was between the Boise Junior Steelheads and the Vegas Junior Knights. Brett was supported by Tyler Murphy (line) and Teapot Miller (line) I think we are all very excited to have Fuller around and working games. Always a good time and a great partner to work with.

Ben Wilner was selected to wear the bands for the first time on December 11th in Salt Lake City, Utah. The game saw a hungry Wenatchee Wild team come in and take it to the West Coast Renegades 4-0. Brett was supported by Tyler Kesten (line) and Jack Johnson (line).

Tyler Kesten was selected to wear the bands for the first time in a USPHL game on December 14th in Provo, Utah. A very prepared South Shore Kings came in and put away the Provo Riverblades in a 4-1 game. Tyler was supported by Teapot Miller (line) and Mike Vuich (line). Tyler handled a tricky ending to an otherwise smooth game with poise; showing why he is advancing so quickly. Tyler is one of our rapidly rising officials. He brings a good attitude to the ice every time he puts on the stripes.

Everyone please welcome Tim Edwards! Tim's first game was a contest between the Oval Dawgs and Ogden that saw the Dawgs dominate from start to finish. Tim was supported by James Karlin. Tim has worked several games since his first and all reports show that he is quickly improving and looks to become a solid addition to WIHOA. We are very excited to have Tim and cannot wait to work with him.

Everyone please welcome Everet Mitchell. Everett's first game was a back and forth game between the Oval Dawgs and Provo Preds. Everet was supported on the ice by James Karlin. What a game to have as your first, and reports say that Everet handled it like a pro. It is amazing how many young new officials we have this year. It will be amazing to watch Everet progress and move up through the ranks of WIHOA. I am sure we are all looking forward to work with him in the future.

Luke Olson worked his first four man game, and on the bands no less! Some of our WIHOA officials, including Luke, traveled to Wyoming to help cover some youth games. Bravo to them for taking the opportunity to get more games and experience. Luke has been working his tail off for WIHOA. Many of us have had the pleasure of working with him. He always comes to the rink ready to work and, better yet, learn as much as he can. Luke is always trying to improve and we expect big things from him moving forward.