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| 11/22/99 12:06 AM '99-00 Prep Page NOW OPEN !! 11/22/99
The US Hockey Report pre-season prep rankings, released Sunday night, show Cushing Academy, which won New England prep titles in '96 and '98, as the favorite to take their third title in five years. In last year's prep tournament, Exeter beat Deerfield, 3-2 in OT, to win the championship. Lawrence Academy and Choate bowed out in the semis. Hotchkiss, Avon, Cushing, and Nobles were all defeated in the quarterfinals.
11/20/99 Eden Prairie, Elk River Top Minnesota Pre-Season Poll Well, it's that time again and, to get things rolling, here's our exclusive USHR Minnesota Class AA State High School Pre-Season Rankings. Once again this year, Minnesota rankings will be compiled by eagle-eyed scout Brian Hunter, who not only covers Minnesota for both the U.S. National Program in Ann Arbor and the NHL's New York Islanders, but manages to hold down a day job, too. Anyway, here's a little refresher: Last March, in the semis, Hastings topped Elk River 2-1 in 2 OT's and Roseau spanked Holy Angels, 6-2. In the finals, Roseau topped Hastings, 4-0, to finish the season 26-1. Not bad, but they're not going to do it again. As a matter of fact, they'll be hard-pressed to get back to the Twin Cities. This year, the top teams look to be Eden Prairie and Elk River. After those two, there's a clear drop off.
11/19/99 New Format for Prep Playoff Earlier today, New England prep school athletic directors gathered at the Holiday Inn in Worcester, Mass. and voted in a proposal that will double the number of Division I hockey teams competing in the playoffs this coming March. We haven't received the final details yet, but we suspect it will work like this: At the end of the regular season, Division I teams will be ranked #1 through #16, presumably using the same formula that's been used in recent years. From there, the top eight teams will be put in Division 1-A and compete in an "Elite 8" Tournament. The teams ranked #9 through #16, then, will compete in another parallel tournament, a DI program. Reportedly, the NEPSAC (New England Preparatory School Athletic Council) AD's were quite comfortable with the idea of allowing more schools into the post-season. However, they didn't want the tournament to be extended time-wise beyond the now-traditional three dates. So this is the result, a compromise solution allowing the added wrinkle of a second group of eight teams competing in a far-less glamorous parallel tournament. This, then, is a case where the preps are taking a page from the Mass. public school system, where in hockey there is an "Elite 8" tournament (aka, Div. 1-A) and then everything else. Outside of the participating communities, no one really remembers who won the Div. I tournament, while everyone remembers who won the Div. 1-A. It's probable that each Division I-A, I, and II schools will likely have their quarter-finals on campus sites at Wednesday, March 1 and then convene (bye, bye Marlboro) at the spiffy new Sports Center in Salem, N.H.that weekend.
11/19/99 Koalska to Gophers With the last day of the early signing period Wednesday, there was a rush of activity this week Let's start in the midwest, where Twin Cities Vulcans RW Matt Koalska has signed a letter of intent with the University of Minnesota. Koalska, 5'11', 190 lb., played for Hill-Murray last year. He joins Paul Martin, Troy Riddle, and Jon Waibel in the Gophers class of '04. All, incidentally, are Minnesota natives. Koalska, who we thought would get a scholarship during his senior year in high school last winter (he must have been holding out for the Gophers), is a nice mixture of skill and power. He's rugged, has good hands, and shows very good strength with the puck, holding guys off. He works hard both ways. In 18 games with the Vulcans this season, he has an 8-10-18 scoring line.
11/19/99 Niagara Gets Bonk U.S. National Team Development goaltender Rob Bonk has committed to Niagara University. Bonk, in his third year with the Ann Arbor program, has a 1.80 GAA and a .916 save percentage in USHL play this season. Bonk, who's 6'4", 180 lbs., is from Hartland, Michigan. He's a 2/27/81 birthdate and one of three members of the '99-00 National Program who joined the team for its inaugural season. Freddy Meyer and J.D. Forrest also entered the program then. Bonk also had interest from Notre Dame. Also committing to Niagara in the past week were LW Joe Tallari and center Hannu Karru. Tallari, a Thunder Bay, Ont. native who's played for the last two years with the Stratford Cullitons. Tallari, who's 6'0", 185 lbs., is a 10/5/80 birthdate who played 70 games for Stratford last year, finishing with a 39-42-81 line. He's a crafty forward whom Niagara assistant Kenny Rausch likened in style to former BU forward Steve Thornton. Karru is a 6'1", 188 lb. left-shot center from Tampere, Finland. A skilled playmaking center who who plays for Tappara Jr. A, Karru, in 35 games thus far this season, has a 17-27-44 line. A major factor in Karru's picking Niagara was his friendship with current Niagara D-man, Timo Makela, who also played for Tappara.
11/19/99 McConvey to Bowling Green D'Arcy McConvey, a 5'10", 180 lb., center from the Wexford Raiders (OPJHL), has committed to Bowling Green. McConvey, Wexford's scoring leader with a 12-26-38 line in 16 games, is a 10/23/81 birthdate. A native of Richmond Hill, Ontario, McConvey split playing time last season between Wexford and the Vaughan Vipers. Also committing to Bowling Green is Phil Barski, a 6'2", 180 lb. LW from the Milton Merchants (OPJHL). Barski leads Milton with a 13-23-36 line in 16 games. Last year, Barski played for Stouffville, also in the OPJHL. In 41 games there, he had a 25-52-77 line. A 6/8/79 birthdate, Barski, like McConvey, is from Richmond Hill. McConvey and Barski join C Mark Wires (Wexford), D Kevin Bieksa (Burlington Cougars), and D Brian Escobedo (N.Y. Apple Core) in the BGSU class of '04.
11/19/99 Hogeboom, Sipotz Pick Miami RW Greg Hogeboom, also a Wexford Raider, has committed to Miami University. Hogeboom, the Raiders' third-leading scorer behind McConvey and Merrimack recruit Marco Rosa, is a strong, skilled forward with good size -- he's 6'0", 190 lbs. Hogeboom, who also visited Michigan State, is a young recruit, with a late '82 birthdate -- Sept. 26, to be precise. So far this season, he has a 12-12-24 line in 17 games with Wexford. Last year he played midget hockey for the North York Canadians where Miami assistant Joe Bonnett watched him in the Hull, Quebec tournament last January. The fact that new Miami head coach Enrico Blasi has a Wexford connection -- he was an assistant with the Raiders prior to going to Denver in 1994 -- helped in the recruiting of Hogeboom. Blasi was looking for size on D and Miami's other new recruit has that -- Brian Sipotz of Culver Military Academy is 6'6", 200 lbs. A right shot, Sipotz is a 9/16/81 birthdate and from Granger, Indiana. West Point was also interested in Sipotz, and BU was in there, too. Sipotz is a bit of a project. His coordination hasn't quite caught up with his body, but when it does he could be the next Hal Gill. A natural athlete, he was also getting college interest for soccer and crew. Hogeboom and Sipotz join forwards Mike Kompon of Thunder Bay (USHL) and Derek Edwardson of Danville (NAHL) as members of Miami's class of 2004. Edwardson, by the way, suffered a serious ACL injury after going knee-to-knee with another player a few weeks back and may be done for the season.
11/19/99 Reiter to Alaska-Anchorage Springfield Jr. Blues (NAHL) goaltender Kevin Reiter, a Pittsburgh, Pa. native, will be heading north next fall to play for coach Dean Talafous with the University of Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves. This fall, Reiter is in his second year with Springfield and, in 14 games to date, has a 2.60 GAA and a .911 save percentage. Reiter is 5'11, 175 lbs, and an 11/4/81 birthdate, which means he'll arrive on campus next season as an 18 year old. That's pretty normal for most students, but not for goaltenders these days. Before going to the Blues, Reiter played for the Pittsburgh Hornets Jr. B.
11/17/99 Komisarek, Jeremy Jackson Make Their Picks In a big day on the recruiting front, blue-chip prospects Michael Komisarek and Jeremy Jackson made their picks yesterday. Komisarek, a 6'4", 230 lb. right-shot defenseman from the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, will be heading a couple miles down the road next fall to play for the University of Michigan. Jackson, a highly skilled 5'9", 160 lb. right-shot center for the Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) has decided on Michigan State. Komisarek, who also visited Providence College and the University of Maine, had been on the Wolverines wish list since assistant coach Billy Powers watched the defenseman, who was with the New England Junior Coyotes at the time, at the Lawrence-Groton Tournament last December. Powers went back to watch him again in the Eastern Junior Hockey League final on March 25 in Walpole, Mass., the night before Michigan met Denver in the Eastern Regionals in Worcester. Komisarek made an unofficial visit to Michigan with his parents in early October, then came back for an official on November 5th and 6th, just before leaving for Sweden with the U.S. Under-18 Team. Komisarek is the third defenseman committed to Michigan's class of '04, joining Andy Burnes of the Compuware Ambassadors (NAHL), and Reilly Olson of the Vernon Vipers (BCHL). Michigan, along with Notre Dame, was in the hunt for Green Bay Gamblers defenseman Dan Boeser, but both schools lost out -- Boeser has committed to Wisconsin. Jackson, a Los Angeles, Calif. native who played in the U.S. National Team Development Program last season, was, in addition to Michigan State, also heavily recruited by Maine and Boston University. Ohio State was the first school he visited, on Oct. 22-23. After that he visited BU, then Maine. It looked like Jackson was going to make his decision in the middle of last week but the time frame stretched out a bit, as coaches at the three schools under consideration waited and wondered. The X-factor in the recruiting of Jackson was the lure of major junior. Tri-Cities owns his rights. Jackson, in 20 games with Chillwack this season, has a 26-22-37 line with 54 penalty minutes. Last year with the Under-18 team, his numbers were, in 70 games, 24-23-47 with 81 PIM. Jackson joins U.S. Under-18 Team D Joey Hope in Michigan State's class of '04. Also in the class, kind of, is Compuware's Steve Jackson, who will be joining the Spartans at the beginning of this winter's second semester. Jackson, a 5'11", 178 lb. left-shot center, has a 10-7-17 line in 16 games with the Ambassadors.
11/17/99 Babin Impresses We first wrote about Noah Babin a year and a half ago, shortly after his 14th birthday (see "A Sun-Dried Samsonov" in the June 1998 USHR News). At the time, the Palm Beach Gardens, Florida native, who started out playing roller hockey at the age of eight before switching to ice skates at 11, was playing center for the Team Florida Midgets, and was trying to decide whether to go to prep school (Avon Old Farms) or join the Toronto Marlies or Compuware organizations. He chose Compuware, playing on their '84 bantam team last year. This fall, Babin joined the Chris Coury coached Little Caesar's Midget AAA squad. We saw him in a tournament in Exeter, NH over Columbus Day weekend. He was playing right wing and looked right at home competing against a much older Jr. B team. He's 5'10½", 168 lbs. and well put together for a 15 year old, enabling him to succeed in parts of the game younger players playing up usually struggle in (i.e. physical play). Over this past weekend, Caesar's was back in New England and we went to take another look. Babin was in the lineup, with a new uniform number (2) and a new position -- defense. Coury, who in the offseason lost Eric Werner and Jim McNamara to the U.S. National Program, was looking for ways to shore up his defense and had been using Babin there for a couple of weeks.. Coury has a keen eye and, in this observer's opinion, the move was a stroke of genius. Despite his inexperience at the position, Babin has the basic tools to become a top defensive prospect. For one thing, he's a powerful skater with a good, long stride and excellent lateral ability. He's confident and decisive with the puck, is unfazed by traffic, and has a remarkably low panic threshold for a 15 year old new to the position. Sure, his backward skating and pivoting need work, and sometimes he seemed a little unsure of where to go, but time and practice will take care of that. In short, Babin's a good one, and, at 15, already the best Division I prospect we've ever seen from the state of Florida. You can throw Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and a hell of a lot of other states in there, too.
11/16/99 Young Apple Core Makes Walpole Work for it To no one's surprise, the Walpole Stars took the hardware at the Valley Junior Warriors Tournament in Lawrence, Mass. on Sunday with a 2-0 win over New York Apple Core. Comparing the two teams, though, is like comparing sweetbread and sourdough bread. Walpole is an older, physically mature, and more experienced team, with a lineup consisting, with one exception, of 79's, 80's, and '81's. Apple Core, though holding an edge in skill, is, on average, two years younger, skating 14 players born in '82, '83, and '84. Goaltender John Yaros looked very good over the weekend, allowing a total of three goals in three games (vs. the Capital District Selects, Little Caesar's, and Walpole). Yaros, who's extremely young for DI goaltending prospects -- he's an '82 -- leads the EJHL in shutouts (4), GAA (2.32) and save percentage (.914). Up front Apple Core, coached by Henry Lazar, is led by the all-Ivy line of Kenny Turano, Ryan Vesce, and Vinnie Hellemeyer. Turano, a 5'11", 195 right wing, committed to Harvard University last week after Mark Mazzoleni journeyed down to Long Island to watch him. When Mazzoleni took over the Harvard program he said he was looking to add grit -- and that describes Turano to a T. We don't see him as a big scorer at the DI level, though he'll get his share (for Apple Core he's 26-25-51 in 37 games so far this year). Turano will make his biggest contribution as a hard-nosed two-way winger who'll battle along the wall and in the corner. Vesce, a 5'7", 155 lb. centerman, has a 19-32-51 line in 37 games, tying him with Turano for the team lead. Vesce, who committed to Cornell several weeks ago, is an extremely elusive, waterbug-type forward. He knows where his linemates are-- and rarely fails to get them the puck. Hellemeyer, a 5'8", 158 lb. left wing, is being watched by Cornell and Yale. He's an opportunistic, two-way forward who moves the puck quickly and smartly. He's played with Vesce -- they're both '82s -- for years and they complement each other well. They're fun to watch. Both were on the silver-medal winning Under-18 Selects that upset the Canadians in the Czech Republic this past August. On defense, left-shot Brian Escobedo, a 6'0", 160 lb. Bowling Green recruit, leads the way. As far as we know, Escobedo, who's from Bayside, Queens, will be the only player in Div. I college hockey next year who hails from one of the five boroughs. Apple Core's top Div. I prospect for the future is 5'10", 175 lb. Gerard Miller, a hard-nosed rugged right-shot D. Miller is an '83 birthdate. By the way, Gary Dineen's New England Junior Coyotes, a traditional power in the Eastern Junior Hockey League, is another young team. When we saw them play the Stars a couple of weeks ago, they struggled. The smart money says that Walpole, coached by Dave LaCouture, will cruise to the EJHL title this season.
11/15/99 No News Here It's Monday afternoon and the Chilliwack Chiefs have returned from a four- games-in-four-nights road trip to Powell River, Victoria, Cowichan Valley, and Nanaimo -- and center Jeremy Jackson still hasn't made up his mind between Maine, BU, and Michigan State. Jackson, in 20 games with Chilliwack, has a 26-11-37 line with 54 PIM.
11/15/99 Kobasew on Tap Chuck Kobasew, a 5'10" C/RW with the Pentiction Panthers (BCHL), won't start making his college visits until January. Reportedly, he was a little overwhelmed by all the attention from college recruiters at the start of the season, and it may have affected his game. At any rate, he got off to a slow start. Now, though, he's back in gear and a number of schools -- North Dakota, Maine, Michigan, Bowling Green, BC, and Minnesota -- are all looking to get him on campus. Kobasew is a gritty, small forward who plays a high-energy skill game. An '82 birthdate, he has an 19-25-44 line in 25 games this season. As a player, he's similar to BU freshman John Sabo, though with a better shot and scoring ability. Over the weekend, U.S. National Program RW Todd Jackson visited Boston College. The other two schools Jackson will be looking at are Yale and Princeton, which he'll be visiting the week before Thanksgiving. Rob Globke, Jackson's teammate in the National Program, who we mentioned was accelerating, is on track to "offically" become a high school senior in January. That means schools can call him and the recruiting process can begin in earnest. Michigan, Michigan State, BC, and Notre Dame are all very interested.
Bad News Here Last week, UVM took a hit when, according to reports, the family of walk-on goaltender Corey LaTulippe, who subsequently left school and joined the Rochester Americans (NAHL), brought a suit against the university for a hazing incident that reportedly took place at a Burlington-area strip club. Contrary to reports, no one has been thrown off the team. However, we've heard that every single player is being interviewed concerning the events in question. Here's our two cents worth: It's time to scratch hazing from intercollegiate athletics. It's an anachronistic tradition that, in these litigious days, can wind up tarnishing the image of a good program like Vermont's. Don't be surprised to see coaches less likely to turn a blind eye to the practice in the future. And speaking of Vermont, the program took another hit last week when 5'5" sophomore forward Donnie Richardson, who hasn't played a game this season due to a shoulder separation, left the team and school. Look for him to transfer to the University of Maine and be eligible to play for the Black Bears in December 2000. In 32 games last season, Richardson had a 7-8-15 scoring line. Before that, he played four season at Canterbury, helping lead the school to the New England Prep title in 1997.
11/15/99 A Nasty Injury Omaha Lancers defenseman and Providence College recruit Jason Platt suffered a nasty injury in a fight last week, suffering a broken eye socket that will put him out of action for over a month. The former Cushing defenseman, a California native, will be out for a month and will miss the Top Prospects Tournament in Plymouth, Michigan Nov. 29-Dec. 1. The injury, which took place in a fight with City Musketeers forward Chris Olsgard, was serious enough to require delicate reconstructive surgery in the operating room. Reportedly, the surgeon had to cut bone and then lift Platt's eyeball to insert a plate.
11/15/99 A Good Man Gone Norm Walker, the father of New Jersey Junior Devils head coach Randy Walker, died recently of a heart attack at the young age of 54. Walker, a Montreal native and an auditor for the Canadian government, raised his family in Pickering, Ontario. When the younger Walker started working with the Junior Devils and USA Hockey's Atlantic/S.E. district, Norm became one of USA Hockey's proudest supporters. It seemed like every time we walked into a rink in Ontario and there was a game involving U.S.-based bantam, midget, or junior teams, there was Norm. Those weren't the only games he was at, either, as he lived for the game. A very good guy to know, and he'll be sorely missed.
11/11/99 Eaves Ties up Finland Motala, Sweden -- In yesterday's action at the Three Nations Tournament, the U.S. Under-18 Team, behind a pair of unassisted goals from Shattuck-St. Mary's center Ben Eaves, tied Finland, 2-2. Tonight (which is actually this afternoon our time) the U.S. meets Sweden. For live updates go to www.swehockey.se and click on Under-18 Three Nations Online
11/11/99 Compuware's Smith to Niagara Niagara University has received a commitment from Compuware Ambassadors (NAHL) forward Michael Smith. Smith, 5'10" and 184 lbs., graduated from Culver Military Academy this past spring. He's a 2/23/81 birthdate and a native of Hamilton, Ontario. Smith, with a 7-6-13 scoring line in 14 games, is tied with Steve Swistak and Steve Jackson as Compuware's top point getters.
11/11/99 New Hope for Kent The Kent School in Kent, Connecticut, a prep powerhouse in the mid-80's before sliding downhill in the 90's, has made a move back toward respectability with the hiring of Paul Brown to take over the program. Gone is Dave Kenney, who coached the program for two years after coming down from Notre Dame Academy in Wilcox, Saskatchewan. Brown, highly respected in Connecticut hockey circles, was a volunteer assistant on Tim Taylor's staff at Yale for 12 years and recently has worked with Quinnipiac coach Rand Pecknold. To take the job at Kent, Brown took an early retirement from his job as a sales manager at AT&T. While it's his first job at the prep level, Brown is familiar with the scene. His son, Eric, played at Westminster for Tom Earl in the late '80s. Under Brown, things can only get better at Kent. Last year, as Kent struggled on ice, their games turned into wars, with opposing coaches frequently complaining about the unnecessary stickwork. Referees hired by the league were up in arms too, reportedly taking the issue to Kent's irascible athletic director, Todd Marble, and threatening not to officiate any more Kent games.
11/11/99 All in the Family When Sioux City Musketeers forward Tyler Palmiscno arrives at the University of North Dakota next fall, he'll also be going home. Palmiscno, who played for East Grand Forks (Minn.) High School, has a father and uncle who each played for the Fighting Sioux. Tony Palmiscno, his father, was a forward for the Sioux in the early '70s, while Steve Palmiscno, an uncle, was a forward there in the early '80s. This Palmiscno, a 5'9", 170 left-shot center, was the USHL Rookie of the Year last season with a 13-57-70 scoring line. So far this season, he has 11 points (4g,7a) in 12 games. A hardworking, skilled, two-way centerman, Pasmiscno drew interest from Ohio State, Notre Dame, and some of the Ivy schools. However, the only school besides North Dakota that he actually visited was Minnesota-Duluth. There will be three Sioux City Musketeers on next year's North Dakota team: Palmiscno; defenseman David Hale, and forward Tim Skarperud., who's already at UND as a freshman.
11/10/99 Whither Jeremy Jackson? The early signing period begins today and all eyes are on Chilliwack Chiefs' center Jeremy Jackson. Despite published reports that have Jackson going to BU, the highly-skilled center is still uncommitted. He could go to BU, of course, but late this afternoon (Wed.), the Terriers staff, along with the staffs at Maine and Michigan State, was waiting for a phone call from British Columbia. Look for Jackson to decide imminently, possibly in the next 24-48 hours.
11/10/99 A Michigan Man The coaches at the University of Michigan have high hopes for Reilly Olson, the Vernon Vipers defenseman who committed to the Wolverines last weekend. Olson hasn't gotten the press the BCHL forwards -- e.g., Magowan, Jackson, Liebel et al -- have gotten. Indeed, he's been a bit of a hidden figure. Last year, Olson was playing midgets in Grand Prairie, Alberta. Then, in late spring, he went to an evaluation camp in British Columbia and proceeded to open the eyes of just about all the Tier I guys on hand. Recruited hard, Olson eventually choose to sign with the Vernon Vipers, the defending national champions. Michigan saw him in the first three games of the season and invited him to Ann Arbor for an official visit. When he arrived at the Ann Arbor campus on a Monday in mid-October it was his first college visit. It also turned out to be his last. Maine, Colorado College, and a number of other schools were hoping to fly him in for a visit, but the Alberta native liked Michigan enough so that he never bothered with any other visits. His coach at Vernon, Troy Mick, has said that Olsen may be the best D he's ever coached. Olsen, who's 6'0", 180 lbs. and a left shot, is a skilled player who's strong both offensively and defensively. He joins the rush well, is good on the power play, and has a head for the game. He's a 6/28/82 birthdate and he'll be joining Andy Burnes, a RD from the Compuware Ambassadors (NAHL) as the first two members of Michigan's class of 2004. Michigan will be losing two defenseman (Kevin Magnuson and Sean Peach) and quite possibly a third if Jeff Jillson turns pro, so they're recruiting to fill four slots. Michigan is waiting to hear from two other blueline prospects: Dan Boeser of the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL), who's narrowed his choices to Michigan and Wisconsin; and Michael Komisarek of the U.S. Under-18 Team, who's narrowed his choices to Maine, Providence and Michigan.
11/9/99 Top Prospects Rosters Announced The rosters for the USA Hockey Top Prospects Tournament (the former King of the Hill Tournament renamed and moved to Waterloo, Iowa) have been announced. The tournament will be held at the Compuware Sports Arena in Plymouth, Michigan over three days -- Monday, Nov. 29 through Wed. Dec. 1, with games each day at 11 am and 2 pm. Click here for rosters and schedule. The tournament, for which only American players are eligible, will be used to select the U.S. roster for the annual Viking Cup, which will be held from Dec. 27 to Jan. 5 in Camrose, Alberta.
11/8/99 Spang, Cacciola Lead EMass Senators to Berth in Nationals Yesterday, in Dorchester, Mass., the Eastern Mass Senators thumped the Central Mass. Outlaws in the state midget tournament title game, 5-1. The Senators, led by Reading forwards Sean Collins and Steven Saviano, defenseman Danny Spang, and St. Sebastian's goaltender David Cacciola, will represent Massachusetts in the Midget Tier I National Championship April 5-9, 2000 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Yesterday, the Senators and Outlaws actually met twice, once in the morning (the final game of the round-robin portion of the tournament) and then again five hours later in the title game. In the morning game, the Senators led 4-0 late in the second period, but the Outlaws roared back, scoring four of the next five goals before running out of time as the Senators prevailed, 5-4. Collins had a three-point afternoon (2g,1a) for the Senators. Michael Woodford scored a pair of goals for the Outlaws. Box Score and Lineups: E. Mass Senators 5, Central Mass Outlaws 4 In the title game, 23 seconds after the Outlaws tied the game at 1-1 on a Ben Murphy blast with 7:06 remaining in the first period, Senators defenseman Danny Spang fired a wrist shot from the point that blew past Outlaws starting goaltender Mike Boudreau for a 2-1 EMass lead. It would turn out to be the game winner. Early in the second period, Spang added a second goal when, on the power play, he moved in from the point and, showing remarkable poise, held the puck as he moved left to right across the top of the crease, went to his backhand and beat Boudreau cleanly to put Emass up by two goals. About five minutes later, Eastern Mass added a pair of goals twenty seconds apart to put the game on ice. First, on the power play, Tom Walsh fired a bullet that went high over Boudreau's left shoulder to make it 4-1. Twenty seconds later, Dave Clark batted home a rebound to make it 5-1, the final margin of victory. The third period turned chippy, partly a result of the score, and partly the result of curious officiating. The real story of the game, though, was the Senators, who worked hard, played better as a team, and got big-time performances from defenseman Spang and goaltender Cacciola. Now, they're going to Pittsburgh -- in five months. Box Score and Lineups: E. Mass Senators 5, Central Mass Outlaws 1 Note: This is the first time Massachusetts has held its midget tournament in the fall. It seems odd, but it works. Due to the number of kids playing high school and prep school hockey, the midget tournament, when it was held in March, always seemed tacked-on, almost an afterthought to the prep and high school tournaments. Yesterday, it got the forum it deserved.
11/8/99 Top BCHL Forwards Make Their Choices Boston University has landed top BCHL prospect Kenny Magowan, a left wing with the defending Royal Bank Cup champions Vernon Vipers. Magowan, 6'2", 195 lbs., has size, strength, skill, and skating ability. A pro prospect, he's eligible for June's NHL draft without opting in. He has an 11-10-21 scoring line thus far on the season, and was also recruited by Michigan, Michigan State, and Denver. A teammate of BU freshman Mike Bussoli at Vernon last season, Magowan will join F Gregg Johnson and D Freddy Meyer in the BU class of 2004. Colorado College has landed Tyler Liebel, a 5'10", 155 lb. highly-skilled left-shot center from the Burnaby Bulldogs. Liebel, a 7/21/82 birthdate was also recruited by UNH and Denver. Liebel joins fellow recruits Peter Sejna, Aaron Gill, and Scott Polaski in the CC class of '04. All are forwards. University of Nebraska-Omaha has gotten a commitment from 6'0", 185 lb. RW Andrew Wong of Cowichan Valley. Wong, a 5/8/80 birthdate, is currently the second-leading scorer in the BCHL with a 12-31-43 line in 20 games played. Wong joins F Aaron Smith, D Dan Calzada, and G Dan Ellis in UNO's current recruiting class. Top forwards from the BCHL still out there include C Jeremy Jackson of Chilliwack, who's visited BU, Michigan State, and Maine; and C Chuck Kobasew of Penticton, who's been getting interest from Michigan, BC, Denver, Ohio St., and Bowling Green.
11/5/99 Four Bolster U.S. Squad for Three Nations The U.S. Under-18 team, 13-3-1 in USHL play, meets the Green Bay Gamblers in a pair of home games Friday and Saturday, then on Sunday heads for Sweden and the Three Nations Tournament. Last year, the U.S. won the Three Nations Tournament, beating host Finland. Later, in February, they won the Five Nations Tournament. After winning both of these, the U.S. stumbled in April's World Under-18 Championship, winding up in the relegation round. The Three Nations and Five Nations tournaments, while good barometers of the international talent pool, are really just preliminaries to what comes in April. "They're important, but not win-at-all-cost important," says U.S. coach Jeff Jackson. "This is more an evaluation process. That's the way the Finns and the Swedes look at it and that's the way we're going to look at it, too. Perhaps last year, we took winning (the tournament) too seriously. This year, we'll be playing to get better." Last year, Jackson and his staff augmented the team with four players from outside the program (for the record, they were Brett Nowak, Paul Martin, Jeff Taffe, and Dan Welch). They'll be doing the same thing this year. The players to be added are: -- Jason Bacashihua: In 10 games played with the Chicago Freeze (NAHL), Bacashihua has a 2.47 GAA and .920 save %, placing him third in the league. The two goaltenders in front of him, Cam Ellsworth of the Soo, an '80, and Ron Vogel of Texas, a '79, are both playing for first place teams. Bacashihua, an '82, is playing for a last place team. Bacashihua played for the Honeybaked Midgets before moving up to the NAHL this season. He has international experience, backstopping the U.S. Select Under-18 team to a silver medal this summer in the Four Nations Tournament in the Czech Republic. He's 5'11", 161 lbs. and is from Dearborn Heights, Michigan. -- Joey Schuman: A 6'0", 181 lb. smooth-skating left-shot defenseman from Benilde-St. Margaret's, a Minneapolis parochial school that won the Minnesota Class A state championship last March. Schuman, who was on the U.S. Under-18 Select team this summer, scored both U.S. goals in a 2-1 upset win over Canada. -- Jared Newman: A 6'2", 180 lb. right-shot D from Lincoln Park, Michigan and the Plymouth Whalers (OHL), Newman is playing in his second year with the Whalers. A solid defensive defenseman, Newman, in 16 games, has an 0-3-3 line with 36 PIM. -- Ben Eaves: A 5'9", 165 lb. RW/C from Shattuck-St. Mary's. In 15 games so far this season, Eaves has a 13-18-31 line with two penalty minutes. A dynamic player, he'll carry the puck at high speed, cut in and out of traffic, drop nifty passes, and rip off hard, accurate shots on the fly. He'll be going to Boston College next fall. Last year, Eaves scored over a hundred points in leading Shattuck, then coached by current L.A. Kings coach Andy Murray, to the National Midget Championship in Washington, D.C. Note: Eaves and Schuman have been in Ann Arbor practicing with the Under -18 team since Tuesday. The other two will be arriving shortly. Since the USHL, on grounds of competitive balance, won't allow it, none will be able to suit up for the games vs. Green Bay Friday and Saturday. (Newman, because he's playing major junior, wouldn't have been allowed to in any case.) Here are the U.S. lines for the Three Nations Tournament:
Assisting Jackson behind the bench will be NTDP coaches Ken Martel and John Hynes. The tournament format is double round-robin. Here's the schedule:
11/3/99 Gophers Get Their Man Des Moines Buccaneers forward Troy Riddle, one of the top handful of recruits in the country, has committed to the University of Minnesota. Riddle, a 5'10", 175 lb. RW, made his college decision on Monday, after completing his official visit to the U over the weekend. Other schools visited by Riddle were Michigan, Maine, Boston College, and Colorado College. Riddle, a high school junior last season, helped lead Benilde-St. Margaret's, a Minneapolis, Minn. parochial school, to the Class A state title. Riddle then opted to spend his senior year in the USHL, where he got off to a quick start. Our report on Riddle in the Buc Bowl read in part, "Clearly the most dominant offensive player in the tournament...great hands...excellent vision... overwhelming speed. Plays with exceptional tenacity. Competes every shift." Riddle, in 12 games with Des Moines, has an 8-6-14 scoring line. He's an 8/24/81 birthdate, thus eligible for June's NHL draft without opting in.
11/2/99 UNO Gets a Scorer Forward Aaron Smith of the Green Bay Gamblers has committed to the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Smith, who's currently tied for second in the USHL in scoring with a 6-12-18 line, is a 5'11", 185 lb. left shot who plays the off-wing. A native of Madison, Wisconsin, Smith played for the St. Louis Sting (NAHL) the past two seasons. He's a 4/3/79 birthdate. Several schools were talking to Smith, but UNO was the first school to put a firm offer on the table. Smith, who visited Nebraska-Omaha Oct. 15-16 for a pair of games vs. Michigan State, will give a boost to the Mavericks offense, which is averaging two goals per game this season. Friday night, in the Gamblers' 9-8 shootout win over the Sioux Falls Stampede, Smith notched a hat trick, including the game-tying goal with under one minute to play. He also had an assist, plus a shootout goal.
11/2/99 R.I.P., King of the Hill The former King of the Hill Tournament, held each November in Waterloo, Iowa, has been moved and renamed. This year it'll be in Plymouth, Michigan and will be called the USA Hockey Top Prospects Tournament. (Sounds like the name of a million other tournaments to us. What was wrong with the old name?) The tournament will be held at the Compuware Sports Arena over three days -- Monday, Nov. 29 through Wed. Dec. 1, with games each day at 11 am and 2 pm. There will be four separate all-star teams -- one from the USHL, one from the AWHL, one from the NAHL, and a fourth team which will consist of players from all three leagues plus several players from the U.S. National Team Development Program. Only American players will be eligible. The teams have yet to be named. The tournament will be used to to select the U.S. roster for the annual Viking Cup, which will be held from Dec. 27 to Jan. 5 in Camrose, Alberta.
11/1/99 Three to Join Under-17's for International Series Forward Ryan Hollweg, a Californian playing for the Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL); defensemen Tim Gleason, a Michigan native playing for the Windsor Spitfires (OHL); and Ryan Whitney, who plays for Thayer Academy, a Massachusetts prep school, will be joining the U.S. Under-17 team for next week's four-game series in Ann Arbor against Switzerland's Under-17 Team. The Under-17 team, which plays in the NAHL, has been skating several players who are too old for Under-17 competition. Hollweg, Gleason, and Whitney will fill their spots. All three will likely be invited to the play for the U.S. at the World Under-17 Challenge in Timmins, Ontario Dec. 27-Jan. 3. Hollweg joined Medicine Hat from Langley (BCHL) last week and, after one day of practice with his new teammates, played in his first major junior game Friday night. He came through nicely, too, picking up two points (1g,1a) in a 6-5 road win against Red Deer. On Saturday, at home against Red Deer, Hollweg notched an assist in a 3-0 win. Gleason, a smooth-skating left-shot D with excellent mobility and stickhandling skills, played with the Honeybaked Bantams in 1997-98 before joining the Leamington Flyers Jr. B last season. Gleason, 6'0" and 170 lbs., was selected by Windsor in the first round of June's OHL draft. Thus far, in ten games with Windsor, he has a 1-5-6 line with 15 PIM. Whitney, a 6'4", 180 lb. left-shot, is a junior at Thayer who plays a Larry Robinson-Chris Pronger style of game. Tall and lanky, Whitney makes the game appear easy at times, using his reach to poke the puck off an onrushing forward's stick, then quickly gathering it up and turning the play the other way with a superb tape-to-tape outlet pass.
11/1/99 USHL Picks Four Nations Roster
The USHL squad will be coached by Mark Osiecki of Green Bay and will include players from all USHL squads (excepting the USA squad). Des Moines is the only team with three players invited. Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Green Bay, Omaha, Lincoln, Waterloo, and Twin Cities each will be sending two players. Cedar Rapids, Rochester, Thunder Bay, Fargo-Moorhead, and Dubuque will each send one.
*** Copyright © 1999 U.S. Hockey Report
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