U.S. Hockey Report
- Fri. April 20; Game #1 -- Omaha 1 at Lincoln 6 (Lincoln leads series, 1-0)
- Sat. April 21; Game #2 -- Lincoln 2 at Omaha 6 (Series tied, 1-1)
- Tues. April 24; Game #3 -- Omaha 3 at Lincoln 4 (Lincoln leads series, 2-1)
- Fri. April 27; Game #4 -- Lincoln 3 at Omaha 4 (Series tied, 2-2)
- Sat. April 28; Game #5 -- Omaha 3 at Lincoln 1 (Omaha wins series, 3-2)
- -- 19 played Div. I college hockey (we're only including American-born players here.)
- -- 15 are former U.S. National Team Development Program players.
- -- 13 played this past season in the USHL.
- -- 12 played for prep or high school teams.
- -- 6 played major junior.
- -- 2 played in the EJHL.
- -- 1 played in the NAHL
- -- 1 played for an independent junior team.
4/30/01
Minnesota Select 16s Named
Minnesota has picked its team for this summer's USA Hockey Select 16 Festival, to be held in St. Cloud, Minn. on June 22-28. Four players are from Shattuck-St. Mary's, along with three apiece from Bemidji HS and Benilde-St. Margaret's.
Minnesota Select 16s (1985)
Goaltenders (2): Joe Fallon (Bemidji HS); Mike Zacharias (Armstrong HS)
Defensemen (6): Casey Borer (Shattuck-St. Mary's); Dave Graden (Burnsville HS); Sam Windsor (Wayzata Bantam); Andrew Guyer (Greenway HS); Blake Friesen (Benilde-St.Margaret's); Nathan Schrant (St. Cloud Apollo HS).
Forwards (12): Aaron Bader (Shattuck-St. Mary's); Mike Hendricks (Bemidji HS); Josh Pauer (Benilde-St.Margaret's); Ken Rowe (Shattuck-St. Mary's); Derek Hanson (Bemidji HS); Ben Hendrick (Anoka HS); Corey Carlson (Two Harbors HS); Brett Borgen (Mahtomedi HS); Andrew Carrol (Roseville HS); Ian Schaser (Benilde-St.Margaret's); Drew Stafford (Shattuck-St. Mary's); Jim Kilpatrick (Holy Angels).
Head Coach: Pat Westrum.
We will have the Minnesota Select 17 roster later. The Minnesota Select 15 team isn't selected until late June.
4/29/01
Omaha Wins Clark Cup
The Omaha Lancers, after forcing a fifth and deciding game with Friday night's win in Omaha, went on the road and knocked off the Lincoln Stars, 3-1, last night, to take the 2001 Clark Cup.
Afterward, Omaha head coach Mike Hastings told the Omaha World-Herald, "In my (seven) years as head coach, this was as satisfying a win as I can remember. To accomplish this in such a tough place to play is really amazing."
How tough is Lincoln's 5,010 capacity State Fair Park Arena? Well, until last night, only once all season (in 38 tries) had a team come into the packed and notoriously loud and hostile arena and skated off with a win. The Lancers, who fell behind early in the first, fought back with goals by Dan Hacker, Riley Riddell, and Jim Dahl, and a 31-save effort in goal by Ray Fraser to take the win and gain a spot in the Junior A Nationals in Chicago, which get underway on Friday.
Omaha's Dan Welch (9-13-22) and linemate Aaron Slattengren (7-10-17) finished 1-2 in tournament scoring. Goaltender Ray Fraser was the leading goaltender with a 2.32 gaa and a .926 save percentage.
The Lancers last won the Clark Cup three years ago, in the 1997-98 season.
4/29/01
Texas Win Robertson Cup
Friday night, the Texas Tornado won the Robertson Cup, emblematic of the NAHL championship, with a 3-1 home win over the Soo Indians.
Texas, which outshot the Soo, 56-22, got goals from Jonathon Billy, Jason Guerriero, and Jason Deitsch. Brandon Crawford-West had 21 saves for the win, while the Soo's Cam Ellsworth kicked out 53 shots in a losing effort.
Jason Deitsch, with a 6-6-12 line in eight games, finished as the leading scorer in the post-season. Top goaltender was Crawford-West, with a miniscule .80 gaa and a .964 save percentage.
For Texas, which won the series three games to one, the title was the first in its two-year history. Last year, the Tornado finished its inaugural season as runners-up to the Danville Wings.
4/29/01
Great Falls Wins AWHL Title
The Great Falls Americans swept the Billings Bulls, four games to none, to take the 2001 AWHL Title and a slot as league rep in the Gold Cup -- the National Jr. A Championship -- starting Fri. May 4 in Chicago.
Great Falls teammates Richard Kisskeys (15-14-29), Pat Dwyer (10-12-22), and Ty Deinema (9-6-15) finished atop the playoff scoring leaders. The leading goaltenders were the Great Falls tandem of Jon Volp (2.43 gaa; .919 save %.) and Ryan Bancroft (2.16 gaa; .917 save %).
4/27/01
Top New England Sophomores
The 10th graders we expected to be the #1-ranked forward and defenseman are still in those slots.
Up front, St. Sebastian's 6'5" center Brian Boyle is, for now, impossible to knock off. On the blue line, however, the gap is closing a bit. While 6'0" Deerfield RD Ben Lovejoy is still the top prospect, he can be shaky in his own end (we'd be curious to see how he does at RW, though it would probably never happen). Meanwhile, 6'3" Hotchkiss defenseman Tim Cook is coming along, as is New England Jr. Coyotes 5'11" LD Bryan Cirullo, an '85 birthdate with sure hands and the potential to run the powerplay at the high Div. I level.
The following rankings reflect our assessment of a player's value to a Division I college program over a full four years. Some players, of course, will step in and contribute right away, while the value of others may be somewhat backloaded.
Also, please remember that we're not ranking pro potential here. This list is put together solely with the college game in mind.
This list only includes players on teams based in New England and Eastern New York. There are some heights, weights and birthdates missing for a few of the high school players. We'll be filling them in over the next few days. If you have any of the missing pieces, please drop an e-mail to info@ushr.com. Thank you.
New England
10th Graders; Ranked for NCAA Div. I Potential
*The following list is based solely on the observations of the USHR staff*
10th Grade Forwards:
| 1 | Brian Boyle | 6-5/195 | L | 12/18/84 | St. Sebastian's | Hingham, MA |
| 2 | Ruslan Khasanchin | 5-8/150 | L | 2/7/85 | N.Y. Apple Core | Queens, NY |
| 3 | Chris Collins | 5-7/170 | L | 6/8/84 | Taft | Fairport, NY |
| 4 | Kevin Coughlin | 6-1/200 | R | 4/23/85 | Cushing | S. Boston, MA |
| 5 | Sam Bowles | 6-0/175 | R | 1/25/85 | Hotchkiss | Davidsonville, MD |
| 6 | Kenny Roche | 5-11/165 | L | 1/2/84 | St. Sebastian's | S. Boston, MA |
| 7 | Brian Ciborowski | 6-0/175 | R | 5/4/84 | Deerfield | W. Springfield, MA |
| 8 | Ray Ortiz | 5-10/180 | R | 6/10/84 | Belmont Hill | Charlestown, MA |
| 9 | David Riley | 5-11/193 | R | 2/4/85 | Trinity-Pawling | Stamford, CT |
| 10 | Scott McDougall | 5-11/165 | L | 8/28/84 | Catholic Memorial HS | Mansfield, MA |
| 11 | Darwin Hunt | 5-10/175 | L | 5/8/84 | Deerfield | Winnetka, IL |
| 12 | Adam Ladd | 5-7/160 | R | 4/11/84 | Pomfret | Keene, NH |
| 13 | Corey Goglia | 5-9/160 | L | 4/4/84 | Mount St. Charles | Warren, RI |
| 14 | John Sales | 6-0/175 | R | 7/25/84 | Deerfield | Chatham, IL |
| 15 | Alex Meintel | 5-7/140 | L | 4/13/85 | North Yarmouth Academy | Yarmouth, ME |
| 16 | Trevor Spiridi | 5-8/170 | R | 3/12/85 | Bishop Hendricken HS | Cranston, RI |
| 17 | Brendan Byrne | 5-9/170 | n/a | n/a | Milton | Dorchester, MA |
| 18 | Christopher Kane | 5-11/170 | L | /84 | Mount St. Charles | Woonsocket, RI |
| 19 | Brian McGuirk | 5-10/165 | L | 7/11/85 | Gov. Dummer | Danvers, MA |
| 20 | Brian Liamero | 5-11/204 | L | 9/15/84 | Kent | New York, NY |
| 21 | Patrick Gannon | 5-6/125 | R | 6/13/84 | Arlington HS | Arlington, MA |
| 22 | Mike Rose | 5-9/160 | R | 9/24/84 | Bishop Hendricken | Rumford, RI |
| 23 | James Guay | 5-7/150 | R | 5/7/85 | LaSalle HS | n/a |
| 24 | Ian Eiland | 5-9/160 | n/a | 6/30/85 | Walpole Stars | Hopedale, MA |
| 25 | Joe Norman | 5-9/165 | R | 5/22/85 | Deerfield | Plainsboro, NJ |
10th Grade Defensemen:
| 1 | Ben Lovejoy | 6-0/190 | R | 2/20/84 | Deerfield | Canaan, NH |
| 2 | Tim Cook | 6-3/180 | R | 3/13/84 | Hotchkiss | Montclair, NJ |
| 3 | Bryan Cirullo | 5-11/175 | L | 2/19/85 | NE Jr. Coyotes | Farmington, CT |
| 4 | Chris Kelley | 6-1/190 | L | 4/4/84 | Deerfield | Winston-Salem, NC |
| 5 | Bill LeClerc | 6-0/175 | L | 4/26/84 | St. Paul's | Acton, MA |
| 6 | Chris Murray | 6-1/175 | R | 12/26/84 | Lawrence | Dover, MA |
| 7 | B.J. Mackasey | n/a | n/a | n/a | Deerfield | Montreal, Que. |
| 8 | Sean Sullivan | 5-11/160 | L | 3/29/84 | St. Sebastian's | Braintree, MA |
| 9 | Jocko DeCarolis D/F | 6-0/185 | L | 8/14/84 | Hotchkiss | Taberg, NY |
| 10 | Jake Henry | 6-0/170 | L | 8/5/84 | Winchester HS | Winchester, MA |
| 11 | Brandon Zangel | 6-0/190 | R | 1/6/84 | Hotchkiss | Highlands Ranch, CO |
| 12 | Mike Reynolds | 6-0/170 | R | 2/27/85 | St. Raphael HS | N. Providence, RI |
| 13 | Greg Goldman | 5-11/167 | R | 2/2/85 | Thayer | Westwood, MA |
| 14 | Jarrett Sousa | 5-10/170 | L | 2/24/85 | Boston Jr. Bruins | E. Providence, RI |
| 15 | Jay Bletzer | 5-11/185 | n/a | 3/11/85 | Walpole Jr. Stars | Medfield, MA |
10th Grade Goaltenders:
| N/R | Dimitri Papaevagalou | 5-10/185 | C:L | 1/18/85 | Tabor | Windham, NH |
| N/R | Matt Gluck | 6-2/195 | C:L | /84 | Lawrenceville | Morganville, NJ |
| N/R | Matt Burzon | 5-9/175 | C:R | 3/20/85 | Holderness | Danby, VT |
| N/R | Brad Shirley | 5-9/150 | n/a | n/a | St. Paul's | Hanover, NH |
| N/R | Todd Sheridan | 5-11/155 | C:L | /84 | Hotchkiss | Edison, NJ |
4/23/01
Central Scouting: Komisarek Top Yank
6'4" University of Michigan defenseman Michael Komisarek is the top-ranked U.S. born player on the final Central Scouting list of North American skaters, released today. Komisarek is in the #4 slot, just one ahead of former U.S. NTDP teammate R.J. Umberger, a 6'2" center at Ohio State.
Other U.S. born first rounders were Windsor Spitfires D Tim Gleason (#12); Ohio State C David Steckel (#16); Mankato State RW Tim Jackman (#21); and Phillips Exeter Academy LW Ed Caron (#29).
In all, there were 54 Americans ranked:
4/23/01
New England Select Teams Picked
New England has picked its select teams for this summer's 15-16-17 Festivals, all to be held in St. Cloud, Minn., on the banks of the Mississippi River. Note to other districts: As your teams are completed, please send them along to info@ushr.com
New England Select 17's (1984)
Goaltenders (2): William Allen (Woonsocket, RI); Travis Russell (Essex Junction, VT).
Defensemen (6): Nathan Audette (Bridport, VT); Josh Benson (Auburn, ME); Bobby Gates (Cranston, RI); Ben Lovejoy (Canaan, NH); Garrett Overlock (Greenwich, CT); Casey Russell (Orange, CT).
Forwards (12): Mike Bordieri (Rocky Hill, CT); Matt Burto (Branford, CT); Kevin Dwyer (New Canaan, CT); Corey Goglia (Warren, RI); Bryan Horan (Farmington, CT); Hugh Jessiman (Darien, CT); Adam Ladd (Keene, NH); Colin McDonald (Wethersfield, CT); Alan Thompson (Gifford, NH); James Tselikis (Cape Elizabeth, ME); Ryan Weston (Henniker, NH); Reese Wisnowski (E. Middlebury, VT).
Head Coach: Chris Potter (Brown University). Assistant Coaches: C.J. Marottollo (Yale University); David Lassonde (University of New Hampshire).
New England Select 16's (1985)
Goaltenders (2): Matt Burzon (Danby, VT); Dimitri Papaevagelou (Windham, NH).
Defensemen (6): Will Boardman (Brattleboro, VT); Bryan Cirullo (Farmington, CT); Paul Forselius (Madison, CT); Bryant Harris (Plainfield, NH); Mike Reynolds (N. Providence, RI); Jarrett Souza (E. Providence, RI).
Forwards (12): Mike Arciero (Avon, CT); Scott Crowder (Nashua, NH); Kevin Donahue (Canaan, NH); Shane Farrell (West Warwick, RI); James Guay (N. Scituate, RI); Todd Johnson (Riverside, CT); T.J. Kelley (Ridgefield, CT); Mike Mallette (Smithfield, RI); Alex Meintel (Yarmouth, ME); John Rocchio III (Johnston, RI); Kyle Smith (Auburn, ME); Matt Smith (Yarmouth, ME).
Head Coach: Pat Norton (University of Vermont). Assistant Coaches: Kevin Potter (North Yarmouth Academy) and David Berard (Providence College).
New England Select 15's (1986)
Goaltenders (2): Jeffery Mack (Essex Junction, VT); Chris Rossi (Barrington, RI).
Defensemen (6): Adam Blanchette (Berlin, CT); Tom Breslin (Hampton, NH); Jeffrey Jarnot (Concord, NH); Kyle Mills (Trumbull, CT); Dan Norris (Essex Junction, VT); Brandon Palumbo (Hamden, CT).
Forwards (12): Taylor Bergeron (Milton, VT); Ryan Blossem (Concord, NH); Taylor Chace (Hampton Falls, NH); Kris Conte (Ridgefield, CT); Justin Gardy (Grafton, VT); Peter Lenes (Shelburne, VT); Brett Leonard (S. Burlington, VT); Mike Luzzi (Hamden, CT); John Nolin (Somersworth, NH); Ryan Paradias (Rochester, NH); Tom Patterson (South Hero, VT); Mark Rogers (Orrs Island, ME).
Head Coach: Peter Kravchuk (Gov. Dummer Academy). Associate Head Coach: Brad Willner (St. Cloud State University).
4/21/01
Dèjà Vu
Tomorrow in Helsinki, Russia will face off against Switzerland in the gold medal game of the 2001 World Under-18 Championship.
Hats off to Switzerland, which, by the way, lost to the US, 3-1, in round robin play. What they pulled off -- a semifinal win over host Finland, 4-2, before the tournament's biggest, and most partisan, crowd -- was a major upset.
For the U.S. kids, losing their quarterfinal game against the Czech Republic, 5-4, in a shootout (they held a 4-2 lead with under eight minutes left in regulation) was a heartbreaker. For the bulk of the team it was a pain they had experienced before.
On Jan. 2, 2000, the U.S. Under-17 team, which included 15 players who suited up for the U.S. in Finland this week, faced Ontario in front of a partisan crowd in Timmins, Ontario in a playoff game. The winner would go on to the gold medal game against Russia. The contest, a tense, hard-fought, up-and-down affair with several lead changes, was tied at 5-5 when Jay McClement scored for Ontario with seven minutes left. The game went to OT, and then a shootout, where Stephen Weiss of the Plymouth Whalers nailed the decisive shot.
Win or lose, we think the shootout is lousy, and something the IIHF should scuttle. Shootouts are OK if you have to get the teams off the ice in order to start the next meaningless game on time, e.g. Hockey Night in Boston. But if teams travel 4,000 miles for a major tournament, that's not a consideration. The Europeans see nothing wrong with shootouts. They are influenced by soccer, in which games would go on for months if some artificial device weren't inserted into the game. Hence, shootouts are easily accepted there. It's time for a change.
The U.S. will face Germany in tomorrow's 5th place game (6 a.m. EST). Note: Germany won, 2-1, so the U.S. finishes 6th with a 3-3 record. The leading scorers for the U.S. were Dwight Helminen (3-5-8); Joey Crabb (5-2-7); David Spina (2-5-7); Eric Nystrom (3-3-6); and Brian McConnell (3-3-6). In goal Travis Weber played three games, posting a 2.00 gaa and .924 save percentage. Dwight Labrosse also played three games, finishing with a 2.71/.879 line. In the gold medal game, potential #1 overall draft pick Ilya Kovalchuk scored three goals and added an assist in Russia's 6-2 win over Switzerland. Kovalchuk finished the tournament atop of the scoring leaders with an 11-4-5 line in six games played. Oh, Kovalchuk also had 26 pims.
4/21/01
Sertich Breaks String
Marty Sertich will be the first winner of Minnesota's Mr. Hockey Award since 1987 not to sign with the Gophers.
While Minnesota was on his final list of two schools, it was Colorado that prevailed.
Family ties had a lot to do with it, perhaps everything. Sertich's father -- and high school coach -- is Steve Sertich, a high-scoring forward who played at CC in the early '70s.
The younger Sertich will head to CC in the fall of 2002. First though, he'll play a year in the USHL, for the Sioux Falls Stampede. This season, Sertich, a senior at Roseville HS, posted a 43-22-65 line in 28 games. Sertich is a small, quick, waterbug type of forward. As his numbers indicate, he has top-shelf offensive instincts. Though small, he's extremely difficult to hit.
4/20/01
The Battle of Nebraska
The best-of-five final round of the 2000-01 Clark Cup playoffs gets underway tonight as the Omaha Lancers and Lincoln Stars get set to go at it in Lincoln.
Both teams are at the top of their game, Lincoln having swept Sioux City and Tri-City; while Omaha swept Des Moines, and then lost one game in its series against Sioux Falls.
Each team is loaded -- there are perhaps as many as 30 future Div. I players on hand (22 for this fall and a bunch of fall '02 prospects).
Omaha, playing far better now than in the regular season, has gotten a ton of production from the Dan Welch-Riley Riddell-Aaron Slattengren line. That trio has scored 16 of the club's 36 goals post-season goals. By the time this series is over, Slattengren, who has six goals in seven playoff games, will likely surpass his regular season total of 7. It's called coming of age in the spotlight.
Lincoln is led by Brandon Bochenski, Chris Fournier, and Preston Callander with a lot of the offensive impetus coming from the blueline where North Dakota recruit Andy Schneider is tied (with Callander) atop the team's leading playoff scorers with eight points.
Both teams are well coached, and both teams have been getting good goaltending -- Omaha with Ray Fraser (1.91 gaa, .931 save %) and Lincoln with a tandem of Beau Fritz (1.97, .929) and Justin Johnson (2.01, .933).
The keys to the series? For Lincoln, it's stopping the Welch-Riddell-Slattengren line and making Omaha's other players win the game for them. For Omaha, it's getting continued good goaltending, keeping the game close, and having someone step up at the right time.
Who do we like in this series?
Lincoln, in five games. They are just too deep up front -- plus they have home ice, where they are 30-1-5 to date this season.
4/19/01
Top New England Juniors
A couple of days ago, we gave you our list of top seniors. Today, we have the juniors, i.e. next season's recruiting class. Overall, it's not as good a group as the class preceding them and, at least up front, is by far the weakest class we've seen since we began doing this. There are a ton of question marks and projects, from #2-ranked Hugh Jessiman right on down to the bottom of the list. However, the '02s are strong along the blue line, and extremely strong on goal, where we've identified a group of eight solid goaltenders, an unusually high number. N/R means not ranked, mainly due to indecision over the #4-8 slots.
The following rankings reflect our assessment of a player's value to a Division I college program over a full four years. Some players, of course, will step in and contribute right away, while the value of others may be somewhat backloaded.
Also, please remember that we're not ranking pro potential here. This list is put together solely with the college game in mind.
This list only includes players on teams based in New England and Eastern New York. There are some heights, weights and birthdates missing for a few of the high school players.
There will be some tweaking to this list.
New England
11th Graders; Ranked for NCAA Div. I Potential
*The following list is based solely on the observations of the USHR staff*
11th Grade Forwards:
| 1 | Dan Murphy | 5-11/182 | L | 4/26/83 | Cushing | N. Andover, MA |
| 2 | Hugh Jessiman (Dartmouth) | 6-2/165 | R | 3/28/84 | Brunswick | Darien, CT |
| 3 | Bryan Horan | 6-0/165 | R | 2/12/84 | NE Jr. Coyotes | Farmington, CT |
| 4 | Steve Jacobs (UMass) | 6-2/190 | R | 2/16/83 | Cushing | Westminster, MA |
| 5 | Jamie Solon | 5-10/160 | R | 3/11/83 | Cushing | Acton, MA |
| 6 | Colin Koch | 6-3/185 | n/a | 12/30/82 | St. Paul's | Charlotte, VT |
| 7 | Brian Swiniarski | 5-11/190 | L | 6/7/82 | Tabor | Newburyport, MA |
| 8 | Mike Morris | 5-11/170 | R | 7/14/83 | St. Sebastian's | Braintree, MA |
| 9 | Brian Bova | 6-1/190 | L | 3/12/82 | NMH | N. Andover, MA |
| 10 | Chris Capraro | 5-8/165 | R | 12/20/83 | Austin Prep | Medford, MA |
| 11 | Chris Hussey | 5-10/180 | n/a | 6/10/83 | Avon Old Farms | Plymouth, Minn. |
| 12 | Ben Driver | 6-0/183 | R | 8/4/82 | Taft | St. Albans, VT |
| 13 | Rick Baker | 6-1/175 | n/a | 9/1/83 | St. Sebastian's | Braintree, MA |
| 14 | Patrick Noonan | 6-1/200 | R | 5/9/83 | Nobles | Norfolk, MA |
| 15 | J.J. Morrissey | 5-10/173 | R | 7/29/83 | Gov. Dummer | Winchester, MA |
| 16 | Kevin Richardson | 5-6/160 | L | 11/16/82 | NMH | Holbrook, NY |
| 17 | Mike Bordieri | 5-10/165 | R | 2/27/84 | NE Jr. Coyotes | Rocky Hill, CT |
| 18 | Mike Aylward | 5-10/175 | L | 2/11/84 | St. Sebastian's | Hanover, MA |
| 19 | Dan Shribman | 5-8/160 | R | 2/21/84 | BB&N | Swampscott, MA |
| 20 | Dennis Kim | 5-9/154 | R | 1/28/83 | Deerfield | Lake Forest, IL |
| 21 | Pat Forshner | n/a | n/a | n/a | Catholic Memorial HS | n/a |
| 22 | Adam Dann | 5-11/163 | R | 5/17/83 | St. Paul's | Stowe, VT |
| 23 | Bryan Crabtree | 5-11/160 | R | 8/30/82 | Tabor | N. Andover, Mass. |
| 24 | Derek Kilduff | 5-9/170 | L | 8/12/82 | Tabor | Pembroke, MA |
| 25 | Brian Keane | 5-11/150 | R | 1/18/84 | St. Sebastian's | Sherborn, MA |
11th Grade Defensemen:
| 1 | Jaime Sifers | 5-11/195 | R | 1/18/83 | Taft | Stratford, CT |
| 2 | Danny Spang | 6-0/185 | L | 8/16/83 | Winchester HS | Winchester, MA |
| 3 | Michael Hutchins | 5-11/190 | L | 10/27/82 | St. Paul's | Wolfeboro, NH |
| 4 | James Pemberton | 6-2/195 | R | 10/2/83 | Mt. St. Charles | Cumberland, RI |
| 5 | Matt Hedrick | 5-11/185 | R | 4/6/83 | Deerfield | Orono, ME |
| 6 | Marvin Degon (UMass) | 6-0/170 | R | 7/20/83 | Cushing | Millbury, MA |
| 7 | Brian Yandle | 5-11/175 | R | 5/29/83 | Cushing | Milton, MA |
| 8 | Seamus Young | 6-1/210 | L | 8/16/83 | St. Sebastian's | Dedham, MA |
| 9 | Garrett Overlock | 5-11/170 | R | 4/17/84 | Brunswick | Greenwich, CT |
| 10 | Phil Youngclaus | 6-0/205 | R | 6/29/83 | Cushing | Newburyport, MA |
| 11 | Peter Langella | 5-11/185 | L | 11/3/82 | Gov. Dummer | Manchester, NH |
| 12 | Adam Staniech | 5-10/170 | R | 2/8/84 | Boston Jr. Bruins | Stoneham, MA |
| 13 | James Cleary | 6-0/178 | R | 8/11/84 | Matignon | Cambridge, MA |
| 14 | Kyle Sibley | n/a | n/a | n/a | Catholic Memorial HS | n/a |
| 15 | Frank Currell | n/a | n/a | n/a | BC High | n/a |
| 16 | Ryan Merritt | 6-2/170 | R | 3/30/84 | Lawrence | Whitesboro, NY |
11th Grade Goaltenders:
| 1 | Jeff Pietrasiak | 6-1/180 | C:L | 4/5/83 | Berkshire | Shrewsbury, MA |
| 2 | Phil Lauderdale | 5-11/180 | C:R | 5/29/83 | Westminster | Greenwich, CT |
| 3 | Gabe Winer | 5-9/177 | C:R | 5/1/84 | Gov. Dummer | Stoughton, MA |
| N/R | Rory Walsh | 5-9/165 | C:L | 11/2/82 | Nobles | Duxbury, MA |
| N/R | Bill Petrucci | 6-0/170 | C:L | 8/16/82 | Tabor | Bridgewater, MA |
| N/R | Michael Boudreau | 6-2/170 | C:L | 3/18/83 | Cushing | Weymouth, Mass. |
| N/R | Matt Hanson | 5-9/178 | C:L | 5/24/82 | Deerfield | Peabody, MA |
| N/R | Adam Geragosian | 5-11/165 | C:L | 5/22/84 | Lawrence | N. Andover, MA |
4/17/01
Top New England Seniors
Here, a little later this year, is our 2000-01 senior class rankings. We see this group as a little stronger than last year's, primarily because there is more depth on defense. In addition, there is a group of 5-10 players toward the bottom of the list who are not ready for Div. I play yet, but have some upside and should develop over the next year.
Please note that we've only ranked players on New England/Eastern New York teams and programs, mainly because that's our area. We may do things differently next year, though.
Please note also that we've excluded '80 birthdates for the simple reason that they are double (triple?) PG's and should really be in college already.
The following rankings reflect our assessment of a player's value to a Division I college program over a full four years. Some players, of course, will step in and contribute right away, while the value of others may be somewhat backloaded.
Also, please remember that we're not ranking pro potential here. This list is put together with the college game mind.
New England 12th Graders, Ranked for Div. I Potential
*The following list is based solely on the observations of the USHR staff*
12th Grade Forwards:
| 1 | Tom Cavanagh (Harvard) | LC/W | 5-10/180 | 3/24/82 | Exeter | Warwick, RI |
| 2 | Michael Woodford (Michigan) | RW | 5-11/185 | 10/4/81 | Cushing | Westford, MA |
| 3 | Ed Caron (UNH) | LW | 6-2/205 | 4/30/82 | Exeter | Hudson, NH |
| 4 | Ryan Shannon (BC) | RC | 5-9/170 | 3/2/83 | Taft | Darien, CT |
| 5 | Sean Collins (UNH) | LW/C | 5-8/175 | 2/9/83 | Reading HS | Reading, MA |
| 6 | Chris Higgins (Yale) | LW | 5-11/170 | 6/2/83 | Avon Old Farms | Smithtown, NY |
| 7 | Greg Mauldin (UMass) | RW/C | 5-10/175 | 6/10/82 | Boston Jr. Bruins | Holliston, MA |
| 8 | Ben Murphy (Maine) | LC | 5-10/180 | 1/21/81 | Cushing | N. Andover, MA |
| 9 | Ned Havern (BC) | LC | 6-0/175 | 10/1/82 | Arlington HS | Arlington, MA |
| 10 | Christian Jensen (Yale) | LW | 5-10/170 | 1/27/83 | Taft | New Caanan, CT |
| 11 | Torry Gajda | LW | 5-10/170 | 5/31/83 | NE Jr. Coyotes | Westfield, MA |
| 12 | Colin FitzRandolph (St. Lawrence) | LW/C | 6-3/185 | 6/7/82 | Exeter | Canton, NY |
| 13 | Ryan Trowbridge (Yale) | RW | 6-0/200 | 5/11/83 | Taft | Southbury, CT |
| 14 | Mike Zbriger (St. Lawrence) | RW | 5-10/170 | 2/24/82 | Gov. Dummer | Montreal, Que. |
| 15 | Chris Snizek (Dartmouth) | RC/W | 5-8/171 | 10/3/81 | Choate | Harrisville, RI |
| 16 | Chris Chaput (Providence) | LC/W | 5-10/175 | 11/20/83 | NE Jr. Coyotes | Pawtucket, RI |
| 17 | Tim Plant (Vermont) | LW | 6-0/180 | 3/31/82 | Taft | Barre, VT |
| 18 | Chris Casey (Army) | C | 6-1/190 | 4/9/81 | Boston Jr. Bruins | Framingham, MA |
| 19 | Ben McManama (BC) | RW | 6-1/180 | 6/4/82 | Nobles | Medfield, MA |
| 20 | Nick Tsiantar (CC) | RW | 6-1/175 | 6/22/83 | Berkshire | Simi Valley, CA |
| 21 | Kevin Brooks | LW | 5-10/185 | 5/28/82 | Lawrence | Stow, MA |
| 22 | John Toffey | LW/C | 6-2/195 | 11/26/82 | St. Sebastian's | Barnstable, MA |
| 23 | Matt Walsh (UMass) | RW | 6-1/185 | 1/8/82 | NMH | Arlington, MA |
| 24 | Dave Thomas (Colgate) | RC | 5-9/175 | 12/13/81 | Deerfield | E. Petersburg, PA |
| 25 | Justin Rafferty (UMass) | RW | 5-10/180 | 3/2/82 | Capital District | Clifton Park, NY |
| 26 | Matt Blabac (Union) | RW | 6-4/210 | 2/23/83 | Millbrook | Florida, NY |
| 27 | Craig MacDonald (UMass) | C | 6-0/190 | 5/7/82 | Nobles | Canton, MA |
| 28 | Paul Falco (Maine) | LW | 6-0/195 | 4/28/81 | Walpole Stars | Weymouth, MA |
| 29 | Peter Trovato (UMass) | LC | 6-0/200 | 10/3/81 | Deerfield | Attleboro, MA |
| 30 | Kevin Lyons | LW | 6-2/175 | 5/4/82 | Deerfield | Canton, MA |
| 31 | Brendan Timmins | RW | 6-1/195 | 6/29/83 | Arlington HS | Arlington, MA |
| 32 | Brian Carthas (Princeton) | RW | 6-0/180 | 1/23/83 | Boston Latin HS | S. Boston, MA |
| 33 | Rugo Santini | LW | 6-0/175 | 1/12/83 | Winchester HS | Winchester, MA |
| 34 | John LaLiberte | LW | 6-0/175 | 8/5/83 | Exeter Snowdevils | Saco, ME |
| 35 | Justin Laverdiere | LW | 5-10/195 | 1/16/83 | Mount St. Charles | Woonsocket, RI |
12th Grade Defensemen:
| 1 | Noah Welch (Harvard) | 6-3/194 | L | 8/26/82 | St. Sebastian's | Brighton, MA |
| 2 | Brandon Rogers (Michigan) | 6-2/185 | R | 2/27/82 | Hotchkiss | Rochester, NH |
| 3 | Jim Hakewill (St. Lawrence) | 6-4/220 | L | 6/7/82 | Westminster | Wilmette, IL |
| 4 | Ryan Lannon (Harvard) | 6-2/205 | L | 12/14/82 | Cushing | Grafton, MA |
| 5 | Donnie Grover (Northeastern) | 6-0/185 | R | 1/17/83 | Catholic Memorial HS | Rockland, MA |
| 6 | Joe Callahan (Yale) | 6-2/200 | R | 12/20/82 | BC High | Abington, MA |
| 7 | Jeff Mason (Providence) | 5-10/175 | R | 8/11/81 | NE Jr. Coyotes | Easthampton, MA |
| 8 | Tom Walsh (Harvard/2002) | 6-0/160 | L | 4/22/83 | Arlington HS | Arlington, MA |
| 9 | Eric Lundberg (Providence) | 6-2/195 | R | 4/3/83 | NE Jr. Coyotes | Vernon, CT |
| 10 | Paul Lynch (Maine) | 6-4/200 | L | 4/23/82 | Valley Jr. Warriors | Peabody, MA |
| 11 | Jeff Lang (UMass) | 5-11/180 | R | 3/28/82 | Tabor | Westwood, MA |
| 12 | Matt Vagvolgyi (Union) | 5-10/175 | R | 11/9/81 | Salisbury | Milford, CT |
| 13 | Gerard Miller (Vermont) | 5-10/175 | R | 1/21/83 | NY Apple Core | Lloyd Harbor, NY |
| 14 | Tony Coskren (Holy Cross) | 5-11/185 | L | 12/15/82 | St. Sebastian's | Walpole, MA |
| 15 | Dustin Demaniuk (UMass) | 6-2/200 | R | 10/15/82 | Mount St. Charles | Franklin, MA |
| 16 | Bob Gillon | 5-11/190 | R | 1/8/81 | Boston Jr. Bruins | Greenwich, CT |
| 17 | Taylor Leahy (BC) | 6-1/195 | L | /82 | Taft | Larchmont, NY |
| 18 | Blake Pickett | 6-1/195 | R | 10/20/82 | Cushing | Coto de Caza, CA |
| 19 | Joey Mormina (Colgate) | 6-5/220 | L | 6/29/82 | Holderness | Montreal, Que. |
| 20 | Steven Mead (Air Force) | 5-9/165 | L | 3/31/82 | Andover | Warminster, PA |
| 21 | Chris DiStefano (Union) | 5-10/175 | L | 6/30/83 | Choate | Albany, NY |
| 22 | Pat Nugent | 5-10/180 | R | 5/8/82 | Exeter | Lynnfield, MA |
| 23 | Howard Jennings | 6-2/175 | L | 1/12/83 | Green Mt. Glades | Plattsburgh, NY |
| 24 | Mike Madill | 6-0/185 | R | 5/9/82 | Millbrook | Kirkland, Que. |
| 25 | Gerry Burke (Brown) | 6-3/195 | L | 7/6/82 | Exeter | Milton, Mass. |
12th Grade Goaltenders:
| 1 | Ryan MacNeil (Niagara) | 6-0/175 | C:L | 4/10/81 | Exeter Snowdevils | Wayland, MA |
| 2 | Tim Warner (UMass) | 5-11/175 | C:L | 3/4/83 | Avon Old Farms | Waltham, MA |
| 3 | Jimmy Merola (St. Anselm) | 6-0/155 | C:L | 6/1/83 | LaSalle HS | N. Providence, RI |
| 4 | Dave Cacciola (Providence) | 6-0/170 | C:L | 1/21/82 | St. Sebastian's | Burlington, MA |
| 5 | John Yaros (Army) | 6-0/172 | C:L | 3/31/82 | NY Apple Core | Queens, NY |
4/12/01
World Under-18's Underway in Finland
In Finland, the World Under-18 Championship got underway today with Russia bombing the Czech Republic, 8-3; Finland shutting out Slovakia, 3-0; Sweden edging Norway, 4-3; and Switzerland topping the Ukraine, 6-2.
Speaking of the Ukraine, which we don't do very often, the country whose peasants bravely but unsuccessfully resisted the Soviet policy of enforced collectivization in the 1930s will be the first opponent for the U.S. That will come at 6:30 pm tomorrow (Fri. 4/13) and, since Finland is seven hours ahead of us, that would be 11:30 a.m. here on the east coast, so set your clocks.
The IIHF has a web site for the tournament. They update games in progress, and have all sorts of stats, too. Check out:
IIHF World Under-18 Championship
The Russians, as today's 8-3 drubbing of the Czech Republic would indicate, are favorites to take the gold. It's a flat-out loaded team, with at least six players that could go in the first round of June's NHL draft including potential #1 overall pick Ilya Kovalchuk, a 6'2", 200 lb. nasty, mercurial, skilled LW. Likely to go in the top five overall -- unless teams shy away because of his size -- is 5'10", 155 lb. Stanislav Tchistov, a fast, skilled LW. Kovalchuk and Tchistov each had a goal and an assist today. Other potential first rounders include 5'11" RW Alexander Perejoguin; 6'0" LW Timofei Shishkanov; 6'0" LD Igor Knyazev; 6'1" LD Fedor Tyutin; and 6'1" LD Kiril Koltsov.
No US players have declared themselves for this June's NHL draft.
4/11/01
Northeastern Assistant Arrington Dies in Home Accident
Ed Arrington, a goaltender at Northeastern in the late '70s and lately the school's goaltending coach, was found dead yesterday at his new condominium in Danvers, Mass.
When Arrington, a 48-year-old volunteer coach, didn't show up for work early yesterday morning at North Shore Getty in Peabody, which he operated, his co-workers investigated and discovered a car running in the attached garage. Arrington was found upstairs in his bed, a victim of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Arrington, the father of two girls, lived alone. It was reported that the coach had one of his daughters and her friends over for dinner Monday. Afterward, some cars were moved in and out of the garage, and, in one of those freak mishaps, one was accidentally left running.
Arrington's claim to fame as a player came in the fall of 1977, when he made the Northeastern varsity as a walk-on just before his 25th birthday, beating out the two senior incumbents and a boatload of other hopefuls. What made this feat even more remarkable is the fact that he hadn't played organized hockey in six years, having worked at his father's garage since his 1971 graduation from Danvers HS.
In his first start for Northeastern in 1977, Arrington led the Huskies to their first-ever win over UNH. As a sophomore, he stopped BU in a big upset and also came up with a 41-save effort in a 3-1 Huskies win over UNH, where current Northeastern coach Bruce Crowder was then a forward. After the '78-79 season, Arrington turned pro, but never made it to the NHL.
In the years since, Arrington has worked in the service station business and has served as goaltending coach for Northeastern (twice), Salem State, and UNH.
4/9/01
Parisé Leads Shattuck to National Title
Junior forward Zach Parisé notched two goals and an assist yesterday as Shattuck-St.Mary's took the 2001 National Midget Championship with a decisive 6-1 win over the Eastern Mass. Senators in West Chester, Pa. yesterday.
Parisé, the buzz of this year's tournament in the manner that Eastern Mass. Senators forward Sean Collins was last year in Pittsburgh, finished as the tournament's leading scorer with a 5-10-15 line. In the games we saw (Fri.-Sat. only), Parisé, who's 5'9" and the son of former NHLer and current head of Shattuck hockey operations, J.P. Parisé, dazzled with his speed, his eye-popping moves, and bullet shot. Parisé projects as a 40-point freshman at any NCAA school he wishes to attend. First though, he has his senior year to go through. Will it be at Shattuck? Possibly, but there's really nothing more for him to prove at this level.
Shattuck had a slew of forward who had big weekends. Junior Jacob Micflikier, who had nine goals to lead the tournament in that category, was just buzzing. Micflikier, a Winnipeg native who was also excellent playing for Team West at the World Under-17 Challenge over the holidays in Nova Scotia, is lightning quick and has a great nose for the net. He had a hat trick and two two-goal games. Micflikier is small, around 5'7", but not timid in the least. 5'10" winger Tyler Hirsch, a smart forward who makes excellent decisions with the puck, was his usual unflashy-but-efficient self. 5'10" junior Bill McCreary; 5'8" sophomore Brady Murray, the son of LA Kings coach Andy Murray; and 5'11" senior Vince Pulera, a speedy Miami-Ohio recruit, were also lighting it up for Shattuck. On defense, Nick Hamm, who is big, and David Carlise, who isn't, were standouts.
Goaltender Joe Shannon, who had worked in rotation with senior Jordan Parisé until the latter was expelled from school a month ago, played every minute of every game for Shattuck and was excellent.
The Eastern Mass. Senators struggled, losing two out of three in round-robin play (including a 9-3 opening-night loss to Team Wisconsin), and backing into the playoffs. They played their best game in the quarters, beating Compuware, 4-1, but in the semis they just squeaked past a vastly less talented N.J. Devils squad before, in the finals, getting thumped by Shattuck. Repeating just ain't easy -- at any level.
5'8" Collins, bound for UNH in the fall, was a bit under the weather, and finished with "only" a 1-7-8 line -- not bad, except when compared with his prodigious output of last year, when he drove home ten goals in one day. 6'0" BC-bound center Ned Havern was extremely strong, notching five goals; while 6'1" center Rugo Santini, who finished the tournament with a 4-6-10 line, came up big, too. BB&N center Joey Zappala snapped off some wicked wristers, and the top blueliners were Winchester's Danny Spang and Arlington's Tommy Walsh. The latter is heading to Deerfield in the fall, along with teammate Brendan Timmins.
Compuware Midgets were solid -- not a lot of high end players, but they worked extremely well as a team. 5'6" forward Vinnie Jalaba is the leader, working his tail off consistently; big 6'3" winger David Rohlfs is coming into his own; as are forwards Robbie Overfield and Sean Nappo. Top d-men were 6'1" Patrick McGrath, 5'11" Mitch Ganzak, and 5'9" Chase Podsiad. Justin Tobe was very strong in net.
The Cleveland Barons top prospects were 6'2" '85-born power forward James Unger, and 6'1" forward Ben Camper.
The big story for the N.J. Devils Midgets was the play of goaltender Geordan Murphy, who single-handedly knocked Team Wisconsin out of medal contention on Saturday morning. In a game in which new Jersey was outshot 52-14, Murphy made 50 saves, at least 10 or so of the spectacular variety. Murphy, by the way, is interviewing at Choate this week. Small defenseman Thomas Maldonado of the Bronx, an '85, is an excellent prospect, too.
The Alaska Blue Devils played a solid team game, competing and hitting hard in all three zones. However, a lack of a pure scorer hurt them. The two forwards who stood out were Powell Gallagher, an '82; and Bryan Gallagher, an '83 -- we assume they're brothers. The Blue Devils got excellent goaltending from Greg Strohmeyer, an '83 -- without him they would have been really sunk.
Team Wisconsin had a raft full of players who were lighting it up, particularly Jason Lettau, Joe Searl, and Landon Holsen. On defense Nick Toneys and Evan Salmela added to the offensive production. Wisconsink, which, after rolling over the Eastern Mass. Senators, 9-3, knocked off the Washington Little Caps 9-1, and Warwick, RI, 10-0, could have gone farther in the tournament, but, as mentioned above, were shut down in the playoffs by New Jersey's hot goaltender.
The Buffalo Saints were solid, going 4-0 in the round robin portion, but were knocked out, 6-2, by Shattuck in the semis. Forwards Douglas Conley and Nick Buser were both excellent, as was defenseman Nick Carosa.
4/9/01
N.J. Devils Take National Bantam Championship
The New Jersey Devils knocked off Alaska All-Stars 2-1 in the title game of the 2001 National Bantam Championship Sunday afternoon in West Chester, Pa. yesterday.
Top players for the Devils were forwards Michael Atkinson and Steven Mandes, who finished 1-2 in tournament scoring with only a point between them; defenseman Matthew Cohen; and goaltender Zane Kalemba.
Standouts for Alaska included forward Trevor Hyatt and defenseman Graham McManamin.
Other standouts at the bantam level were D David Robertson (Jr. Flyers); F Bobby Plant, F Kyler Keller, D Jason Seney, G Andrew Davis (Washington Little Caps); F Tim Kennedy, F Chris Mueller, D Mike Tamilia (Syracuse Stars); D Brandon Burns, G Shaun Williams (Pittsburgh Hornets); D Matt Duffy (Seacoast Spartans); F Mitch Kerns (Madison Capitols); and F Nick Coskren, F Matt Greene, D Anthony Aiello (South Shore Dynamos).
One of the top '86s in the country, Chad Kolarik, the Deerfield-bound younger brother of Harvard's Tyler Kolarik, broke his foot in a high school game recently and was unable to play in the tournament, though he gave it a go on Sunday in the Junior Flyers quarterfinal loss to the Alaska All-Stars, getting up to half speed at best.
The national pee wee championship went to the New Jersey Rockets, 9-0 winners over Apple Core. One of the top scorers on the Rockets was Chris Atkinson, younger brother of the aforementioned Mike Atkinson -- in other words, one family, one day, two national championships.
4/5/01
DePalma Back
Larry DePalma, who sat out a year after being suspended from coaching in the Michigan National Hockey League, a midget loop, is back, this time in Jr. A as coach of the Cleveland Barons (NAHL).
DePalma, suspended after the 1999-2000 season as a result of a couple of major brawls involving his team, the Detroit Trackers, coached a pee wee team in the Detroit area this season. He also wrote two books, one on forechecking, and one on backchecking. DePalma as author? "I was looking on it more as a resumé thing," he said, "so people wouldn't look at me as a rockhead like I played.
DePalma, a Trenton, Michigan native, was a fierce fighter who played in the WHL and went on to play for 10 minor league and three NHL teams over a 10-year pro career.
DePalma has been officially hired and is working with the team now, though Otis Plageman, who took over as head coach when Tim Alexander was fired in January, will continue on, at least nominally, as the head coach.
Cleveland, which finished the regular season with a 21-30-5 record and features forwards like Michigan State-bound Jimmy Slater and 15-year-old star Danny Fritsche, begins playoff action on Friday night, facing Compuware.
4/5/01
SLU Readying for '02
St. Lawrence just received three commitments for the fall of '02, all0 out of Ontario Tier II leagues. They are:
-- F Adam Hogg, a 5'11", 170 lb. '83 birthdate from the Elmira Sugar Kings (Midwestern Ontario Jr. B). Hogg is described as a gritty LW with speed, skill, and great instincts.
-- D Dan Rogers, a 6'0", 185 lb. '84 birthdate from the Georgetown Raiders (Ontario Prov. Jr. A). Rogers, who was drafted 42nd overall by Owen Sound (OHL) last spring and just missed the cut for the Ontario Under-17 team, is a tough, mobile, right-shot D with a good shot.
-- F T.J. Trevelyan, a 5'9", 165 lb. '84 birthdate and a teammate of Rogers at Georgetown. Trevelyan, drafted 47th overall by Brampton (OHL), is speedy, poised, and an excellent finisher.
4/4/01
Nationals Underway in Philly
The USA Hockey Nationals are now underway at IceLine in West Chester, Pa., just outside of Philadelphia.
The midgets get underway tonight (check the link below for box scores) and all eyes will be two of the most dynamic players in the country in Eastern Mass. Senators and UNH-bound forward Sean Collins; and Shattuck-St. Mary's forward Zach Parisé, an 11th grader who is one of the most sought-after recruits for the fall of '02 (he visited BC and BU during the weekend of the Hockey East finals).
You may recall Collins' ten-goal day in last year's Nationals in Pittsburgh. If not, let us remind you that the Reading High School star blitzed the LA Jr. Kings for five goals in a Sunday morning semifinal and then, in the afternoon's championship game, notched another five against the Chicago Chill.
The Senators are loaded once again, boasting three players who are going Div. I next year in Collins, forward Ned Havern (BC), and goaltender Tim Warner (UMass). Future division I prospects on the Senators include defensemen Tom Walsh (Harvard for the fall of '02) and Danny Spang; and forwards Brendan Timmins and Ray Ortiz.
We're putting our money on the Senators, though last year we picked Shattuck, which had won the MAC's Tournament, was riding a 26-game win streak into the tournament, and had senior Ben Eaves, now at BC, as, along with Parisé, the go-to guy. Eaves graduated, of course, and is playing in the NCAAs this weekend, and younger brother Patrick is gone, too, playing in the NTDP. So Parisé, who had 142 points in 63 games this season (that's 53 more points than Tyler Hirsch, Shattuck's second-leading scorer) will be the one everyone will be watching.
Shattuck plays in a tough division and will have to get past Compuware which, while lacking star power, has depth.
We'll have more on the Nationals next week.
4/4/01
Welch USHR New England Prep Player of the Year
St. Sebastian's 6'3" left-shot D Noah Welch has been unanimously voted the USHR Prep Player of the Year. For other awards, as well as first and second all-star teams, please follow the link below.
USHR New England Prep Awards/All-Star Teams
4/02/01
Ten for Ann Arbor
The first ten players -- eight forwards and two defensemen -- have been named to the U.S. National Team Development Program's Under-17 team. They are:
-- 5'11", 170 lb. RC Mike Bartlett of the Chicago Chill Midgets, a smooth skater with hands and vision. 1/6/85 birthdate from Morton Grove, Ill.
-- 5'10", 180 lb. RW Mike Brown of the Chicago Chill Midgets, a natural goal scorer with a pinpoint shot. 6/24/85 birthdate. From Northbrook, Ill.
-- 5'7", 149 lb. LC J.D. Corbin, a Littleton, Colorado native who played this season for the HoneyBaked '85s. A quick playmaking type, Corbin also has a strong sense of the game. 3/23/85 birthdate.
-- 6'0", 168 lb. wing Jacob Dowell, who plays for Eau Claire (Wisconsin) HS, is a hard-working wing/center with good size and hands. 3/4/85 birthdate.
-- 5'11", 156 lb. wing Robert Earl of the Los Angeles Jr. Kings shows great speed off the wing and has the good mitts, too. A raw talent from the LA/Phoenix pipeline. 6/2/85 birthdate.
-- 5'8", 155 lb. center/wing T.J. Hensick, from the HoneyBaked Midgets. Hensick is a pure scorer. Great hands, excellent quickness, and a peerless finisher. 12/10/85 birthdate. From Howell, Mich.
-- 5'11", 169 lb. HoneyBaked Midget LD Matt Hunwick is not flashy, but he's very solid in all areas. 5/21/85 birthdate. From Roseville, Mich.
-- 6'1", 176 lb. RC Adam Pineault of the Boston Junior Bruins (EJHL) is only an '86 -- he'll turn 15 in May. Has size, toughness, a great shot, and the ability to consistently win faceoffs. From Holyoke, Mass.
-- 6'2", 157 lb. RD Jimmy Sharrow of the Cardigan Mountain School is a lanky converted forward with a great frame and the stride to go with it. 1/31/85 birthdate. From Framingham, Mass.
5'10", 150 lb. winger John Vigilante of the Compuware '85s is the younger brother of Lake Superior State LW Mike Vigilante. Gives his all every shift. Can score, make a pass, and win the battles along the boards. Good all-round player. 5/24/85 birthdate. From Dearborn, Mich.
Look for more players to be named soon.
***
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