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U.S. Hockey Report
8/29/00 Nystrom a Wolverine U.S. National Team Development Program LW Eric Nystrom has committed to the University of Michigan for the fall of 2001. Nystrom, playing last season for the Under-17 Team, posted a 8-18-26 line in 69 games played, and was the team's sixth-leading scorer. He also had 59 minutes in penalties. Nystrom, whose final list also included BC, Michigan State, and Notre Dame, is a solid winger who plays both ends of the ice. He's also a leader. Last year, he served as captain of the Under-17 Team Before going to the National Program, Nystrom, who's 6'0", 180 lbs. and a 2/14/83 birthdate, played for New York Applecore (EJHL). He's from Long Island, where his father, Bob Nystrom, a right wing, played 12 years for the N.Y. Islanders, including the '79-83 dynasty years when the club won won four straight Stanley Cups.
8/29/00 Fleming a Gopher Jake Fleming has committed to the University of Minnesota. A 5-8, 160 lb. left-shot center, Fleming played in the National Team Development Program last year, but, since he was too old for this year's World Under-18s -- he's an '82 -- decided to spend his senior year in the USHL. He will be playing with the Omaha Lancers. Fleming, a skilled face-off man and distributor, put up a 13-22-35 line in 68 games played last season. Other schools were interested in Fleming, but Minnesota was the only one he made an official visit to. Fleming is from Maple Grove, Minn. and played at Osseo HS before leaving for Ann Arbor as a 10th grader. Another member of last year's NTDP who, for the same reasons as Fleming, will be playing for the Lancers is 5'10", 186 lb. defenseman Keith Ballard. Highly sought after, Ballard has a short list of Minnesota and North Dakota, but don't count on a quick decision -- Ballard hasn't even made official visits to either school.
8/29/00 All in the Family Rhode Island high school star Tom Cavanagh has made a verbal commitment to Harvard University for the fall of 2001. Cavanagh, a 5'9" left-shot center who graduated from Toll Gate H.S. in June, will first be taking a PG year at Phillips Exeter Academy. Last season, Cavanagh, who posted a 25-29-54 line in 18 regular season games; and Mount St. Charles center Chris Chaput, who's committed to Providence College, finished the regular season scoring race tied for first. Cavanagh is the son of Joe Cavanagh, who starred at Harvard from 1968-71, racked up 187 points in three years (remember, freshmen didn't play then), and was a first team All-America all three years. Today, the elder Cavanagh is a lawyer in Warwick, RI.
8/27/00 U.S. Under-17s Golden The U.S. Under-17 Select Team topped Slovakia today, 3-2, to win the Four Nations Tournament in Kezmarok, Czech Republic. Beyond that, we have few details, though we do have a report that the tournament came down to a tiebreaker -- and the U.S. won it on a coin toss. Switzerland finished second; Czech Republic, third; and Slovakia, fourth. Also, we can tell you that defenseman Jake Wilkens of Eagle River, Alaska was named the player of the game, while Deerfield Academy defenseman Ben Lovejoy was named the tournament's top defenseman.
8/26/00 Boston College Lands a Center 6'1", 175 lb. left-shot center Ned Havern, who'll be entering his senior year at Arlington (Mass.) High School, has committed to Boston College for the fall of 2001. In addition to the Eagles, Havern's final three included UNH and Harvard. Havern's father, Bob, played at Harvard in the early 70s and is now a Massachusetts State Senator. The younger Havern, who posted a 25-37-62 line and helped lead Arlington into the "Super 8" tournament last winter, is a 10/1/82 birthdate. A natural center who distributes the puck extremely well, Havern has also added a couple of inches in height over the last year.
8/26/00 Swon Turns into Bear 5'10", 160 lb. RW Chris Swon, who last year played for the Hotchkiss School and this year will be playing for the Tri-City Storm (USHL), has committed to Brown University for the fall of 2001. Swon, a hard-working winger, is a 1/15/82 birthdate and a native of Mendham, NJ. He completed his 11th grade year at Hotchkiss, and will be taking his senior year of high school in Kearney, Nebraska, which bears not the faintest resemblance to the leafy playing fields of Hotchkiss.
8/25/00 The Lowdown on the Under-18s Who came through with big performances for the U.S. Under-18 Select Team in the Czech Republic? Since their return home on Monday, this typist has talked to coaches, scouts, and recruiters who were on hand, looking to get the lowdown. The top three forwards (and the vote was close to unanimous) were all on the same line: LW Zach Parisé, C Ryan Shannon, and RW Patrick Eaves. Parisé, 5'9", 155 lbs., is a quick, super-skilled '84 who had a five-point game (2g,3a) in the tournament opener, but was kept off the scoreboard over the next two games. Shannon, a quick, cerebral center who's 5'8", 165 lbs. and bound for BC next year, had a 1-3-4 line in the tournament's three games. Eaves, who's 5'11, 162 lbs., played through an elbow injury which hampered his shot, Like Parisé, Eaves is an '84. "He just knows how to play," one observer noted. After that troika, 5'10", 175 lb. Yale-bound center Chris Higgins received the most mention. Higgins, a sniper, started on the off-wing, but was then moved to center. Playing with a chipped fingernail suffered in the first exhibition game, he finished the three-game tournament with a 1-0-1 line. . #5 on the list would be 5'10", 167 lb. LW Dave Spina, a native of Mesa, Arizona who'll be playing his senior year of high school with the NTDP. Michigan State, Denver, BU, and Notre Dame are all vying for his services. The #6 spot would go to University of Minnesota recruit Mike Erickson of Eden Prairie HS. Erickson, who's 6'2" and can fire it, led U.S. scorers with three goals. Stephen Gionta, who's 5'6" and 188 lbs., also picked up a vote for sixth-best forward. He may have come up empty on the scoresheet but, despite a sprained shoulder, played his usual tenacious game. Gionta won't wow you in a skills competition, but coaches love him. Why isn't Gino Guyer among the top six forwards, much less top three? Last winter at the World Under-17 championships in Timmins, Ontario, Guyer was outstanding, so he's proven he can do it at the international level. This time around, he was a notch below the top of his game, finishing with a 1-1-2 line in the three games. His coaches felt he was putting too much pressure on himself. On defense, Matt Jones of the Green Bay Gamblers was the unanimous top pick. The folks handing out the hardware over there liked him, too, voting Jones the tournament's top defenseman. A great skater with quick feet, Jones also makes good decisions. Recently, North Dakota has stepped into the hunt for him, joining Wisconsin and Michigan, who've been seeking his services for awhile. In the #2 spot was '84 defenseman Mark Stuart of the Rochester, Minn. Stuarts and the NTDP. Stuart, who's 6'1", 210 lbs., had pro scouts rubbing their hands in anticipation of the 2002 draft. "He was a man child one there," one observer noted. Stuart, playing with a sprained knee, was simply flattening opponents -- and moving the puck, too. 6'1", 189 lbs. Judd Stevens, a right-shot D from Wayzata HS; and Peter Harrold, a 5'11", 170 lb. right-shot D from the Cleveland Barons (NAHL), were third and fourth, in either order. Stevens, who has size and moves the puck well, was originally an alternate. Harrold, a rugged kid with good skills, raised his stock significantly. Very steady -- and one of the pleasant surprises of the tournament. In net, Rob Goepfert, of Suffolk PAL Jr. B on Long Island, NY, and Layne Sedevie, of Bismarck (ND) High School, split time in the pre-tournament exhibitions, but once the games counted for real, Goepfert was in there. After playing well in the first game, the coaches decided to stick with the hot hand, and Goepfert wound up playing the rest of the way -- and playing well. This tournament put him on the map. Notes: After two periods of the final game against Canada, the U.S. was outshooting Team Maple Leaf, 19-12, and leading 1-0. However, they were also 0-for-8 on the powerplay, and that, along with the goaltending of Canada's Dan Blackburn -- he came up with at least four very big saves -- caught up with them in the third as Canada came back with a pair of goals to tie it up and then go ahead. An empty-netter sealed it. Both teams, by the way, were dog-tired going into this third game, having played six games -- three exhibition, three tournament -- in eight games. Now looks like a good time to consider junking that third exhibition game. The U.S. drew a lot of positive marks from everyone, both for their high skill level and their work ethic. The U.S. was small, with only four players -- one forward and three defenseman -- over 5'11." But they got after it, playing an up-tempo game to utilize the high skill level of their forwards. The D weren't hanging back either, jumping up into the rush, and getting up and down the ice quickly. Roster: U.S. Under-18 Select Team
8/25/00 U.S. Under-17 Selects Begin Play The U.S. Under-17 Select Team starts play in the Four Nations Tournament today, meeting Sweden in Frydek-Mistek, Czech Republic. In the pre-tournament exhibition schedule, which concluded Wednesday, the U.S. met Slovakia three times and beat them three times, by scores of 3-2, 6-5, and 6-3. Leading scorers were Tyler Hirsch of Shattuck-St. Mary's (3g, 6a); Nick Pernula of Osseo High School (2g,4a); and Dustin Brown, a center going major junior with the Guelph Storm (4g,1a). Box Scores: All 3 exhibitions vs. Slovakia
8/24/00 Van Ryn Loophole to Close? Recent rumblings from well-placed sources indicate this could be the last year that CHL teams accept US college players seeking to take advantage of the Van Ryn ruling. Reportedly, the NHL is requesting the leagues, via gentleman's agreement, to shut out players looking to take advantage of the loophole that in the past week has cost college hockey two top players in Mike Comrie and Barrett Heisten. Comrie, Michigan's leading scorer and an Edmonton third-round pick in 1999, is headed to the Kootenay Ice (WHL). Heisten, Maine's top returning scorer and a Buffalo Sabres first-round pick, will be leaving Orono for the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). Heisten, ungifted academically, may have had at least one foot out the door anyway. Now, we're hearing that Maine defenseman Doug Janik, a Buffalo Sabres second-round pick, may leave school to play major junior as well. In case you missed it, the Van Ryn ruling, which was handed down by Boston-based independent arbitrator Lawrence Holden on June 20, enables drafted college players to become unrestricted NHL free agents by leaving school and playing major junior for a year. Previously, college players remained the property of the club that drafted them for the duration of their collegiate eligibility plus one year -- a total of five years. Van Ryn's counsel argued that this was unfair, pointing to the fact that Canadian major junior players can become free agents if the NHL team that drafted them doesn't sign them within two years. Van Ryn, a 1998 first-round draft pick of New Jersey, left the University of Michigan last fall, and played for the Sarnia Sting (OHL) last winter. In June, one week after being declared an unrestricted free agent by Holden's decision, Van Ryn inked a three-year deal worth $1.025 million plus bonuses. That's about 15% better than the rookie salary cap. The NHL, by requesting major junior leagues to stop signing college players looking to take advantage of the new rule, hopes to protect the integrity of the amateur draft. As of right now, NHL teams will be reluctant to draft top college players in the early rounds next June. Will the major junior teams hew to a gentleman's agreement? That's the multi-million dollar question. While the NHL has a lot of power over the CHL because of development money, leaving it up to individual teams to "Just Say No" when a Mike Comrie arrives gift-wrapped on their doorstep is another matter entirely. On top of that, there are sure to be legal questions in need of addressing. And you can be sure that the NHL Players' Association will weigh in with its two cents worth. Closing the loophole would be beneficial for college hockey as it would force the college game's biggest names to stay in school longer -- maybe even graduate. But taking away players' rights may be a difficult thing to do. Note: In case you're wondering, the collegian who could really set up a furious bidding war is Michigan defenseman Jeff Jillson, a 1999 first-round draft pick of the San Jose Sharks. Needless to say, the San Jose front office is doing everything in its power to keep him with the Wolverines.
8/23/00 NTDP Adds O'Sullivan The National Team Development Program has added Patrick O'Sullivan to its roster for the upcoming season. O'Sullivan, a stocky and well put together 5'10", 175 lb. center, played last season with the Strathroy Rockets of the Western Ontario Jr. B league where, in 54 games, he posted a 25-30-55 line with 44 penalty minutes. O'Sullivan, a Michigan native, along with goaltender Gerard Coleman, who's from Illinois, will be the youngest members of the National Program. Both are '85's. A spot on the National Team opened a few of weeks ago when Zach Parisé decided to stay at Shattuck-St. Mary's where his father, J.P. Parisé, runs the school's hockey program. This marks the first time in the program's existence that there will be two "underagers" in the program. There was one the first year (Kris Vernarsky), none the second year, and one last year (Eric Sargent). O'Sullivan was in the news late this past spring when his father, John O'Sullivan, was threatening to sue the OHL as a means of making his son eligible to play in the O under the "hometown exemption" the league grants to exceptional underagers who reside in the community in which they will be playing. It was this exemption that enabled Jason Spezza to play for the Brampton Battallion as a 15-year-old before going into the OHL draft a year later. This was not the first time John O'Sullivan has been in the news. Two years ago, in 1998, he went out of district and submitted a registration with a false birthdate to USA Hockey that enabled his son to play in the Select 15 Festival while he was still only 13 years old. This typist watched him there, where he played with the Atlantic/S.E. squad. Despite the two-year difference, O'Sullivan, then only 5'6" and 150 lbs., was one of the better players on the team, which also included Ryan Murphy and Bryan Miller. The 13-year-old drew admiration from his coaches for his feisty, hard-nosed play, even as they wondered why he had such a high-pitched voice. Needless to say, if O'Sullivan had played in the 15 Festival this year, his natural year, he would have been a standout. 8/22/00 Snizek Commits to Big Green Chris Snizek, a 5'8", 175 lb. right-shot center from Choate School has committed to Dartmouth. Snizek, a Harrisville, R.I. native who played for Mount St. Charles before transferring to Choate two years ago, has quick hands. A clever playmaker who can also finish, Snizek is a 10/3/81 birthdate.
8/22/00 A Late Add for Golden Knights Coming in to play for Clarkson this fall will be Craig Foddrill, who played last season for the Texas Tornado (NAHL). Foddrill, a left shot, is an up-and-down-the-wing type with a good burst of speed and, at 6'0", 180 lbs., decent size. He was the 11th-leading scorer in the NAHL last season, finishing the season with a 23-31-54 line in 55 games. Foddrill will be a transfer student at Clarkson, has two years of eligibility remaining, and can start playing the Golden Knights immediately. Before going to Texas last season, he played two years of hockey at Eastern Michigan University, which he was attending on a baseball scholarship. Foddrill, who turned 21 in February, is a native of Ypsilanti, Mich. Foddrill will help fill the void created when Erik Cole signed with Carolina and Mikko Ruutu left school after one year to play in his native Finland.
8/22/00 A Bad Move Last week, the MAAC unceremoniously cancelled eight games against the University of Findlay from its league schedule, and are now facing the ire of the college hockey community. Reportedly, the thinking behind the MAAC's decision is that Findlay's official transition from Div. II to Div. I is not complete, thus the games with Findlay would not count in the RPI. This year, for the first time, the MAAC champion will automatically get an NCAA bid. The chances of the league getting a second bid are basically non-existent. The four MAAC teams affected by this decision are Mercyhurst, Canisius, Sacred Heart, and Fairfield. Last week, acting on a recommendation from league commissioner Rich Ensor, who has no background in hockey, the athletic directors (with the exception of Quinnipiac's Jack MacDonald, who was in Europe at the time) voted 6-3-1 in favor of dumping the games against Findlay. Interestingly enough, the three votes against the idea came from Mercyhurst, Canisius, and Fairfield, three of the four schools scheduled to play Findlay this season. Craig Barnett, the well-liked coach at Findlay, now has the following eight dates open: 10/13-14; 10/20-21; 11-24-25; and 12/8-9. They won't be easy to fill at this late date. The MAAC's action leaves Findlay, a program that is trying to attain Div. I status, with serious -- and probably unfillable -- holes in its schedule. Right now, a lot of people in college hockey are angry at the MAAC for this. Besides the fact that it's simply wrong to cancel games at this time of year, the general feeling is that the MAAC has hurt a program that is in exactly the same position today as they -- i.e., the MAAC schools -- were in two years ago.
8/21/00 Under-18 Selects Finish Second USA Hockey isn't sending any info out of Slovakia so we can't really bring you up to date on the U.S. Under-18 Select Team's fortunes in the Four Nations Tournament. We do, however, have scores. On Saturday, the U.S. topped Slovkia, 4-0. Yesterday, in their third and final game, they bowed to Canada, 3-1. Canada won the gold. The U.S. finished second.
8/20/00 Loaded Mass. Team Takes HNIB Hockey Night in Boston's All-Star weekend took a hit before it even started when the visit of the Russian Under-18 team was cancelled at the last minute, enabling numerous out-of-area pro scouts to stay home and help the Mrs. repot the geraniums. According to a HNIB release, visa problems some players suffered earlier in the week -- even though they were subsequently straightened out -- made it necessary for the Russians to reschedule their flight. The airline then refused to credit their initial deposit money toward a new flight. The additional cost to get to Boston would have been over $20,000, so it was scratched. That, for what it's worth, is the official word. Anyway, with the Russians a no-show, there was a letdown in the air, and the play, at least in the two nights this typist was there, was pretty lackluster. Massachusetts (4-0) wound up winning the whole thing, knocking off the Juniors 7-4 yesterday. There was nothing unexpected about this: Mass. was absolutely loaded. How's this for a top line: Michigan recruit Michael Woodford, Maine recruit Ben Murphy, and UNH recruit Sean Collins. Other notable forwards included UMass recruit Greg Mauldin, St. Paul's Tim Graham, Nobles' Ben McManama, and Arlington High's Ned Havern. On defense, Mass. boasted Maine recruit Paul Lynch and Northeastern recruit Donnie Grover. The goaltenders included UMass recruit Tim Warner. The Juniors -- all 11th graders-to-be -- finished 2-2. Upfront, Lawrence Academy's Mark Pandolfo stood out, as did Cushing's Dan Murphy. Much of this team's strength sprang from their defense, a strong group that included the Cushing trio of Brian Yandle, Phil Youngclaus, and Marvin Degon; as well as Lawrence Academy's K.C. Thomson, Tabor's Chuckie Tomes, and Winchester High's Danny Spang. They also had four (!) goalies. It looked like a freakin' Chinese fire drill out there. Absurd. The remaining teams all finished with an identical 1-2 record. Anyway, all the players mentioned above are quite familiar to readers of this site, as were a handful of already-committed guys on the other teams, like Eddie Caron (UNH), Chris Snizek (Dartmouth), Mark Noble (Merrimack), Chris White (Quinnipiac), and Jeff Lang (UMass). There were, though, other players that deserve to be singled out, like forwards C.J. Hanafin (Austin Prep), Kevin Lyons (Nobles), Nathan Cook (Kimball Union), Mike Zbriger (Gov. Dummer), Nick Tsiantar (Berkshire), and Justin Rafferty (Capital District Selects). The Minnesota squad got good performances from Steve Nelson (Blake), C.J. Nibbe (Breck), and Bill McCreary and Chad Mayfield (Shattuck). On defense, Joe Mormina (Holderness), Eric Molander (Milton), and Nick Harper (Rochester Mayo) are all mammoth. Gerard Miller (NY Applecore), Blake Pickett (Cushing), Steven Mead (Andover), and Casey Bickley (Shattuck) were solid. As for goalies, they're hard to judge in normal circumstances. In this setting, playing just one period a game, it's impossible.
8/20/00 Welch to Crimson 6'3", 194 lb. St. Sebastian's defenseman Noah Welch has committed to Harvard University. Welch had been offered by UNH, UMass-Amherst, and Northeastern, and had been talking to BU and Providence. In the end, though, it was Harvard that won out. Welch was on the U.S. Select-17 squad that beat Canada but had to settle for the silver a year ago in the Czech Republic. He's an 8/26/82 birthdate from Brighton, Mass., which is practically walking distance to Harvard's Bright Hockey Center. Welch has played for St. Sebastian's the past two years after transferring from Xaverian High School. Right now, the depth chart for Harvard defensemen in the fall of 2001 consists of Peter Capouch, Leif Ericson, Graham Morrell, Dave McCullough, Blair Barlow, Kenny Smith, and Jesse Lane.
8/20/00 Warner to UMass Toot Cahoon, only months on the job at UMass, has made a big statement, landing Avon Old Farms goaltender Tim Warner, one of the top '83s in the country. Warner, who helped lead Avon Old Farms to the New England Prep School Championship in March, would have been entering his junior year, but will instead be accelerating. He will enter Avon next month as a senior. Current UMass goaltender Marcus Helanen will be a senior this year, so Warner should be able to step right in as a freshman. BU was onto Warner in the early spring, which would have covered them if Rick DiPietro had returned to school for one more year before turning pro. That, of course, didn't happen, and BU had to go for someone who could come in right away. Warner, who's 5'11", 170 lbs. and a 3/11/83 birthdate, is from Waltham, Mass. and played for Arlington Catholic before heading to prep school. Mike Warner, his older brother (and long-time teammate), will be playing for UMass starting this season. UMass also received commitments from defenseman Jeff Lang of Westwood, Mass. and Tabor Academy; and Craig MacDonald of Canton, Mass. and Noble & Greenough.
8/20/00 Perti Gets the Nod Look for Perti Hassanan to be named an assistant at UMass-Lowell on Monday... Also, look for former Providence College forward Rick Bennett to be named an assistant at his alma mater shortly...Among other Division I assistant hirings of the past month is Bruce Wolanin. He's returning for his second tour of duty at Yale after a year at UConn... Dave Smith, after two years at Miami, has moved on to Bowling Green... Tom Mutch doesn't even have to pack his bags, as he's moving from the Omaha Lancers (USHL) to the University of Omaha-Nebraska.... RPI, where Bill Cahill has taken over the women's program, and Vermont, where Joe Gervais has taken a job within the university, have openings yet to be filled. In the USHL, the Dubuque Fighting Saints have hired Jason Fairman as an assistant. Last year, Fairman was a volunteer assistant for Cornell, his alma mater... The Green Bay Gamblers have hired Ian Kallay as an assistant. Kallay was a forward at North Dakota when current Green Bay Gamblers head coach Mark Osiecki was an assistant there... Fred Harbison has been hired as an assistant to new Sioux City Musketeers head coach Dave Siciliano. Harbison has been coaching the Fernie Ghostriders (AWHL) the past two years. Fernie won 31 straight games this past season, set a AWHL league record with 48 wins, and walked off with the league title... The Omaha Lancers have named Keith Fisher as an assistant. Fisher has been an undergraduate assistant at St. Cloud State the past two years.
Kezmarok, Slovakia -- The U.S. Under-18 Select team opened the Four Nations Tournament with a 7-1 win over the Czech Republic yesterday. The U.S. was led by outstanding efforts from Zach Parise (1 g, 4 a) Ryan Shannon (3 a), Mike Erickson (2 g) and Patrick Eaves (2 g). Bobby Goepfert was outstanding in net, kicking out 32 shots. The U.S. outshot the Czech Republic, 58-33. In the other game, Canada defeated Slovakia 12 - 2.
Select 15 Rankings At this year's Select 15 Festival there was a Mike Arciero and a Mike Arcieri, both forwards, both from New York, and both of similar size and ability. Minnesota sent a Hendrick and a Hendricks. Central sent a Canzoneri and a Cosmano. There was a Gardner and a Gartner. Plus a pair of Smiths (both forwards); and a pair of Moores (also both forwards). There was a Russo and a Rizzo on the same line. In net was a pair of Johnsons. A real mess, but we sorted it out for you. Now, the big question: Who would have won the Select 15 Tournament if the format had gone unchanged? The answer: Central... hands-down. The district had four lines worth of talented forwards at St. Cloud last week, most of whom were on the Stan Stopkin-coached CYA '85 squad that won Nationals in March. The district also produced two top goalies in Gerald Coleman and Alvaro Montoya. After Central? Michigan and Minnesota looked pretty even. Then it gets hard to separate them. What follows, then, is our ranking of the top players at St. Cloud. There were 200 players there and of those we ranked 100 (60 forwards, 30 defensemen, and 10 goaltenders). It's a bit of a hybrid list, meaning performance level at the festival is heavily weighted for some players while future potential is given more weight for others. There will, of course, be considerable fluctuation over the next year, primarily because of their age and physical development. Here are some interesting numbers. Of the 200 players at the festival, 134 -- that's 67 % -- were born in the first six months of 1985. That's usually the case, and there's little variation annually. Anyway, in the rankings that follow we're using Div. I play, not pro (though both are still pretty far in the distance), as our primary reference point. And one final caveat, the customary one: these views are from this typist only, and do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone else. As for the overall quality of the '85s, it's a down year except at goal, where it's up. Defense is very thin, while up front, there are a lot of very good players -- actually more than normal -- but few who really announced themselves, at least at St. Cloud, as big-timers. Speaking of big timers, there were a few top '85s who weren't here, like forwards Danny Fritsche (Parma, Ohio); K.C. Stahlberg (Roseau, Minn.); and Patrick O'Sullivan (Michigan). Here then are the top '85s who were here. You'll be hearing their names a lot in the years to come. Forwards: 1. Josh Hennessey, Mass. -- 5'11" left-shot center from Rockland, Mass. and Milton Academy. Exceptionally well-rounded game for his age. Possesses size, strength, and skill. Strong in all areas. 3-4-7. 2. T.J. Hensick, Mich. -- 5'7" right-shot forward played left wing. Excellent vision. Excellent hands. Tremendous nose for the net. In one game, he figured in five of his team's six goals (2g,3a). Finished the tournament atop the scoring leaders. He's from Howell, Mich. (Andy Hilbert's hometown) and will be playing for the Honeybaked Midgets. He's still 14 -- his birthdate is in December. There's little to separate him from Hennessey. 4-7-11. 3. Aaron Bader, Minn. -- 5'11" lb. left wing (he's a converted defenseman) from Faribault, Minn. and Shattuck-St. Mary's. Powerful stride. Booming shot. Excellent prospect. 3-4-7. 4. Josh Sciba, Mich. -- 5'10" LW from Westland, Mich. Played for the Honeybaked '85s last winter and will be attempting to make the jump to the Compuware Ambassadors (NAHL) this year. Smooth skater with soft hands. Could be more involved physically. 4-3-7. 5. Kevin Coughlin, Mass. -- 6'1", 196 lb. winger from S. Boston, Mass. and Cushing Academy has size and strength, both of which he could utilize more. If he does, he'll go a long way. 0-4-4. 6. John Vigilante, Mich. -- 5'9" left-shot forward who played on the right side here. Pretty complete player. Puck skills, passing, hands, vision. Got better as the week went along. Will be playing for the Compuware Midgets this season. Younger brother of Lake Superior State forward Mike Vigilante. 5-2-7. 7. Jake Dowell, Central -- 5'11" left-shot center from Eau Claire Memorial HS in Wisconsin. He's a bull. Just goes through guys. Hard-nosed. Persistent. Excellent shot. Makes smart passes. A catalyst. 5-2-7. 8. Ben Hendrick, Minn. -- 5'7" RW from Andover, Minn. who will be playing for Anoka High this winter. High skill level. Very good hands. Works hard and plays with a lot of poise. 3-5-8. 9. Derek Martin, Pacific -- 6'0" LW from Soldotna, Alaska, on the Kenai Peninsula. Projects to be a solid power forward. He loves to hit -- and hit hard. Will be playing for Soldotna High School. 1-2-3. 10. Ryan Maki, Mich. -- 5'11" RW from Shelby Township, Mich. has good hands, good shot, good size, skates well, and competes. Will be playing in the Western Ontario Jr. B League, with either Strathroy or Petrolia. 1-3-4. 11. Mike Bartlett, Central -- 5'10" RW from Morton Grove, Ill. A smooth skater with good hands. Will be playing for the Chicago Chill Midgets. 3-0-3. 12. Brian Bales, Pacific -- 5'8", 173 lb. left-shot center from Anchorage, Alaska and the Alaska All-Stars. Hard-nosed. Keeps feet moving, and works for the puck. Second-leading scorer in the tournament. 1-8-9. 13. Andrew Goberstein, Central -- 5'9" right-shot winger from Northbrook, Ill. and CYA. Smooth skater. Excellent passer. Nice wrist shot. Scored with 1:39 remaining in the gold medal game to give his team the title. 2-3-5. 14. Anthony Canzoneri, Central -- 5'8" right-shot center from Lockport, Ill. Will be playing for CYA Midgets. He's quick, and he can score. 3-5-8. 15. Todd Johnson, New England -- 6'1" RW from Riverside, Conn. and the Brunswick School. He has size, and takes it to the net. Averaged a point a game. 2-3-5. 16. Topher Scott, Central -- 5'3", 137 lb. LW from Buffalo Grove, Ill. will be attempting to jump from the CYA '85s to the Chicago Steel (USHL). Recalls Chris Fournier at the Select 15s a few years back. Highly-skilled type whom the puck just follows. On one goal, roofed a shot under crossbar that no one could have stopped. Quick, though not a speedster. 4-2-6. 17. Steven Mandes, Atlantic -- 5'9" right-shot center from Doylestown, Pa. was out of sync here. However, he got it going a bit at the end, notching his first and only goal of the tournament on the last day. He's a pure athlete who can skate, make a play, and finish. Will be going to the Hotchkiss School. 1-1-2. 18. Jacob Hipp, Rocky Mt. -- 5'8" left-shot forward from Bismarck, N.D. played RW here. Has good hands. Is a physical, energy-type player. Plays for Century HS in Bismarck. 1-2-3. 19. Brian Moore, Mid-Am -- 5'10" right-shot center from Carmel, Indiana and Park Tudor HS. Sees the ice well. Works to create opportunities. Can finish or dish it. 3-0-3. 20. Dustin Collins, Rocky Mt. -- 5'11" left-shot center from Gilbert, Arizona, and the Phoenix Polar Bears (well, somebody has a sense of humor) who is a good combination of skill and size. 1-3-4. 21. J.D. Corbin, Rocky Mt. -- 5'7" left-shot forward is the best 15-year-old to come out of Colorado in a while. Here, he played on the right side. Has great mitts. Quick, though not fast. Handles puck in traffic very well. Didn't score a goal here, which was surprising. Will be playing for the Honeybaked Midgets this season. 0-1-1. 22. Anthony Cosmano, Team Illinois -- 5'8" RC from Wheaton, Ill. will be playing for Team Illinois this winter. Strong on his skates. Excellent passer and playmaker. Patient with puck. 3-0-3. 23. Peter MacArthur, N.Y. -- 5'8" left-shot center from Clifton Park, NY is a smooth skater who's quick, too. Agile and physically involved. Plays for Shenendoa HS. 1-1-2. 24. Brian McGuirk, Mass. -- 5'9" winger from Danvers, Mass. and Governor Dummer Academy is dangerous because of his speed. 2-0-2. 25. Michael Hendricks, Minn. -- 5'7" LW from Bemidji, Minn. is a nifty player. He's smart, clever, quick, and opportunistic. He can also take a hard hit and get right back into the play. Very involved. 2-1-3. 26. Jeff Likens, Central -- 5'8" RC from Barrington, Ill. and the Chicago Young Americans program is a savvy player who sees the ice well and is patient and decisive with the puck. He doesn't turn 15 until the end of the month. 3-3-6. 27. Jim Russo, Mass. -- 5'8", 135 lb. winger from Marshfield, Mass. and the Boston Jr. Bruins is agile, has good hands, and goes to the net hard. Played on line with Josh Hennessey. 0-7-7. 28. Ryan Callahan, N.Y. -- 5'7" RW will be playing for Rochester Jr. B this winter. Nice hands. Opportunistic. 4-3-7. 29. Brad Peterson, Minn. -- 5'9" LW will be playing for Bloomington-Jefferson HS this winter. Good all-around skills. 2-2-4. 30. Sean Sutphen, Mid-Am -- 5'11" RW from Dublin, Ohio has a good head for the game. Plays for St. Charles HS. Doesn't turn 15 until October. 3-2-5 31. Chris Greene, N.Y. -- 5'11" wing from Lake Placid, NY has good size, and a good sense of the game. Also a late '85 birthdate. 2-0-2. 32. Mike Cohen, N.Y. -- 5'9" RW from Williamsville and the Buffalo Regals program has good mitts, awareness, and agility. He scoots, too. 3-2-5. 33. Ryan Vert, Rocky Mt. -- 5'8" LW from Mesa, Arizona is a good skater who can score. Will be playing for the Soo Indians this winter. 4-0-4. 34. Joseph Gardner, N.Y. -- 5'7" RW from Buffalo, NY and the Nichols School can skate, and has an excellent wrist shot. 5-0-5. 35. Joe Norman, Atlantic -- 5'8" and very physical and hard-working. From Plainsboro, N.J. Plays for Deerfield Academy. 0-1-1. 36. Kyle Harris, Pacific -- 5'9" wing from Wenatchee, Wash. and the Spokane Braves. Hard-hitting, extremely physical player. Spent a lot of time in the box, but also contributed offensively. 2-2-4. 37. Frank Rizzo, N.Y. -- 5'7" RW from St. James, N.Y. and Suffolk PAL Jr. B. has a nose for the net. 5-2-7. 38. Paul Stastny, Central -- 5'8" left-shot center is younger brother of Yan, and son of ex-NHL star Peter Stastny. He has good hands and a good sense of the ice. Similar to his older brother at the same age. Will be playing for the St. Louis Jr. Blues Midgets this winter. Stastny is a 12/27/85 birthdate, meaning he's almost a full year younger than all the January '85s here. 2-1-3. 39. Ryan Collis, Atlantic -- Agile 5'8" LW from Livingston, NJ is a very good skater. Will be playing for the N.J. Jr. Devils and Seton Hall Prep. 1-6-7. 40. Brett Jurkiewicz, New England -- 6'0", 191 lb. RW will be playing for Essex HS, right outside of Burlington, Vt. Still growing into body. 2-0-2. 41. Jeff Gartner, Mich. -- 5'6" wing from East Lansing and the Compuware organization. Hustles. Has good hands, too. 2-4-6. 42. Mike Arciero, N.Y. -- 5'11" wing from West Point, N.Y. has good all-around skills and the size to go with it. A late '85. Will be playing for the Connecticut Clippers this witner. 2-2-4. 43. Jon Globke, Mich. -- 6'3", 200 lb. wing from W. Bloomfield, Mich. and Little Caesar's is the younger brother of Notre Dame recruit Rob Globke. He's only 14, and won't turn 15 until November. 0-0-0. 44. Ian Schaser, Minn. -- 5'8" LW from Eden Prairie will be playing for Benilde-St. Margaret's this winter. 2-3-5. 45. B.J. DePaoli, Mid-Am -- 5'6" left-shot center from Coal Center, Pa. (sound like football country) is athletic, agile, and possesses good hands and a shot. 1-3-4. 46. Gary Klapkowski, Mid-Am -- 5'8" RW from Pittsburgh, Pa. will be playing for Honeybaked '85s this winter. 0-1-1. 47. Derek Hanson, Minn. -- 5'7" right-shot center out of Bemidji will be playing for Bemidji HS. 3-5-8. 48. Tyler Magura, Rocky Mt. -- 5'11" wing from Fargo South HS is a strong skater. 0-0-0. 49. Jason Weeks, Pacific -- 5'9" RW from Lynwood, Wash. started week strongly, but tailed off a bit. Will be playing for the Seattle Sno-Kings Midgets. 1-2-3. 50. Mike Arcieri, N.Y. -- 5'11" LW from Northport, NY. will be playing for N.Y. Bobcats Jr. B this winter. 0-2-2. 51. Mike Brown, Central -- 5'8" wing from Northbrook, Il. will be playing for the Chicago Chill this winter. 3-1-4. 52. Andrew Brolsma, N.Y. -- 5'7" left-shot center from Fairport, N.Y. 2-4-6. 53. Joe Rooney, Mass. -- 5'8" LW from Canton, Mass. and St. Sebastian's dislocated his shoulder early in the tournament so didn't get a chance to show what he could do. 0-1-1. 54. Jeff Pappalardi, N.Y. -- 5'8" LW from Delmar, NY and Albany Academy. 3-0-3. 55. Steve Bruch, Atlantic -- 5'6" right shot center from Downington, Pa. 2-3-5. 56. Alex Meintel, New England -- 5'7" left-shot center from Yarmouth, Maine and North Yarmouth Academy. 2-2-4. 57. Trevor Hyatt, Pacific -- 5'8" LW from Anchorage, Ak. and the Alaska All-Stars. 2-0-2. 58. Kenneth Rowe, Rocky Mt. -- 5'10" LW from Littleton, Col. plays at Shattuck-St.Mary's. 2-2-4. 59. Ryan Cianfarani, Mich. -- 5'6" wing from Fraser. Mich. and Belle Tire '85s is quick, well put-together, and sees the ice well. 1-1-2. 60. Joseph Buteau, New England -- 6'0" LW from Burlington (Vt.) HS. 0-1-1.
Defensemen: 1. Michael Reynolds, New England -- 6'0", 170 lb. RD from N. Providence, R.I. and St. Ray's HS can skate with the puck and handle it under pressure. Size a plus. 1-1-2. 2. Zack Fitzgerald, Minn. -- 6'1", 192 lb. LD from Duluth East HS has all the tools. A smooth skater, he also has size, strength, hands, and a shot. 0-1-1. 3. Bryan Cirullo, New England -- 5'10", 158 lb. LD from Farmington, Conn. and the New England Jr. Coyotes has excellent mobility and poise with the puck. 3-1-4. 4. Matt Hunwick, Mich. -- 5'10", 162 lb. LD from Roseville, Mich. and Honeybaked Midget Majors is poised, has good hands, and skates well. 0-2-2. 5. Christopher Robinson, Mid-Am -- 5'10", 179 lb. RD from Pittsburgh hits hard, skates smoothly, and makes strong passes. Played last year for the Pittsburgh Vipers and will be playing for the Honeybaked '85s this season. 0-1-1. 6. Jacob Schuster, Mass. -- 6'0", 165 lb. LD from Hopkinton, Mass. has size and plays a well-rounded defense-oriented game. Keeps it simple, in other words. Will be playing at Lawrence Academy. 0-0-0. 7. Matt Baehr, Mich. -- 5'8", 162 lb. RD from Rochester, Mich. and Little Caesar's is a quick, mobile puckhandling D. Played with bruised ribs, but was still going down to block shots. Good release. Pinches in well. 2-1-3. 8. Spencer Dillon, Pacific -- 6'2", 166 lb. RD from Santa Cruz, California is a smooth skater. Like many California kids he needs to catch up a bit, but he's at Shattuck so he could come along nicely. 0-3-3. 9. Blake Friesen, Minn. -- 6'0", 160 lb. RD from Excelsior, Minn. and Benilde-St. Margaret's. 0-1-1. 10. Stewart Carlin, Mid-Am -- 5'10", 162 lb. RD from Jeanette, Pa. will be playing for Compuware '85s this coming winter. 0-0-0. 11. Jacob Hellar, Central -- 6'1", 187 lb. RD from Skokie, Ill. will be playing for CYA. 1-2-3. 12. Eric Jones, Pacific -- 6'5", 200 lb. LD from Newport Beach, Calif. has decent hands to go with his size. 1-3-4. 13. Aaron Dawson, Central -- 6'3", 197 lb. LD from Skokie, Ill. and Team Illinois is, like Jones above, another big blueliner to keep tabs on. 0-0-0. 14. David Riley, New England -- 5'11, 195 lb. converted forward from Stamford, Conn. and the Trinity-Pawling School. Hits hard. 0-1-1. 15. Greg White, Mich. -- 5'8", 160 lb. RD from Troy, Mich. and the Little Caesar's organization. Excellent mobility. Handles puck well. 1-1-2. 16. Lars Helminen, Mich. -- 5'5", 159 lb. RD from Brighton, Mich. and Compuware organization is, like his older brother Dwight, extremely skilled. He's quick, mobile, can skate, and made a big offensive contribution (3-2-5) here. A forward in the making? 17. Greg Goldman, Mass. -- 5'9", 166 lb. defenseman from Westwood, Mass. and Thayer Academy. Solid on his skates. Makes good decisions. 0-1-1. 18. Alex DiPietro, Mass. -- 5'8", 162 lb. RD from Winthrop, Mass. and St. Sebastian's is the brother of you-know-who. DiPietro led all D in scoring with a 3-3-6 line. 19. Thomas Maldonado, Atlantic -- 5'6", 152 lb. RD from the Bronx and N.J. Junior Devils organization is savvy and poised. 0-2-2. 20. Andrew Guyer, Minn. -- 5'5", 155 lb. RD is a smart, quick player with good hands. Younger brother of Gino. Will be playing for his dad, Pat, at Greenway HS in Coleraine, Minn. 0-0-0. 21. Louis Liotti, N.Y. -- 5'11", 151 lb. RD from Long Island will be playing for the NY Bobcats Jr. B. Has good size and showed poise and patience with the puck. 0-0-0. 22. Matthew Cohen, N.Y. -- 5'11", 152 lb. RD from Lower Manhattan plays for the N.J. Devils Bantams. Sees the ice well. Still 14. Doesn't turn 15 until November. 0-1-1. 23. Joe Cappellano, Mass. -- 5'9", 168 lb. RD from S. Boston, Mass. will be going to Noble & Greenough this fall. Excellent mobility. 0-0-0. 24. Phillip Johnson, Minn. -- 5'7", 159 lb. LD from Duluth will be playing at Duluth East. Skates well. Good hands and shot. 0-1-1. 25. Chris Smith, N.Y. -- 5'9", 154 lb. LD will be playing for the Buffalo Saints and the Nichols School this winter. 0-3-3. 26. Steven Birnstill, N.Y. -- 5'11", 149 lb. LD from Commack, NY will be playing for the Suffolk PAL organization. Late '85 birthdate. 1-3-4. 27. J.D. McCabe, Atlantic -- 6'1", 153 lb. RD is from Jamison, Pa. and will be playing for LaSalle College HS. 0-0-0. 28. Richard Lynch, N.Y. -- 5'8", 152 lb. LD from West Seneca, N.Y. is a physical, hard-nosed D who likes to hit. 0-2-2. 29. Phillip McDavitt, Mass. -- 5'9", 175 lb. RD is from Duxbury, Mass. and goes to Noble & Greenough. Moves puck well. Is agile and mobile. 0-3-3. 30. Matthew Shouneyia, Mich. -- 5'7", 162 lb. LD from Bloomfield, Mich. and the Compuware organization skates well. A late '85 birthdate. 1-2-3.
Goaltenders: 1. Gerald Coleman, Central -- 6'2", 166 lb. native of Evanston, Ill. played up with CYA '84 last winter. Will be playing for the U.S. National Team Development Program this year. Coleman is an excellent athlete -- big, poised, confident, and extremely agile for his size. Movement is smooth. Struggled a bit in one playoff game, which messed up his numbers. 2.40 gaa, .915 %. 2. Alvaro Montoya, Central -- 6'1", 162 lb. native of Glenview, Ill. played at Loyola (Ill.) HS last year. Here, he made the save of the tournament, a sparkling across-the-body glove save in the waning moments of a one-goal game. Extremely athletic. 3.20 gaa, .893 %. 3. Zane Kalemba, Atlantic -- 5'8", 144 lb. native of Montvale, N.J. played for the N.J. Devils Bantams last winter. He's a late December '85 birthdate. Very aggressive. Comes out and challenges. Quick glove. Plays his angles well. Named goaltender on the all-tournament team, the second New Jersey goaltender to be named all-tournament this summer -- Tim Roth got the nod at the 16's. 2.00 gaa, .931 %. 4. Brenden Goetz, Minn. -- 6'2", 180 lb. former Shattuck Bantam player will be transferring to Burnsville HS this winter. Was out of sync here, and showed what he can do only in flashes. 4.40 gaa, .875 %. 5. Mike Brown, Mich. -- 5'11", 168 lb. native of Northville, Mich. will be playing for the Honeybaked Midget Minor team this winter. 2.80 gaa, .900 %. 6. Wylie Rogers, Pacific -- 5'8", 133 lb. native of Fairbanks played last year with the Alaska All-Stars Bantams. Will be playing this year with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs Jr. B. 3.20 gaa, .890 %. 7. Layne Johnson, Rocky Mt. -- 5'10", 156 lb. goalie from Minot, N.D. plays for Minot HS. 2.80 gaa, .892 %. 8. Brian Bakowski, Mid-Am -- 5'8", 162 lb. native of Bethel Park, Pa. will be playing for the Pittsburgh Hornets this winter. Let in a couple of soft goals in opening minutes of opening game, but then settled down nicely. 3.20 gaa, .868 %. 9. Anthony Tocco, Mich. -- 5'6", 112 lb. native of Belleville, Mich. is very quick. Plays with the paddle down a lot. A late '85 birthdate. Will be playing for the Michigan Ice Dogs AA. 2.80 gaa, .920 %. 10. Edward Neville, N.Y. -- 5'8", 142 lb. native of Franklin Square, N.Y. finished week with a 3.20 gaa, .876 %.
8/13/00 Riddle Leads U.S. To Challenge Cup Title University of Minnesota recruit Troy Riddle, playing like a man possessed, notched a hat trick and added an assist to pace the U.S. Under-20 team to a 4-2 win over Finland and the championship of the 20000 Summer Challenge at Lake Placid last night. Riddle, playing right wing on a line centered by Golden Gopher Jeff Taffe (who was also outstanding) scored one goal in each period. In the first, he converted a pass from defenseman J.D. Forrest at 5:24. In the second, Riddle took a Taffe goalmouth feed, and, from the corner of the crease, patiently held the puck while Finnish goaltender Kari Lehtonen went down, then calmly lifted it over him. In the third, Riddle fired a bullet from the slot for an unassisted tally at the 8:47 mark Late in the first period, Riddle, a St. Louis Blues fourth-round draft pick who played for Benilde-St. Margaret's in the Twin Cities before going on to Des Moines (USHL) last season, got the puck to linemate Marc Cavosie, who was stationed behind the Finland net. Cavosie, who'll be a sophomore at RPI, moved it out front to defenseman Paul Martin, a Gopher recruit from Elk River High School. Martin buried it at the 14:53 mark, giving the the U.S. a lead it never relinquished. Riddle, who finished the tournament with a line of 4-2-6 in three games, was absolutely flying last night, and Taffe, playing like the first-round draft pick he is, was using his size, agility, and ability to protect the puck to set up Riddle all game long. For the record, Riddle won the tournament's goal scoring title. Finland's Jani Rita, who played one more game than Riddle, was held off the board last night, but finished as the tournament's point leader with a 1-6-7 line in three games. Even though all the scoring came from the Taffe line, the Gregg Johnson line, which had Wisconsin's Brad Winchester on the left and Providence College's Jon DiSalvatore on the right, was highly effective, too. Johnson, who, like Riddle, has yet to play a game of Division I hockey (he played for the New England Jr. Coyotes last season), rose to the occasion for the second night in a row, playing a strong, involved game. The defense was solid, keeping Finland from getting many second-chance shots. Joey Hope was terrific throughout, just as he had been the night before. In case you missed it, Hope, who was recruited to Michigan State last spring, will be going to Prince George (WHL). And while we're on the subject, University of Minnesota winger Dan Welch, who was held scoreless here, has run into academic problems and will be playing this season for the Omaha Lancers (USHL). Matt Hendricks, who helped lead Blaine HS to the Minnesota State High School championship in March, broke his leg in Friday's 3-2 win over Switzerland. It's a clean break, so the St. Cloud recruit should heal up relatively quickly. Defenseman Michael Komisarek, a Michigan recruit, suffered a slight concussion in Tuesday night's game and was held out of the last three games of the tournament for precautionary reasons. Last week, Portland Winter Hawks speedster Shawn Roed went down with an injury, too. Getting back to last night's game, Rick DiPietro was sharp.Playing his first and, of course, only game of the tournament, DiPietro, sporting shiny new Islander pads, bobbled a shot at the tail end of a late first-period powerplay, allowing Finnish LW Joonas Vihko to swat the puck out of the air and past him, tying up the game at 1-1 at the 12:53 mark. After that, the former St. Sebastian's Country Day School goaltender took over, making a number of fine glove and pad saves and handling the puck with his customary aplomb. Needless to say, the U.S. medal hopes in Moscow rest heavily on whether N.Y. Islander GM Mike Milbury frees up DiPietro to go to Moscow in December. Unlike Friday night's soporific affair, last night's game had a nice pace to it. The U.S. forwards kept their feet moving and the team utilized an aggressive penalty kill that kept the Finns back on their heels. US-Finland box score, lines -- 8/12/00 US-Switzerland box score, lines -- 8/11/00 US-Finland box score -- 8/9/00 US-Switzerland box score -- 8/7/00
8/11/00 Three College Commitments Boston Junior Bruins forward Greg Mauldin has committed to UMass-Amherst and new coach Toot Cahoon for the fall of 2001. Mauldin, who also visited Boston College and UMass-Lowell, is a 5'10", 175 lb. winger from Holliston, Mass. who, as a 10th grader, rose from Holliston High School to the Little Bruins Midgets to the Boston Jr. Bruins (EJHL). As an 11th grader last season, Mauldin posted a 45-42-87 line in 59 games. He's a 6/10/82 birthdate. -- Yale University has received a commitment from 6'2", 190 lb. left-shot defenseman Mike Grobe. A native of Edina, Minn., Grobe played for the St. Louis Sting (NAHL) last winter. He's an '80 birthdate. -- Left-shot center Matt Amado of the Penticton Panthers (BCHL) has committed to Notre Dame for 2001. Amodo, a good skater with scoring potential, played last season for Surrey. In May, he was traded to Penticton. He's 5'10", 170 lbs. and an '83 birthdate.
8/11/00 Smith, Cahill Get New Postings Former Miami assistant Dave Smith has been named an assistant on Buddy Powers' staff at Bowling Green; and RPI assistant Bill Cahill will be moving over to the women's side of the hall and taking over the Engineers women's program. Smith, who replaces Eric Hoffberg, has been at Miami for two years. Before that he was a minor pro player in the IHL, AHL, and ECHL. Smith, a forward, played college hockey at Ohio State, notching 63 points his senior year. Cahill has been an assistant in the RPI men's program for a total of seven years. In the late '80s he worked under Mike Addesa and Buddy Powers, respectively, then moved on to Norwich, his alma mater, where he was head coach for three years.
8/11/00 Gold Takes Gold at 15's A goal by Andrew Goberstein with 1:39 in regulation gave the Gold team a 6-5 win over the White team and the title at the 2000 Select 15 Festival yesterday. We'll have a full-length report on the 15 Festival next week.
8/9/00 U.S. Juniors Knock off Switzerland In the opening game of the 2000 Challenge Cup at Lake Placid, the U.S. Junior hopefuls knocked off their Swiss counterparts, 4-2. Northern Michigan's Craig Kowalski kicked out 24 of the 26 shots he faced in the U.S. net, while Rob Globke, Troy Riddle (ppg), Matt Hendricks (ppg), and Marc Cavosie each scored for the U.S. Globke also had an assist to give him a two-point night. Jeff Taffe and Gregg Johnson each had a pair of assists. Sebastien Reuille and Beat Gerber scored for Switzerland. The next U. S. game is on Wednesday night, vs. Finland.
8/8/00 Thoughts from St. Cloud As many of you know, USA Hockey's Select 15 Festival, now underway here in St.Cloud, Minn., has undergone a radical change this year. Last summer, it was felt, rightly so, that some districts were putting winning ahead of player development. The most obvious example was the practice of some coaches -- all of whom knew that rolling the lines is the unwritten rule at these events -- to give extra ice time to star players. In the defense of these coaches, there is often pressure on them to win, not only because it's human nature to want to win, but also because losing means roster spots get taken away from the districts, and are handed over to at-large players the following year. The upshot? This summer's 15 Festival features teams known only by the color of their jerseys -- Red Team, Green Team, etc. -- with players from all districts being mixed in together on each team. In other words, they're pick-up teams: players arrived here on Friday, practiced Saturday morning, and were on the ice for their first game later in the day. Not surprisingly, crisp passing was hard to find, while turnovers were abundant. The quality of play, while improving from day-to-day, is definitely down under the new format, and, with the absence of regional rivalries, compelling storylines are few. There are some pluses, e.g. kids learning how to adapt to players and coaches from outside their district, not a bad social skill to have. Still, the old way, at least to these eyes, was better, and, from an aesthetic standpoint, there's no comparison. Anyway, on to the players. Halfway through, the hands-down top forwards are Milton Academy's Josh Hennessey and Honeybaked 85's Josh Sciba. Our next eight forwards, in no particular order, would be Shattuck's Aaron Bader, Honeybaked '85s T.J. Hensick, Chicago Young Americans' Mike Bartlett and Andrew Goberstein, Alaska All-Stars' Brian Bales, Cushing Academy's Kevin Coughlin, and Fargo South High School's Tyler Magura. Bubbling under are CYA's Topher Scott, who's barely 5'3" but extremely skilled; and Fargo South's Jacob Hipp. Look for others to move up when all is said and done. On defense, there are no clear standouts, which is worrisome. Still, there are some solid players. St. Ray's (RI) Mike Reynolds; Honeybaked '85's Matt Hunwick, Duluth East's Zack Fitzgerald, Alaska All-Stars' Justin Kovacevich, Benilde-St. Margaret's Blake Friesan, Little Caesar's Matt Baehr, and Shattuck's Spencer Dillon have all shown something The strength of this age group, as we wrote a couple of weeks ago, is in the goaltending. CYA's Gerald Coleman, Burnsville's Brendan Goetz, CYA Midgets' Alvaro Montoya -- all six-feet plus -- are getting the early attention. However, there are a few others who are coming on strong, so stay tuned. In other news from St. Cloud, the U.S. Under-18 Select team is arriving here today to begin training for the Four Nations Tournament in teh Czech Republic Aug. 20-27.
8/7/00 Cut-Down Day Yesterday was cut down-day at the U.S. National Junior Camp in Lake Placid, NY. The following players survived the cut and will -- along with the returning players from last winter's squad -- take part in the Summer Challenge vs. Swizerland and Finland beginning tomorrow night at the Olympic Arena. Goaltenders: Jason Bacashihua, Craig Kowalski. Defensemen: Keith Ballard, Matt DeMarchi, Brian Fahey, J.D. Forrest, David Hale, Joey Hope, Mike Komisarek, Paul Martin, Joe Schuman. Forwards: Marc Cavosie, Jon DiSalvatore, Quinn Fylling, Rob Globke, Matt Hendricks, Steve Jackson, Gregg Johnson, Brady Leisenring, Troy Riddle, Dave Steckel, R.J. Umberger, Kris Vernarsky, Jon Waibel, Dan Welch. The players who were cut are: Goaltenders: Craig Anderson, Nick Pannoni. Defensemen: Tim Gleason, Neil Komadoski, Evan Nielsen, Colin Peters, Kurt Sauer, Kenny Smith. Forwards: Joe Cullen, Ben Eaves, Jake Fleming, Jon Francisco, Jeremy Jackson, Todd Jackson, Dennis Packard, Bryan Perez, Shawn Roed, Jim Slater, John Wroblewski. The veterans of last years's team, who had their first practice yesterday, are: Goaltender: Ricky DiPietro. Defenseman: Ron Hainsey. Forwards: Connor Dunlop, Andy Hilbert, Brett Nowak, John Sabo, Jeff Taffe, Brad Winchester. (Injured: Patrick Foley.)
8/7/00 Big Get for the Gophers 6'2", 185 lb. RW Mike Erickson, who is going into his senior year at Eden Prairie High, has made his commitment to the University of Minnesota. Erickson, a 4/12/83 birthdate, posted a 39-24-63 line in 25 games for Eden Prairie last winter. He's a power forward who can skate and shoot, and is very athletic. He was invited to the U.S. National Program, but elected to stay home at Eden Prairie, where he's also a QB on the football team. Meanwhile, speculation concerning the college choice of Keith Ballard is centering on Minnesota and North Dakota. Ballard has a sister at the latter. A 5'10", 186 lb. left-shot D, Ballard played last year in the U.S. National Program, but, because he'll be too old for the World Under-18's -- he's an 11/26/82 birthdate -- will be playing for the Omaha Lancers (USHL). Ballard is a native of Baudette, which is along the Rainy River, on the Minnesota-Canada border. In case, you're wondering, Baudette is much closer to Grand Forks, North Dakota than it is to the Twin Cities. And another thing: Ballard has a sister currently at North Before joining the NTDP, Ballard played with current Minnesota recruit Jon Waibel at tiny Lake of the Woods High School. Ballard was the youngest player to make the cut at the U.S. National Junior Camp in Lake Placid yesterday.
8/4/00 15's on Tap Things have been a bit quiet on the hockey scene this week, but it won't be that way for much longer. For one thing, USA Hockey's Select 15 Festival is getting underway in St. Cloud, Minnesota, with the players due to start arriving today. For many observers, this one definitely included, the 15 Festival is the most important event of the summer, for it's the time the elite '85 players step on the national stage for the first time. It's a coming out party, if you will, and many of the top players on hand in St. Cloud will be going on to college, international, and pro play in the years ahead. So check 'em out. This typist will be there, of course, and, if the Mississippi River doesn't flood its banks and I'm able to find a phone line I can tap into, I will attempt -- in the few hours of downtown between games, meetings, and other duties -- to get you some info you can use as the week goes along. Next Friday, I'll go up to Lake Placid for the end of the junior camp, and report on that, too. Stay tuned.
8/3/00 Three for the National Program Three forwards -- two of whom are from Arizona -- have been added to the National Team Development Program for the upcoming season. They are: -- Stephen Gionta, a 5'6", 188 lb. RC/RW from Rochester, N.Y. who played last winter for the now-defunct Rochester Jr. Americans (NAHL). Gionta, the younger brother of BC's Brian, is a hard-nosed forward who, last month at the Select 17 Festival, came through with some big -- and timely -- plays. Afterwards, he was named to the U.S. Under-18 Selects going to Slovakia this month. In 41 NAHL games last winter, Gionta, a 10/9/83 birthdate, posted an 11-15-26 line with 56 pims. A good number of his goals came in games versus the U.S. Under-17 team. It was almost as if Gionta was playing extra hard to show the National Program staff that they should have taken him when all the other '83s were being chosen. A year later, they have. -- Dave Spina, a 5'10", 167 lb. RW from Mesa, Arizona who played for the Texas Tornado (NAHL) last winter. Spina posted a 16-29-45 line in 61 NAHL games. Last month at the Select 17 Festival he keyed the Rocky Mountain offense to a silver medal finish, and also won himself a spot on the Under-18 Selects going to Slovakia. Spina is quick, with excellent acceleration. Patient with the puck. Good ice vision. A 6/5/83 birthdate. -- Taylor Hustead, a 6'1", right-shot center from Scottsdale Arizona, who played, sparingly, for Culver Academy last winter. Hustead, who becomes the third Arizonan in the National Program (defenseman Mike Nesdill committed to the program earlier), is a big kid who has a lot of potential. He's strong on his skates, keeps moving, and shows good anticipation. Hustead was named to the U.S. Select 16 Team going to the Czech Repblic this month.
8/3/00 Parisé to Stay Home In other news, Shattuck-St. Mary's forward Zach Parisé, who last month was ticketed to the National Program, has had a late change of heart and will now be staying at Shattuck, where his dad, J.P. Parisé, directs the school's hockey program. Parisé is perhaps the top '84 forward in the country, and the National Program staff had been counting on him for big things. So it's a big loss.
8/2/00 CM's Noble, Grover Pick Hockey East 5'10" center Mark Noble and 6'0", 184 lb. right-shot D Donnie Grover, both of Mass. Div. 1A state champions Catholic Memorial, will be playing in Hockey East in the fall of 2001. Noble, who was slowed this past winter by a mid-season bout with mono, will be going to Merrimack, where he'll be reunited with Sean Ober and Ryan Cordiero, his linemates at CM in 1998-99. Noble, an '82, is the younger brother of former Boston University goaltender Tom Noble. Grover will be going to Northeastern. The Rockland, Mass. native, an '83, has steadily improved as he's added inches to his height, and projects to be a solid defensive defenseman for Northeastern. In other Hockey East news, UMass-Lowell assistant coach Mark Taylor has been named head coach of Hobart College in Geneva, NY. For Taylor, who was Lowell's recruiting coordinator for the past four years, it's a return to his home state -- he's from Canton, NY -- as well as the opportunity to run his own program. Lowell, meanwhile, is in the market for an assistant coach and is hoping to come up with someone with European connections... Providence College has yet to name an assistant to fill the position vacated by Brad Willner, who was hired by St. Cloud State. A name that has surfaced, however, is that of former Providence winger Rick Bennett, who graduated in '90 and went on to play ten years of minor pro hockey that included a few brief stints with the New York Rangers. Other names heard include Rene Boudreault, a R.I. native who graduated from PC in 1986; and Dave Smith, the former Ohio State forward who has been an assistant at Miami the past two years.
8/1/00 Imes Breaks into Coaching Former University of Maine defenseman Chris Imes, who's been playing in Europe the past few years, is Back in the U.S.A., to quote Chuck Berry (circa 1959), and will be behind the bench with the Tri-City Storm, serving as an assistant to head coach Jim Hillman. The Tri-City Storm, in case you missed it, are the former Twin Cities Vulcans (USHL), and are in the process of relocating to Nebraska this summer. Imes, while at Maine, was a two-time first-team All-America ('93, '95) as well as a U.S. Olympian ('94, Lillehammer, Norway) and a Hobey Baker runner-up (to BGSU forward Brian Holzinger) in 1995. Imes, 27, is from Birchdale, Minn. which is in far Northern Minnesota, across the Rainy River from Ontario. While we're on the subject of the Tri-City Storm, they had their camp last weekend in Omaha, and Catholic Memorial's Derek Boudreau, a 5'11", 175 lb. LW from Weymouth, Mass., was a standout. Another top '83 was 5'8", 175 lb. David Boguslawski, a skilled centerman from Park HS in Cottage Grove, Minn. Top '82s included 5'11", 175 lb. Chris Swon, who's leaving Hotchkiss School to take his senior year in the USHL; and Billy Luger, a 5'10", 190 lb. RW from White Bear Lake. Top '81s were defenseman Scott Romfo from Blaine HS in the Twin Cities; and Jesse Minneman, a 6'1", 215 lb. defenseman who played for Hotchkiss and then took a PG year with Bismarck (AWHL) last winter. Minneman has no problem handling himself in a fight.
8/1/00 Yale-bound Avon Old Farms forward Chris Higgins has made a commitment to Yale University. This past year, as a junior, Higgins helped lead Avon to the New England Prep title, scoring the OT game-winner in the 3-2 title game win over Deerfield. Last month, Higgins was a standout at the Select 17 Festival, where he was named to the all-tournament team and also to the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that will play in the Four Nations Tournament in Slovakia in late August. Higgins was also asked to join the U.S. National Team Development Program for his senior year. However, he elected to return to Avon. Higgins, who's 5'10", 175 lbs. and is a left shot, can play either wing or center. He's a clever playmaker who can also finish. Harvard, Providence, Boston University, and Boston College were the other schools in the hunt for him. Higgins, who'll be captaining the Winged Beavers this winter, is a 6/2/83 birthdate. He's from Smithtown, NY, which is in central Long Island. Also making a commitment to Yale is Milton Academy goaltender Peter Cohen, who's 6'0", 175 lbs. and is from Medfield, Mass. Cohen, who played on the Mass. Select 17 squad last summer, is a 6/29/82 birthdate, and catches left. In June, he opened eyes at the NECDL Showcase in Hingham, Mass. Both Higgins and Cohen must, of course, go through the admissions process before this is all final. Ivy schools do not utilize letters of intent.
8/1/00 Roots Last week, U.S. National Team Development Program forward Brady Leisenring committed to the University of Vermont. Leisenring, a Vermont native (he's from Stowe), will be returning home after a lengthy absence. Like many Vermonters, he left early, first to the Cardigan Mountain School, and then on to the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor. Leisenring, who is 5'11", 182 lbs. and a right shot who can play either center or wing, turned down scholarship offers from Boston College, Northeastern, and Ohio State. Leisenring also took unofficial visits to Dartmouth and Michigan State. As a member of the U.S. Under-17 Team, Leisenring was named the top forward in the Bern International Tournament in Switzerland in January 1999. This spring, he was named MVP in the U.S. win over Slovakia at the 2000 Under-18 World Championship. Leisenring, a 9/7/82 birthdate, arrives today in Lake Placid, NY for the U.S. National Junior Team Camp, Going into his senior this year in Ann Arbor, Leisenring will be looking to stay healthy. Last year, he was hampered by a nagging shoulder injury.
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