U.S. Hockey Report
August News
- Select 15 Standouts
- Matt Becker, #19 Grey, 5-7½/143, Moorhead Bantams (Minn.)
- Ryan Blossom, #18 Green, 6-0/164, Concord HS (N.H.)
- Greg Collins, #10 Grey, 5-6/139, Perinton Blades (NY)
- Kris Conte, #9 White, 5-11½/143, Notre Dame-Fairfield HS (Conn.)
- Chad Costello, #10 Royal Blue, 5-4½/128, Shattuck-St. Mary's
- Jacob Davis, #9 Gold, 5-8/142, Eaglebrook School (Mass.)
- Brandon Dubinsky, #8 Purple, 5-8/130, Alaska All-Stars Midget AAA
- Justin Gardy, #16 Maroon, 5-11/183, Northfield-Mt.Hermon (Mass.)
- Nathan Grochmal, #11 Black, 5-10½/190, L.A. Jr. Kings Midget Major
- Ryan Gunderson, #12 Navy Blue, 6-0/156, Mahtomedi HS (Minn.)
- Nate Hagemo, #11 Royal Blue, 5-9½/169, Holy Angels
- Drew Heredia, #8 Green, 5-10½/173, Team Illinois
- Matt Kaiser, #14 Orange, 5-9½/145, Holy Angels (Minn.)
- Tim Kennedy, #15 White, 5-7/128, DePeuw (NY) Saints
- Brett Leonard, #19 Gold, 5-3½/126, S. Burlington HS (Vt.)
- Mike Luzzi, #14 White, 5-8/160, Salisbury School (Conn.)
- Dominic Maiani, #16 Gold, 5-6½/141, HoneyBaked '86
- Blake Martin, #14 Green, 5-5½/132, Alaska All-Stars
- Dan McClain, #10 Navy, 6-0/168, Team Ohio
- Gino Pisellini, #16 Teal, 5-11½/177, Team Illinois
- Chris Potts, #17 Grey, 5-9/160, New Jersey Rockets
- Mark Rogers, #17 Black, 6-0/179, Mt. Ayre HS
- Jamie Rupar, #11 Teal, 5-10½/162, Dallas Junior Stars
- William Smith, #19 Navy Blue, 5-9½/163, Soldotna HS (Alaska)
- Ian Thomas, #9 Orange, 5-6/152, Seaway Valley Bantam (Ont.)
- Greg Battani, #3 Red, 5-8/169, Benilde-St. Margaret's (Minn.)
- Mike Beck, #2 Royal Blue, 5-10/180, LA Jr. Kings Midget AAA
- Adam Blanchette, #2 Maroon, 6-0/167, Avon Old Farms (Conn.)
- William Carpenter, #4 Royal Blue, 6-0/176, HoneyBaked '86
- Joseph Charlebois, #5 Teal, 6-0/195, Potsdam Central HS (N.Y.)
- Sam Curtis, #5 White, 5-6/133, BB&N (Mass.)
- Jason DeSantis, #2 Green, 5-8½/146, HoneyBaked Midget Minor
- Jesse Downey, #4 Teal, 6-0/163, Silver Bay HS (Minn.)
- Joshua Duncan, #4 Grey, 5-10/196, Rochester-Lourdes HS (Minn.)
- Ian Goodwin, #2 Teal, 5-6½/132, Florida Junior Panthers
- Chris Johnson, #5 Purple, 5-11/163, Duluth East HS (Minn.)
- Matt Niskanen, #7 Gold, 6-0/159, Virginia HS (Minn.)
- Dan Norris, #6 Orange, 6-1/178, Essex HS (Vt.)
- Brendan Olinyk, #7 White, 5-9½/146, Lincoln HS (Wisc.)
- Nicholas Schaus, #4 Purple, 5-7½/156, Buffalo Saints '86
- Alex Sousa, #7 Royal Blue, 5-9/145, Austin Prep (Mass.)
8/31/01
Fussen Wrapup
What do you say about a tournament in which one team outscores the others 38-4 in four games (one a 13-0 exhibition win)?
Answer: They were in the wrong tournament.
The right tournament, and the one which the U.S. had expected to be in before a clerical oversight at USA Hockey deep-sixed the plan, was the Six Nations Under-18 Cup in the Czech Republic, won by Canada (which prevailed despite losing a round-robin game to the Swiss). Other countries represented at the Six Nations included the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Sweden, and Russia -- the iron.
The U.S. wound up with the dregs -- two German teams and Norway -- but at least they were in Fussen, a lovely spot in the German Alps, and were able to get out on the lake and have a bit of fun, too.
Anyway, who were the go-to guys?
Up front, the New England Coyotes' Bryan Horan was excellent -- he has a strong sense of the game, distributes the puck nicely, and can finish. Horan, who's 6'1", 165 lbs., completed the tournament with a 6-3-9 line, had a hat trick vs. the German Under-18's, and, generally, raised his stock a good deal. While there weren't a lot of Div. I schools there, some of the top programs were represented -- BU (Jack Parker), Minnesota (Bobby Motzko), BC (Mike Cavanaugh), Denver (Steve Miller), and Notre Dame (Andy Slaggert).
5'10", 160 lb. Tyler Hirsch, who was on an all-Shattuck line with Chris Porter and Zach Parisé, led the U.S. with points, notching hat tricks in two of the four games and finishing with a 9-2-11 line. Hirsch, who played a high-energy game and showed nice one-on-one moves, was, day in and day out, the most dangerous U.S. player, offensively.
6'0", 194 lb. Dustin Brown (Guelph Storm -- OHL) didn't really get going until the third game, when he was switched from the off-wing to his natural side, and responded with a three-point afternoon vs. Norway. Brown plays hard, physically, has strength, and a great shot. There's big-time potential here -- look for Brown, a late '84, to be a high NHL draft pick in a couple of years, possibly a first-rounder.
5'11", 170 lb. Mike Howe, of St. Cloud Apollo HS, was surprisingly good, utilizing his speed well on the big sheet. Howe showed good playmaking ability, was always involved, finishing with a 3-3-6 line despite hitting a few pipes. Definitely raised his stock.
Parisé, Shattuck-St. Mary's 5'10, 165 lb. star, had a poor -- at least by his standards -- tournament, failing to notch even a single goal during the three official games. Several observers felt that perhaps the intense interest he's getting from all the top schools had him gripping his stick a little too tightly. Even if Parisé wasn't at top form, he won high marks from his coaches for, in the words of one, his "phenomenal attitude" on and off the ice.
6'0", 173 lb Nate Thompson (Seattle Thunderbirds -- OHL) was solid every game. While not particularly dynamic, he's smart and heady, has decent size (even if he's still a little weak physically), competes, is athletic and agile, and can skate. Too bad he opted for the Dub.
6'0", 175 lb. Ryan Potulny got better as the tournament went along, showing size, quickness, one-on-one skills,and the ability to complete plays. 6'0", 168 lb. Danny Irmen, who, as we mentioned last night, was Potulny's teammate at Red River HS lst season, was a late add, taking the place of Ray Ortiz, who was asked and had to report to the U.S. National Program. Irmen started slowly, but established himself nicely by the end. He has decent size, is a smooth skater, and showed good acceleration and agility.
Erstwhile Taft wing Chris Collins -- he'll be a Des Moines Buccaneer this season -- didn't score any goals but finished with eight assists. At 5'8", 175 lbs., he may not be the biggest kid around, but he's hard-working, gritty, physical, energetic -- and skilled and quick, too.
5'10", 185 lb. Matt Burto, who'll be playing at Avon Old Farms, wasn't as good as he was at the 17 Festival, where he was a very pleasant surprise, but managed to get it going at the end. An aggressive, tenacious, energy guy who can skate and chip in with a goal here and there.
There wasn't a single forward who scored fewer than four points, so it's fair to say that everyone chipped in. On the flip side, it's a little hard to evaluate against poor competition -- forwards didn't have to compete for loose pucks with any sense of urgency, and didn't necessarily have to forecheck or backcheck as hard as they might have in a closer game.
The same could be said for the D-men. They were right in their comfort zone, and weren't faced with many situations in which their weaknesses were exposed.
That said, 6'1", 175 lb. Danny Richmond and 6'2", 200 lb. Ben Lovejoy were the two main guys on the blue line.
Richmond, who'll be playing for his father, Steve Richmond, the coach of the Chicago Steel (USHL), didn't dominate the way he did at the 17 Festival, but he'll be getting a lot of Div. I attention for, among other things, his ability to get the puck up ice quickly and efficiently. Richmond also won points for his consistent work ethic.
Lovejoy is at the top of his game once the puck is in the opponents' end. He struggled in the Norway game, but came back the next day, when he was the best d-man in the finale vs. the German Under-18s. Very in-and-out, but he remains an excellent prospect. After all, he's 6'2", 200 lbs.
5'11", 185 lb. Dylan Reese, who'll be playing for the Pittsburgh Forge (NAHL), showed his usual top-notch offensive skills.
6'0", 180 lb. Garrett Overlock, of the Brunswick School in Greenwich, Conn, was very steady, and his strong skating was an advantage on the big sheet.
Of the two goaltenders, the consensus #1guy was 5'11", 160 lb. Travis Russell, who will be moving from Essex HS in Vermont to the Taft School. Russell is a calming presence in net. The #2 guy was Kevin Regan of St. Sebastian's, but this was perhaps because of the two first-period goals he gave up against the German Under-17 Team. If you go by the numbers alone, they are practically identical. Regan, however, is not flashy. He's got size -- 6'1", 195 lbs. -- and simply squares himself to the shooter, letting the puck hit him. Both goalies only faced about 17 shots a game, which is not quite enough to get into a rhythm.
Anyway, that's it. Thanks to all who gave their input for this report.
8/30/01
Logjam
With four blue-chip forwards yet to make their college commitments, a logjam has developed among the schools at the top of the Div. I food chain. And it could be a couple of months more before Zach Parisé, Gabe Gauthier, Jeff Tambellini, and Thomas Vanek actually do commit.
Parisé, of Shattuck-St. Mary's, is interested in North Dakota, BC, Michigan, and lately BU, which has reportedly gotten back into the picture.
Tambellini -- the son of former NHLer Steve Tambellini -- and Gauthier are not only Chilliwack Chiefs (BCHL) teammates, but both are reported to be looking at the same schools: Michigan, Michigan State, BC, and BU. However, they're not Siamese twins, so look for them to pick different schools. Gauthier, by the way, is our pre-season favorite to win the BCHL scoring crown. Look for the league's top line -- assuming Chilliwack coach Harvey Smyl keeps them together -- to be Gauthier, Tambellini, and BU recruit David Van der Gulik.
6'1" Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) forward Thomas Vanek reported back from Austria in good shape, having put on some muscle over the summer. As for college, the Graz native is totally wide open. BU, BC, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan State have all been mentioned. More could join the list.
All of the above players have -- or are in the process of scheduling -- official visits for the fall.
8/30/01
Red River Drained
The Lincoln Stars (USHL) are bringing in four -- count 'em, four -- recruits from Grand Forks Red River High School in Grand Forks, ND.
Chief among them are forwards Ryan Potulny and Danny Irmen, teammates on the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that just returned from Fussen, Germany. Potulny, who's 6'0" and 175 lbs., is the younger brother of Grant Potulny, who played for the stars before going to the Gophers.
Irmen and Potulny, both '84s, are still in high school. The other two Lincoln recruits, '83 two-way defenseman Mike Eickman; and '83 goaltender Nate Ziegelmann, graduated from Red River this past June.
Ziegelmann was named the player of the year in North Dakota, posting a .920 save percentage, while facing an average of about 17 shots a game. Ziegelmann is a bit of a secret, having never done U.S.A. Select Camps or any other high-profile event. Some observers feel he's as good as Sioux Falls Stampede goaltender Layne Sedevie, who also played high school hockey in North Dakota.
Another player coming in -- though not from Red River High -- is 6'3", 205 lb. forward David Backes, who was the eighth-leading forward in the state of Minnesota last season.
Backes, an '84 best described as a less-polished James Massen, played for Spring Lake Park HS, posting a 29-46-75 line in 24 games. He'll go Div. I.
Note: Lincoln forward John Snowden, who's studying for his associate degree at Lincoln's community college, will be eligible for three years of Div. I play starting next season. Mankato State, Minnesota, Northeastern, Michigan State, and UNO are all in the early picture.
8/28/01
USHL Says Sayonara to National Tournament
The AWHL and USA Hockey have announced the site for the 2002 Junior A National Championship -- the Gold Cup -- and it's Bozeman, Montana.
However, there's a big change this year: the USHL has bowed out, so only the NAHL and AWHL will take part in the tournament.
When told that some NAHL clubs were miffed by the decision, feeling that the USHL has become too puffed up and self-important, USHL commissioner Gino Gasparini said, "We can't worry about what the other leagues think. Every decision we make is based on advancing our own league. In this case, our own tournament is -- and always has been -- our #1 priority."
Gasparini pointed out that the league was never enthralled with playing the national tournament, which some USHL types felt was little more than an afterthought to their own tournament. "Many times we decided not to do it (the Gold Cup)," Gasparini said, "but we'd wind up doing it anyway."
No more, apparently.
However, the show will go on, and Bozeman is certainly a good place to have it. In the wheat and barley-rich Gallatin Valley of southwestern Montana, Bozeman is just an hour from the northern rim of Yellowstone National Park, so, if you're into fishing, it's the place to be. Bring your pole and some worms... sorry, we meant expensive graphite rod and exquisite hand-tied flies.
The Bozeman Ice Dogs, as hosts, get a guaranteed berth in the tournament. Information on scheduling and format will be announced sometime in September.
The Gold Cup has been going on for 21 years now, and the USHL has established dominance, winning it 14 times in the last 16 years, the only losses coming to Compuware, which won in '94 and '99. The Omaha Lancers are the defending -- so to speak -- champions. The AWHL has never won it.
Notes: With the addition of Topeka into the league, the USHL regular season schedule, which won't end until April 7, has increased from 56 to 61 league games. The playoffs will consist, as before, of two best-of-five series, then a best-of-seven final.
8/27/01
Whitehead to Maine
Look for Tim Whitehead, UMass-Lowell head coach from 1996 until this spring, to be named shortly as an assistant to Shawn Walsh at Maine.
Whitehead, 40, recently hired by the Vancouver Canucks as a scout, served as an assistant coach under Walsh at Maine over ten years ago (1990-91), but this is a vastly different scenario. Walsh, fighting kidney cancer, was almost certainly looking for someone with years of Div. I head coaching experience to take over behind the bench should the situation arise.
While it's rare for a Div. I head coach to bring in as experienced an assistant as Whitehead, it has a precedent at Maine, where, 13 years ago, Walsh hired Grant Standbrook, who had 17 years experience at the Div I level (five as a head coach at Dartmouth in the early '70s, followed by 12 years as an assistant to Bob Johnson during Wisconsin's glory days).
With Maine being a state university the job has to be posted for a certain length of time before any announcement can be made.
Whitehead is a native of Lawrenceville, N.J. and played his college hockey at Hamilton College, graduating in 1985.
Efforts to reach Whitehead for comment were unsuccessful.
8/27/01
Guyer Narrows Choices
Greenway HS star centerman Gino Guyer reported last night that he has narrowed his college choices to Minnesota and North Dakota, and is hoping to make his final decision by the end of this week -- or early September at the latest.
Left on the outside: Minnesota-Duluth and Boston University. Turning down BU was hard, Guyer said, because, while he liked coach Jack Parker, the distance from home was just too far.
Will Andy Sertich having committed to the U have any bearing on Guyer's decision? Guyer says no, adding that his linemate will say stuff kiddingly, "but in the end he knows it's my decision."
Guyer may or may not play some USHL games when high school hockey ends in March, but he definitely won't be playing any pre-season games as he's a running back and outside linebacker for his high school, which opens Friday with a game against Hibbing.
In other Greenway hockey news, it's now official: 5'11", 165 scoring ace Corey Carlson will be transferring to Greenway from Two Harbors High School, which is about 25 miles north of Duluth. Carlson, an '85 entering his junior year, should give Greenway, which finished third in the Minnesota State High School Tournament in March, a chance to go all the way this season. In Guyer (87 points), Sertich (80 pts.), and Carlson (76 points), Greenway coach Pat Guyer has last season's first, second, and fourth-leading scorers in the state playing for him.
8/26/01
Hirsch Hat Trick Paces U.S. in Finale
Shattuck-St. Mary's winger Tyler Hirsch scored three goals to lead the U.S. Under-18 Select Team to a 9-1 pasting of the German Under-18s in Fussen, Germany today.
Notching three points apiece were Deerfield Academy defenseman Ben Lovejoy (2g,1a) and Avon Old Farms forward Matt Burto (1g,2a).
Teammates Danny Irmen (2g) and Ryan Potulny (1g,1a) of Red River High School in Grand Forks, N.D. each had two-point days.
Box Score: U.S. Under-18 Select Team 9, German Under-18 Team 1
8/26/01
Mendelson Leaves Lancers for Pros
Omaha Lancers (USHL) assistant Leigh Mendelson, a six-year USHL veteran with stops in Waterloo, Sioux City, and Omaha, has been hired as an assistant by Atlantic City (ECHL).
Mendelson said Omaha was a tremendous experience, adding, "I would have been happy there for 10 years -- if this opportunity hadn't come up."
The East Coast League's Atlantic City franchise -- the former Birmingham Bulls -- was relocated over the summer. The team will be called the Broadwalk Bullies. They will be coached by Mike Haviland, a 34-year-old native of New Jersey with whom Mendelson has worked on various Atlantic District select programs.
Notes: 6'0", 195 lb. RD Scott Drewicki has committed to Denver. Drewicki, who is starting his second year with the St. Albert Saints (AJHL). is a highly competive in-your-face type of player with good instincts and intelligence. He's an '83 birthdate. With Brett Skinner already in the fold, the Pioneers have a couple of the better D-men out of Western Canada. Skinner, by the way, will be playing in the USHL this season, for Des Moines.... Derek Kilduff, a 5'10", 172 lb. forward from the Tabor School, has committed to Merrimack. Other schools showing interest were St. Lawrence, Providence, Vermont, and Union. Kilduff, an '82, formerly played for Thayer. His father, Tom, was on Merrimack's 1978 NCAA Div. II National Championship team. The younger Kildufff will join fellow recruits Nick Pomponio, a forward formerly of the HoneyBaked Midgets, but playing this season with the St. Mike's Buzzers (OPJHL); and Luchiano Aquino, a LW with the Wexford Raiders who was the leading scorer at the Ontario Under-17 camp last month. Aquino will arrive at Merrimack two years from now, so he won't overlap with this brother, Anthony. While the younger Aquino can equal his brother's speed and hockey sense -- and is perhaps a little grittier -- he is not as prolific a scorer.... Josh Hennessy notched a nice top-shelf goal in Quebec's first pre-season game. Hennessy, who centered veterans Sebastien Thinel and Shawn Collymore, also added an assist.... Gloria Umile, the mother of UNH head coach Dick Umile, died Friday in Melrose, Mass. after a long sickness. She was 78. Last November, coach Umile's father, Jim Umile, a retired detective with the Melrose Police Department, died at 82 after a long bout with cancer.
8/25/01
Brown Leads Under-18s Past Norway
Guelph Storm (OHL) forward Dustin Brown, an Ithaca, NY native, had two goals and an assist to lead the U.S. Under-18 Select Team past Norway, 8-0 yesterday.
Nate Thompson (1g,1a) of the Seattle Thunderbirds and Dylan Reese (2a) of the Pittsburgh Forge each had two points.
Box Score: U.S. Under-18 Select Team 8, Norway Under-18 Team 0
8/24/01
Reilly Leaves Maine for AHL Job
University of Maine assistant Gene Reilly was named assistant coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) yesterday.
Reilly, 39, has been with the University of Maine for the last three years, including 1998-99, when the Black Bears won the National title with a 3-2 win over UNH at Anaheim, Cal.
Before coming to Maine, Reilly, who's from Springfield, Mass., was the head coach of the New England Jr. Coyotes (EJHL). Reilly's teams, with players like Doug Janik, Dan LaCouture, Dan Cavanaugh, Ron Hainsey and others, won the league title each of Reilly's last three years behind the bench.
The Griffins are an affiliate of the Ottawa Senators. Reilly will work primarily with the forwards.
Reilly played his college hockey for Elmira (NY) College, and went on to play two years of pro hockey in Sweden before turning to coaching.
Notes: The Chicago Steel (USHL) have named former Sioux City Musketeers defenseman Willard Nichol, a native of Madison, Wisc., as an assistant on Steve Richmond's staff. Nichol, 27, has been an assistant with Miami (Ohio) for the past two seasons. He's replacing Mike Aikens, who was recently appointed head coach of the Billings Bulls (AWHL).... The USHL is simplifying its draft system for the upcoming season. For starters, instead of two drafts, there will be just one -- in May. In addition, there will be five tenders allowed per team. One of them may -- or may not -- be used as a high school tender.... Brian Meisner, most recently an assistant to Scott Koberinski with the Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL) will be the head coach of the Buttle Irish (AWHL).... Marty Quarters has been named head coach/assistant GM of the Suffolk PAL Jr. B program. Quarters will be working with Ron Kinnear, the Suffolk PAL GM, and former Islander Gerry Hart, owns the rink. Quarters, a Detroit native who played for Ferris State, has most recently been with the Cleveland Barons program, working with both the junior team and the midget team. Before that, Quarters coached the '82 Little Caesar's, which, by the way, produced two first-round picks in June's NHL draft -- Tim Gleason and Jason Bacashihua.... Former Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) assistant coach Bill Ward will be moving to Hebron Academy in Maine, where he will be working in administration as well as with the hockey program, either as an assistant boy's coach or head girl's coach. Ward, who played and coached at Iowa State, is from Rockford, Ill. and knows the prep scene from his days as a player at the Kent School in Connecticut... Lincoln stars assistant coach Steve Ross has left the Stars to begin his second stint as head coach/GM of the Rochester Mustangs. Ross will replace Todd Huyber, who is now in private business in Rochester. Note that the Mustangs are now owned by the same ownership group as Lincoln.... The Winchendon School has a new head coach in Jacques Delorme, who has been coaching in Europe for 13 years. Delorme played his college hockey for Lou Lamoriello at Providence College, graduating in 1984.... Luke McConnville, who played for BC High in the mid-eighties before going on to play for Air Force, is back at his alma mater, where he will be an assistant on the staff of head coach Frank Serratore. After graduation, McConnville went into the business world, where he rose to VP of First USA-- a slightly different career track... UMass-Lowell has hired former Niagara defenseman Chris McKenzie, as an assistant. Technically, MacKenzie will be a grad assistant, but since Lowell won't be hiring a full-time second assistant, McKenzie will have bigger responsibilities than most GA's. MacKenzie, who's the nephew of N.J. Devils director of scouting David Conte, played in the Finnish Elite League last season. Former Lowell coach Tim Whitehead has moved into scouting, and is working full time for the Vancouver Canucks....
Correction: The other day we reported that West Point had just received a commitment from Brad Roberts, the former Canterbury goaltender now playing for New York Apple Core (EJHL). However, he has yet to make his official visit to that garrisoned world high over the Hudson. Roberts will be visiting other schools, too.
8/25/01
Horan Leads Under-18s Past Germany
The U.S. Under-18 Select Team came back from a 2-0 deficit at the end of the first period, scoring five unanswered goals in the middle period as the U.S. cruised to an 8-3 victory over the German Under-17 Team yesterday in Fussen, Germany.
Bryan Horan, of the New England Junior Coyotes (EJHL), notched a hat trick, with all three goals coming in the second period. Horan also added an assist, finishing with a four-point afternoon.
Shattuck-St. Mary's forward Tyler Hirsch (2g,1a) and Mike Howe (1g,2a) each had three-point games, while Nate Thompson, who'll be joining the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL), notched two goals. Contributing two assists apiece were Chris Porter and Zach Parisé (both Shattuck-St. Mary's), and Chris Collins (Des Moines -- USHL).
The U.S. outshot the Germans, 52-18.
The night before, in an exhibition game, the U.S. beat the German Under-18 Team, 13-0.
Box Score: U.S. Under-18 Select Team 8, German Under-17 Team 3
8/21/01
N.Y./Mid-Atlantic KO's Mass.; Takes HNIB Crown
Maybe, after pounding the Russian squad the night before by a 12-1 score, the Massachusetts team at Hockey Night in Boston's All-Star Weekend may have been thinking they were too good for N.Y./Mid-Atlantic. And they were, at least on paper. But on ice, Mass., after making the fatal mistake of letting N.Y./Mid-Atlantic hang around for two periods, became unglued in the third period, allowing N.Y/Mid-Atlantic to score five unanswered goals (three on UNH-bound Jeff Pietrasiak; two empty-netters) and walk off with the crown.
By the way, some of the kids in last night's games had played every night for a week, and looked totally fried. Just another hazard in scouting this tournament, and something to keep in mind.
Anyway, here is how the players stacked up. On defense, two Russians loomed large. 6'2" LD Ivan Koltsov has size, a good stride, excellent reach, good-but-not-great puck skills, and keeps things pretty simple -- an excellent prospect for next June's draft. The other Russian D who stood out was 6'2", 205 lb. Fedor Tyutin, a burly widebody who plays with a chip on his shoulder. Was ejected from Saturday's game against Mass. for kicking a Mass. player in the head, all part of the dissolution of play (Mark Pandolfo was also whacked over the head) that led to the game being called after two with Mass. up, 12-1. While the Russians weren't that bad, they were among the poorer Soviet teams to wash up on this shore, suffering from a lack of a goaltender (the poor kid, Nikita Tikhomirov, was simply sobbing on the bench between periods of the rout, and there was no backup to replace him: the Russians brought just one goaltender) and no super-quick dynamic player up front. Tyutin, by the way, is an '83 and was a 2nd round N.Y. Rangers draft pick in June. He headed to his first NHL training camp on Monday -- he'll be playing for Jeff Jackson at Guelph -- and so missed his team's final game. The next best d-man was 6'2" Yegor Malishev, who didn't play much until Tyutin was gone. Malishev is merely an '86. Look for him to be a big-timer in a few years. Besides being at least two years younger than his teammates, Malishev was the only right shot on the whole squad.
Here are the defensemen we thought stood out over the weekend. All are seniors or PGs unless noted otherwise. We were on hand for three of the four days. Heights and weights are taken from the program. In most cases, subtracting an inch or two will get you the true figures.
1. Ivan Koltsov (see above)
2. Fedor Tyutin (see above)
3. Jaime Sifers -- 5'11", 195 RD from Taft. Physical, gritty, and quick for size. Can skate with the puck; excellent shot. College choices are down to BU, Providence, and Vermont.
4. Chris Kelley -- 6'2" LD, an '84, will be a junior at Deerfield. Big upside -- and just plain big.
5. Danny Spang -- 6'0" LD will finish out his Winchester HS career and go to BU. His play was a little in and out over the weekend.
6. Marvin Degon -- 6'1" RD from Cushing is a great skater with hands to match. His offensive contribution, already good, could be ratcheted up a notch. Going to UMass-Amherst.
7. Seamus Young -- 6'1" LD from St. Sebastian's was solid in every game. Will be playing for Princeton in a year.
8. Phil Youngclaus -- 6'1" RD from Cushing is a physical, defensive defenseman. Overall agility has improved greatly. Will be going to UVM.
9. Tommy Walsh -- 6'0" LD from Arlington HS is taking a PG year at Deerfield. Will be going to Harvard after that.
10. Sean Sullivan -- 5'11" LD will be a junior at St. Seb's. Smart, skilled.
11. Dami Amurawaiye -- 6'1" LD from Whitby, Ont. and the Holderness School is steady, plays with an edge, and has a nice shot. Came up big in the title game vs. Mass., scoring the game-winner in the third period.
12. Chris Murray -- 6'1 RD will be a junior at Lawrence Academy. Good size. Physical. Plays with an edge.
13. Jonathan Ralph -- 6'0" RD will be a junior at Seton Hall HS in New Jersey. He should be playing against better competition.
14. Kevin Kielt -- 6'1", 182 lb. LD from Brick HS in New Jersey. Skating has improved a lot. There's some untapped potential here. Kielt is an '84.
15. Jack Thompson -- 6'1" RD from Melrose HS is taking a PG year at Exeter. An '82. College recruiters will be watching to see how does against higher competition this season. A sleeper.
16. Christian Beaudry -- 6'2" RD from Cortland, NY will be playing for the Syracuse Jr. Crunch (OPJHL). An '84, he's raw, but worth following.
17. Peter Hafner -- 6'4' RD from Gaithersburg, Maryland and the Taft School. Moves his feet well for that size.
Forwards:
1. Yuri Artemenkov -- 6'0" Russian LW put up a ton of points. Great passer -- really sees the ice well. Excellent anticipation. A pure scorer.
2. Evgeni Tunik -- 6'3" Russian LC has a good stride and deceptive speed. Extremely dangerous down low. Quick release.
3. Brian Boyle -- 6'5" LC will be a junior at St. Sebastian's. When those shots he rings off the crossbar start going in, watch out. A late '84.
4. Vladimir Shepelev -- 6'3" left shot played off wing. Picks up a lot of his goals driving to the net.
5. Alexander Glazkov -- 5'10" Traktor winger is an '83. Excellent one-on-one skills.
6. Danny Murphy -- 6'0", 180 lb. LC from Cushing Academy is a sniper. Scored four goals Friday night. His college choices are down to Harvard and Yale.
7. Brendan Timmins -- 6'2", 215 lb. RW from Arlington HS will be taking a PG year at Deerfield. Has size and hands. Needs to become quicker.
8. Kevin Coughlin -- 6'2", 205 lb. is just an '85. Will be a junior at Cushing. Plays best against good competition -- and when he's angry, but not too angry. Best game was against the Russians.
9. Adam Becker -- 5'10" RC from Edina (Minn.) HS. Excellent playmaker.
10. Joe DeLuca -- 5'11", 155 lb. LC from Warwick, RI had an excellent weekend. Will be a PG at the Hill School.
11. Rugo Santini -- 6'1" scoring machine from Winchester HS will be a PG at Exeter. Skating has improved over the past year.
12. Dan Travis -- Big winger from Bishop Guertin will be a repeat junior at Deerfield.
13. Joey Zappala -- 6'0", 200 lb. LC from BB&N will be a PG at Deerfield. A scorer.
14. Seth Beamer -- 5'11" right shot from Bishop Guertin will be a PG at Berkshire. Works hard.
15. Ricky Ferroni -- Lanky LC from Stoney Creek, Ontario hustled, made nice passes, and kept this feet moving every time he stepped on the ice.
16. Ben Curtis -- 6'0", 185 lb. RW from Culver, Ind. will be a PG at Avon Old Farms. Excellent skater; really flies.
17. Jeff Saibil -- 5'8" Berkshire LW from Quebec. Good skills.
18. Scott Seney -- 6'2", 200 lb. RC from Silver Springs, Maryland will be going to Taft for a PG season. His skating has come a long way, he's strong, and uses his body well.
19. Mike Cohen -- 5'10" '85 from the Buffalo Regals Midgets will be a junior. Played RW. Very clever.
20. Danny Shribman -- 5'9" '84 RC will be a junior at Deerfield.
21. J.J. Morrissey -- 5'10" winger from Gov. Dummer hits, works hard, and can score.
22. Matt Roy -- 5'10" RW from Mount St. Charles notched a hat trick on Friday night.
23. Derek Elliott -- 5'10" Avon Old Farms RC had a good weekend. Always moving.
24. Mike Curtis -- 5'8" '82 from BC High will be PGing with the Boston Bulldogs.
25. Andrew Weber -- 6'1" '82 birthdate from Pomfret School.
26. Reese Wisnowski -- Small, but has great skills. An '84 from Middlebury, Vt., he attends the National Sports Academy.
27. Anthony Concolino -- 6'1" wing from Orlando, Florida will be going to the Canterbury School.
Goaltenders:
1. Gabe Winer -- Stoned the Russians in 1st period Sunday, making at least a dozen quality saves. 5'10" '84 catches right. Plays for Gov. Dummer and is going to UMass-Amherst.
2. Dave Wrisley -- 5'11" '82 came up big in title game, and every game for that matter. From Ithaca, NY; plays for Northwood.
3. Jeff Pietrasiak -- 6'1" '83 from Shrewsbury, Mass. and the Berkshire School was, with the exception of Monday's title game, solid. Going to UNH.
4. Matt Hanson -- 5'10" '82 from Deerfield will be going to UVM.
5. Phil Lauderdale -- 6'0" '83 from Greenwich, Conn. and the Westminster School.
6. Geordan Murphy -- 5'9" '83 from Matewan, New Jersey. Will be taking a PG year at Choate.
7. A.J. Bucchino -- 5'10" from Bow, NH and the Tilton School will be a repeat junior at Avon Old Farms.
8/18/01
Top D-man Makes His Pick
6'1", 206 lb. NTDP left-shot defenseman Mark Stuart, the most-coveted defenseman in this year's recruiting class, has made his choice.
It's Colorado College.
Stuart chose CC over Minnesota, Notre Dame, and Boston University, making up his mind last night after returning to his home in Rochester, Minn., and then notifying coaches of his intention earlier this morning. He had been in Boston since Wednesday, visiting BU.
Stuart has two brothers -- defenseman Mike, who'll be a senior defenseman, and forward Colin, who will be a sophomore -- currently at CC.
Stuart said his approach was to look at the schools and programs totally independently of family considerations. The fact that he will be able to play with his brother was, he said, "just a bonus."
Stuart, a strapping, physical defensive d-man who moves the puck quickly and surely and has a strong, heavy shot, is projected as a high first round draft pick for next June's NHL draft (he'd have to opt-in, of course, so it's all academic -- pun intended).
Stuart was the only '84 birthdate among the 49 players invited to this month's National Junior Camp in Lake Placid.
It's been a good week for CC, as coach Scott Owens and his staff also landed Joey Crabb, who played the last two seasons with the U.S. National Program. Crabb, an '83 from Anchorage, Alaska, opened eyes at the World Under-18's in April. He'll be playing the upcoming season with the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL).
8/17/01
Solon, Pandolfo Make Their Picks
5'10", 160 lb. Cushing Academy forward Jamie Solon has committed to UMass-Amherst. Solon, an '83 from Acton, Mass., had a 9-18-27 line in 33 games for the Penguins last year. A clever centerman, Solon will be going off to UMass with Cushing classmates Marvin Degon and Steve Jacobs.
5'11", 186 lb. forward Mark Pandolfo of North Andover, Mass. and the Valley Junior Warriors (EJHL), has committed to UMass-Lowell. Pandolfo, who started last season at Lawrence Academy but was unhappy in the diminished role handed him, left the team (though not the school) for the EJHL partway into the season. With the Valley Jr. Warriors, coached by Andy Heinze, Pandolfo posted a 16-10-26 line in just 18 games. Pandolfo, a senior-to-be, will attend Lawrence Academy again this year, but will continue playing for the Valley Warriors. Pandolfo is new UMass-Lowell coach Blaise MacDonald's second recruit, following NMH's Brian Bova, who, like Pandolfo, is also from North Andover.
6/17/01
Flying High
Recently-graduated Air Force Academy goaltender Marc Kielkucki has signed as a free agent with the San Jose Sharks. Kielkucki, who is big -- 6'5", 220 -- and athletic, too, was the CHA College Player of the Year this past season, posting a 2.95 gaa and a .910 save percentage. Kielkucki, who's just 22 -- young for a goalie with four years of college experience under his belt -- is from Brooklyn Park, Minn.
As a service academy grad, Kielkucki will be on active duty, stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, which is in Dayton, Ohio, conveniently enough the home of the Dayton Bombers (ECHL), where Kielkucki will begin his pro career.
Note: Speaking of service academy goaltenders, West Point just got a commitment from Brad Roberts, the former Canterbury goaltender now playing for New York Apple Core (EJHL).
8/16/01
U.S. Under-17 Selects Win Gold in Slovakia
The U.S., utilizing quickness and skill, rolled through the field to capture the gold medal at the Four Nations Tournament, which ended Sunday in Prievidza, Slovakia.
The U.S., by dint of victories over both the Slovaks and the Czechs, didn't even need a win on Sunday to gain the gold -- but got the "W" anyway, knocking off the Swiss, 5-2, behind three powerplay goals.
Up front, the two standouts for the U.S. were 5'8" T.J. Hensick of Howell, Michigan and the USNTDP, a pure scorer who was named the tournament's top forward; and 6'0" power forward Aaron Bader of Faribault, Minn. and the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL). Both these players were at the top of their game.
The next group included 5'11" Brian McGuirk of Danvers, Mass. and Gov. Dummer Academy, who, through his speed and physical play, consistently made things happen; 5'11" Michael Bartlett of Morton Grove, Ill. and the USNTDP; and 5'10" John Vigilante of Dearborn, Michigan and the USNTDP.
Let's add 6'0" Jake Dowell of Eau Claire, Wisc. and the USNTDP to round out the top six forwards. Dowell, who played high school hockey in Wisconsin last winter, played well in flashes, but was also a little inconsistent.
Also suffering from inconsistency was 6'0" Josh Hennessey of Rockland, Mass. and the Quebec Remparts (QMJHL). Hennessey, who manned the point on the powerplay, was "middle of the pack" good, but by no means eye-popping good.
Injuries made it hard for the coaching staff of Scott Paluch (Boston College) and his assistants, Doc DelCastillo (St. Cloud State) and Jim Hillman (Tri-City Storm, USHL), to get any set lines going. 5'8" J.D. Corbin of Littleton, Colorado and the USNTDP was hurt in the second game and missed most of that and all of the third game, thus it was hard to get an accurate read on him. McGuirk, mentioned above, missed the second exhibition game. 5'10" Joe Rooney, of Canton, Mass. and St. Sebastian's, was hurt in the first game and played sparingly the second.
The hands-down top d-man at the tournament was 6'1", 176 lb. Ryan Suter, of Madison, Wisc. and the USNTDP. Suter, who combines skill with physical play and tenacity, was playing at less than full strength due to a minor operation. Nonetheless, Suter, the team's captain, was immense -- both on and off the ice -- and was named the tournament's top defenseman.
Behind Suter was a group of D that, while not overly dynamic, was solid, and, in the eyes of at least one of the coaches, got better from day-to-day. 5'11" Matt Hunwick (Roseville, Mich. and the USNTDP) and 5'11" Dan Venard (Vernon Hills, Ill. and Chicago Young Americans Midget AAA) played well, as did offensive d-man Jeff Likens (Barrington, Ill. and USNTDP).
In net, 6'2" Alvaro Montoya of Glenview, Ill. and the USNTDP, was immense, coming up with a big-time performance in the first exhibition game, a 28-save effort against an older Dukla Trencin Junior Squad. Montoya, quick and confident, would go on to play in two of the three US tournament games and should have picked up the top goaltender award, However, that would have given the US a clean sweep of the hardware...so Jaroslav Halk, of host -- and silver-medal winning -- Slovakia, got the top goaltender award.
8/16/01
Moscow Calling
Once again, the Russians have sent a team to Hockey Night in Boston's All-Star weekend, which commences Friday afternoon at 4:00 pm. The team, which consists almost exclusively of '84s (there is one '83 and one '86), does not include all the best Russian 84s.
Top '84s missing include a couple of big names: D-man Anton Babchuck and top forward Vladislav Evseev.
Also missing are LW Nikolai Zherdev and RC Maxim Scheviev, two of the top forwards from the World Under-17 Challenge in Dec./Jan.
Top Russians scheduled to appear at HNIB (you never know who'll actually be there until the puck is dropped) include 6'3" Evgeni Tunik, a lanky left-shot forward playing, like most Russians, the off-wing. Tunik has nice hands, is extremely slippery one-on-on. Defensively, he's below average, which means he'll be right at home at HNIB.
Another forward to watch is 6'0" Yuri Artemenkov, a left-shot RW who played on Russia's top line at the World Championships.
A defenseman worth keeping your eyes on is 6'3" Ivan Koltsov.
Notes: Middlesex and S. Shore meet in the title game tonight at 7:00 pm at Merrimack College. Before that, at 5:00 pm, the Russians will play an exhibition game against the HNIB Selects, whoever that may be. Former RPI coach Mike Addesa is no longer behind the South Shore bench, having been let go after a dispute with HNIB over Addesa's tendency to give players unequal ice time, including benchings.
8/15/01
Cleary Brothers Recovering
New England Junior Coyotes forward Kenny Cleary and his younger brother, Matignon defenseman James Cleary, are recovering from a car crash that occurred while returning home from Hockey Night in Boston on Friday night.
Both Clearys were playing for the Greater Boston squad. After the game, the brothers headed south on Route 93, en route to their Cambridge, Mass. home. The roads were slick from the afternoon's rain. The two brothers, cut off in traffic, swerved to avoid danger, and lost control of their Jeep Cherokee, which flipped two or three times.
Neither brother lost consciousness or broke any bones. The Jeep was flattened, crushed down to the level of the front hood.
Kenny, who was driving, suffered the worst of the injuries, and is now recovering from a concussion, a fractured skull, and an epidural hematoma, which is a bruse inside the skull. He's in Beth Isreal Hospital, but will be OK, and should be back skating in four weeks.
James, a 6'0", 178 lb. RD heading into his senior year at Matignon, came out of the accident looking the worst, covered with blood from turned out to be a 12-stitch cut across the top of his skull. He was released from Mass. General 12 hours later, and should be ready for hockey shortly.
8/15/01
Dickhudt, Ortiz Round Out Under-18 Team
5'11", 190 lb. LC Tom Dickhudt of Woodbury, Minn. and Hill-Murray HS and 5'10", 185 lb. RW Ray Ortiz of Charlestown, Mass. and the Belmont Hill School are the final two players selected for the U.S. Under-18 Team. Both are '84 birthdates.
Dickhudt will be a senior this season. Ortiz will be a junior, so will play in the National Program for a year and then return to Belmont Hill for his senior season.
8/13/01
Here are the players we felt stood out at last week's Select 15 Festival in hot and humid St. Cloud, Minn. The tournament, which featured a deep group of defensemen, was won by Navy Blue by a 5-3 score over Royal Blue. The all-tournament team consisted of forwards Adam Pineault (Mass.), Chad Kolarik (Penn.), and Todd McIlrath (Mich.); defensemen Matt Lashoff (N.Y.) and John Vadnais (Minn.); and goaltender Justin Klinkhammer (also Minn.).
The ranking below takes into account future potential as well as performance at the festival. Out of 144 forwards on hand, we have numerically ranked 50 -- a top group of 25, and then a second group of 25, done alphabetically. We did the same with the defenseman, though with 30 players total. Please keep in mind that, every year, there is a lot of fluctuation between the 15 and 16 rankings. Some kids will disappear from the radar screen over the winter, while others will come out of nowhere and impress.
The rankings below do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone other than the U.S. Hockey Report.
FORWARDS:
1. Adam Pineault, #9 Navy Blue, 6-0½/178 -- Power forward with finesse. Fundamentally sound. Plays both ends of the ice. Came up big in title game, leading his team to the gold medal. Played last year for Boston Junior Bruins (EJHL). Will play this season in the US National Team Development Program, where he will be the only '86.
2. Todd McIlrath, #9 Grey, 5-8/147 -- Super skilled, with great instincts. Knows exactly where to go on the ice. Started out the week at the blue line, filling in because of injuries, and still finished with a 5-5-10 line to lead the tournament in scoring. Will be playing for HoneyBaked '86.
3. Chad Kolarik, #9 Royal Blue, 5-9/141 -- Speed, quickness, and a lethal shot. Led all goal scorers here with a 6-1-7 line. Will be going to Deerfield Academy.
4. Robbie Schremp, #8 Black, 5-11½/188 -- If he'd played the way he did in the last 1½ games, his team would have been playing for a medal instead of being in the last-place game. With nine points, he almost won the tournament scoring title despite going through the motions for the first four games. His skills, of course, are remarkable. Schremp will be playing for the Syracuse Jr. Crunch (OPJHL) this season.
5. William Parenteau, #8 Royal Blue, 5-8½/169 -- Superb in traffic. Opportunistic. A finisher and a playmaker. Attends the Breck School (Minn.).
6. Chris Bourque, #8 Red, 5-6/148 -- Good skater. Holds puck well, waiting for play to open up. Aware of what's going on around him. Scored game-winner with four seconds remaining in his team's playoff game. Will be moving from Littleton (Colorado) Bantams to Cushing Academy.
7. Taylor Raszka, #10 Red, 6-0/160 -- Good skater with size. Drives to the net nicely. Will be playing for Little Caesar's Midget AAA. A 10/22/86 birthdate.
8. Tyler Haskins, #8 White, 5-11/146 -- Good awareness. Wins all the battles for the puck. Will be attempting to make the jump to the USHL, with the Sioux City Musketeers.
9. Seth Seidman, #15 Red, 6-0½/180 -- Size and hands. Will be going to Milton Academy (Mass.)
10. Matt Auffrey, #15 Navy Blue, 5-11½/173 -- A natural scorer who likes to hit, too. Will be playing for the Syracuse Jr. Crunch (OPJHL).
11. Nathan Davis, #8 Grey, 5-9/160 -- Plays with jam and finesse. Will be playing for the Cleveland Barons Midgets.
12. Bryan Lerg, #11 White, 5-7/158-- Combines skill and hard work. Will be playing for HoneyBaked Midget Major.
13. Pat Kaleta, #8 Teal, 5-11/161 -- Gritty, physical centerman will be playing for West Seneca (N.Y.) Midget Major and St. Francis Prep.
14. Dustin Fulton, #9 Green, 5-10½/170 -- Great hands. Excellent instincts. Skating could improve a bit. Will be at Benilde-St. Margaret's HS (Minn.)
15. Nick Coskren, #14 Grey, 5'9½/163-- Played wing and center. Wins draws and can play along wall and in the corner, too. A good combination of skill and grit. Plays for St. Sebastian's (Mass.).
16. Kevin Porter, #8 Maroon, 5-10/164 -- Excellent skater with hands. Smooth. Will be moving from the HoneyBaked organization to the Michigan Ice Dogs, where he'll play midget major.
17. Thomas Ford, #19 Green, 6-2/161 -- Tall, lanky kid who's a late '86 (September) and a very raw talent. Will be playing for St. John's-Shrewsbury HS (Mass.)
18. Tom Gorowsky, #10 Black, 5-10½/163 -- Skates well, and has good mitts. Attends Centennial HS (Minn.).
19. Kevin Swallow, #20 Teal, 5'11/158 -- Good size, good strength, and he can score, too. Will be playing for Compuware Midget Majors.
20. Evan Rankin, #19 Purple, 5'11-159 -- Solid all around. Will be playing for Compuware '86.
21. Jordan LaVallee-Smotherman, #20 Gold, 6-1/187 -- Power forward with deceptive speed. Will be playing for the Walpole Stars (EJHL).
22. Sam D'Agostino, #19 Royal Blue, 5-9½/167 -- Can skate and score. Transferring from Austin Prep to Cushing Academy.
23. Joseph Hall, #19 White, 5-11/161 -- Another late '86 (Sept.). Will be playing for the Chicago Chill '86 this season. Goes to net hard. Skating needs improvement. .
24. Jeffrey Christiansen, #11 Gold, 5-11/177 -- Nice touch around net. Plays for the University School of Milwaukee, where 1989 Hobey Baker Award winner Lane MacDonald prepped.
25. Josh Leonard, #15 Royal Blue, 5-7½/143 -- Showed speed, toughness, and scoring ability. Will be with HoneyBaked '86.
Forwards, #26 to 50 (alphabetically):
DEFENSEMEN:
1. Matt Lashoff, #2 Red, 5-11½/166 -- Good size; good feet. A smooth skater who can handle the puck. Primarily a defensive defenseman. Will be going to Avon Old Farms (Conn.)
2. John Vadnais, #2 White, 5-10½/163 -- Good sense of the game. A leader on the ice and off. Will be at White Bear Lake HS (Minn.)
3. Anthony "A.J." Thelen, #6 Maroon, 6-1½/175 -- Big, physically punishing defenseman with a hard shot. Attends Shattuck-St. Mary's.
4. Justin Johnson, #3 Black, 5'10½/148 -- Smooth, puck-carrying defensman. Good hands. Will be playing for HoneyBaked Midget Minor.
5. Brendan Burns, #3 Orange, 5-11/207 -- Strong, wide-body type who loves to hit. Will be with the Pittsburgh Hornets '86 squad.
6. Thomas Gerken, #2 Navy Blue, 5-11/160 -- Excellent offensive defenseman will be playing forward this year for Compuware '86.
7. Michael Van Wagner, #4 Orange, 5-10½/160 -- Smooth skater who can carry puck. Became more and more noticeable as the week went along. Will be playing this season with the Traverse City Enforcers (Mich.).
8. Dan Marziani, #2 Purple, 6-1/185 -- Great feet for his size and age. Will be playing for the Chicago Chill '86s.
9. Daniel McGoff, #3 Navy Blue, 5-8/169 -- Gritty, playmaking defenseman will be playing his second season of varsity at the Noble & Greenough School (Mass.)
10. Anthony Aiello, #6 Gold, 5-11½/166 -- Good shot. Jumps into holes nicely. A leader on and off the ice. Will play for Thayer Academy (Mass.).
11. Jason Miller, #4 Red, 6-0/163 -- Played tough in his end and chipped in offensively at the other. A Colorado native playing at Shattuck-St. Mary's .
12. Topher Bevis, #6 Black, 5'11½/182 -- Rangy defenseman started out slowly but asserted himself as the week went along. Will be playing for Lawrence Academy (Mass.)
13. Brian McCafferty, #2 Orange, 5-10½/177 -- A little inconsistent. This season will be his second on the Belmont Hill varsity.
14. Joshua Duncan, #4 Grey, 5-10/196 -- Smart, and sees the ice well. Needs to shed a few pounds to maximize his skills. Will be playing for Rochester-Lourdes HS (Minn.).
15. Rory Farrell, #4 Green, 6-1½/172 -- Big, raw blueliner will be with the New England Junior Coyotes (EJHL).
Defensemen, #16 to 30 (alphabetically):
GOALTENDERS:
1. Justin Klinkhammer, #30 Orange, 5-8½/149 -- Quick feet; can flash the pads. Will be playing for Thief River Falls HS (Minn.).
2. Matt Cleveland, #1 Grey, 5-10/192 -- Strong positionally. Will be playing for the Chicago Chill Midget Minor.
3. Cory Schneider, #30 White, 6-0½/170 -- Big, stand-up goaltender holds his ground nicely. From Marblehead, Mass. Going to Phillips Andover Academy.
4. Tim Higbee, #30 Purple, 5-8/167 -- Good fundamentals. Good athleticism. Very quick up and down. Will be playing for Steamboat Springs Midget AA (Colorado).
5. Chris Carlson, #30 Red, 5-9/148 -- Very athletic; very skilled. Except for one bad period, was excellent. Will be with the Chicago Chill Midget Major.
6. Jordan Pearce, #1 Gold, 5-10/171 -- Got steadily better as week went along. Will be playing for the Alaska All-Stars (Midget Minor).
7. Andrew Batson, #30 Royal Blue, 5-9/142 -- Quick; Strong fundamentally. Will be playing for Little Caesar's Midget Minor.
8. Max Dodds, #1 Navy Blue, 5-8/146-- Will be playing for Eden Prairie HS (Minn.)
9. Daniel Ramirez, #30 Navy Blue, 5-8/151 -- Great glove. Will be playing for the Perinton Blades (NY).
10. Andrew Gorski, #30 Maroon, 5-10/160 -- Quick laterally; good skater. Will be playing for the Notre Dame Hounds (SJHL).
8/07/01
DiPietro Sparks Bench-Clearing Brawl
The big drawing card at last weekend's 24-team Chowder Cup, held at Walpole, Mass. was the appearance of former St. Sebastian's Country Day School/NTDP/BU goaltender Rick DiPietro, who was using the tournament to stay sharp in preparation for next month's Islanders' training camp.
But no one could have expected the wild ending to Saturday's game, which featured a bench-clearing brawl between Hockey Opportunity, which consisted of DiPietro, along with mostly prep and junior players, and Junior Hockey Canada, almost exclusively Montreal area Midget AAA kids.
According to a veteran observer on hand, the events leading up to the game started early. DiPietro, as everyone knows, frequently wanders to play the puck, and Saturday night was no different -- except that it was summer hockey so he was doing it more. And almost every time DiPietro played the puck, he got chopped -- not hard, but consistently -- so he wasn't in the best of moods.
With three minutes remaining, and DiPietro's team leading by 8-3 (one of the Canadian players who had scored on DiPietro went into the net to fish out the puck as a souvenir), a scrum in front of the Islanders goaltender escalated into a fight involving one of DiPietro's teammates. Almost instantly, another fight broke out in front of DiPietro. At that point, DiPietro waving his glove, challenged the Quebec goaltender to a fight. The challenge, however, was not taken up.
Seconds later, DiPietro saw that a teammate involved in one of the fights in front of him had wound up at the bottom of a pile and was taking some heavy blows.
DiPietro jumped in. Both benches immediately emptied. And all hell broke loose.
As DiPietro wandered around whacking anyone who came at him with his waffle, fights were breaking out all over. Soon DiPietro had his gloves off, too. This went on for a good 5-8 minutes, and then stopped -- for a few moments, anyway. Then it briefly flared again, and was finally over for good.
The referee decided not to continue the game. After the fights, there were no visible hard feelings. Naturally, there was no formal end-of-the-game handshakes, but at least some Quebec players were seen amiably chatting with the U.S. kids afterward.
Last fall, in DiPietro's first game as a member of the Chicago Wolves (IHL), an Islanders' affiliate, the rookie went toe-to-toe in a center-ice slugfest with a goaltender from the Manitoba Moose -- and DiPietro more than held his own.
As for the tournament itself, it was won for the second straight year by Henry Lazar's N.Y. Apple Core, which featured seven current or future DI players in Bowling Green's Brian Escobedo, Cornell's Ryan Vesce, Harvard's Ken Turano, Yale's duo of Vinnie Hellemeyer and Evan Wax, and DI recruits A.J. Palkovich (Dartmouth) and Jason Guerriero (Northeastern). Apple Core, in two OTs, knocked off Atlantic Canada in the semis, then followed that up with a 5-2 win over Sports Acceleration in the final. One scout in attendance reported that the tournament was the Boston area's "best summer tournament at that level in quite some time. The games were played hard. It was intense, mean, and physical."
8/06/01
Junior Camp Cutdown Day
The U.S. Junior Camp cutdowns were announced after tonight's third and final intrasquad game at Lake Placid. Eleven forwards, seven defensemen, and three goaltenders made the cut and will be joined by six veterans of last year's team for a four-game series against Finland beginning at 6 pm tomorrow (Tues.) at the Olympic Arena. Games #2, 3, and 4 will take place Wed., Fri., and Sun., all at 6 pm.
Here are the players who made the cut:
Forwards (11): Ed Caron, Ben Eaves, Dennis Packard, Dwight Helminen, Ryan Hollweg, Gregg Johnson, Chad LaRose, Brian McConnell, Ryan Murphy, Bryan Perez, and Scott Polaski.
Returning Forwards (4): Rob Globke, David Steckel, R.J. Umberger, and Kris Vernarsky.
Defensemen (7): Keith Ballard, Joey Hope, Matt Jones, Bryce Lampman, Brett Lebda, Erik Reitz, and Ryan Whitney.
Returning Defensemen (2): Tim Gleason and Michael Komisarek.
Goaltenders (3): Jason Bacashihua, Steve Belanger, and Dwight LaBrosse.
Returning Goaltenders (0)
The U.S. will have 27 men rostered for the series vs. Finland. As many as five players, depending on how many coach Keith Allain decides to dress each night, will sit.
Players who did NOT make the final cut are:
Forwards (13): Brandon Bochenski, Tom Cavanaugh, Chris Fournier, Gino Guyer, Matt Herneisen, Chris Higgins, Justin Maiser, Eric Nystrom, Jim Slater, Dave Spina, Colin Stuart, Barry Tallackson, and Jon Waibel.
Defensemen (7): Neil Komadoski, Jesse Lane, Bryan Miller, Sean Curry, Brandon Rogers, Mark Stuart, and Noah Welch.
Goaltenders (1): Nick Pannoni.
Nothing, of course, is truly final until the team is named in December. Cut players will continue to be followed right through the fall.
8/06/01
Vigilante Hat Trick Paces Under-17s to 5-4 Exhibition Win
John Vigilante notched a hat trick to help the U.S. Under-17 Select Squad to a 5-4 win over the Trencin Junior Squad today in Prievidza, Slovakia.
Aaron Bader (1g,1a), J.D. Corbin (2a), T.J. Hensick (2a), and defenseman Dan Venard (2a) each had two-point games.
Alvaro Montoya played the whole game for the U.S. and had a strong showing, kicking out over 30 shots.
The U.S. jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Trencin came back and made a game of it.
8/06/01
Pietrasiak to UNH
Berkshire School goaltender Jeff Pietrasiak, who was closely eyed by just about every college coach present at Hockey Night in Boston last weekend, has made his college decision, and will join the UNH Wildcats in the fall of '02.
Pietrasiak will be a senior at Berkshire this fall.
8/03/01
Huyber Out at Rochester
Todd Huyber has resigned as head coach of the Rochester Mustangs (USHL).
Huyber, whose team went 26-28-4 in his first season, then fell to 11-42-3 this past season will, according to a team press release, "pursue opportunities outside hockey in the Rochester community."
Huyber, 32, is a Rochester native and left-shot defenseman who played for the Mustangs in 1987-88, when, under Kevin Contanstine, the Mustangs won the second of back-to-back national championships. Huyber then went on to Providence College, and, after a couple years of minor pro hockey, took a position as an assistant at Army. He took the head position at Rochester in the summer of 1999.
Huyber, who suffered from a lack of resources under previous owner Dan Nasshorn, recently saw the Mustangs, a now down-on-its luck franchise, taken over by the Lincoln Stars' ownership group, which is expected to move the franchise. Huyber, perhaps, saw the writing on the wall, and may not have wanted to be a caretaker coach while the franchise looked for a bigger city to move to.
Rochester, which drew an average of only 1,330 fans a game last season, is looking for a new head coach/GM and may indeed already have one -- they expect to name one within the next week.
The Mustangs could be even worse next year, as its top player, defenseman Tim Conboy, is rumored to be headed to the Texas Tornado (NAHL).
8/03/01
Three for Dartmouth
Dartmouth College has landed a trio of Western Canadians for a year from now. All three made their decisions in the last couple of weeks. They are:
-- Jarret Sampson, a LC out of Prince Albert, Sask. and the South Surrey Eagles (BCHL), is a smart, skilled forward who can make a play or finish. An '82, Sampson also visited Colorado College. One of his teammates at Surrey is RW Darcy Marr, who'll also be going to Dartmouth in '02. Marr was out most of last year with a cut tendon in his hand.
-- Mike Ouellette, a RC from Kamloops, BC who played last season for the Merritt Centennials (BCHL), is an '82 with good hands and a nice scoring touch. Ouellette, who was on the BCHL All-Rookie team, made his final choice from between Princeton and Dartmouth.
-- Sean Offers, a defenseman from St. Alberts, Alb. who played last season for the Olds Grizzlys (AJHL), is a high-skill player who can skate and may be able to step in and run the Big Green powerplay right away. Offers, an '83 who visited Western Michigan, was on the AJHL All-rookie team.
All of the above players are 6'0 and roughly 165-170 lbs. Both forwards averaged better than a point a game last season. All three need to add strength over the course of the next season.
8/01/01
Lawson Shines at 14 Festival
This year, for the first time ever, USA Hockey hosted a Select 14 Festival, held July 21-26 in Rochester, NY. All districts except Minnesota, Massachusetts, and New England sent teams, and, while 14 is still pretty young to start the evaluation process -- e.g. there was no one on hand to do any kind of camp-wide ranking -- there were some excellent performances worth noting.
The buzz of the camp, hands down, was Michigan defenseman Kyle Lawson, who's listed at 5'11" -- but is reportedly bigger -- and is a well-put-together 190 lbs. After playing for the HoneyBaked organization last year, he will be moving to Caesar's this season. At this point, Lawson is bigger and stronger than anyone he goes up against. He also played both ends of the ice, came up with some big-time goals and finished the tournament tied for the scoring lead (5-5-10).
Another who stood out was HoneyBaked's Nathan Gerbe, a 5'4" forward with a big heart and a skill level to boot. Gerbe, who had a natural hat trick in one game, finished the tournament tied for first in scoring with a 6-4-10 line.
Team Royal had the top line in the tournament: Team Illinois' 5'9" David Meckler (with a 3-7-10 line, he also finished tied for first), HoneyBaked's 5'9" Sean O'Connor (6-3-9), and the LI Gulls' 6'2" Colin Hanley (3-1-4).
Another Long Island kid who stood out was Scott Birnstill of the Long Island Gulls Bantams. Birnstill, who is 6'0", 172 lbs., has good size and skill and finished with a 6-0-6 line.
Other top scorers included: 5'3" Matthew Arhontas (Team Illinois); 5'6" Michael Fenkell (HoneyBaked); 5'6" Philip Kessel (Madison Capitols); 5'4" Sean Geiger (Mission '87 Spring League); 5'4" John Kemp (LA Jr. Kings); 5'10" Zachary Bearson (Team Illinois '87); and 5'4" Tucker Callen (N.J. Devils Youth).
A surprise was 5'7" forward Evan Zucker, if only because he's from Las Vegas, Nevada, where gambling in its myriad forms trumps hockey any day of the week. Zucker, who played nine years of in-line and has been on the ice the last three, showed a high skill level. He can skate, handle the puck, and has good hands.
One player everybody seemed to like was lanky 6'0" defenseman Steve Spade, a local kid from Rochester's Apollo Middle School. Also standing out was 5'9" defenseman Zach Jones of Naperville, Ill., the brother of North Dakota recruit Matt Jones.
In net, Bill Blase of the LA Jr. Kings was a standout (89.66 save %), as was Tristan Fauro (86.15 save %) of the N.J. Rockets Bantams. Michael Devoney of TI '87 also put up some nice numbers (86.67).
A survey of all the coaches there, ranging from Washington Caps assistant Tim Army on down, showed 100% felt that the 14 Festival, which was introduced as an experiment, should continue. The coaches also felt that the talent level was better than expected.
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