5/30/03
Ex-Colgate Star Named Head Coach of Spitfires
Steve Smith, Colgate's second-leading career scorer, has been named the new head coach of the Windsor Spitfires (OHL).
A 41-year-old native of Peterborough, Ont., Smith has spent the last seven years as an assistant with the Peterborough Petes (OHL). He won the Spitfires job over some pretty heavy hitters such as former Calgary Flames head coach Greg Gilbert, former Sudbury head coach Bert Templeton, former Mississauga head coach Steve Ludzik, and numerous others.
Smith, a center, graduated from Colgate in 1984 and was the Raider's all- time leading scorer (83-129-212 in 128 games) until Mike Harder graduated in '97 with just two more points, though he had six more games to get them in. (In case you're wondering the all-time points-per-game leader at Colgate is Tom Earl, nowadays the head coach at the Westminster School.)
Smith, whom we recall wearing uniform #13, was a Hobey Baker finalist in 1984, though the award was won by UMD defenseman Tom Kurvers.
Ex-Clarkson head coach Mark Morris, current RPI head coach Dan Fridgen, and current Proctor Academy head coach Mike Walsh, who'll be going for his fifth straight Div. II prep title next season, were all Colgate teammates of Smith's. They all played under the late Terry Slater, who died of a stroke early in the 1991-92 season.
UPDATE 6/1/03: Add former Colgate defenseman Paul Jenkins to the above list. Jenkins currently coaches the Lowell Jr. Lockmonsters (EJHL).
5/28/03
Michigan Selects
Here are the rosters for the Michigan 14, 16, & 17 Select teams.
Michigan's Select 15 Team will be picked after the conclusion of the USA Hockey Regional Bantam Camp at Ferris State University June 15-20.
The dates for the festivals are:
Select 17s: July 11-17; St. Cloud, Minn.
Select 16s: June 27-July 3; Rochester, NY
Select 15s: Aug. 3-8; St. Cloud, Minn.
Select 14s: July 27-Aug.1; Rochester, NY
The 14s and 15s will consist of mixed teams. The 16s and 17s will play as a district.
Michigan Select 17s
Goaltenders (2): Andy Batson (Berkley); Jeff Lerg (Livonia).
Defensemen (6): Matt Taormina (Washington); Kyle Kuk (Monroe); Mike Van Wagner (Traverse City); Justin Johnston (Grosse Pointe Woods); Marty Gurnoe (Sault Ste. Marie); Brett Motherwell (Novi).
Forwards (12): Matt Jones (Kentwood);
Evan Rankin (Portage); Dan Eves (Lake Orion); Nick Kulas
(Parma); Shane Simmons (Taylor); Jeff Prough (Dearborn Hgts.);
Drew Satterly (Kentwood); Nik Sellers (Plymouth); Kevin Devergillio
(Sterling Hgts.); Dominic Maiani (Shelby Twp.); Josh Leonard (Allen
Park); Erik Condra (Livonia).
At-Large Selections (3): D Steve Olesky (Chesterfield); F Steve
Bandurski (Grand Blanc); F Nick Kosinski (Marquette).
Head Coach: Mark Maroste (Houghton). Assistant Coaches: Brian Renfrew (East Lansing) and Joe Shawhan (Sault Ste. Marie). Team Leader: Jeff Wressell (Hudsonville).
Michigan Select 16s
Goaltenders (2): Shawn
Hunwick (Roseville); Miles Williams (Sault Ste Marie).
Defensemen (6): Kyle Lawson (New Hudson); Brandon Gentile
(Clarkston); Bret Larson (Marquette); Ryan Turek (Northville);
Mark Mitera (Livonia); Evan Stephens (Bessemer).
Forwards (12): Anthony McIntyre (Waterford Twp.); Jimmy Fraser
(Port Huron); Sean O'Connor (Trenton); Ray Kaunisto (Sault Ste.
Marie); Justin Milo (Bloomfield Hills); Justin Abdelkader (Muskegon);
Tim Miller (Davisburg); Zach MacVoy (Livonia); Gary Steffes
(Grand Blanc); Justin Mercier (Canton); Aaron Lewicki (Dearborn
Hills); Todd Pococke (Saginaw).
At-Large Selections (3): D Mike Kondratek (Canton); Justin Hernandez (Farmington Hills); Mike Guzzo (Pinckney).
Head Coach: Jeff Blashill (Oxford,
OH). Assistant Coaches: Ryan Rezmierski (Ann Arbor) and Jon
Cooper (Livonia) Team Leader: Tim McIntosh (Marquette).
Michigan Select 14s
Goaltenders (3): Evan
Jones (Brooklyn); Brad Phillips (Farmington Hills); Jeremy Smith
(Brownstown). .
Defensemen (8): Ian Cole (Ann Arbor); Adam Diedrich (Marquette): Rich Ledy (Marquette): Anthony Leone (Howell); Tristin Llewellyn (Ann Arbor); Spencer Packer (Birmingham); Anton Thornquist (Grand Blanc); Jim Watts (Bloomfield Hills).
Forwards (16): Jeremy Christopher
(Brighton); Paul Davis (Grand Ledge); Anthony Hayes (Canton);
Matt Heinzelman (Livonia); Jarrod LaBelle (Bay City); Anthony
Maiani (Shelby Twp.); Jim McCusker (Novi); Ryan Moore (Grandville);
Agron Palushaj (Novi); Matt Rust (Troy); Austin Saber (Goodrich);
Anthony Schooley (Romulus); Steve Shafer (Rochester Hills); Thor
Skalski (Brighton); Jake Watchorn (Sault Ste. Marie); Andrew Yarber
(Livonia).
5/27/03
U.S. Under-17s Set -- Mostly
Since we posted the most recent Under-17 roster last month, there have been four additions, bringing the roster to 22 players, leaving at least one and quite possibly more spots open. The NTDP staff will likely wait until after the Select 16 Festival, which runs from June 28-July 3 in Rochester, NY.
The Under-17s have added their two goaltenders, having tapped both Jeff Frazee from Holy Angels HS and Billy Blase from the Taft School.
Frazee, a Burnsville, Minn. native, had an excellent season for Holy Angels, helping get the team to the Xcel Center, where they finished in third place one year after winning it all. Frazee is a 5/13/87 birthdate and is 5'11" and 198 lbs. Very good right now, he could be excellent if and when he peels off a few pounds.
Blase, who's just finishing his freshman year at Taft, has also been added to the team. A 5'11" Santa Monica, California native, Blase backstopped the LA Junior Kings bantam squad to the National championship in Colorado Springs in March of 2002, shutting out the Madison Capitols in the championship game. Last summer, he was a standout in goal at the U.S. Select 15 Festival, allowing just three goals toal, and finishing with a .965 save percentage. This past winter, Blase played sparingly at Taft, being stuck behind postgrad John Curry. He would have been the #1 guy for the Rhinos in the upcoming season.
Blase, who repeated his freshman year at Taft, will acclerate and enroll in the junior class at Ann Arbor's Huron High School.
Apropos to the fact that it requires an even higher level of concentration that goaltending, Blase began his competitive athletic career as a sabre fencer. At age 10, he won a silver medal in the U.S. Jr. Olympics Under-12 competition. His sister captains Harvard's women's fencing team.
On defense, we already reported that St. Paul's School 6'3" defenseman Mike Stuart had been added to the program. Another recent commitment came from 5'11", 180 lb. Little Caesar's Midget Minor defenseman Brandon Gentile. A super-smooth skater who just glides on his blades, Gentile was extremely impressive at the Michigan Select 16s tryout. Strong at both ends of the ice, he defends the 1-on-1 extremly well, eliminating his man effortlessly. Earlier this month, Gentile, a left shot, was selected by the Guelph Storm in the fourth round of the OHL draft.
Gentile brings the number of committed D to eight, but there is a good chance that 6'5" 228 lb. Devereaux Heshmatpour, who was picked by the Kitchener Rangers in the first round of the OHL draft, will choose the OHL route, and trim the number of D on the Under-17 roster to seven..
If such a thing happens, the program may fill that spot with '88 birthdate Chad Morin, who played for the Syracuse Junior Crunch (OPJHL) last season. The program has never taken an underage defenseman before, so if Morin, the cousin of former NTDP defenseman J.D. Forrest, were to join the program, it would be a first. The other option, and probably more likely, is to stick with the '87s and take a top propect from the Select 16 Festival.
Up front, 6'0, 176 lb. forward Peter Mueller, an '88 out of Breck, has decided to join the NTDP. Mueller, who, while a year younger, was at times the best player on the ice at March's NTDP tryout camp, has deceptive speed and, particularly for a 14-year-old, is big and powerful -- a tremendous prospect.
There has been some talk about 6'1", 197 lb. Bobby Ryan, drafted by Owen Sound in the first round of the OHL draft earlier this month, opting for the major junior route. However, with the right wing's mother seeking an apartment in Ann Arbor and planning to move there from New Jersey, it's safe to say Ryan will be reporting to Ann Arbor.
There has also been a lot of talk about 5'10", 163 lb. Phil Kessel of the Madison Midget AAA squad going to the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL), which drafted him. However, while that could happen before fall, all indications are that it won't. Gamblers coach/GM Mark Osiecki, whose team had a hard time scoring this season, would love to have the player in Green Bay ASAP. However, that being a long shot, what Osiecki is actually looking to do is simply make sure he has the USHL rights to the speedy, elusive forward who just happens to be from Wisconsin. Kessel, you see, is only going to be in the 10th grade this year, and indications, at least as of now, are that he won't be accelerating -- is that refreshing or what? That means Kessel will have one year between aging out in Ann Arbor and going to college. Think how good Kessel is right now -- and then think how good he could be after a couple of year's in the NTDP. And Green Bay will have him.
Next spring, the USHL will be going to a straight draft, which basically means that the whole tender system, which favored the strongest teams, will be scrapped. It's a move that's long overdue. Henceforth, teams will head into the draft on a more or less equal footing with each other.
In conjunction with this change, USHL teams in the upcoming season will be able to put '86s and '87s on a "supplementary" recruiting list, with four players allowed per team. These players will not be allowed to actually play in the USHL without being moved to the active roster. (However, if they are put on the active roster they can not be returned to the supplemental roster.)
2003-04 U.S. Under-17 Commitments
Goaltenders (1):
Billy Blase, 5'11", Taft School
Jeff Frazee, 5'11"/198, Holy Angels HS
Defensemen (8):
Andrew Andricopoulos, 6'0"/177, Tabor Academy
Brandon Gentile, 5'11"/180, Little Caesar's Midget Minor
Devereaux Heshmatpour, 6'5"/228, Vaughan Vipers (OPJHL)
Jack Johnson, 6'0"/170, Shattuck-St. Mary's
Joe Ryan, 6'1"/198, Valley Junior Warriors (EJHL)
Zach Jones, 5'11"/166, Chicago Chill Midget AAA
Mark Mitera, 6'2", Little Caesar's Midget AAA
Mike Stuart, 6'3"/203, St. Paul's School
Forwards (12):
Scott Birnstill, 6'1"/212, NY Apple Core (EJHL)
Chris Cahill, 5'10"/171, Phillips Andover Academy
Nathan Gerbe, 5'5"/146, River City (USHL)
Jason Lawrence, 5'9"/177, Boston Junior Bruins (EJHL)
Zach McVoy, 6'1"/192, Little Caesar's Midget Minor
Jack Skille, 6'0"/180, Verona HS
Ryan Stoa, 6'2"/187, Bloomington Kennedy HS
Bobby Ryan, 6'1"/197, Honeybaked '87
Nick Foligno, 5'10"/162, Central Penn Panthers Jr. B
Jimmy Fraser, 5'9", HoneyBaked Midget AAA
Phil Kessel, 5'10"/163, Madison Midget AAA
Peter Mueller, 6'0"/176,
Breck
All of the above are '87s with the exception of forward Peter Mueller, who is an '88.
4/27/03
Whither Lashoff?
There will be some changes to the U.S. Under-18 older team as well.
First off, 6'3", 186 lb. LD A.J. Thelen has successfully accelerated his studies and will be headed to Michigan State in the fall. Thelen verballed last fall, and we've written a couple of stories since, so it's perhaps the oldest news on this page.
The big question mark right now is defenseman Matt Lashoff, a BU recruit who will shortly be making up his mind as to where he will be playing next season,. Right now, it's one of three places. The NTDP, the Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL), or major junior.
Kitchener Rangers coach/GM Peter DeBoer recently acquired Lashoff's rights in a trade with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (OHL), who drafted the defenseman while he was at Avon Old Farms last year. Lashoff's family advisor is former BU defenseman Dale Dunbar.
Kitchener wouldn't be going to all this trouble unless they felt they could use him -- and had a good chance of getting him. With the Under-17 team, Lashoff, 6'1, 185 lbs., struggled adjusting to the tempo in the first half of the season, but made great strides in the second half. In 61 games, he had a 2-8-10 line with 67 pims.
Lashoff and his family, who are from the Albany, NY area, will make up their minds soon, and we'll let you know what the decision is.
Defenseman John Vadnais, a Stillwater, Minn. native, has left the program after one year. Where he will play next year is, according to our most recent info, uncertain. He could take a shot at making the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL), the team that drafted him in the seventh round in 2002, when he was at Shattuck; or he could return to Minnesota high school hockey. (He attended Shattuck before leaving for the NTDP.) The USHL is a possibility, but he won't get there on reputation alone. Even though all the USHL teams headed into the May 7 draft knowing the 6'0", 180 lb. blueliner was available, not one single team selected him. Needless to say, his stock has dropped precipitously over the last year.
Another player likely to leave the NTDP is 5'11" Alaska forward Billy Smith, who looked like a world-beater at last summer's Select 16 Festival in Rochester, NY but struggled to score goals against junior competition. Smith played in 60 games with the Under-17 team and posted a 6-10-16 line with 33 pims. Like Vadnais, he was passed over in the recent USHL draft. His WHL rights are held by Swift Current, the team that drafted him in the first round of the 2002 draft, while Smith was a sophomore at Soldotna HS. .
Former Holy Angels forward Matt Kaiser, who in 61 games with the Under-17 team posted a 6-18-22 line, was drafted by Green Bay and could choose the USHL route. However, the latest report is that he is staying in Ann Arbor.
The Additions
Three players have been added to the Under-18 for next season. In addition, there's always the possibility that a player or two from the younger team could play up.
The '86s who will be playing next year in the program are:
6'2", 185 lb. Denver recruit Geoff Paukovich, who in 31 games with the Tri-City Storm (USHL) posted a 1-3-4 line, will fill a power forward role for the older team. Paukovich, who is from Englewood, Colorado, played two years ago for the Arapaho Midget AA squad, and was drafted by Medicine Hat (WHL) but chose to take the college route instead. He's pretty raw, but is the type of player that the U.S. needs to attempt to develop more of if they hope to have any kind of success at the World Junior level.
On the blue line Joe Charlebois and Brett "Topher" Bevis are coming on board.
Charlebois, who's from Potsdam, NY but played this past season for the Cornwall Colts (CJHL), is a good-sized d-man who is mobile and has good puck skills. A 2/18/86 birthdate, Charlebois, a rookie, played 53 games with a 3-7-10 scoring line and 109 penalty minutes. In 2001-02, he played for Potsdam HS. Earlier this month, Charlebois, a right shot, was selected by the Ottawa 67's in the seventh round of the OHL draft.
Bevis, who played at Lawrence Academy, is a 6'1", 190 lb. defenseman who is good at both ends of the ice. He's a 4/2/86 birthdate from Harvard, Mass., and a left shot.
5/24/03
Powers New Head Coach at Wesleyan
Buddy Powers, the former head coach at Rochester Institute of Technology, RPI, and Bowling Green, was named yesterday as the new head coach at Wesleyan University.
Powers will also coach the varsity golf team at the school, a Div. III institution in Middletown, Conn., due south of Hartford.
Powers, a Boston native, was a left wing at Boston University, graduating in 1975. After three seasons playing pro in Europe. Powers began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant for BU's JV team back in 1978-79. Starting in 1980, he served as an assistant under coach Terry Slater at Colgate. In 1982, he moved to Bowling Green, serving as an assistant on Jerry York's staff for the next six seasons. In 1988, he was named head coach at RIT, where he served one season. In the fall of 1989, RPI fired Mike Addesa in the wake of the Graeme Townshend incident and Powers took over as the Engineers' new head coach. In 1994, after five seasons in Troy, Powers was hired at Bowling Green, taking over when York, his former boss, was named the head coach at Boston College. Powers was head coach at Bowling Green through the 2001-02 season.
Last season, he worked as a volunteer assisstant with the U.S. Under-17 Team, commuting from his home in Bowling Green, Ohio.
At Wesleyan, which was 7-13-3 and finished ninth in the 10-team NESCAC last season, Powers will be taking over for Duke Snyder, who for the last 32 years has been Wesleyan's head coach.
Over the past month, the Wesleyan job had been offered to Dartmouth assistant coach Brendan Whittet, who chose to stay where he is; and Yale assistant C.J. Marottolo, who, after Yale named him the school's associate head coach, elected to stay in New Haven.
5/23/03
Tilton Joins Div. I Preps
The Tilton School, which won three consecutive NEPSAC Div. II prep titles between 2000 to 2002, will be joining NEPSAC Div. I in the fall.
The head coach at Tilton is Michael Esposito, who took over last season from Mike Walsh, who moved over to Proctor Academy, winning his fourth straight Div. II crown this March.
Tilton is a coed prep school in Tilton, NH, twenty miles due north of Concord. It has 210 students and runs from grades nine through 12.
5/22/03
Kapstad Commits to UNH
5'10", 170 lb. Governor Dummer Academy defenseman Kevin Kapstad has committed to the University of New Hampshire.
Kapstad, a left shot, is a 2/12/86 birthdate from Boxborough, Mass., and is currently in the 10th grade. He is scheduled to play two more years for coach Peter Kravchuk at GDA and will arrive in Durham in the fall of '05.
Kapstad is noted for a hard-nosed, even nasty, style of play, and a tremendous competitive streak. He's one of the few 5'10" d-men around who have opposing players looking over their shoulder for him. He's physical, aggressive, and likes to hit hard. Kapstad also has an offensive side. He sees the ice well, is comfortable skating with the puck, and moves it adroitly.
Kapstad finished the season as GDA's top scorer among defenseman with a 2-18-20 line, five points behind team-leading scorer Brian McGuirk.
Kapstad is said to be a Div. I level soccer player, though he won't be playing that at UNH.
Before coming to UNH this year, Kapstad played for Jeff Quebec at the Eaglebrook School, a pre-prep in Deerfield, Mass.
5/22/03
Higgins Signs With Habs
Former Avon Old Farms School and current Yale University sophomore Chris Higgins signed this morning with the Montreal Canadiens, thus giving up his last two years of college eligibility.
The Canadiens took the 5'11", 192 lb. left-shot center in the first round (#14 overall) of last June's NHL draft, making him the first Eli ever drafted in the first round. However, Higgins was the second Avon Old Farms graduate to be selected in the first round, joining N.Y. Ranger LD Brian Leetch (#9 overall, 1986) as former Winged Beavers to be so honored. Higgins played at Avon for coach John Gardner from 1998-2001.
Higgins is a very good skater who appears to be as fast with the puck as without it. He's also a smart, savvy player with vision. His shot is dead-on accurate, and he can snap it off quickly. At Yale, he played the point on the power play.
In both of his seasons at Yale, Higgins lead the Elis in scoring, posting a 14-60-30 line in 27 games as a freshman, and then, as a sophomore, 20-21-41 in 28 games. He was a Hobey Baker finalist this season.
In both seasons, he also played for the U.S. National Junior team, where his performance boosted his stock.
Higgins' contract, a three-year deal, calls for him to be paid the $1,185,000 rookie salary cap if he plays for the Canadiens next season. Even if the 19 year old never makes the big club and just plays in the minors, he'll earn about half of that for each year of the contract. The numbers are obviously very good. Even so, Higgins' decision was reportedly gut-wrenching, as a Yale education also has a pretty significant value.
Higgins, a 6/2/83 birthdate, grew up in Smithtown, Long Island as a fan of the Montreal Canadiens. His father, a New York City firefighter, has long been a Canadiens fan.
Higgins grew up playing for Suffolk PAL, which was the same organization 2001 first-round NHL pick Michael Komisarek played for. Higgins and Komisarek were teammates on the 2002 U.S. National Junior Team. When the Canadiens drafted Higgins last summer, it marked the third straight year they'd selected an American collegian with their first-round pick. Komisarek had been selected in 2001, and Ron Hainsey in 2000.All three are represented by Steve Bartlett and Matt Keator's Sports Consulting Group. The Canadiens general manager is Andre Savard.
In other news of interest toYale fans, assistant coach C.J. Marottolo, who's been on head coach Tim Taylor's staff for nine years, was recently elevated to associate head coach.
5/19/03
A Top '87 Defenseman Commits to the Spartans
Michigan State has received a verbal commitment from 6'0", 178 lb. HoneyBaked Midget AAA defenseman Ryan Turek, thus making him the third '87 to commit to a Div. I school in the last week, joining defenseman Joey Ryan (Merrimack) and center Jason Lawrence (BU).
Michigan State, which under Ron Mason didn't really get into the recruiting of young players, has changed direction under Rick Comley. In September, Michigan State got a commitment from '86-born U.S. Under-17 defenseman A.J. Thelen, who will be suiting up for the Spartans as a 17-year-old freshman in the upcoming season.
Turek, a right shot who hails from the Detroit suburb of Northville, is a late '87 -- 9/22/87, to be precise. He came to the HoneyBaked midgets (60-7-7 on the season) from the Little Caesar's '87s.
His coach, John Cooper, describes Ryan as a "pro-style player, a gifted, effortless skater who plays with a complete edge."
In 43 games this season, Turek was 4-24-28 with 91 pims and a +38.
Turek, who was a standout up at the state tournament in Marquette, will play for the HoneyBaked Midgets again next season, then move on to juniors for the 2004-05 season, and arrive in East Lansing for the '05-06 season.
The Sioux Falls Stampede took him in the 2003 USHL draft, help on May 7.
Turek is also an excellent golfer, a three or four handicap -- not bad for a 10th grader.
5/17/03
Another Blue Chipper for the Terriers
For the second time in a week, Boston University has received a commitment from a top young forward.
In this case, it's Cushing sophomore RW Boomer Ewing, who over the past week has been the object of a recruiting battle between UNH and BU. Initially, we learned that he'd committed to UNH, but just as we were about to go to print with the story, we learned that BU had jumped back into the picture, matching UNH's full-scholarship offer. After Ewing spent four or five days struggling with the issue, he settled on the Terriers. Earlier on, Providence College had also been recruiting Ewing.
For a clue as to Ewing's style of play you can start by ignoring the nickname: he does not barrel down the right side and unleash cannons. Instead, Ewing, a 5'8", 151 lb. right shot, is an exceptionally gifted playmaker who sees the ice extremely well, is quick and agile, and dangerous down low. This past season at Cushing he was a linemate with fellow BU recruit Chris Bourque, and the two were magical together. (Bourque was on the left side, Ewing on the right, with senior Chris Fontas, a UMass-Lowell recruit, centering.). The one thing Ewing needs to work on is building himself up physically. Right now, he's quite slight.
Ewing, an 11/23/85 birthdate from Duxbury, Mass., repeated a grade when he went to Cushing, and is currently exploring the possibility of accelerating, which would allow him to arrive at BU in the fall of 2004 instead of 2005.
Ewing, who has a sister at BU, grew up in Wheeling, West Virginia, and played youth hockey there. Later, his family moved to Massachusetts, where Ewing played bantam and midgets in the Bridgewater Bandits organization. Ewing originally came to Cushing for an interview two years ago, then again last year. Last summer, the son of Cushing coach Steve Jacobs, UMass forward Stephen Jacobs, skated with him at Paul Vincent's pro/am camp in Bridgewater and kept reporting to his father about Ewing's skills. Jacobs senior took a drive down to the camp, saw how good Ewing was, and the rest is history.
He was largely unknown until he arrived at Cushing, never, for example, having played on any Mass. select teams.
In 29 games for the Penguins, he posted a 24-28-52 line.
Ewing's father, Ben Ewing is, along with former Boston College forward Scott Harlow, the co-owner of the Bridgewater Ice Arena.
5/16/03
Gilligan Steps Down at Vermont
University of Vermont head coach Mike Gilligan, after 19 years behind the Catamounts bench, is stepping down.
UVM has scheduled a news conference for this afternoon.
Gilligan, 55, has coached over 800 games at the Div. I level, surpassed only by Jack Parker, Jerry York, and Rick Comley. (Tim Taylor, at 766, is right behind; Yale plays shorter seasons.)
Gilligan began his coaching career at Salem State, where he was a star defenseman in the late '60s. After six years behind the Salem State bench, Gilligan moved to Yale as an assistant under Taylor. When Taylor took a leave of absence to coach the '84 U.S. Olympic team, Gillligan served as interim head coach for the Eli. The following season, Gilligan took over the Vermont program from Jim Cross. At UVM, he's coached worthies such as John LeClair, Aaron Miller, and Martin St. Louis and has reached the NCAA tournament three times, most recently in 1997. His best year was 1995-96, when St. Louis and Perrin, then in their junior seasons, led the Cats to the NCAA semis in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they lost to CC in double overtime.
Gilligan, well-liked by his players and most others who he came in contact with, will retain a position in the athletic department and continue to coach the golf team, a position he has held for the last 10 years.
Vermont was 13-20-3 this past season, a huge step up from the previous season, when the Cats were 3-26-2. A fall 1999 hazing incident that drew intense scrutiny to the program cast a pall over the team and the university; overcoming it became an uphill battle. The bottom line is that UVM fans have endured six straight losing seasons since St. Louis and Perrin graduated in 1997.
In conjunction with the stepping down of Gilligan was the hiring just last week of new AD Robert Corran, who succeeds Vermont alum Rick Farnham. While the latter was a staunch supporter of Gilligan, Corran comes to Burlington from Minnesota-Duluth, where he has been the AD for the past six seasons. Halfway through his tenure Curran fired Mike Sertich, Duluth's head coach for the previous 18 years, so it's fair to say that he's no sentimentalist.
Corran, 53, is deeply involved in hockey, having played at Ithaca College, and served as an assistant hockey coach at Ohio State from 1977-79. After that he returned back home to Ontario, and coached the University of Windsor for five years before going on to serve the school as AD for the next twelve years. When he moved to Minnesota-Duluth in 1997, he added women's hockey. Under coach Shannon Miller the Bulldogs have won three consecutive NCAA titles.
Reportedly, a top candidate for the Vermont job is Roger Grillo, the head coach at Brown for the last six years. Grillo, a Univeristy of Maine defenseman in the 1980's, has deep roots in Vermont's golden era, having served Gilligan as his top assistant coach from 1990-97. At Vermont, Grillo had recruited three Hobey Baker finalsits, and four first-team All-Americans. Since Grillo departed, the program has never had a winning season.
Another top candidate, of course, is Bill Beaney, Middlebury College's highly succesful coach. Beaney, who took a leave of absence last year, is scheduled back at Middlebury this fall. In 1999, Beaney was a serious contender for the Harvard job that eventually went to Mark Mazzoleni.
Vermont, of course, is a scholarship school in a non-scholarship league, and has a great fan base, too. It's a coveted job and, unless Corran already has a successor in mind, you can expect the list to grow significantly.
5/15/03
BU Takes an '87
Jason Lawrence, a 5'9, 177 lb. RC from the Boston Jr. Bruins (EJHL), has committed to Boston University for the fall of '05.
Currently a sophomore in high school, Lawrence, a Saugus, Mass. native and a 2/2/87 birthdate, will play his junior and senior years for the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor.
Lawrence played for Austin Prep as a freshman, then started this past season with the Boston Little Bruins Midget AAA team. When their season ended in November, Lawrence was offered a spot on the junior team and quickly adjusted to the pace, playing 43 games and posting a 20-26-46 line with 18 pims and a +34.
Lawrence is the most dangerous '87 forward in New England, a shifty player with excellent goal-scoring and playmaking ability, a strong sense of the game, a highly accurate shot, and a fierce competitiveness. His skating is good, but not great. While he was forced to up his speed in junior play this year, he's still not the fastest guy north-south. However, he has a good first step and the short-burst quickness that allows him to to operate well in small areas. That, combined with a head for the game, enable him to get open well. That's why, as a sophomore playing his first year of junior hockey, he was able to put up better than a point a game.
The other schools that recruited Lawrence were Harvard and UNH. Maine was in there a bit at the end, but before Lawrence had a chance to visit Orono, he settled on Boston University. Lawrence, by the way, played metro hockey for the '87 Terriers.
Lawrence is reported to be getting a full scholarship from BU.
5/15/03
Ward Takes Over at Connecticut College
Princeton assistant coach Jim Ward has been named the new head coach at Connecticut College.
Ward, who's been the top assistant at Princeton the past three years, has long been a familiar face in New England hockey circles, having served as head coach at the Northfield-Mt. Hermon School for seven years before that. While there, he coached Brian Pothier, Willie Levesque and many others.
Before going to Northfield, Ward was an assistant coach at Norwich (three years) and Union (three years).
Ward replaces Doug Roberts, 60, a Michigan State forward ('65) who went on to play in the NHL, then took over the Camels in 1980. Roberts retires after 23 years at the New London, Conn. school.
5/14/03
Final Central Scouting Ranking
Here are the Central Scouting Service's final rankings of North American players currently eligible for next month's NHL Draft, to be held June 21-22 in Nashville, Tenn.
By our count, there are 79 Americans on the list (69 skaters, 10 goaltenders). While it's not terribly meaningful, 21 are off from Div. I colleges; 20 are from the USHL; 15 are from major junior; 13 are from U.S. high schools; three are from the NTDP; three are from the EJHL; two are from the NAHL, one is from the BCHL, and one is from an independent junior team.
Of the high school players, ten played in New England Div. I prep schools; one played at a New England Div. II prep school; one played at a Massachusetts high school, and one played at Western prep school (Shattuck.)
The top-ranked American skater was Guelph Storm (OHL) RW Dustin Brown, an Ithaca, NY native. The top-ranked U.S.-born goaltender was James Howard III of Ogdensburg, NY and the University of Maine.
The top-ranked North American skater is a Canadian, 6'3" LC Eric Stall of the Peterborough Petes (OHL). The top-ranked North American goaltender is also a Canadian, Marc-Andre Fleury of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (QMJHL).
Please note that this is a North American-only list and that once European players are added into the real draft pool, the Americans -- Canadians, too, for that matter -- will in most cases drop significantly.
Final 2003 Central Scouting Ranking (Adobe Acrobat is required to open the file.)
U.S. Ranked Skaters:
2. Dustin Brown, RW, Guelph (OHL)
7. Ryan Suter, LD, US Under-18
9. Zach Parise, LC, North Dakota (NCAA)
10. Dan Fritsche, RC, Sarnia (OHL)
14. Patrick O'Sullivan, LC, Mississauga (OHL)
16. Ryan Kesler, RC, Ohio State (NCAA)
17. Mark Stuart, LD, Colorado College (NCAA)
20. Hugh Jessiman, RW, Dartmouth (NCAA)
29. Josh Hennessy, LC, Quebec (QMJHL)
31. Patrick Eaves, RW, Boston College (NCAA)
34. Brian Boyle, LC, St. Sebastian's (USHSE)
38. David Backes, C/RW, Lincoln (USHL)
41. Danny Richmond, LD, University of Michigan (NCAA)
51. Matt Smaby, LD, Shattuck-St. Mary's (USHSW)
55. Ryan Potulny, LC, Lincoln (USHL)
57. Aaron Dawson, LD, Peterborough (OHL)
58. Colin McDonald, RW, New England Jr. Coyotes (EJHL)
60. John Doherty, RD, Andover (USHSE)
62. Mark McCutcheon, RC, New England Jr. Coyotes (EJHL)
63. Frank Rediker, LD, Windsor (OHL)
64. Jimmy Sharrow, RD, Halifax (QMJHL)
66. Matt Carle, LD, River City (USHL)
69. Greg Moore, RW, Maine (NCAA)
75. Mike Vannelli, RD, Sioux Falls (USHL)
76. Danny Irmen, RC, Lincoln (USHL)
79. Ken Roche, LC, St. Sebastian's (USHSE)
80. James Pemberton, RD, Providence College (NCAA)
81. Zach Fitzgerald, LD, Seattle (WHL)
82. Thomas Morrow, LD, Des Moines (USHL)
83. Nate Thompson, LC, Seattle (WHL)
85. Gino Guyer, LC, Minnesota (NCAA)
86. Evan Shaw, LD, Quebec (QMJHL)
89. Stephen Werner, RW, UMass (NCAA)
90. Corey Potter, RD, Michigan State (NCAA)
96. Jamie Hoffman, RC, Des Moines (USHL)
97. Josh Robertson, RC, Proctor (USHSE)
98. John Vigilante, C/LW, Plymouth (OHL)
101. Tim Cook, RD, River City (USHL)
103. Andrew Miller, LW, River City (USHL)
111. Travis Morin, LC, Chicago (USHL)
122. Dan Travis, RW, Deerfield Academy (USHSE)
125. Bobby Selden, LD, U.S. Under-18
129. Joe Pavelski, RC, Waterloo (USHL)
133. Mike Curry, RC, Sioux City (USHL)
136. Tim Wallace, RW, Notre Dame (NCAA)
138. Cody Blanshan, LD, Nebraska-Omaha (NCAA)
145. Jamie Milam, RD, Northern Michigan (NCAA)
148. Chris Porter, LC, Lincoln (USHL)
152. Mike Grenzy, LD, Chicago (USHL)
158. Lee Stempniak, RW, Dartmouth (NCAA)
164. Matt Hayek, C/W, Lincoln (USHL)
165. Matt Hartman, RW, Sioux City (USHL)
168. Jake Wilkins, RD, Vernon (BCHL)
170. Christian Jensen, RW, Yale (NCAA)
172. Tyler Hirsch, RW, Minnesota (NCAA)
175. Drew Larman, RC, Sarnia (OHL)
176. Chris Kelley, LD, Deerfield (USHSE)
178. Dustin Byfuglien, RD, Prince George (WHL)
189. David Germain, LC, Northfield-Mt. Hermon (USHSE)
190. Todd Fletcher, LC, Chelmsford HS (USHSE)
191. Joey Zappala, LC, Yale (NCAA)
192. Dylan Reese, RD, Pittsburgh (NAHL)
200. David Rohlfs, RW Compuware (NAHL)
201. Greg Schultz, RW, New England Jr. Coyotes (EJHL)
202. Bill LeClerc, LD, St. Paul's (USHSE)
205. Ray Ortiz, RW, Belmont Hill (USHSE)
206. Sean Hurley, LD, Northfield-Mt.Hermon (USHSE)
208. Mike Hartwick, LD, Boston Jr. Bulldogs
210. Noah Babin, RD, Green Bay (USHL)U.S. Ranked Goaltenders:
2. James Howard, Maine (NCAA)
5. Chris Holt, U.S. Under-18
9. Mike Brown, Saginaw (OHL)
13. Dominic Vicari, River City (USHL)
15. Travis Weber, Minnesota (NCAA)
17. Kevin Regan, St. Sebastian's (USHSE)
20. Gerald Coleman, London (OHL)
21. Josh Gartner -- dual citizen, Yale (NCAA)
25. Josh Johnson, Green Bay (USHL)
27. A.J. Bucchino, Des Moines (USHL)
5/14/03
Merrimack Lands Major Recruit
6'1", 198 lb. Joey Ryan, a 15-year-old right-shot defenseman from the Valley Junior Warriors (EJHL), has committed to Merrimack College for the fall of 2005.
Ryan, a Malden, Mass. native currently finishing up his ninth grade year, will join the U.S. National Team Development Program in the fall. While there he will accelerate his studies, doing three years of course work in two.
Ryan, a 10/19/87 birthdate, began playing for the Valley Junior Warriors in the fall of 2001, just a week or two after his fourteenth birthday. A year ago this spring, there was serious talk of his entering the NTDP a year early; there was also serious talk of playing in the QMJHL. Ryan, however, returned for a second year with the Valley Jr. Warriors.
Ryan, a smooth-skating, sure-handed defensive defenseman who opts for the safe, sure play yet is beginning to show emerging offensive skills, will be eligible for the NHL draft after his freshman year at Merrimack -- in 2006, three years and a month from now. Ryan is a prototypical pro-style defensman, and, while it's very early in the game, he has all the earmarks of a first rounder.
Ryan will be getting a full four-year scholarship at Merrimack.
In a related move, Ryan's older brother, Bobby Ryan, a 6'0, 194 lb. freshman RW at the University of Connecticut this past season, will also be going to Merrimack, and will begin attending classes there in the fall, and be eligible for NCAA play at the beginning of the 2004-05 season. Bobby, a 10/4/82 birthdate, played 31 games at UConn this season and posted a 1-6-7 line. At Merrimack, he projects to be a third/fourth line role player.
Being able to play with his older brother helped cinch the deal for young Joey. Merrimack head coach Chris Serino and his staff had a forward spot to give, while the perennial Hockey East powers didn't.
When the younger Ryan joined the Valley Warriors two seasons ago, his older brother was already on the team and the two were able to play together for a year (Bobby did the driving). They were both coached there played there for Andy Heinze, a high-scoring forward at Merrimack in the late '80s. Merrimack, which is just a few miles from the Valley Warriors home rink, had four ex-Valley Warriors on their roster this season: Steve Crusco, Tim Reidy, Alex Sikatchev, and Tony Johnson.
5/14/03
Garrow Back to Cornell
Look for Western Michigan University assistant coach Scott Garrow, who was an assistant to Mike Schafer at Cornell from 1995-99, to be returning to Ithaca for a second tour of duty.
Garrow, a 33-year-old Goderich, Ontario native, played his college hockey at Western Michigan, graduating in 1992. Garrow did not miss a game during his four years, setting a school record by appearing in 161 consecutive games.
Garrow will replace Jamie Russell, who was named the new head coach at Michigan Tech last week.
5/13/03
Final USHL Tender List
A half-dozen names were added to the USHL Tender List in the hours leading up to last Wednesday's league draft.
Chicago signed defenseman Adam Blanchette, an '86 from Avon Old Farms.
Lincoln signed a pair of defensemen: Garret Raboin, an '85 from Detroit Lakes (Minn.) HS and Nick Tuzzolino, an '86 from the Buffalo Lightning (OPJHL). The latter is the younger brother of ex-Spartan Tony Tuzzolino.
Green Bay signed forward Victor Oreskovich, an '86 from the Milton Merchants (OPJHL) and a Notre Dame recruit.
Topeka -- well, St. Louis -- signed forward Tyler Meyer, an '85 from the Arapaho Midgets.
Sioux City signed goaltender Jeff Lantz, an '83 from the Bismarck Bobcats.
The above names will be added to the list we posted last Tuesday. It can now be found in our draft list, which was reported on 5/7/03. It can be found by scrolling a short way down this page.
Thank you.
5/13/03 UPDATED
Mass. High School Coach Arrested in Internet Sex Sting
Natick High School head hockey coach Joe Doyle was arrested yesterday in Keene, NH for allegedly soliciting sex from a 14-year-old boy via the Internet. Doyle was held last night at the Cheshire County House of Corrections and will be arraigned this morning on charges of attempting to commit felonious sexual assault against a minor.
Doyle had traveled to New Hampshire, reportedly believing that he would be watching the boy swim at the local YMCA, after which the two wold then engage in sexual activities in his car. Instead, Doyle was caught in an Internet sting operation, as the boy with whom he had exchanged e-mails and spoken in chat rooms turned out to be Keene Police Detective James McLaughlin. When Doyle arrived for the rendezvous, he was immediately arrested.
The 44-year-old coach, who is married and the father of two children, has been placed on administrative leave by the high school, where he also teaches history.
Doyle, who has no arrest record, coached for Marian High School in Framingham for ten years before being hired by Natick in 2001. Natick, which plays in the Bay State League, finished the season with a 6-11-3 record.
UPDATE, 5/14: Doyle pleaded not guilty yesterday and was released on $10,000 bail. He was also ordered to move into his mother's home, give up his passport, and have no unsupervised contact with children. His next court hearing is on June 4th.
5/9/03
Top Recruit for Maine
6'1", 185 lb. RW Robby Bellamy, an 11th grader who played this past season for the Berkshire School, has committed to the University of Maine.
Bellamy, a 5/30/85 birthdate from Westfield, Mass. who will be playing his senior year with the New England Jr. Coyotes (EJHL), is a freight train of a power forward who loves to hit -- and hit hard. He doesn't just finish his checks, he puts a huge exclamation point on them, just rubbing guys out. Needless to say, he creates a ton of space for his linemates -- he's a Terry O'Reilly type, though he spends less time on his butt. His stick skills are good, not great, but he has good size, a huge heart, and he doesn't take shifts off. His passionate style of play will go over well in Orono. Bellamy has solid pro potential, as a banging winger who can pop one in every now and then.
In 32 games playing for Larry Rocha at the Berkshire School, Bellamy had a 21-21-42 line with a +16. He also had 128 penalty minutes, an average of four minutes a game.
UNH, BC, BU, Northeastern, UMass, and more recently, Clarkson, were the other schools in the hunt for Bellamy.
Bellamy was drafted by the Chicago Steel in Wednesday's USHL draft.
5/9/03
It's Official -- Lovejoy a Big Green
6'2", 205 lb. RD Ben Lovejoy, a freshman who was in and out of the Boston College lineup this season, received his official letter of acceptance from Dartmouth College this week, and will be transferring in the fall.
Dartmouth -- amongst others -- recruited Lovejoy hard while the defenseman was playing at Deerfield Academy.
Lovejoy will attend classes and practice with the Big Green next season, and begin playing in the fall of '04. He's from Canaan, NH, right down the road from Hanover, where his parents work at the Cardigan Mountain School. Lovejoy played youth hockey in Hanover, then played at Cardigan Mountain. From there, he went to Deerfield.
Arriving at Deerfield as a 15-year-old, he was quite the prospect. Against his own age group, his tools -- size, powerful stride, and a hard shot -- made him highly sought after. For two straight years, he was invited to join the U.S. National Team Development Program, but chose to stay at Deerfield, where he accelerated his studies. On the ice, he was turnover prone in his own end, but strong offensively, particularly when driving to the net, where his strength and low center of gravity served him well. This observer felt he was more cut out to be a right wing.
A 2/20/84 birthdate, Lovejoy played in 22 games for the Eagles and posted an 0-6-6 line. All his points were recorded by the end of November. He didn't dress for 12 of the Eagles' final 16 games.
Lovejoy, despite not playing much at BC this past season and the fact that he'll be sitting out next season, is still likely to get drafted next month, though it's a little hard to say exactly where. We'll guess fith to seventh rounds.
As for BC, they get some scholarship money freed up.
5/7/03
USHL Draft
Below are our USHL Draft lists. The first is a strict round-by-round, pick-by-pick list. The second list consists of each individual team's selections (in the order in which they were selected). The third list is an alphabetical list of all players selected. We compiled this for the purpose of reference -- if you need to look a player up quickly, here's where to go. .
We hope you will find our efforts useful.
For those of you who are new to the USHL Draft, it's a slighly arcane process. Before the draft, each club hands in to the league office a protected list of retruning players they wish to protect plus players they have signed to tenders (each team is allowed three, though they may trade for more.) Since the number of players will vary from team to team, each team is allowed to make draft selections until the number of protected players and tenders plus draft picks equals 25. At that point they have to sit on their hands until all the remaining teams have reached the 25-player limit. That's why in the 15th round only one player was selected (by River City, which will consist two-thirds of new players this fall). At any rate, once teams reach their 25-man limit, five additional rounds take place, which enables each team to arrive at a 30 player maximum.
We haven't added up the numbers, but you'll notice, in going through the list below, that there were far more players selected this year from juniors --primarily the NAHL, not surprisingly -- and far fewer from midget AAA.
I. USHL Draft List
1. Green Bay -- Chris Kelley, D, Deerfield Academy
2. Sioux Falls -- Chris Anderson, D, White Bear Lake
3. Chicago -- Kevin Huck, F, Holy Angels
4. Tri-City -- Jack Hillen, D, Holy Angels
5. Des Moines -- David Watters, F, Eden Prairie
6. Cedar Rapids -- Jamie Carroll, F, Iona College
7. River City -- Andrew Meyer, D, Springfield Jr. Blues
8. Danville -- Brad Robbins, D, Compuware
9. Sioux City -- Nino Musitelli, F, Compuware
10. Lincoln (from Topeka) -- Hank Carisio, F, Springfield Jr. Blues
11.Waterloo -- Andrew Thomas, D, New Hampshire. Jr. Monarchs
12. Topeka (from Lincoln) -- Danny Reidel, F, Springfield Jr. Blues
13. Green Bay -- Mitch Ganzak, D, Cap Center
14. Green Bay (from Sioux Falls) -- Josh Engel, D, Rice Lake HS
15. Lincoln (from Chicago) -- Aaron McCloy, F, Cap Center
16. Tri-City -- Jake Obermeyer, D, Chaska
17. Des Moines -- Davis Drewiske, D, Hudson HS
18. Cedar Rapids -- Greg Collins, F, Walpole Stars
19. River City -- Eric Walsky, F, Alaska All-Stars
20. Danville -- Justin Tobe, G, Michigan State
21. Sioux City -- Tom Gerken, D/F, Compuware
22. Sioux Falls (from Topeka) -- Andrew Carroll, F, Roseville
23. Green Bay (from Waterloo) -- Eric Ehn, F, Cap Center
24. Topeka (from Lincoln) -- Corey Elkins, F, Compuware
25. Green Bay -- Troy Davenport, G, Simley
26. Sioux Falls -- Jon Globke, D/F/, Little Caesar's
27. Chicago -- Mike VanWagner, D, HoneyBaked
28. Tri-City -- Kyle Kuk, D, Compuware Midget AAA
29. Des Moines -- Adam Miller, F, Little Caesar's
30. Cedar Rapids -- Brandon Naurato, F, Detroit Catholic HS
31. River City -- Dan Bertram, F, Camrose Kodiaks
32. Danville -- Chris Hanson, F, Pittsburgh Hornets
33. Sioux City -- Tim Manthey, D/F, Anoka
34. Topeka -- Colin Vock, F, Little Caesar's
35. Waterloo -- Josh Duncan, D, Rochester Lourdes
36. Lincoln -- Alex Leavitt, F, University of Wisconsin
37. Green Bay -- Phil Kessel, F, Madison Capitals
38. Lincoln (from Sioux Falls) -- Jim Jorgenson, D, Soo Indians
39. Chicago -- Eric Lampe, F, Madison Capitals
40. Sioux City (from Tri-City) -- Kyle Laughlin, F, Chicago Freeze
41. Tri-City (from Des Moines) -- Garett Vassel, F, NY Apple Core
42. Cedar Rapids -- Ray Eichenlaub, D, Team Illinois
43. Topeka (from River City) -- Justin Mercier, F, Compuware
44. Danville -- Nick Sirota, F, Central Texas
45. Sioux City -- Tim Kennedy, F, Buffalo Saints
46. Topeka -- Michael Suggs, F, Compuware
47. Waterloo -- David Meckler, F, Chicago Freeze
48. Lincoln -- Jared Boll, F, Team Illinois
49. Green Bay -- Matt Kaiser, F, NTDP
50. Sioux Falls -- Russ Peterson, D, Little Caesar's
51. Chicago -- Matt Clackson, F, Pittsburgh Hornets Midget AAA
52. Tri-City -- Ben Hendrick, F, Anoka
53. Des Moines -- Jason Weigel, F, Culver Academy
54. Cedar Rapids -- Matt Vokes, F, St. John's -- Shrewsbury
55. River City -- Chris Frank, D, Cowichan Valley Capitals
56. Danville -- Matt Shouneyia, F, Compuware
57. Lincoln (from Sioux City) -- Brett Tyler, D, Boston Jr. Bruins
58. Tri-City (from Topeka) -- Jason Price, F, Little Caesar's
59. Waterloo -- Jesse Vessel, F, Hibbing
60. Lincoln -- Chris Tarkir, F, Williams Lake, BC
61. Sioux Falls -- Jason Kearney, G, Pittsburgh Forge
62. Chicago -- Shane Connelly, G, Culver
63. Des Moines -- Michael Findorff, D, Springfield Jr. Blues
64. Cedar Rapids -- Nathan Sigmund, F, San Diego Gulls Midget AAA
65. River City -- Erik Condra, F, HoneyBaked Midget AAA
66. Danville -- Chris Walsh, F, Compuware
67. Sioux City -- Luke Buetow, D/F, Springfield Spirit
68. Topeka -- Kevin Stephens, D, St. Louis Midget AAA
69. Waterloo -- Matt Lashoff, D, NTDP
70. Lincoln -- Matt Greene, F, BC High
71. Lincoln (from Sioux Falls) -- Trevor Ludwig, D, Texas Tornado
72. Chicago -- Jonathan Kearns, D, Team Illinois
73. Des Moines -- Rory Farrell, D, Cleveland Jr. Barons
74. Cedar Rapids -- A.J. Drago, G, Mercer Chiefs
75. River City -- Steve Cook, F, Air Force Academy
76. Danville -- Travis Winter, F, St. Cloud Tech
77. Sioux City -- Blake Turnquist, F, St. Paul Academy
78. Topeka -- Nathan Angell, D, Sarnia Jr. B
79. Waterloo -- Tim Filangieri, D, NY Bobcats Jr. B
80. Lincoln -- Tom Mannino, F, Leamington Jr. B
81. Sioux Falls -- Matt Ford, F, Shattuck-St. Mary's
82. Chicago -- Jared Katz, F, Detroit Redhawks Midget AAA
83. Des Moines -- Phil Fox, F, Stillwater HS
84. Cedar Rapids -- Steve Balint, F, Port Huron HS
85. River City -- Lance Malark, F, White Bear Lake
86. Danville -- Nikolas Sellers, F, Compuware
87. Sioux City -- Adam Krug, F, Cap Center
88. Topeka -- Shaun Weller, F, Cap District Selects
89. Waterloo -- Brandon Zangel, D, Hotchkiss
90. Sioux Falls -- Steve Dus, F, Team Wisconsin
91. Chicago -- Andrew Broughton, F, IMG Academy
92. Des Moines -- Ian Keserich, G, Cleveland Jr. Barons
93. Cedar Rapids -- Michael Arcieri, F, NY Apple Core
94. River City -- Brad Cooper, F, Dallas Midget AAA
95. Danville -- Brett Beauchamp, D, Soo Indians
96. Sioux City -- Chris Minella, F, Pittsburgh Hornets
97. Topeka -- Eric Dahlberg, D, Duluth East
98. Waterloo -- Zach Bearson, F, Team Illinois
99. Sioux Falls -- Jeff Beck, F, Stillwater HS
100. Chicago -- Olegs Koreskovs, F, Stalkers Latvian Elite
101. Des Moines -- Brian Boulay, D, Merrimack College
102. Cedar Rapids -- Matthew Thibodeau, F, St. Jerome Panthers
103. River City -- Tim Miller, F, Compuware Midget
104. Danville -- Mike Beck, D, LA Kings Midget AAA
105. Sioux City -- Dustin Mercado, D, White Bear Lake
106. Topeka -- Chase Cosens, G, Belle Tire
107. Sioux Falls -- Kasey Moreland, G, Grand Forks Central
108. Chicago -- Andrejs Savicevs, F, Stalkers Latvian Elite
111. River City -- Ryan Helgason, F, Fairbanks Ice Dogs
112. Danville -- John Murray, G, Philadelphia Jr. Flyers
113. Sioux City -- Justin King, F, Michigan Ice Dogs Midget AAA
114. Sioux Falls -- Bill Menozzi, D, Central Texas
115. River City -- David Sloane, D, Choate
116. River City -- Tom Zabkowicz, D, Culver Academy
117. Green Bay -- Tony Selvog, F, Warroad
118. Sioux Falls -- Ben Homstrom, F, Pike's Peak
119. Chicago -- Rob Bellamy, F, Berkshire
120. Tri-City -- Jace Buzek, F, Pittsburgh Forge
121. Des Moines -- Ryan Ward, F, Little Caesar's
122. Cedar Rapids -- Matt Shepke, F, HoneyBaked Midget AAA
123. River City -- Chris Mueller, F, Nichols School
124. Danville -- Pat Gallivan, F, Team Illinois
125. Sioux City -- Jack Skille, F, Team Wisconsin
126. Topeka -- Joey Vitale, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues
127. Waterloo -- Drew Heredia, F, Team Illinois
128. Lincoln -- Sydney Crosby, F, Shattuck-St. Mary's
129. Green Bay -- Mike Taylor, F, Holy Angels
130. Sioux Falls -- Ryan Turek, D, HoneyBaked Midget AAA
131. Chicago -- Kevin Roeder, D, Team Illinois
132. Tri-City -- Brandon Svendson, F, Roseville HS
133. Des Moines -- Clayton Rehm, D, Bozeman Ice Dogs
134. Cedar Rapids -- Billy Loupee, Detroit Hockey Club Midget AAA
135. River City -- Casey Borer, D, NTDP
136. Danville -- Steve Bandurski, F, Compuware Midget AAA
137. Sioux City -- Paul Solberg, D/F, Osseo HS
138. Topeka -- Sean Sutphen, F, Columbus Jr. Blues
139. Waterloo -- Eric Sargent, F, Pittsburgh Forge
140. Lincoln -- Jimmy Russo, F, Cushing Academy
141. Green Bay -- Cory Schneider, G, Phillips Andover
142. Sioux Falls -- Kent Bostrom, F, Mounds View
143. Chicago -- Dale Michonski, F, Chicago Mission
144. Tri-City -- Fred Dirkes, D, Westminster HS
145. Des Moines -- Ryan Raven, F, Bozeman Ice Dogs
146. Cedar Rapids -- Dan Ramirez, G, Walpole Stars
147. River City -- Josh Meyer, D, Int. Falls/Bozeman Ice Dogs
148. Danville -- Tony Wiseman, D, Compuware
149. Sioux City -- Louis Liotti, D, NY Apple Core
150. Topeka -- Kyle Rickermann, D, St. Louis Midget AAA
151. Waterloo -- Will Carpenter, D, Michigan Ice Dogs Midget AAA
152. Lincoln -- Nick Biondo, F, Cleveland Barons
153. Green Bay -- Paul Dufault, F, Walpole Stars
154. Sioux Falls -- Anthony Ciraulo, F, Cap Center
155. Chicago -- Andrew Harrison, F, Soo North Stars
156. Tri-City -- Brett Gorman, F, Kootenay Colts
157. Des Moines -- Brent Vesta, D, Shanley HS
158. Cedar Rapids -- Ben Caldwell, D, San Jose Midget AA
159. River City -- Sean O'Connner, F, Little Caesar's
160. Danville -- Dan Peace, F, Compuware
161. Sioux City -- Bobby Cahill, F, Motor City Chiefs
162. Topeka -- Thomas Fourtenay, F, St. Louis Jr. Blues
163. Waterloo -- Greg Flynn, D, Centennial HS
164. Lincoln -- Pat Watson, G, Pomfret School
165. Green Bay -- Jacques Lamoureux, F, Grand Forks
166. Sioux Falls -- Marc Menzione, F, Chicago Young Americans
167. Chicago -- Zach Harbour, F, Shattuck-St. Mary's
168. Tri-City --Blake Friesen, D, Benilde-St. Margaret's
169. Des Moines -- Derek Danowski, F, Belle Tire
