2/28/02
Poirier, Hussey Make Their Picks
New Hampshire Junior Monarchs LW Jonathan Poirier, who made a name for himself by scoring five of his team's six goals in the EJHL All-Star game last month, has committed to play for coach Kevin Sneddon at Union College.
Poirier, the third-leading scorer in the EJHL, is a 5'10", 180 lb. Aug. '83 birthdate who's originally from Canada. He played two years with the West River Wolves (IJHL), where he put up huge numbers, then, after his father was transferred south to Georgia for work, was sent to the Hun School in New Jersey, but mostly played Jr. B for Randy Walker's New Jersey Titans. From there, he came to the Monarchs.
Poirier, who has been playing on a line with Joe Dumais and John LaLiberte, is a 2/23/82 birthdate.
5'10", 180 lb. Avon Old Farms center Chris Hussey committed to RPI the other day. Before going to Avon, Hussey, a native of Plymouth, Minn., played for Wayzata HS. He's the younger brother of University of Wisconsin forward Matt Hussey, who PG'd at Avon in 1997-98.
2/28/02
Seniors Game Rosters Announced
The rosters for the 2002 New England Prep Seniors Game were released today.
The game will be played on Sun. March 3 at 9:00 am at UMass-Amherst's Mullins Center practice rink.
The two teams are limited to players from Div. I and Div. II playoff teams that were out of playoff contention at the close of the day yesterday.
2/27/02
Deerfield KO'd
Deerfield, the #1 seed in the west and the #1-ranked team in the USHR prep poll all season long, fell to #4-ranked Berkshire School, 3-2, today in Deerfield, Mass.
For the visitors from Berkshire, UNH-bound goaltender Jeff Pietrasiak, who last year knocked Taft out in the quarterfinals, faced 48 shots, turning back all but two.
Berkshire came back from a 2-1 third period deficit to earn their second consecutive trip to the NEPSAC semis, to be played at UMass-Amherst on Saturday. They will face #3E St. Sebastian's. The Arrows topped #2E St. Paul's, 6-0, in Concord, NH today.
In the other bracket, #1E Cushing blanked #4E Tabor, 4-0. The Penguins will meet Taft, in Saturday's other semi. #2 W Taft, which has been knocked out in the quarterfinals the past two years, topped #3W Salisbury, 4-2.
We'll be putting up box scores and game stories on all these games as the evening goes along. Please check the prep page periodically.
2/26/02
Bring Me the Head of... Oh, Never Mind
As college hockey’s regular season heads into its final weekend, one of the unlikeliest turnarounds of the year is unfolding at Brown University.
Thanks largely to superb goaltending by sophomore Yann Danis (1.68 GAA and a .943 save percentage), Coach Roger Grillo’s Bears are a point out of second place in the ECAC. Brown has won six in a row and, at 14-11-2, even received votes in this week’s national polls.
Heady stuff for a team that finished 4-21-4 last season and was picked for last in the ECAC in both the preseason coaches and media polls. And a remarkable reversal for Grillo, who had been under fire on campus.
In its November/December issue, the Brown Alumni Magazine -- in a virtually unprecedented departure from its usual cheerleading for the school -- took a critical look at the then-stumbling hockey program.
Under the headline “Grillo on thin ice?” the magazine said that “as the losses have mounted and attendance at games has dropped, alumni and other fans of men’s hockey have questioned the direction of the program and Grillo’s leadership within it.’’
The magazine cited three problems: tough admission standards, recruiting, and the antiquated Meehan Auditorium -- which will undergo a $4.2 million renovation this summer.
Two prominent ex-players said in effect that the hockey program had become an embarrassment, and that Grillo -- 40 games under .500 in his first four years -- was running out of time.
Mike Mastrullo, a defenseman on the 1976 team that lost to Michigan Tech in double overtime in the NCAA Final Four, said he dreaded being asked where he played. “I always have to say I played at Brown -- when they had a good team, when they had a competitive team.... It’s hard to see it like this, it really is.’’
“There is a sadness about the program,’’ said Dave Roberts, a teammate of Mastrullo and a former co-captain. “. . . Can it be turned around? I think it can. But you need the right person, the right team, and the right [recruiting] network.’’
Mastrullo and Roberts complained that Grillo failed to follow up on their tips about prospective recruits. “We all felt we were ignored,’’ said Roberts. “People are basically pissed off.’’
Athletic Director David R. Roach defended Grillo in a letter to the editor in the most recent issue of the magazine, and criticized what he called a personal attack on the coach and the team.
In reply, Norman Boucher, the editor of the magazine, fell on his sword. Boucher said that “injudicious editing may have inadvertently overemphasized the sentiment by some Brown hockey fans that Coach Grillo should have had more success by now. I apologize to Coach Grillo for creating an unduly harsh impression and for any embarrassment the article may have caused him.’’ -- M.D.
2/26/02
Seney a Dutchman
6'2", 205 lb. Taft center Scott Seney has made a verbal commitment to Union College. Seney, who's from Silver Spring, Maryland, played in the Washington Little Caps organization before going on to Culver Military Academy and then Taft for his PG year. Seney uses his size well, and, at the prep level, he's pretty unmovable down low. He has a good touch around the net.
Also heading to Union is Jason Visser, a 6'0", 185 left wing playing for Brampton of the Ontario Provincial League. An '83, Visser has put up 77 points in 49 games, while his centerman, Yale-bound Jeff Hristovski, has 102 points.
2/26/02
Mass Super 8 Begins Tonight
The Mass Super 8 begins tonight with a pair of games at the Chelmsford Forum, as #7 Chelmsford meets #10 Arlington HS at 6:00 pm and #8 Reading meets #9 Arlington Catholic at 8:15 pm.
The losers drop down to the Div. I tournament while the winners advance to Lowell's Tsongas Arena for the first full day of competition this Sunday, March 3. Here's the schedule:
- #4 Hingham vs. #5 Catholic Memorial, noon
- #3 Austin Prep vs. #6 Billerica, 2:15 pm
- #2 BC High vs. Chelmsford/Arlington winner, 5:00 pm
- #1 St. John's-Shrewsbury vs. Reading/Arlington Catholic winner, 7:15
2/26/02 Addendum: Arlington advances, becoming the #7 seed. Reading won, too, and becomes the #8 seed.
2/24/02
Prep Playoff Matchups Announced
The New England Prep School Ice Hockey Association (NEPSIHA) met this morning, cranked up the computer and, when all the numbers were crunched, released the seedings and schedule for the 2002 New England Prep Tournament.
Seedings, Div. I East:
- 1. Cushing (20-2-2)
- 2. St. Paul's (20-4-1)
- 3. St. Sebastian's (20-4-0)
- 4. Tabor (15-5-4)
- 1. Deerfield (19-2-1)
- 2. Taft (19-3)
- 3. Salisbury (18-4-2)
- 4. Berkshire (19-8-1)
Div. I West:
Here is the schedule for the Div. I quarterfinals, all to be held this Wednesday, Feb. 27, at campus sites:
- #1E Cushing #4E Tabor -- at Cushing, 4:00 pm
- #2W Taft vs. #3W Salisbury -- at Taft, 2:30 p.m.
- The winners of these two games will meet in the first semi, Sat. March 2 at Amherst. Game time will be 3:00 pm.
- #1W Deerfield vs. #4W Berkshire -- at Deerfield, 3:30 p.m.
- #2E St. Paul's vs. #3E St. Sebastian's -- at St. Paul's, 3:30 p.m.
- The winners of the above two games will meet in the second semi, Sat. March 2 at Amherst. Game time will be 5:30 pm.
The winners of Saturday's games will meet for the Div. I prep championship on Sun. March 3, at Amherst. Game time will be at 12:30 pm.
Coming closest to a playoff slot but falling short was Exeter, which didn't have as good a showing based on strength of schedule as #4 Tabor. In the East, then, Exeter was #5, Lawrence #6, GDA #7, and NMH #8. In the West, it was #5 Canterbury, #6 Pomfret, #7 Avon, and #8 Westminster.
In Division II, where there is no east-west breakdown, the seedings are:
- 1. St. Mark's (14-1-1)
- 2. Tilton (11-1-2)
- 3. Brunswick (10-4-1)
- 4. Hebron (12-3)
- 5. Rivers (14-6)
- 6. Proctor (17-5-1)
- 7. Brewster (8-6-3)
- 8. Berwick (14-6-1)
Here is the schedule for the Div. II quarterfinals, all games to be held Wednesday Feb. 27:
- #2 Tilton vs. #7 Brewster -- at Tilton, 3:30 p.m.
- #3 Brunswick vs. #6 Proctor -- at Pomfret School, 4:30 p.m.
- The winners of the above two games will play in the first Div. II semifinal on Sat. March 2 at 10:00 a.m. in Amherst, Mass.
- #1 St. Mark's vs. #8 Berwick -- at St. Mark's, 3:30 p.m.
- #4 Hebron vs. #5 Rivers -- at Phillips Exeter Academy, 3:30 p.m.
- The winners of the above two games will play in the second Div. II semifinal on Sat. March 2 at 12:30 p.m. in Amherst, Mass.
The winners of Saturday's games will meet for the Div. II prep championship on Sun. March 3, at Amherst. Game time will be at 10:00 am.
2/18/02
Project Minnesota, v. 2.0
In December, we published a list of the top 85 or so Minnesota high school prospects. Since then, we've added another 20. The new list, now consisting of over 100 players spread across the 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grades, follows. We feel the players below (the ones not already committed to college, that is) merit a look from Jr. A recruiters and/or college coaches, either for next season or the years ahead.
The question foremost in our mind when putting together the list was, 'Does this player have Div. I college potential?' If the answer was yes, and we considered the odds within reasonable bounds, they went on the list.
As postseason play begins, new players may emerge, so future additions are quite possible.
If anyone has info to help fill in the blanks below, please e-mail info@ushr.com. Thank you.
| School | Player | Pos. | Sh. | H/W | Birthdate | Grade |
| Anoka | Ben Hendrick | F | L | 5-7/165 | 1/9/85 | 11 |
| Apple Valley | Joe Bauer (Brown) | C | 5-10/170 | /83 | 12 | |
| Apple Valley | Matt Jackson | F |
| 5-10/165 |
| 12 |
| Armstrong | Michael Zacharias | G |
| 5-9/175 | 5/21/85 | 11 |
| Armstrong | Brett Beckfeld | F | 6-0/180 | 1/31/85 | 11 | |
| Bemidji | Mike Hendricks | F | L | 5-8/160 | 2/6/85 | 11 |
| Benilde | Josh Pauer | F | 5-10/170 | 7/2/85 | 10 | |
| Benilde | Ian Schaser | F | 5-10/165 | 1/25/85 | 11 | |
| Benilde | Blake Friesen | D | 6-2/176 | 6/4/85 | 10 | |
| Benilde | John Paulson | D | 6-2/195 | 3/9/84 | 12 | |
| Benilde | Greg Battani | D |
| 5-8/170 | 2/1/86 | 10 |
| Benilde | Ricky Hopkins | C |
| 5-9/175 | 12/83 | 12 |
| Blake | Rob Page | D | R | 6-0/160 | /85 | 10 |
| Bloomington-Jefferson | Adam Dirlam | D | L | 6-1/184 | 5/29/83 | 12 |
| Bloomington-Jefferson | Mike Bernhagen | F | 5-9/160 | '83 | 12 | |
| Bloomington-Jefferson | Brad Peterson | F | 5-11/175 | /85 | 11 | |
| Brainerd | J.P. Platisha | C | 5-10/182 | /84 | 12 | |
| Breck | William Parenteau | C | 5-9/170 | 5/19/86 | 10 | |
| Breck | Dustin Fulton | F | 5-11/170 | 2/20/86 | 10 | |
| Breck | Andrew Birkholz | F |
| 5-7/145 | /86 | 9 |
| Breck | Adam Dunlop | D | 6-0/190 | /84 | 12 | |
| Buffalo | Ben Geelan | F | 6-1/180 | 12 | ||
| Burnsville | Mike Franks | C | 6-0/187 | 11/15/84 | 11 | |
| Burnsville | David Graden | D | 6-1/175 | 3/3/85 | 11 | |
| Centennial | Tom Gorowsky | F | 5-11/165 | 4/8/86 | 10 | |
| Centennial | Phil Todd | F | 6-1/190 | '84 | 11 | |
| Cloquet | Josh Johnson | G | 5-10/165 | 1/25/84 | 12 | |
| Cloquet | Matt Maunu | D | R | 5-11/170 | 4/3/84 | 12 |
| Cretin | Matt Bolig | F | 5-9/165 | /85 | 11 | |
| Cretin | Brian Kilburg | D | 6-3/197 | 5/10/84 | 12 | |
| Cretin | Matt Weyant | G | /84 | 12 | ||
| Crookston | Joel Gasper | F |
| 6-2/190 | 9/26/83 | 12 |
| Duluth East | Tom Kolar | F | R | 5-11/160 | 7/22/83 | 12 |
| Duluth East | Nick Licari (Wisc.) | F | 5-8/160 | 1/19/84 | 12 | |
| Duluth East | Chris Johnson | D | 6-0/175 | 4/23/86 | 10 | |
| Eastview | Darren Olver | F | 5-10/160 | 11 | ||
| Eden Prairie | Jon Erickson | F | L | 6-3/188 | 8/23/83 | 12 |
| Eden Prairie | Ryan Hawkins | F | 5-8/160 | 9/23/84 | 11 | |
| Edina | Jeff Budish | C | /84 | 11 | ||
| Edina | William Wetterlin | D | 6-0/195 | 4/12/84 | 12 | |
| Elk River | Tim Madsen | F | L | /84 | 11 | |
| Elk River | Brent Solei | G | /84 | 12 | ||
| Fergus Falls | Ryan Miller | C | 5-9/165 | 4/19/84 | 12 | |
| Greenway | Andy Sertich (Minn.) | F/D | L | 5-11/165 | 4/6/83 | 12 |
| Greenway | Corey Carlson | C | R | 5-10/175 | 1/15/85 | 11 |
| Greenway | Gino Guyer (Minn.) | F | L | 5-10/165 | 10/14/83 | 12 |
| Greenway | Tom Sobtzak | G | 6-2/175 | 10/3/84 | ||
| Greenway | Jamie Guyer | F | 5-9/170 | 11 | ||
| Harding | Ryan Freeman | C | big | 12 | ||
| Hastings | Jesse Polk | F | 6-0/170 | 11 | ||
| Hastings | Adam Welch | F | 12 | |||
| Hastings | Nick Harris | F | 12 | |||
| Hermantown | B.J. Radovich (MTU) | F | 5-9/165 | /83 | 12 | |
| Hibbing | Ian Ross | F | L | 6-2/190 | 1/18/84 | 12 |
| Hill Murray | Jim Jensen | D | 6-0/175 | 7/1/84 | ||
| Hill Murray | Tom Morrow | D |
| 6-5/190 | '84 | |
| Hill Murray | Garrett Regan | F |
| 5-11/165 | 4/23/85 | 11 |
| Holy Angels | Dan Kronick | F | L | 6-2/182 | 7/16/84 | 12 |
| Holy Angels | Jim Kilpatrick | F | 5-11/160 | 1/27/85 | 11 | |
| Holy Angels | Tyler Howells | F | 5-7/170 |
| 12 | |
| Holy Angels | Nate Hagemo | D |
| 5-10/170 | 10/8/86 | 9 |
| Holy Angels | Matt Kaiser | F | 5-9/150 | 4/12/86 | 10 | |
| Mahtomedi | Brent Borgen | F | 5-11/165 | 1/17/85 | 11 | |
| Mahtomedi | Ryan Gunderson | F | R | 6-0/160 | 2/11/86 | 10 |
| Maple Grove | Rob Dubel | D | L | 6-2/165 | 8/5/83 | 12 |
| Minnetonka | Teddy Bickel | F | R | 6-3/194 | 5/10/83 | 12 |
| Moorhead | Matt Hayek | F | 6-2/180 | 12 | ||
| Mounds View | Kent Bostrom | C | 5-11/175 | /84 | 11 | |
| Mounds View | Justin Bostrom | C |
| 5-7/145 | 3/20/86 | 9 |
| Osseo | Travis Morin (Mank.) | F | 6-2/180 | 1/9/84 | 12 | |
| Osseo | Josh Williams | F | 5-10/160 | 2/23/84 | 12 | |
| Osseo | Tony Gliniany | D | L | 6-3/190 | 8/18/83 | 12 |
| Osseo | Nick Pernula | F | 5-9/175 | 3/28/84 | 12 | |
| Rochester Mayo | Scott Thauwald | C | L | 5-10/160 | 10/26/84 | 11 |
| Rochester Lourdes | Josh Duncan | D | R | 5-10/185 | 3/4/86 | 10 |
| Rochester Lourdes | Brandon Harrington | F | 6-1/170 | /85 | 10 | |
| Roseville | Mark Van Guilder | F | 6-2/180 | 1/17/84 | 12 | |
| Roseville | Andrew Carroll | F | 5-10/165 | 5/7/85 | 11 | |
| Roseville | Tom Anderson | G | /84 | 12 | ||
| Shattuck Prep | Zach Parisé (UND) | F | R | 5-9/165 | 7/28/84 | 12 |
| Shattuck Prep | Tyler Hirsch (Minn.) | F | 5-10/165 | 1/4/84 | 12 | |
| Shattuck Prep | Chris Porter | F | L | 6-1/190 | 5/21/84 | 12 |
| Shattuck Prep | Casey Borer | D | 6-1/190 | 7/28/85 | 11 | |
| Shattuck Prep | Drew Stafford | F | 6-1/180 | 10/30/85 | 11 | |
| Shattuck Prep | Ken Rowe | F | 5-11/170 | 5/9/85 | 11 | |
| Shattuck Prep | Matt Smaby | D | 6-4/185 | 10/14/84 | 11 | |
| Shattuck Prep | Brady Murray (UND) | F | 5-10/160 | /84 | 11 | |
| Shattuck Prep | Jacob Hipp | F | 5-10/165 | /85 | 11 | |
| Shattuck Midget AA | John Vadnais | D | 5-11/165 | 4/7/86 | 10 | |
| Shattuck Midget AA | A.J. Thelen | D | 6-2/175 | 3/11/86 | 10 | |
| Shattuck Midget AA | Jason Miller | D |
| 6-0/165 | 3/27/86 | 10 |
| Silver Bay | Jesse Downey | D | 6-1/165 | 7/7/86 | ||
| Spring Lake Park | David Backes (Mank.) | F | R | 6-2/190 | 5/1/84 | 12 |
| Spring Lake Park | Jarrod Palmer | F | 5-11/160 | /86 | 10 | |
| St. Louis Park | Matt Woodard | D | R | 5-11/201 | 5/12/85 | 11 |
| St. Cloud Apollo | Ben Liverca | D | 6-2/160 | 12 | ||
| St. Cloud Apollo | Mike Howe | F | 5-11/170 | 9/5/84 | 11 | |
| St. Cloud Apollo | Matt Hartmann | F | 6-0/183 | 8/4/84 | 11 | |
| Stillwater | Jeff Beck | F | 5-11/180 | 7/28/86 | 10 | |
| Thief River Falls | Justin Klinkhammer | G | 5-9/150 | 4/2/86 | ||
| Totino-Grace | Nick Miller | C | L | 6-2/185 | /83 | 12 |
| Wayzata | Kevin Johnson | G | 11 | |||
| Wayzata | Sam Windsor | D | L | 10 | ||
| White Bear Lake | Jon Anderson | G | 5-11/180 | 6/19/84 | 11 | |
| White Bear Lake | Chris Anderson | D | R | 6-2/190 | 8/4/84 | 11 |
| White Bear Lake | Dustin Mercado | D | 6-2/190 | /84 | 11 | |
| White Bear Lake | Ryan Carter | W |
| 6-0/195 | 8/3/83 | 12 |
| Woodbury | Ryan Helgason | F | 6-1/175 | 5/2/84 | 12 | |
| Woodbury | Ryan Swanson | F | 6-0/200 | 4/12/84 | 12 |
2/18/02
Two Trains on Parallel Tracks
With Deerfield's 2-0 blanking at the hands of Taft last Wednesday, Cushing looked poised to take over the #1 spot in the USHR weekly prep poll released last night. But then the Penguins were blindsided by Holderness, 4-3, Friday evening...
So, once again, nothing changes. While the Big Green have held down the #1 spot all season long, Cushing has been at #2, nipping on their heels for four straight weeks. As we've said before, it's too bad that Deerfield won't schedule Cushing during the regular season. The best should play the best. It would make for a nice midwinter tilt. And, hey, the two schools are just 50 miles apart -- everybody could be back for study hall.
2/18/02
College Picks
It's official -- 6'1", 200 lb. Deerfield Academy RD Matt Hedrick is going to Yale. Hedrick, a 4/6/83 birthdate, played at Orono (Maine) HS before going on to Deerfield. Hedrick also made official visits to Brown and Princeton. Maine and BU also showed interest.
-- 6'0", 185 lb. Avon Old Farms PG Ben Curtis has made a verbal commitment to UConn. Curtis, a left wing and 3/19/83 birthdate, played at Culver Military Academy before coming to Avon. He's from Carmel, Indiana.
2/15/02
The Hong Guo of Boy's Prep Hockey
Did you like Chinese women's goalie Hong "Great Wall" Guo last night, facing 71 shots against the United States?
Well, that's what life has been like for Loomis-Chaffee PG Craig Weiner all season. Weiner, a 5'11", 175 lb. '83 birthdate who played for Rye Country Day last season, routinely faces 50-60 plus shots a game. And because he plays for such a feckless team -- Loomis is 1-17-1 on the season -- a whopping number come on breakaways, 2-on-1's, rebounds when opponents are left alone in front. He sees more shots from inside the hash marks in a single game than a Cushing goalie might see in a month.
On Wednesday, Loomis, whose lone win came against Williston, tied Westminster, 4-4, with Weiner kicking out 38 of 42 shots.
He's had strong outings against Taft, a 6-1 loss in which his team was outshot 56-8; and Deerfield, a 9-0 loss in which he faced shots in the high 60s. In Loomis' most recent loss to Deerfield, a 14-2 beating nine days ago in which the Big Green outshot Loomis 73-8, Loomis coach Jim Wilson gave each goalie a period apiece. Weiner got the second period, and kicked out 23 of 25 Deerfield shots.
Weiner is reported to be a strong student. A NESCAC school looking to add a goalie might want to take a look.
2/15/02
Div. II Prep Poll
In an effort to handicap the Div. II race down the stretch, we asked several coaches in the league to give us their Top 10.We found a real consensus: the same 10 schools were on all lists, plus everyone had the top four in exact order.
- 1. Tilton. Biggest, oldest, strongest -- and strongest schedule, too.
- 2. St. Mark's. Haven't lost in weeks. Very deep and disciplined.
- 3. Hebron. All-around solid.
- 4. Rivers. Talented but smallish forwards. Fast.
- 5. Brewster. Stingy defensive style. Not a lot of firepower.
- 6. Brunswick. Coming on strong. Overlock and Jessiman best players in DII.
- 7. Proctor. Quietly putting up wins.
- 8. Berwick. Big win over Tilton. Up and down elsewhere.
- 9. Pingree. Small, quick forwards. Need help on D.
- 10. St. George's. Lots of injuries, but hanging in there.
Here are unofficial won-lost records in Div. II. Bear in mind that strength of schedule, a huge factor in playoff seeding, varies widely.
2/15/02
John Nash, Please Check This One Out
NEPSIHA President Tim Pratt has sent along a note containing a slight change being introduced into the playoff formula this year, as well as a reminder about the seeding process. We'll begin with the latter.
"Remember," Pratt writes, "that for DI, there are four teams from the East and four from the West, so even if the fifth team from the East finishes ahead of the fourth from the West, the Western team gets in. The same is NOT true for DII -- the eight teams are selected at large."
"Second, the strength of schedule formula is a little different this year to take into consideration the different number of games teams play. It now reads: 'winning percentage vs. NEPSIHA teams with a DI record of .500 or better X percentage of games played vs. NEPSIHA teams with a DI record of .500 or better.'
"This," explains Pratt, "means that a team that plays fewer games because of school or league rules will not be unfairly punished. In the old system, the way it canceled out was that you basically got one point for a win vs. a good team, and 1/2 point for a tie. So a team that played 36 games, 18 vs. good teams, and went 9-9 would win out over a team that played 24 games, 12 against good teams, and went 6-6 -- even though in percentages their seasons were identical."
"Confusing? Yes. I think it works, though."
2/13/02
Pearce an Eagle
6'4", 210 lb. New Hampshire Junior Monarchs (EJHL) goaltender Joe Pearce has accepted a full scholarship to play for the Boston College Eagles.
While it's good news for Jerry York and BC, it's bad for the rest of the EJHL -- Pearce will play one more season with the Monarchs, arriving at the Heights in the fall of 2003, after Tim Kelleher graduates.
The battle for Pearce's services came down to Michigan, which Pearce visited last week, and Boston College. UNH had been in there, too.
Pearce leads the EJHL in all goaltending categories. In league play, he has a 21-1-1 record, a 1.83 gaa, and a .938 save percentage. The Monarchs are home tonight, facing the Lowell Jr. Monsters in a 7:10 pm start in Hooksett, NH.
Pearce, a 6/29/82 birthdate, is being closely watched for June's NHL draft. For the full story on Pearce, here's a link to an article we ran on this site last month. Joe Pearce: USHR News, 1/17/02
2/12/02
Prep Tournament: What You Need to Know
As we wrote in the fall, this season's New England Div. I and Div. II prep semifinals and finals -- plus an all-star game -- are moving west and will take place at the Mullins Center on the campus of UMass-Amherst on Sat. and Sun. March 2-3.
However, before getting to Amherst, there's the little matter of getting into the quarterfinals first. There are eight slots in both Div. I and II. Which teams get those slots is determined strictly by a mathematical formula.
For the Div. I teams (it's pretty similar for Div. II), the formula goes like this:
- 1. Overall NEPSIHA record.
2. NEPSIHA Div. I record.
3. Winning percentage against NEPSIHA teams with a .500 or better record X the number of games played against NEPSIHA Div. I teams with a .500 record or better.
All those numbers are crunched by the NEPSIHA committee's computer on the morning of Sunday, Feb. 24. We'll be posting the brackets that afternoon.
The quarterfinals are scheduled for Wed. Feb. 27 this season, and, as is customary, will be held at campus sites. The games will be held at the higher-seeded schools unless the travel time exceeds two hours, in which case the game will be held at a neutral site somewhere between the two schools.
(If we may digress slightly and ask a question here, it's this: why is that a scenario exists in which one team's hard-earned home ice advantage can be yanked out from under them simply because their opponent's campus happens to be over two hours away? It's not like a fiery, gigantic meteorite is going to knock the earth off its axis if the visiting players don't make it back to school for evening study hall!)
Anyway, after the quarters are done with, it's on to Amherst for the weekend of the 2nd and 3rd. The Mullins Center holds 8,389 so don't worry about tickets. We're hoping that Toot Cahoon sings the national anthem before every game, but we're not holding our breath. Here are the schedules:
Division I
On Wednesday Feb. 27 there will be four games at campus sites:
- -- #1 East will play #4 East
- -- #2 West will play #3 West
- The winners of these two games will meet in the first semi, Sat. March 2 at Amherst. Game time will be 3:00 pm.
- -- #1 West will play #4 West
- -- #2 East will play #3 East
- The winners of the above two games will meet in the second semi, Sat. March 2 at Amherst. Game time will be 5:30 pm.
- -- #2 will play #7
- -- #3 will play #6
- The winners of the above two games will meet in the first semi, Sat. March 2 at Amherst. Game time will be 10:00 am.
- -- #1 will play #8
- -- #4 will play #5
- The winners of the above two games will meet in the second semi, Sat. March 2 at Amherst. Game time will be 12:30 pm.
The winners of Saturday's games will meet for the Div. I prep championship on Sun. March 3, at Amherst. Game time will be at 12:30 pm.
Division II
On Wednesday Feb. 27 there will be four games at campus sites. For the Div. II tournament, there is no east-west breakdown, thus:
The winners of Saturday's games will meet for the Div. II prep championship on Sun. March 3, at Amherst. Game time will be at 10:00 am.
Here are the brackets for both Div. I and II in printable form. It didn't format quite as nicely as hoped, but it's not really too bad, either. Brackets.
Note: On Sunday morning at 9:00 am, there will be an East-West Seniors game, featuring players from member schools that do not make the final four. This game will take place on the Mullins Center practice rink.
Here's a helpful UMass link that features a lot of info related to directions, accomodations, and dining in the area. Schools that reach the tournament and have more specific questions might do best by calling the UMass sales and marketing guy who is handling the event. His name is Kevin O'Connell and he can be reached at (413) 545-3373.
Here's a link we found last fall, run by the town of Amherst, that features links to the inns and hotels of the town.
2/11/02
Earl Natural Hat Trick Paces Under-17s in Slovakia
A natural hat trick by Los Angeles speedster Robbie Earl helped the U.S. Under-18 Team top host Slovakia 4-2 Saturday night, and head home to Ann Arbor with a silver medal.
With the U.S. down 2-0 going into the third period, Earl erupted, scoring 41 seconds in, then again at 4:45 and 9:50. Mike Brown added an unassisted goal later in the period. T.J. Hensick had a pair of assists and Alvaro Montoya came up big in goal, kicking out 38 of 40 shots.
The U.S. went 2-1-0 in the tournament, playing against kids a year older. Earlier, the Under-17 team lost to the Swiss U-18s, 5-1; then beat the German U-18s, 5-2.
2/10/02
U.S. Under-18s Take Silver in Siberia
The U.S. Under-18 Team returns to Ann Arbor tomorrow with a silver medal at the Five Nations Cup here.
The U.S., which finished 3-1-0, picked up the silver medal by defeating the Czech Republic yesterday in a shootout. The U.S. was actually trailing 1-0 when, with 1:17 left in regulation, Ryan Kesler tied it up, with assists going to Zach Parisé and Tyler Hirsch.
After a scoreless OT, the game went into a shootout, with Hirsch scoring on the first U.S. shot and goaltender Tim Roth, who had 19 saves in the game, holding the Czechs scoreless.
Russia, which beat the U.S. 5-2 on Friday night, won the gold with a 4-0-0 record.
2/8/02
Goodbye, Old Rink
Today at 4:00 pm, Phillips Andover Academy will host Winchendon in what will be the last varsity hockey game at the Sumner Smith Rink. Generations of Andover boys, stretching back for over fifty years, have played hockey on the site, and generations of fans, scouts, and college recruiters have frozen their toes off in what is one of the last open-sided (partially, anyway) rinks in prep hockey. Choate, Lawrence Academy, and Holderness are among the notable iceboxes remaining in the Div. I prep ranks.
Andover will play their final two home games -- Cushing on Wed. (3:15 pm), and Exeter on the 23rd -- in the new rink, which we have yet to see. If possible, we'll send our architecture critic to check it out.
2/8/02
Jackson an Eli; Ward a Cadet
5'9", 160 lb. Phillips Exeter senior center Nate Jackson has committed to Yale.
Jackson, a slippery type with quick hands and excellent vision, has averaged over two points a game this season playing on a line with wingers Rugo Santini and Steve Nelson. In Exeter's big 4-3 home win over Cushing on Dec. 8, Jackson scored all four goals, several of them real beauties.
An 8/19/83 birthdate, Jackson is originally from the Washington, DC area, though his family has since moved to Newport, RI.
In another commitment, big 6'3", 200 lb New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (USHL) center Morgan Ward, who has a 22-23-45 line in 48 games this season, will be playing at West Point next season.
Morgan, who's physical and has solid hands and a good shot, is a strong two-way player and second line center for the league-leading Monarchs.
Speaking of the Monarchs, LW Jonathan Poirier, who scored five goals to lead Team North to a 6-4 win in the EJHL all-star game on Jan. 17, is at Union on an official visit today. Monarchs 6'5" goaltender Joe Pearce visited the University of Michigan yesterday.
Notes: On Wednesday, we referred to Tyumen, Russia as "a dot on the map in Western Siberia." It is indeed a dot on the map, but we've since found out, through our Russian affairs expert, that it's a pretty big dot -- Tyumen is home to a university and 573,000 people.
There is a web site for the Five Nations Tournament. You really need to be able to read Russian to get much out of it, but on the right-hand side there is a link for the English version.
On Wednesday, the U.S. opened tournament play with a 1-0 win over Finland, James Howard kicking out 30 shots for the shutout. The game's lone goal, off the stick of Stephen Werner, came midway through the third, Ryan Kesler and Mark Stuart assisting.
In yesterday's game, the U.S. fell behind Sweden 3-0 in the first 15 minutes but came back with four straight unanswered goals to take a 4-3 win. David Booth had a pair of goals, and Zach Parisé had a pair of assists. Tim Roth stopped 19 shots for the win. Box Score.
At the Vladimir Dzurilla Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia, the U.S. Under-17 Team opened with a 5-1 loss to the Swiss Under-18 team. The lone U.S. goal came off the stick of John Vigilante, with an assist going to Ryan Maki.
2/6/02
U.S. Visits Western Siberia...
It's international tournament time for both the U.S. Under-18 and Under-17 teams, and, by the time you're reading this, both should be getting ready to hit the ice for their respective tournaments.
The Under-18 Team, which is in Tyumen, Russia -- it's a dot on the map in Western Siberia (seriously!) -- for the Five Nations Tournament, get started with a game today vs. Finland. On following days they play Sweden, Russia, and the Czech Republic before starting home on Sunday the 10th.
This tournament, a series of friendly games that each year serves as a tune-up for April's IIHF sanctioned World Under-18 Championship (to be held in Slovakia April 12-22), is always a bit of a cat-and-mouse affair. In other words, it's not wise to put too much stock in the results, for it's never the same when April rolls around. Teams test the waters here. They leave behind players they know can play, while bringing along others they're not quite sure of. They will play to win, for sure, but only to a degree. Everyone is hiding systems, e.g. you won't see teams running faceoff plays or showing more than one forecheck. And everyone is hiding players, too. When April arrives, the Finns and the Russians will parachute in a couple of future first round NHL draft picks that have been hiding in the weeds all winter.
Because of injury, the US will be without Patrick Eaves and Brett Sterling, their top two scorers.
Eaves is suffering from two scaffoid bone bruises, one on each wrist as a result of going into the boards hard recently. If this were a world championship event, Eaves would be playing. It's not, so he's using the time to rest.
Sterling has mono.
Taking their places will be Shattuck-St.Mary's linemates Zach Parisé and Tyler Hirsch. If you're a reader of these pages, you know who they are. In 40 games, Parisé, a North Dakota recruit, has a team-leading 53-71-124 line while Hirsch, who'll be a Golden Gopher next season, has a 41-58-99 line. (Shattuck, by the way, has a 41-3-4 record and has not lost a game since Nov. 16-17 when they dropped back-to-back road games to the AWHL's Bozeman Icedogs.) Both Parisé and Hirsch were on the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that cakewalked its way through the Fussen, Germany tournament last August. This tournament will be tougher, unless USA Hockey has mistakenly put the Under-18 Team into a mite tournament. One never knows.
Parisé is an impact player, and a must-add to the squad for April. Hirsch is more in the wait-and-see-what-he-can-do category.
Also added to the Under-18 Team for the West Siberia Trip is defenseman Ryan Suter, brought up from the Under-17 Team. If Suter plays to form, he may be added to the U.S. squad for the World Under-18 Championships in April. Among US '85 d-men, there are none better.
2/6/02
...and Slovakia, too
The Under-17 Team left late Monday night for The Vladimir Dzurilla Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia, a four nations affair in which the US will face older opponents -- i.e. the National Under-18 teams -- from Switzerland (Thurs.), Germany (Fri.), and Slovakia (Sat.)
Stephen Gionta, the sole '83 in the NTDP, was scheduled to go with the U.S. squad (the Swiss are also rostering an '83) but got a minor concussion playing basketball while warming up for practice last week. Gionta, who no doubt plays hoops as hard as he does hockey, ran into Evan Shaw, who was holding the ball -- and had his arm straight out. When Gionta hit the got on the ice that day, he was headachy, and a minor concussion was diagnosed.
Taking his place will be a youngster in '86 defenseman A.J. Thelen, a 6'2", 180 pounder who is playing for Shattuck's Midget AA team. Thelen, a big, physically punishing defenseman with a powerful shot, is a leading contender for a slot on next years's Under-17 Team. Others asked before him included '85 defenseman Dan Venard of the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL), '85 defenseman Kyle Klubertanz of the Chicago Chill Midgets, and '86 defenseman Matt Lashoff of the Avon Old Farms Winged Beavers. For various reasons -- school, lack of passport, etc. -- none could make the trip, and the NTDP staff turned to Thelen.
In case you were wondering, Vladimir Dzurilla, for whom the tournament is named, was one of the Czech Republic's all-time great goalies, kind of that country's counterpart to, say, Ken Dryden.
2/5/02
A Sad Time in Billerica
Billerica High School's Cinderella season -- they're #2 in today's Boston Globe Eastern Mass Div. I High School poll with an 11-1-2 record -- was dealt a cruel hand when 18-year-old senior defenseman Mike Donovan and his 20-year-old brother, Paul, were murdered execution-style at around 11:30 Thursday night while sitting in their father's idling SUV outside the Lowell Courtyard Marriott, right off of Rte. 495.
The boys, each with a single bullet wound in the back of the head, were found by a hotel maintenance worker. The police have indicated the murderer was sitting in the back seat and was likely someone the two brothers knew. There were no signs of drugs in the SUV, nor any outward sign of struggle or larceny. Police do not know why they were there.
According to friends of the popular Billerica defenseman, the younger Donovan died simply because he responded to his older brother's request for a ride. Paul, who dropped out of Billerica High in his senior year had reportedly lost his driving license because of a DUI.
The Billerica-Central Catholic hockey game -- as well as all school athletic events scheduled for the weekend -- were cancelled.
Donovan, while a solid high school defenseman, was best known for his lacrosse ability, and that was going to be his college sport. At the time of his death, he was leaning toward accepting an offer to play at St. Anselm College, but was due to visit Merrimack yesterday.
According to the father of one player, the Billerica hockey team held numerous meetings over the weekend so the kids could just be there to help each other out. The wake was held yesterday. Today, the funeral was held at St. Theresa's Church in Billerica.
2/5/02
PGs Go Ivy
Deerfield's Joey Zappala and Exeter's Rugo Santini, two Boston-area kids taking post-grad years in prep school, have made their college picks.
Zappala, a 6'0", 200 lb. C/LW will be going to Yale. A 5/7/83 birthdate, Zappala, a Medford, Mass. native who played for BB&N last season, is the leading goal scorer for #1-ranked Deerfield. Zappala was ranked #232 in Central Scouting's midterm rankings. With better foot speed, he'd have been ranked much higher, because he's a pure sniper, very dangerous if the puck is on his stick anywhere within range. Union College was also in the hunt for Zappala right up to the end.
Santini, a 6'0", 184 lb. LW will be going to Brown. A 1/12/83 birthdate who played for Winchester High before going to Exeter, Santini is tied with linemate Nate Jackson as Exeter's leading scorer -- both have 59 points in 28 games. Santini has good hockey sense and nice hands -- he can dish it or finish. As with Zappala, he's had to overcome a lack of foot speed to get to where he's at.
2/4/02
A Power Forward for Cornell
Cornell received a commitment from 6'3", 205 lb. RW Shane Hynes, a big, strong power forward playing for the Nanaimo Clippers (BCHL). Hynes, who represented British Columbia at the Viking Cup, is a Calgary native playing his first year in the BCHL where, to date, he has a 29-31-60 line in 39 games. Hynes, an 11/7/83 birthdate who played for the Calgary Flames Midget AAA squad last season, was ranked 83rd in Central Scouting's midterm rankings. He also visited Northern Michigan, Michigan State, and Denver.
2/4/02
Clarkson Adding Size
Clarkson has a pair of commitments from the U.S. National Program in forward Mark Schwamberger and defenseman Michael Grenzy.
Schwamberger, a 6'2", 202 lb. LC from Spencerport, NY, is a huge center who played for the Rochester Americans Jr. B team before coming to the National Program. A 3/29/84 birthdate, Schwamberger has a 4-13-20 line in 23 games played. Central Scouting had him ranked #142 last month.
Grenzy, a 6'3", 186 lb. LD from Lockport, NY -- that's outside of Buffalo -- will be taking a year in the USHL and then go to Clarkson in the fall of '03. Grenzy, who has split time between the Under-17 team and the Under-18 team this season, is a defensive defenseman with great size and reach. He played for the Toronto Marlies Bantams before coming to the National Program.
2/4/02
Flying High?
Did anyone notice that Air Force picked up three votes in this week's U.S. College Hockey Online Div. I Poll?
Well, they did, and are thus ranked ahead of Providence, North Dakota, Harvard, Wisconsin and many others.
The problem here is the fact that Air Force has lost seven of their last eight games, are last in their league (College Hockey America) with a 1-9-0 record and are 10-14-0 overall.
Someone's wry sense of humor at work? Perhaps. But we called Air Force head coach Frank Serratore to see if he knew why the Falcons were ranked so high.
"I have no idea," he said. "I scoffed when I heard it. It's not fair to teams that deserve to be there. I wish whoever voted for us would wait until my contract year. Right now, we're lucky to be ranked in the top six in our league -- and we only have a six-team league."
Update: After we ran this, a reader, Geoff Howell, wrote in suggesting that a voter (or voters) had "put AFA or an equivalent on their ballot, meaning Alaska Fairbanks, but it was tabulated as Air Force by USCHO."
2/2/02
Roth to Union
U.S. Under-18 goaltender Tim Roth will attend Union College this fall.
Roth, who's from Teaneck, NJ, went to New Jersey's Lawrenceville School before getting the call to Ann Arbor after a strong showing at the 2000 Select 16 Festival. A 3/29/84 birthdate, Roth has a 3.09 gaa and a .894 save percentage in 15 games with the National Program. He plays in a rotation with Maine recruit James Howard.
Roth, 6'0", 172 lbs. should get playing time right off the bat as current Union goalie Brandon Snee, a NY Rangers 5th round pick in June 2000, graduates this spring.
2/1/02
Dobek To BGSU
5'8", 160 lb. Chicago Freeze (NAHL) forward Bryan Dobek committed to Bowling Green today.
Dobek, a left-shot centerman and '83 birthdate, will attend Bowling Green starting in the fall, and practice with the team, but is not eligible for NCAA competition until the fall of 2003. Reportedly, when Dobek, who's from Escondido, California, transferred to a Detroit-area high school to play for HoneyBaked, he was told that a journalism class he had taken in California would count toward his four English credits. The Clearinghouse said otherwise, and, while Dobek appealed his case, it was to no avail. He was, however, given partial qualifier status, which allows him to practice with the team and receive scholarship money. Basically, the kid was given bad advice by his high school.
Dobek, who has a 9-11-20 line in 36 games, is the son of Bob Dobek, who played for Ron Mason at Bowling Green from '72-75, then went on to play for the U.S. at the '76 Olympics, and for San Diego in the WCHA.
