Unice Heads to O
8/3/07
US NTDP goaltender Josh Unice, a Bowling Green recruit for this fall, has bolted for the OHL, having just signed with the Kitchener Rangers.
Unice, a 6/24/89 DOB who was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the third round -- #86 overall -- of this June's NHL draft, has played in the National Team Development Program for the last two years.
A native of Toledo, Ohio, right up the road from Bowling Green, Unice committed to the Falcons in the fall of '05, shortly after joining the Under-17 Team.
Unice is currently at the USA Hockey National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, NY.
8/31/07
Dolesh Interim Head Coach at St. Mark’s
Former Dartmouth defenseman Scott Dolesh, who’s been an assistant at the Southborough, Mass. prep school for the last six years, has been hired as interim head hockey coach for the upcoming season.Dolesh, 33, a Michigan native who also teaches math, takes over for Brian Grady, who left over the summer to accept the head coaching job at Morrisville State College.
In addition, St. Mark’s has a new assistant in Shawn Reid, a Lakeville, Minn. native who played college hockey for the Gustavus Adolphus Golden Gusties. After graduation, Reid worked for the Minnesota Wild for five years, in season ticket sales and with youth hockey associations. For the last five years, he has been in admissions at his alma mater while also serving as an assistant to the Gustavus Adolphus women’s team. Reid will also work in admissions at St. Mark’s.
8/30/07 Goggin to Big Green
6’1”, 177 lb. Choate Rosemary Hall RD Connor Goggin has committed to Dartmouth for the fall of ’09.
A 12/28/88 birthdate from Glen Ellyn, Illinois, Goggin will be a senior – and team captain -- at Choate this season. He will then take a year and play juniors in the US or Europe before matriculating at Dartmouth. Depending on numbers, there’s a chance Goggin could wind up in Hanover in the fall of ’08.
Goggin, who played AA hockey in Illinois as well as baseball, converted from forward to D when he arrived at Choate as a sophomore. An offensive defenseman, he tied UNH recruit Greg Manz as the second leading scorer at Choate last season with a 6-24-30 line in 24 games. Goggin’s younger brother, Mark, a forward, led the Wild Boars in scoring with 35 points.
“Connor is one of the best athletes I’ve ever coached,” said Choate coach Patrick Dennehy. “He’s built like Lance Armstrong. He has great endurance. He plays with an edge. And he can take it end to end. He’s dynamic and his upside is huge. He’s just starting to hit his stride, which bodes well for Dartmouth.”
Other schools in the hunt for Goggin were Colgate, Middlebury, and Holy Cross, all of whom wanted him next year. Harvard was considering him for ’09.
***
Goggin’s father, Mark, played hockey at Dartmouth in the early ‘80s, where he was a teammate and roommate of current UNH assistant Scott Borek. And here’s another connection: before matriculating at Dartmouth, the elder Goggin played for Bill Dennehy, Pat Dennehy’s father, at Exeter.
Goggin’s mother, Sally, was also an athlete at Dartmouth, playing field hockey and lacrosse.
With Connor committed, attention swings to his younger brother, Mark, a 5'11", 172 lb. forward and '90 birthdate. Mark, who was on the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that returned from the Czech Republic ten days ago, will be a junior at Choate this fall.
Mark visited Miami-Ohio this past week. BU and UNH are the two other major players for Goggin. However, given the family legacy and the fact that the two brothers enjoy being teammates, Dartmouth has to be considered in the picture as well.
8/27/07
Colborne Stays in the West
6’3”, 175 lb. Camrose Kodiaks (AJHL) LW Joey Colborne has committed to Denver for the fall of ’08.
A Calgary native and a 1/30/90 birthdate, Colborne played on Alberta’s Under-17 Team last winter, and was arguably the top remaining prospect for ’08.
Colborne is a big, tall, rangy kid with excellent hands and great instincts around the net – plus a strong work ethic. Boston College was on him hard, as he’s a manchild who would have brought to the Eagles the same qualities Brian Boyle did over his BC career. It was felt that there was a good chance he’d come east as his sister, Melissa, the Ivy rookie of the year in women’s basketball last winter, attends Yale. Colborne, whose father is a successful oil man, is a strong student as well.
In addition to Boston College and Denver, Colborne visited Ohio State. Needless to say, many other schools were interested.
***
Who’s the best of the rest for ’08? The consensus pick, as the season gets underway, is Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL) right-shot center Derek Lee, who’s an excellent puck distributor, the kind of pivot who makes everyone around him look like world beaters. Lee, who’s 5’9”, 150 lbs., is a 3/23/90 birthdate who played on last winter’s BC Under-17 Team.
The schools in the hunt for Lee include Michigan, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Boston University.
***
5’9”, 165 lb. Holy Angels RC Danny Mattson has committed to the University of North Dakota for either ’09 or ’10.
Mattson, who was a sophomore last season, posted a 19-49-68 line in 28 games. An 11/20/90 birthdate, he was on the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that finished in fifth place a week ago Saturday at the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in the Czech Republic.
Minnesota and Wisconsin were the other two schools in the hunt for Mattson.
8/25/07
Czechs Top U.S. Under-17s; Take Gold
The Czech Republic topped the U.S. Under-17 Select Team, 7-2, in the gold medal game at the 2007 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Strakonice, Czech Republic yesterday.
The Czech Republic outshot the U.S., 37-20. Matthew Skoff (14/10) and Brandon Maxwell (23/20) split duties in the U.S. net, each playing roughly 30 minutes.
Steven Whitney and Josh Birkholz scored the U.S. goals. Kyle Beattie, Ryan Walters, and defenseman Brad Walch each picked up one assist.
Whitney, who led the U.S. scorers here with a 4-3-7 line, was named the U.S. Player of the Game. Walch was named to the All-Tournament Team.
“Obviously it was unfortunate to lose tonight, but we had a great tournament,” said Jon Cooper, U.S. head coach. “The most rewarding thing was that we definitely got better every game and the players progressed throughout the course of the tournament. I’m very proud of our team.”
Scoring By Period
First Period – Scoring: 1, CZE, Kapec (Nestrastil), 3:33 (pp); 2, CZE Honejsek (Ruzicka, Smid), 19:24 (pp). Penalties: USA, Smith (hooking), 2:22; USA, Oliver (tripping), 12:21; CZE, Team (too many players), 15:36; USA, Furlong (elbowing), 18:36.
Second Period – Scoring: 3, CZE, Hlinka (Mikulastik), 3:44; 4, USA, Whitney (Beattie, Walters), 4:53; 5, CZE, Hlinka (Soudek), 9:10. Penalties: CZE, Jerabek (hooking), :33; USA, Birkholz (slashing), :59; USA, Walters (hooking), 7:05; CZE, Sedlak (holding), 9:16; USA, Smith (interference), 14:44.
Third Period – Scoring: 6, Honejsek (unassisted), 3:35; 7, USA, Birkholz (Walch), 6:52; 8, Honejsek (Plat), 8:24; 9, CZE, Honejsek (Plat), 10:36. Penalties: CZE, Mikulastik (holding), 4:05; USA, Ramage (high-sticking), 10:27; USA, Furlong (holding), 10:47; USA, Oliver (charging), 12:33; CZE, Hlinka (roughing), 13:25; USA, Sitterley (slashing), 17: 09; CZE, Nestrasil (interference), 18:58.
Shots By Period 1 2 3 Total
USA 5 8 7 20
CZE 7 13 17 37
Goaltending (SH-SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Skoff 29:10 7-5 7-5 x-x 14-10
USA, Maxwell 30:50 x-x 6-6 17-14 23-20
CZE, Novotny 60:00 5-5 8-7 7-6 20-18
Power Play: USA 0-6; CZE 2-10
Penalties: USA 10-20; CZE 6-12
8/24/07
The Latest to Go Major Junior
Phillips Exeter 6’1” RD Paul Dimitruk, who would have been an 11th grader this season at Phillips Exeter Academy, has gone major junior instead, joining the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL). Dimitruk, a ’90 birthdate from Andover, Mass., was drafted by Moncton in the 7th round of June’s QMJHL draft. Let us try to word this kindly: he's not what you would call a high-end prospect. However, he made his major junior debut in last night’s exhibition game vs. the Saint John’s Sea Dogs. Dimitruk picked up an assist in the game, won by Moncton, 6-5, in a shootout.
Pretty rare for Exeter kids to go major junior, but there you have it. Dimitruk was doing fine academically.
***
We mentioned last week that it looked like 5’9” Tyler Murovich, a fall ’08 Western Michigan recruit playing for the Chicago Steel (USHL), would be going major junior with the Saginaw Spirit (OHL).
That is now confirmed. Stephen Colbert’s favorite major junior franchise has signed the Pittsburgh native as a free agent. And it also brings the number of Western Michigan recruits to have jumped to OHL to two, as defenseman Josh Bemis signed with Plymouth earlier this month.
8/24/07
Tim Taylor to National Program
Former Yale University and U.S. Olympic Team head coach Tim Taylor has been hired as an assistant coach on the staff of U.S. Under-18 Team head coach John Hynes.
Taylor, who will be arriving in Ann Arbor in about a week, will be taking the position vacated by Patrick Foley, who is now an assistant at Harvard, Taylor’s alma mater.
Over the past two seasons, Taylor worked briefly as a volunteer assistant at UNH, and then joined the New Jersey Devils as a scout.
“He’s a great teacher of the game,” said Hynes. “That’s his true passion. And that’s why he’s coming here.”
“The players will benefit and so will the staff.”
***
“They were a fun group to coach,” he said. “Very competitive, but very team-oriented. I’d see them all going to the cafeteria together… kids from different situations sitting together. There is a great work ethic and great character on this team.”
This, of course, is welcome news, as a number of U.S. National Junior Teams of recent vintage were hurt by selfishness, and bad blood between certain players.
Asked if there were any weaknesses that concern him, Hynes said, “I don’t think so. At camp a lot of guys put themselves in a good situation. The way I look at it right now is that we have to do a very good job this fall in our scouting. We have to see who is playing the way they can play, who is at the top of their game.”
8/23/07
’92 Tiefenwerth Commits on the Spot
5’8”, 135 lb. Kevin Tiefenwerth, a highly-skilled, crafty, left-shot center from the Mid-Fairfield Blues ‘92s, has committed to Boston College for either ’10 or ’11.
A native of North Bellmore, NY, on Long Island, Tiefenwerth was all set to follow up his visit to BC with visits to BU and UNH, but something about the Heights caught his fancy and he gave his thumbs up right on the spot -- and cancelled the next two stops on his tour.
If his development continues strongly, Tiefenwerth could be a Ryan Shannon type for the Eagles. That’s a high standard to shoot for, but Tiefenwerth does show some of the same highly refined offensive instincts Shannon exhibited at the same age. An excellent roller hockey player, Tiefenwerth frequently bounces back and forth between ice skates and roller blades, even on the same day.
Tiefenwerth had a 2-4-6 line in five games at the Select 15 Festival in St. Cloud earlier this month, where BC coach Jerry York was able to see him. Tiefenwerth and ’92 defenseman Jonathon Merrill were chosen by USA Hockey to be the two U.S. representatives at the IIHF Development Camp in Vierumaki, Finland, earlier this summer.
Tiefenwerth will play again this winter for Mid-Fairfield – and also for his Long Island high school – and in ’08-09 looks like a good bet for the National Team Development Program.
Tiefenwerth is the first ’92 to commit to a Hockey East school. Three ’92s have already committed to CCHA schools: Merrill (Michigan), and forwards Alex Lippincott (Ohio State) and Jared Knight (Michigan).
***
The next ’92 to commit in the east could be 6’1”, 190 lb. Kevin Clare, a smooth-skating defenseman with good size from New Rochelle, NY. Clare, who played for the New Jersey Avalanche last season and will be joining the Jersey Hitmen (EJHL) this season, visited the same three schools as Tiefenwerth this week, starting at UNH and then visiting BU and BC yesterday. No commitment from Clare yet, though. The defenseman may also visit a couple of western schools – possibly Notre Dame and Michigan.
8/22/07
The USHL: State by State
It’s interesting stuff, and highlights further the changing demographics of the game, in particular the explosion of high-end talent coming from California. Also of interest is the fact that Illinois has moved past Michigan for the #2 spot.
It’s no surprise that Minnesota is again #1. The number of players they supply the league would be even greater but for the fact that Minnesota high school hockey remains compelling, particularly with the presence of the fall elite league. The numbers from the Northeast states would be higher, too, but a number of players stay home, opting for prep school or the EJHL.
States conspicuous by their absence: New Hampshire and Rhode Island. The Granite State has a few players on the NH Jr. Monarchs who would do just fine in the USHL. The Ocean State is another matter. There was a time when a pipeline of talent existed in Rhode Island – not just quantity, but quality. That era, though, is long gone.
Here are the top 10 states. Next to each, we put the numbers drawn from the current 25-man rosters followed by last season's, and then, in parentheses, the difference.
Minnesota 56/55 (-1); Illinois 32/27 (+5); Michigan 29/39 (-10); California 22/8 (+14); Wisconsin 20/23 (-3); New York 18/19 (-1); Pennsylvania 13/11 (+2); Massachusetts 12/9 (+3); Ohio 9/9 (no change); and Colorado 8/3 (+5).
The remaining states are: North Dakota 6/8; Alaska 4/3; Connecticut 4/2; Florida 4/4; Indiana 4/3; Missouri 4/5; Texas 4/2; Nebraska 3/1; Georgia 2/1; Iowa 2/5; New Jersey 2/5; Oklahoma 2/0; Virginia 2/3; Arizona 1/0; Kentucky 1/0; Maine 1/0; Maryland 1/0; Oregon 1/0; South Dakota 1/0; Vermont 1/0; Washington 1/2; District of Columbia 1/0; and West Virginia 1/0.
8/22/07
Whitney Leads Under-17s Past Switzerland
Lawrence Academy forward Steven Whitney had a three-point day (2g,1a) to lead the U.S. Under-17 Select Team to a 6-1 win over Switzerland today at the 2007 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Strakonice, Czech Republic.
With the win, the U.S. moved to 3-0-0. Their next game is on Friday, when they will face off against the Czech Republic in the first place game.
The U.S. outshot Switzerland, 44-24. Brandon Maxwell stopped 23 of 24 shots for the win.
Eden Prairie HS defenseman Nick Leddy, who had a goal and an assist, was named the U.S. player of the game.
Whitney leads the U.S. in scoring at the tournament with a 3-3-6 line. One of his goals today came on a 5-on-3 power play goal. The U.S. scored one goal in the first, three in the second, and two in the third.
The U.S. scoring: Whitney (2g,1a), Leddy (1g,1a), Kyle Beattie (2a), Ryan Walters (1g), Zach Budish (1g), Kit Sitterley (1g), Brad Walch (1a), Brad Smith (1a), Jared Maetche (1a), and John Ramage (1a).
Scoring By Period
USA 1-3-2 -- 6
SUI 0-0-1 -- 1
First Period – Scoring: 1, USA, Leddy (Walch, Whitney), 18:04. Penalties: USA, Furlong (roughing), 1: 44; SUI, Brem (interference), 2:20; SUI, Roeffel (tripping), 4: 10; SUI, Team (too many players), 10:04; SUI, Boss (hooking), 14:18; USA, Beattie (slashing), 15:40; SUI, Schlumps (hooking), 16:00; USA, McDermott (charging), 16:40; SUI, Herren (holding), 17:24; SUI, Berger (hooking), 19:31.
Second Period – Scoring: 2, USA, Whitney (Beattie), 6:43 (5x3 pp); 3, USA, Walters (Smith), 9: 54; 4, Budish (Leddy), 16:31. Penalties: SUI, Untersander (roughing), 4:50; USA, Walters (roughing), 4:50; SUI, Brem (roughing), 4:50; SUI, Scherwey (tripping), 4:50; USA, Sitterley (roughing), 17:28.
Third Period – Scoring: 5, SUI, Brem (Engler), 1:52; 6, USA, Sitterley (Maetche, Ramage), 12:11 (pp); 7, USA, Whitney (Beattie), 17:10. Penalties: USA, Walters (hooking), 1:46; USA, Budish (tripping), 8:07; USA, Phillips (slashing), 9:22; USA, Phillips (misconduct), 9:22; SUI, Zubler (hooking), 12:00; USA, Furlong (delay of game), 14:48; SUI, Antonietti (slashing), 17:45; SUI, Camperchioli (delay of game), 19:21; USA, Brickler (delay of game), 19:30.
Shots By Period 1 2 3 Total
USA 12 21 11 44
SUI 5 10 9 24
Goaltending (SH-SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Maxwell 60:00 5-5 10-10 9-8 24-23
SUI, Trub 60:00 12-11 21-18 11-9 44-38
Power Play: USA 2-12; SUI 0-9
Penalties: USA 11-30; SUI 13-26
8/21/07
Walters Lifts Under-17s in OT
A Ryan Walters powerplay goal 1:13 into overtime gave the U.S. Under-17 Select Team a 3-2 win over Slovakia yesterday in the opening game of the 2007 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Pribram, Czech Republic.
Goaltender Brandon Maxwell came up big, kicking out 35 of 37 shots, including 18 of 19 in the third period.
After Slovakia took an early 1-0 lead, Zach Budish scored on a breakaway to give the U.S. a 1-0 lead.
The U.S. went up 2-1 when Josh Birkholz converted a Brad Smith pass, firing one home from the hash marks at the 8:40 mark.
Slovakia tied it up when Philip Janosik scored his second goal of the game at the 6:09 mark of the third.
The U.S won it when a shot from the blue line by defenseman Paul Phillips rebounded to Walters, who tapped it into the open net.
The US outshot Slovakia, 40-37.
Notes:
The players on the squad were chosed from USA Hockey’s Select 16 Camp (’91 birthdates), held in Rochester, NY June 23-29.
The squad’s head coach is Jon Cooper, the head coach of the NAHL champion St. Louis Bandits. Assisting him is Yale University assistant coach Kyle Wallack.
Roster, schedule, and box score are below.
Scoring By Period
USA 1-1-0-1 -- 3
SVK 1-0-1-0 -- 2
First Period – Scoring: 1, SVK, Janosik (Bortnak, Sanyi), 2:39; 2, USA, Budish (unassisted), 2: 56. Penalties: SVK, Pinka (slashing), 3:34; SVK, Hrasko (hooking), 6:33; USA, Whitney (slashing), 7:21; USA, Budish (hooking), 8:25; USA, Phillips (roughing), 12:36; USA, Schmidt (kneeing), 13:41; SVK, Vandas (charging), 15:10; USA, Sitterley (roughing), 18:05.
Second Period – Scoring: 3, USA, Birkholz (Smith), 8:40. Penalties: USA, Leddy (holding), :16; SVK, Bortnak (slashing), 1:54; SVK, Poticny (interference), 4: 15; USA, Ramage (tripping), 7:01; SVK, Kudrna (holding), 8:12; USA, McDermott (holding), 9:58; SVK, Stano (interference), 14: 45; USA, Murphy (slashing), 17:46; SVK, Vandas (high-sticking), 18:22; USA, Furlong (holding), 19:49.
Third Period – Scoring: 4, SVK, Janosik (Hrasko, Jasko), 6:09 (pp). Penalties: USA, McDermott (charging), 4:29; USA, Smith (hooking), 16:26; USA, Furlong (delay of game), 17:54; SVK, 19:37.
Overtime Period – Scoring: 5, USA, Walters (Phillips), 1:13 (pp). Penalties: None.
Shots By Period 1 2 3 OT Total
USA 14 13 10 3 40
SVK 6 12 19 0 37
Goaltending (SH-SV) 1 2 3 OT Total
USA, Maxwell 61:13 6-5 12-12 19-18 0-0 37-35
SVK, Holly 61:13 14-13 13-12 10-10 3-2 40-37
Power Play: USA 1-9; SVK 1-13
Penalties: USA 13-26; SVK 9-18
2007 U.S. Under-17 Select Team
Goaltenders (2): Brandon Maxwell (Cambridge Hawks Midgets); Matthew Skoff (Pittsburgh Hornets Midgets).
Defensemen (7): Dan Furlong (Catholic Memorial HS); Nick Leddy (Eden Prairie HS); Eamonn McDermott (Cleveland Barons Midgets); Paul Phillips (Chicago Chill Midgets); John Ramage (St. Louis Amateur Blues Midgets); Nate Schmidt (St. Cloud Cathedral HS); Brad Walch (Honeybaked Midgets).
Forwards (12): Kyle Beattie (PF Chang’s Midgets); Josh Birkholz (The Blake School); Zach Budish (Edina HS); Dakota Eveland (LA Selects Midgets); Jared Maetche (St. Cloud Tech); Cody Murphy (Team Illinois Midgets); Nick Oliver (Roseau HS); Kit Sitterley (Culver Academy); Brad Smith (Belle Tire Midgets); Garrett Taylor (LA Selects Midgets); Ryan Walters (St. Thomas Academy); Steven Whitney (Lawrence Academy)
U.S. Schedule:
Mon. Aug. 20 – USA vs. Slovakia (Pribram, Czech Republic), 4:00 pm local time
Tues. Aug. 21 – USA vs. Germany (Strakonice, Czech Republic), 6:00 pm local time
Wed. Aug. 22 – USA vs. Switzerland (Strakonice, Czech Republic), 6:00 pm local time
Fri. Aug. 24 – USA vs. Czech Republic (Strakonice, Czech Republic), 6:00 pm local time
8/21/07
Seeing Double at Clarkson
Brothers Matt and Joe Zarbo, both forwards from Grand Island, NY, outside of Buffalo, have committed to Clarkson.Matt, a 5/7/90 birthdate, is a hard-working left wing who played for the Boston Junior Bruins (EJHL) last season, posting a 2-16-18 line in 36 games played. He's 6’1”, 175 lbs. and will arrive in Potsdam in either ’08 and ’09. A third-round pick of Brampton in the 2006 OHL draft, the older Zarbo is eligible for next June’s NHL draft.
His younger brother, Joe, a 8/10/91 birthdate, has more offensive upside. A 6’0”, 170 lb. left wing, Zarbo played last year for St. Francis HS in Buffalo, NY, which is in the Midwest Prep Hockey League. In 42 games, Zarbo had a 32-18-50 line. Zarbo, who will be an 11th grader in the upcoming season, was drafted by the Niagara IceDogs in the sixth round of May’s OHL draft. Joe is expected at Clarkson in either ’09 or ’10.
The two brothers will be teammates on the Boston Junior Bruins (EJHL) this season.
***
A Name to Live Up To
Andy Bathgate, a '91 left shot center from Brampton, Ontario and the grandson of NHL Hall of Famer of the same name, has committed to Northeastern for the fall of '09.
Bathgate, who played for the Brampton Minor Midgets last season and will move on to the Provincial League this season with Georgetown, is, like his grandfather, a creative playmaker who can skate. He's skinny right now, but has a couple of years to fill out and gain strength.
8/21/07
Walters’ Pair Leads Under-17s Past Germany
Two Ryan Walters power play goals – both in the first period – got the U.S. Under-17 Select Team started off on the right foot, and they held on for a 3-2 win over Germany today at the 2007 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament in Strakonice, Czech Republic.
After Germany scored on a penalty shot at 9:49 of the second to cut the U.S. lead to 2-1, the U.S. went on the power play and Steven Whitney scored what would turn out to be the game-winner, one-timing a pass from defenseman Dan Furlong past German goaltender Niklas Treutle at the 14:38 mark.
The U.S. outshot Germany, 52-25. Matthew Skoff stopped 23 of 25 shots for the win. Treutle was a hard-luck loser, kicking out 49 of 52.
The U.S., now 2-0-0, meets Switzerland tomorrow. Walters (3-0-3), from St. Thomas Academy, and Whitney (1-2-3), from Lawrence Academy, are leading the U.S. scorers here.
Scoring By Period
USA 2-1-0 -- 3
GER 0-2-0 -- 2
First Period – Scoring: 1, USA, Walters (Whitney, Beattie), 5:43 (pp); 2, USA, Walters (Beattie, Whitney), 13:45 (pp). Penalties: GER, Pfennings (tripping), 4:34; USA, Birkholz (charging), 6:39; GER, Eichinger (slashing), 13:03; USA, Ramage (interference), 14:09; USA, Sitterley (hooking), 16:35.
Second Period – Scoring: 3, GER, Ohmann (unassisted), 9:49 (ps); 4, USA, Whitney (Furlong, Leddy), 14:38 (pp); 5, GER, Bogner (Eichinger, Hauner), 16:41; Penalties: GER, Bogner (cross-checking), 3:56; USA, Furlong (hooking), 8:27; GER, Weber (hooking), 11:26; GER, Ohmann (kneeing), 13:48; USA, Schmidt (interference), 16:35; GER, Hauner (slashing), 17:01.
Third Period – Scoring: None. Penalties: GER, Ohmann (interference), 8:28; USA, Birkholz (high-sticking), 11:23; USA, Budish (hooking), 18:41.
Shots By Period 1 2 3 Total
USA 17 22 13 52
GER 6 11 8 25
Goaltending (SH-SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Skoff 60:00 6-6 11-9 8-8 25-23
GER, Treutle 58:41 17-15 22-21 13-13 52-49
Power Play: USA 3-7; GER 0-7
Penalties: USA 7-14; GER 7-14
8/19/07
Shootout Win Lifts U.S. to Fifth-Place Finish
A shootout goal from Wisconsin recruit Jordy Murray gave the U.S. Under-18 Select Team a 6-5 win in yesterday’s fifth place game at the 2007 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in Hodonin, Czech Republic.U.S. goaltender Brady Hjelle stopped all three shots he faced in the shootout. Czech goaltender Jakub Sedlacek stopped Philip McRae and Nate Dewhurst before Murray’s glove side wrist shot found the back of the net.
The U.S. trailed the game 5-4 entering the third period, but a shorthanded goal by Craig Kitto at the 1:14 mark tied the game at 5-5, and that’s where things remained through the third and a 4-on-4 five-minute overtime period.
Not counting the shootout goal, the U.S. point contributors were A.J. Jenks (1g,1a), Aaron Ness (2a), Tim Hall (2a), Murray (2a), McRae (1g), David Warsofsky (1g), Mark Goggin (1g), Kitto (1g), Danny Mattson (1a), and John Carlson (1a).
Aaron Crandall stopped 10 of the 14 shots he faced but was replaced when the Czech Republic went up 4-2 with 3:43 remaining in the first. Hjelle took over and stopped 24 of 25 the rest of the way.
The Czech Republic outshot the U.S. 39-30 in the game.
Scoring By Period
USA 3-1-1-0-1 -- 6
CZE 4-1-0-0-0 -- 5
First Period – Scoring: 1, CZE, Dolezal (Cesnak), 2:59; 2, USA, McRae (Carlson, Ness), 6:27 (pp); 3, CZE, Jezek (Stritasky, Stransky), 7:10; 4, CZE, Stritasky (Kania), 9:32, (4x3 pp); 5, USA, Warsofsky (Hall, Ness), 12:52; 6, CZE, Tornan (Kania), 16:17; 7, USA, Jenks (Mattson, Murray), 19:33. Penalties: CZE, Stoklasa (boarding), : 22; USA, Youso (charging), 3:39; CZE, Kania (holding the stick), 5:51; CZE, Rutta (tripping), 7:53; USA, Dewhurst (slashing), 8:08; USA, Myers (hooking), 9:11; USA, Murray (charging), 10:32; CZE, Klement (roughing), 10:32; USA, Kitto (slashing), 14:44.
Second Period – Scoring: 8, USA, Goggin (Murray, Jenks), 3:25; 9, CZE, Dolezal (Muzik, Tomacek). Penalties: CZE, Tomacek (interference), 1:45; CZE, Tornan (hooking), 3:48; CZE, Jezek (delay of game), 5:20; USA, Dewhurst (slashing), 10:20; USA, Gardiner (delay of game), 11: 59; USA, Myers (charging), 12:49; CZE, Haffenrichter (holding), 17:29; USA, Murray (charging), 19:45.
Third Period – Scoring: 10, USA, Kitto (Hall), 1:14 (sh). Penalties: USA, Cichy (hooking), 4:30; USA, Myers (roughing), 6:09; CZE, Stritesky (interference), 8: 05; USA, Jenks (delay of game), 10:26; USA, Jenks (charging), 14:23; CZE, Kousal (interference), 14:45.
OT Period – Scoring: None. Penalties: None.
GWS – Round 1: CZE, Stransky (saved); USA, McRae (saved); CZE, Novotny (saved); USA, Dewhurst (saved); CZE, Kovar (saved); USA, Murray (goal).
Shots By Period 1 2 3 OT GWS Total
USA 9 11 9 1 1 30
CZE 15 8 13 3 0 39
Goaltending (SH-SV) 1 2 3 OT GWS Total
USA, Crandall 16:17 14-10 x-x x-x x-x x-x 14-10
USA, Hjelle 48:43 1-1 8-7 13-13 3-3 0-0 25-24
CZE, Sedlacek 65:00 9-6 11-10 9-8 1-1 1-1 30-25
Power Play: USA 1-9; CZE 1-12
Penalties: USA 13-26; CZE 10-20
8/19/07
Cornell’s Milo Transferring
Milo was a two-sport athlete as a freshman last season at Cornell. A 5’8” forward who prepped at Shattuck-St. Mary’s and in the USHL for Sioux Falls, Indiana, and Lincoln, Milo played 24 games and posted a 3-1-4 line as a freshman on the Big Red hockey team. On the diamond, he was named a First Team All-Ivy League DH as well as Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America after batting .426 (second in the Ivy League) with 10 doubles, two triples, two home runs and 12 RBI. He had a .754 slugging percentage.
As for hockey, the Big Red are bringing in five freshman forwards for the upcoming season, which left Milo with no spot on the team. After being dropped in the off-season, Milo’s name appeared on the Lincoln Stars’ (USHL) protected list earlier this summer.
However, instead of going to the USHL or back to Cornell to just play baseball, Milo has decided to transfer immediately to Vermont, where he will have to sit out a year before playing hockey. He will, however, be able to play baseball immediately, as in that sport, much like women’s college hockey, transfers do not have to sit out a year.
Milo, it should be noted, will certainly not be the first baseball/hockey player at Vermont. In the early ‘80s, Kirk McCaskill starred for both the hockey team – he was a runner-up to Neal Broten for the inaugural Hobey Baker Award in 1981—and the baseball team. McCaskill, a California Angels and Winnipeg Jets draft pick, played a year in the AHL before dropping pro hockey for baseball. A righthanded pitcher from Kapuskasing, Ont., McCaskill pitched in the majors for 12 years.
8/17/07
News from Around
5’11”, 178 lb. defenseman Keir Ross of the Omaha Lancers (USHL) has committed to Cornell University for the fall of ’08. Ross, a 7/30/89 birthdate from McKinney, Texas, played for the Dallas Stars Midget AAA program before heading to Omaha last season.
Ross had offers from Dartmouth and St. Lawrence for this fall, and Princeton for ’08. Other schools in the picture were Michigan Tech and Colorado College. Ross has a brother, Andrew, who is an ’87 goalie with the Boston Bulldogs (AJHL).
***
6’1”, 198 lb. LD Kyle Atkins of the Brockville Braves (COJHL) has committed to Holy Cross for the fall of ’08. Atkins, a native of Brockville, is a 5/11/98 birthdate. Last season, in 52 games, he posted a 4-24-28 line with 44 pims.
***
6’3”, 180 lb.Omaha Lancers (USHL) defenseman Adam Comrie, who would have been a top college prospect, is heading to the Saginaw Spirit (OHL). Comrie, who was traded from Ohio to Omaha last December, is currently at Saginaw’s training camp.
Another USHLer going major junior is 6’1” Chicago Steel defenseman Josh Bemis, a Clarkston, Michigan native. Bemis is headed to the Plymouth Whalers (OHL).His teammate, 5’9” forward Tyler Murovich, a fall ’08 Western Michigan recruit from Pittsburgh, PA, is considering heading to the O as well. Stay tuned on that one.
***
The U.S. College Hockey Advancement program run by Merrimack College head coach Mark Dennehy and Pomfret School head coach Bruce Wolanin starts this Sunday, August 19th, and runs through Wednesday the 22nd.
In addition to Dennehy and Wolanin, the coaching staff includes Willie Mitchell (UVM), Bob Prier (St. Lawrence), Dave Cataruzolo (Trinity), Len Quesnelle (UMass), Darren Yopyk (Merrimack), and Matt Dennehy (Colby).
There will be four full teams – two goalies, five defensemen, and ten forwards each – comprised primarily of prep players. The rosters and schedules can be found at:
8/17/07
Dewhurst Leads Under-18 Selects Past Slovakia
The U.S. Under-18 Select Team got two goals from Des Moines Buccaneers forward Nate Dewhurst, a Denver recruit, en route to a 5-3 win over Slovakia yesterday at the 2007 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia.
The U.S., which lost the first two games of the tournament – also by 5-3 scores – will face the Czech Republic tomorrow in the tournament’s fifth place game.
In addition to Dewhurst, U.S. goal scorers were Roseau High defenseman Aaron Ness (unassisted), Choate forward Mark Goggin, and Kelowna (WHL) defenseman Tyler Myers. Mike Cichy, Chris Wideman, Jake Gardiner, Philip McRae, and Craig Kitto each picked up an assist.
The U.S. outshot Slovakia, 27-19. Goaltender Brady Hjelle had 16 saves for the win.
USA 2-2-1 -- 5
SVK 0-1-2 -- 3
First Period – Scoring: 1, USA, Ness (unassisted), 7:19; 2, USA, Dewhurst (Cichy, Wideman), 17:11 (pp). Penalties: SVK, Richter (hooking), :15; USA, Hall (interference), 7:52; SVK, Sloboda (tripping), 8:10; USA, Jenks (charging), 14:00; SVK, Panik (interference), 15:14; USA, Cichy (charging), 17:11; USA, Gardiner (hooking), 18:19.
Second Period – Scoring: 3, SVK, Slimak (Hudacek), 6:27; 4, USA, Goggin (Gardiner), 8:04; 5, USA, Dewhurst (McRae), 16:57. Penalties: USA, Wideman (cross-checking), 8:47; USA, Hall (delay of game), 10:37; SVK, Tatar (tripping), 14:56; SVK, Balaska (charging), 18:30; SVK, Dulak (delay of game), 19:37; USA, Murray (slashing), 19:50.
Third Period – Scoring: 6, SVK, Lison (Viedensky), 1:56; 7, USA, Myers (Kitto), 4:45; 8, SVK, Lison (Uhnak, Viedensky), 17:24 (pp). Penalties: SVK, Tatar (tripping), 10:33; USA, Myers (head-butting), 12:10; USA, Myers (misconduct), 12:10; USA, Wideman (holding-stick), 15:17; USA, Murray (roughing), 17:15.
Shots By Period 1 2 3 Total
USA 9 9 9 27
SVK 5 8 6 19
Goaltending (SH-SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Hjelle 60:00 5-5 8-7 6-5 19-16
SVK, Ciliak 58:59 9-7 9-7 9-8 27-22
Power Play: USA 1-7; SVK 1-10
Penalties: USA 11-30; SVK 7-14
Motzko Reels in Big Fish
8/17/07
St. Cloud State head coach Bob Motzko has hired Mike Gibbons, who has a wealth of coaching experience at all levels, to take over for Fred Harbinson, who was recently named head coach of the Penticton Vees (BCHL).
For the past ten years, Gibbons, 52, has been head coach at Eastview High in Apple Valley, Minn., creating the program from scratch and getting them to the State Tournament in 2001. Gibbons was named Section 5 Coach of the Year three times.
Motzko and Gibbons, who have known each other since their youth, were assistants together under Frank Serratore at Denver in the early ‘90s. In addition to working at Denver, Gibbons has been an assistant at Northern Michigan (under Rick Comley) and Colorado College (under Don Lucia).
In 1994-95, Gibbons was head coach of the Langley Thunder (BCHL).
From ’95-97 Gibbons was an assistant to Walt Kyle on the Baltimore Bandts (AHL), an Anaheim affiliate. When Kyle got the job at Northern, he offered the assistant’s position there to Gibbons, but Gibbons, who'd already been an assistant at Northern once, didn’t want to move his family out of Minnesota.
When Kyle coached the 2006 U.S. National Junior Team, he hired Gibbons as an assistant.
Gibbons, an All-America defenseman and team captain at Bemidji State in the late ‘70s, got his first head coaching job at his alma mater when Bob Peters took a sabbatical in ’82-83. Gibbons' team went 30-6-1 and he wound up getting named Div. II/III Coach of the Year. This was also the Joel Otto era at Bemidji State and, in '83-84, the big center's senior season, the Beavers went 31-0-0.
8/16/07
Finland Tops U.S. Under-18 Selects, 5-3
The U.S. Under-18 Select Team took a quick 2-0 lead early in the first period but couldn’t hold it, allowing Finland to score three unanswered goals en route to a 5-3 win at the 2007 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia yesterday.
Philip McRae led the U.S. scorers with a pair of power play goals, each assisted by Roseau HS defenseman Aaron Ness. The other U.S. goal, an even-strength and unassisted tally, was scored by Tristan King (Portland – WHL).
McRae has figured in five of the six goals the U.S., now 0-2-0, has scored in the tournament. The London Knights (OHL) forward has three goals and two assists.
The U.S. outshot Finland, 28-23; U.S. goaltender Aaron Crandall kicked out 19 shots.
The U.S. plays Slovakia today.
Scoring By Period
USA 2-1-0 -- 3
FIN 1-2-2 -- 5
First Period – Scoring: 1, USA, McRae (Ness), 2:33 (pp); 2, USA, King (unassisted), 6:33; 3, FIN, Sointu (Rask), 13:18. Penalties: FIN, Kivisto (interference), 1: 22; USA, Myers (holding), 9:44; FIN, Kivisto (broken stick), 10: 09; FIN, Hietikko (cross-checking), 19:30.
Second Period – Scoring: 4, FIN, Eronen (Rajala), 5:38 (5x3 pp); 5, FIN, Hokka (Rask), 9:44; 6, USA, McRae (Ness), 19:21 (pp). Penalties: USA, Jenks (charging), 2:25; USA, Murray (boarding), 4:03; USA, Jenks (checking from behind), 4:33; USA, Jenks (misconduct), 4:33; FIN, Nakyva (holding), 10:54; FIN, Eronen (cross-checking), 11: 52; FIN, Eronen (interference), 18:50.
Third Period – Scoring: 7, FIN, Manelius (Blomqvist, Myttynen), 9:05 (pp); 8, FIN, Hartikainen (unassisted), 19:10 (en). Penalties: USA, Warsofsky (tripping), 8:45; USA, King (hooking), 12:04; USA, Myers (slashing), 14:15; FIN, Myttynen (slashing), 14:15; FIN, Nattinen (boarding), 16: 55; USA, Dewhurst (charging), 19:24; FIN, Stenroos (misconduct), 19:24.
Shots By Period 1 2 3 Total
USA 9 15 4 28
FIN 3 11 9 23
Goaltending (SH-SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Crandall 59:21 3-2 11-9 9-8 23-19
FIN, Sulkanen 60:00 9-7 15-14 4-4 28-25
Power Play: USA 2-7; FIN 2-7
Penalties: USA 9-26; FIN 9-26
8/15/07
U.S. Under-18 Select Team Bows to Russia, 5-3
The U.S. Under-18 Select Team fell behind Russia 3-0 early in the second period and couldn’t recover, eventually bowing, 5-3, in yesterday’s opener of the 2007 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia.
U.S. scoring came from Philip McRae (1g,2a), Mike Cichy (2a), Nate Dewhurst (1g), John Carlson (1g), Jordy Murray (1a), and Chris Wideman (1a).
Russia outshot the U.S. 33-28. Goaltender Brady Hjelle kicked out 28 shots.
Prior to the game, Murray was elected team captain. McRae and Carlson were named as alternates. The U.S. squad was selected from participants at last month’s Select 17 Festival, which was held in St. Cloud, Minn.
The U.S. players hail from 12 different states. Eight players hail from Minnesota. Michigan and Missouri each sent two. Nine other states sent one player apiece.
The head coach of the U.S. squad is Brown’s Roger Grillo. Assisting him is RPI head coach Seth Appert.
Today, the U.S. will face Finland.
Scoring By Period
USA 0-1-2 -- 3
RUS 2-1-2 -- 5
First Period – Scoring: 1, RUS, Grachev (Kulemin), 2:03; 2, RUS, Golovkov (Ostapchuk, Loktionov), 16:14 (pp). Penalties: RUS, Orlov (hooking), 2:55; RUS, Loktionov (interference), 3:58; USA, Warsofsky (hooking), 7:02; USA, Szydlowski (interference), 14:18; RUS, Biryukov (hooking), 17:21.
Second Period – Scoring: 3, RUS, Chernov (Voinov, Lazarev), 5:34 (pp); 4, USA, McRae (Murray, Wideman), 10:00 (5x3 pp). Penalties: USA, Jenks (tripping), 4: 33; RUS, Golovkov (hooking), 8:44; RUS, Kulikov (hooking), 9: 36; USA, Cichy (roughing), 11:45; USA, Cichy (roughing), 11:45; RUS, Chudinov (roughing), 11:45; RUS, Chudinov (roughing), 11: 45; USA, Jenks (boarding), 12:15; USA, Murray (elbowing) 14:29; USA, Carlson (charging), 15:32; RUS, Ostapchuk (charging), 19: 25.
Third Period – Scoring: 5, RUS, Chernov (Filatov), 6:25 (pp); 6, USA, Dewhurst (Cichy, McRae), 10:55 (pp); 7, RUS, Biryukov (unassisted), 18:08 (pp); 8, USA, Calrson (Cichy), 18:37. Penalties: RUS, Team (delay of game),: 00; RUS, Filatov (slashing),:31; USA, Warsofsky (slashing), 5: 33; RUS, Kugryshev (charging), 6:52; RUS, Voinov (slashing), 8: 03; RUS, Kugryshev (hooking), 9:19; USA, Hall (clipping), 11: 31; USA, Jenks (slashing), 16:27; RUS, Lazarev (roughing), 19: 58; USA, Carlson (roughing), 19:58; RUS, Kulikov (roughing), 19: 58; USA, Murray (roughing), 19:58.
Shots By Period 1 2 3 Total
USA 8 8 12 28
RUS 10 14 9 33
Goaltending (SH-SV) 1 2 3 Total
USA, Hjelle 59:05 10-8 14-13 9-7 33-28
RUS, Alistratov 60:00 8-8 8-7 12-10 28-25
Power Play: USA 2-11; RUS 4-9
Penalties: USA 13-26; RUS 15-30
2007 U.S. Under-18 Select Team:
Goaltenders (2): Aaron Crandall (St. Thomas Academy); Brady Hjelle (International Falls HS).
Defensemen (7): John Carlson (NJ Rockets – AJHL); Matt Donovan (Dallas Stars Midget AAA); Jake Gardiner (Minnetonka HS); Tyler Myers (Kelowna – WHL); Aaron Ness (Roseau HS); David Warsofsky (Cushing Academy); Chris Wideman (St. Louis Blues Midget AAA).
Forwards (12): Mike Cichy (Boston Junior Bruins – EJHL); Nate Dewhurst (Des Moines – USHL); Mark Goggin (Choate); Tim Hall (Ohio – USHL); A.J. Jenks (Plymouth – OHL); Tristan King (Portland – WHL); Craig Kitto (Washington Junior Nationals – AJHL); Danny Mattson (Holy Angels); Philip McRae (London – OHL); Jordy Murray (Shattuck-St. Mary’s); Shawn Szydlowski (Belle Tire Midget AAA); Jake Youso (International Falls HS).
The U.S. Schedule:
Yesterday – vs. Russia
Today – vs. Finland
Tomorrow – vs. Slovakia
Saturday – vs. TBD
8/15/07
Catching Up
We’re in the dog days of August, and the dead period for NCAA recruiting. We’re taking a break, which is why there’s been no news here for six days, and we hope all the NCAA assistants are enjoying some time away from the rinks as well. Those guys have a demanding job, what with the changes in the hockey landscape over the last 10-20 years – i.e. the incessant tournaments and tryout camps. It’s especially difficult for those who are married with children. We’ve seen a lot of good young assistants leave the game due to the demands of juggling hockey and family. This summer day, then, is a good time to tip our hat to the wives and children of the NCAA assistants. Without their forbearance a lot of college programs wouldn’t be enjoying the success they are.
Anyway, the dead period ends at the beginning of next week and, with that in mind, we should point out that the schedule and rosters for the Beantown Classic (Aug. 19-22) are posted at the tournament’s web site:
Schedule (All games are, as usual, at the New England Sports Center in Marlboro, Mass. except for the games of Tues. the 21st, which will be held at the Northstar Youth Forum in Northboro, Mass., just a few miles down the road.)
8/8/07
Getting Mello at Dartmouth
New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (EJHL) goaltender James Mello has committed to Dartmouth College for the fall of ’08.Mello’s accomplishments include leading the U.S. to a gold medal at the World Inline Championships in Budapest last summer. On ice, Mello led the Monarchs to the EJHL crown with back-to-back shutouts in a best-of-three title series, and then helped the Monarchs to the National Jr. A Tier III championship. In the playoffs he posted a 4-1-0 won-lost record to go with a 1.10 gaa and a .966 save percentage. During the regular season he posted a .921 save percentage, second in the EJHL to Maine recruit Scott Darling’s .925.
Mello, a June graduate of Bishop Brady HS, got the opportunity with the Monarchs last season when Ryan Simpson was summoned to Providence College a year early due to Stephen Ritter having to leave the Friars due to academic problems.
Mello, 6’0 and 175 lbs., is a 10/19/88 birthdate. He grew up in Chicago, but his family now lives in Rehoboth, Mass.
Other schools Mello visited were Providence College, Union, and RPI.
***
Coaching News
Former Boston College forward Toby Harris will be taking over as head coach of the Jersey Hitmen (EJHL) this season.
Since the Hitmen’s inception, Harris, 34, has served as an assistant to Jim Hunt. However, Hunt, who is working the U.S. junior camp in Lake Placid this week, is an assistant on John Hynes’ staff for the World Juniors. As such, he will be working throughout the fall scouting for the junior team, and will not be able to attend Hitmen practices and games on a regular basis. With that in mind, Hunt, who will stay on as associate coach, is handing the Hitmen over to Harris.
***
Robert Morris University has hired Chris Kotsopoulos as an assistant, taking over the spot vacated by Matt Lindsay, who was recently hired at Princeton.
Kotsopoulos, who played college hockey at the University of Toronto, played a couple years of minor pro before going into coaching. Most recently, he has headed up the Dallas Alliance Bulldogs program, and has served as head coach of their midget major squad.
***
Mercyhurst College is hosting a junior tournament Fri-Sun. Sept. 7-9. Teams taking part are NY Apple Core, the Springfield Blues, New York Bobcats, Toronto Canadiens, Streetsville Derbys, New England Huskies, Philadelphia Little Flyers, Pickering Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and New Jersey Rockets. For more information call Mercyhurst assistant coach Bobby Ferraris
8/9/07
Eno to the Rescue
Josh Unice’s bolting for the OHL’s Kitchener Rangers left Bowling Green going into the season without their top freshman recruit.
Coach Scott Paluch moved quickly to fill that void, as Green Mountain Glades (EJHL) goaltender Nick Eno, who was expecting to play another year of juniors, will now be thrown into the fire, so to speak.
Eno, the first-ever Green Mountain Glade to be drafted, taken by the Buffalo Sabres in the seventh round (#187) of June’s draft, is 6’3” and 190 lbs. and a 2/12/89 birthdate from Howell, Michigan, where he played high school hockey until joining the Glades. Last season he posted a .902 save % and a 3.60 gaa in his first year of juniors.
Jimmy Spratt, who will be a junior this season, was the #1 guy in net for Bowling Green last year, posting a 3.64 gaa and a .886 save percentage in 31 games.
8/9/07
Select 15 Green Books in the Mail
The U.S. Hockey Report is proud to announce that the Summer 2007 Select 15 Player Development Camp Green Book is complete. All books that were preordered went out via first class mail late yesterday.
We do, however, have additional copies, so hurry to get your order in before the first printing sells out.
The Green Book, which is 30 pages long this year, is a valuable tool for keeping tabs on the '92 player pool. We have ranked a total of 135 players – nearly 60% of the players on hand – and that’s a record for us. As always, we do our rankings by position. You'll find comments on individual players as well as the nuts and bolts, i.e height, weight, last year's team, this year's team, stats from the tournament, address, phone, e-mail, etc.
As a bonus, for the second year in a row, we have a back-of-the-book feature that lists the "teams" sent by each district. Given the fact that teams no longer play in the tournament as districts, you will find this feature illuminating, particularly if you are interested in tracking which regions of our country are producing players. This feature makes it possible to study the talent district-by-district and hypothesize on who the winners would have been under the old format, when districts went head to head every summer. We believe that this year’s winner would have been Michigan, with Pacific and Rocky Mountain giving them a run for their money.
The tournament, which ended Friday, featured a really deep batch of forwards, which bodes well for the NCAA. On the blue line, it’s a thinner than normal crop as far as high end players go, but we still found plenty of players who have a nice future in front of them. The goaltenders constituted the strongest group we have seen in the history of this tournament. In total, we ranked 81 forwards, 42 defensemen, and 12 goaltenders. We were surprised by the play of quite a number of players – some really came to play. You'll be surprised, too.
It’s a challenge to pull these things together, but we’re happy with the outcome this year, and hope that you enjoy it as well.
To get your order in, please click below.
8/5/07
In '84, Glavine Had a Choice
Tonight, New York Mets lefthander Tom Glavine became the 23rd pitcher -- and just the fifth lefty -- in the history of major league baseball to reach the 300-win mark.
The feat speaks to Glavine’s durability, skill, and intelligence. It’s also hard to argue with the decision he made back in June of 1984. That month, Glavine was drafted by the Atlanta Braves (round 2, #47 overall) and, just four days later, by the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings (round 4, #69 overall).
There was a lot of buzz around Glavine that year. An honor roll student and National Honor Society member, he’d led Billerica High to the Eastern Mass baseball championship in his junior year, pitching and playing the outfield.
On the ice, as a senior, he posted a 41-44-85 line to finish his high school career with 232 points. In March of ’84, prior to a Bruins-New Jersey Devils game at the Garden, the 6’0” Glavine was presented with the John Carlton Memorial Award, named in honor of the former Bruins scout and presented annually to the top high school player in Eastern Mass.
Glavine, a smooth cerebral center, was all set to head to UMass-Lowell (then known as the University of Lowell) on a full hockey scholarship. He had picked a major -- business – and was all set to play baseball for Lowell as well.
But Atlanta wanted him right away. They offered an $80,000 bonus, good money in those days -- definitely enough to pay for a full four years of college.
“I really wanted to go to college,” Glavine said in a recent interview, “and there’s a part of me that feels somewhat unfulfilled that I didn’t have a college education. There’s a little bit of ever-so-slight sadness that I didn’t get to enjoy the college experience. At the same time, though, it wasn’t so much choosing baseball over hockey or hockey over baseball. It was, am I really going to give up a free ride, an education, and take a chance on baseball? Coming from the background I came from, a free education was something you took seriously.”
Glavine’s father, Fred, ran a small construction company in Billerica, and his mother, Millie, was a school secretary.
A few years back, Glavine was asked by a baseball writer exactly how serious he had been about hockey.
"At 18 years old before I got drafted,” he said, “I was kind of faced with giving up hockey, giving up baseball or trying to play both in college. But when I got drafted, there was a big difference. The Kings called me and said. `We drafted you, we know you're going to go to college, we'll keep an eye on you.' The Braves drafted me, they called and said, `Let's have a meeting, we want to sign you.' That's kind of the way it went and the Kings never really made any overtures until after I already signed with the Braves. I think hockey, in actuality, was probably my first love. But in my heart I knew, being a left-handed pitcher, I had a distinct advantage in baseball that I did not possess in hockey, so I think hockey would have been a much tougher road for me because I would have had to put on a lot of weight, got bigger and stronger and all that stuff."
So baseball won out. Now, it’s fun to look back at the 1984 NHL draft which, of course, was the year Mario Lemieux went #1 overall.
There were 47 U.S. high school/ prep players selected that year. Kent defenseman and BU recruit (and current assistant coach) David Quinn, whose career would later be derailed -- just as he had started to dominate in Hockey East -- by a rare blood disorder known as Christmas Disease, was the only one to go in the first round, having been picked by the Minnesota North Stars with the 13th overall pick. Other eastern high schoolers picked ahead of Glavine were Matignon RW Steve Leach, St. John’s Prep center Ken Hodge, Jr., Bellows Free Academy RW Toby Ducolon, Mount St. Charles goaltender Alan Perry, and Cushing Academy defenseman Jeff Norton.
Players picked after Glavine included Chelmsford High center Jon Morris, a fifth round pick who would go to Lowell, and star there.
Brett Hull was drafted in the sixth round out of Penticton (BCHL). He was a little chubby in those days – but he could score, as anyone who saw him as a freshman at Minnesota-Duluth that fall can attest to.
The Los Angeles Kings selected Hull (QMJHL) LW Luc Robitaille in the ninth round. If the Kings came up empty with Glavine, they scored a big steal with Robitaille
Current Michigan assistant Billy Powers, a RW out of Matignon was selected in the ninth round. After his freshman year at St. Anselm College, Powers transferred to Michigan.
Springfield Pics 6’5” defenseman Chris Kiene, who would go on to Merrimack, was selected in the 12th and final round. Kiene now coaches the Mid-Fairfield Blues.
Later in the 12th round the Montreal Canadiens selected Verdun (QMJHL) goaltender Troy Crosby, who, several years later would become the father of Sidney Crosby.
We’re digressing a bit. Getting back to Glavine, he was once asked – after Robitaille had established himself as an NHL star – if he ever wondered what about what could have become, if he had opted for the hockey route.
“Oh, all the time,” he replied, “I always wonder what would have happened.”
“I’d like to believe I would have made it. There are guys I played against in high school who have played in the NHL, and we had comparable talent then. But there are no guarantees. I know I would have had to become bigger. Either that or find a way to play as Gretzky played. But I think I had a shot to make it.”
8/1/07
Exter Joins NTDP Staff
Former Cushing Academy and Merrimack College goaltender and team captain Joe Exter has been hired as a goaltender coach/assistant coach with the National Team Development Program.
Exter, who was an assistant with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL) last season and at AIC in ’05-06, played two years of pro hockey with the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL) after fighting back from a concussion and fractured skull suffered in a collision with Patrick Eaves during a March 2003 Hockey East quarterfinal at Boston College.
In Ann Arbor, Exter, a Cranston, RI native, will be working with the goalies on both the Under-17 and Under-18 teams and will be behind the bench as needed.
Notes:
Exter's staff position in Ann Arbor is a newly-created post. He is not filling the position held last season by Patrick Foley, who was recently hired at Harvard. That position – assistant coach with the Under-18 Team – is still open. Head coach John Hynes is on his way to the National Junior Evaluation Camp in Lake Placid, which runs from Friday through August 11th. He will, however, be poring over resumes and applications when he returns to Ann Arbor, so get those applications in.
Exter’s position on Mark Carlson's staff in Cedar Rapids will be filled by former Boston University captain Mark Mullen, a native of Dorchester, Mass., who played for BC High and the Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) before matriculating at BU. Mullen, 26, played in the ECHL after his college days.
***
More Coaching Moves
Brian Meisner has been hired as an assistant at the University of Connecticut, taking over for Matt Plante, who was recently hired as head coach at Hebron Academy.
Meisner has spent the last five years as head coach in Wichita Falls – six years, actually, since he was also head coach when the franchise was in Butte, Montana. In 2002, the Butte Irish, then in the AWHL, moved and became the Wichita Falls Rustlers. In ’04, the Rustlers joined the NAHL and became the Wichita Falls Wranglers.
From 1997-2001, Meisner, a native of Cloquet, Minn., was an assistant with the Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL).
***
Leigh Mendelson, head coach of the Marquette Rangers (NAHL) last season, has joined the Omaha Lancers as an assistant on Mike Hastings staff.
For Mendelson, it’s his second stint with the Lancers. He’s also served as an assistant with three other USHL teams – Waterloo, Sioux City, and Green Bay – and with Atlantic City (ECHL). In addition to Marquette, Mendelson coached the St. Louis Sting of the NAHL. A New Jersey native, Mendelson also has international experience, serving as head coach of the Lahti Pelicans (Finland) and was an assistant with the National Team Development Program. He’s also well known as a coach at USA Hockey’s summer camps.
