2/8/09
Andover Dethroned in USHR Div. I Poll
After four straight weeks, Phillips Andover Academy has been toppled from their #1 spot in the USHR Div. I Prep Poll.
It’s not that they have been playing poorly -- they tied Deerfield and then throttled Belmont Hill last week – it’s more a matter of Lawrence’s 14-game winning streak (13 of which are Div. I games) becoming paramount.
Two teams in last week’s poll were bounced out – Belmont Hill (formerly #8) and Milton (formerly #9).
Moving into the poll, at #9, is South Kent, and, at #10, Nobles -- a couple of teams that have returned from the dead.
USHR Div. I Prep Poll: Week of Feb. 9, 2009
2/28/09
Prep Playoff Matchups
Here's what we have.Div. I
Quarterfinals:
4 W Berkshire @ 1 W Salisbury
3 E Andover @ 2 E Lawrence
(Winners to meet in first semi -- Sat. 3/7/09, 3:30 pm)
4 E Belmont Hill @ 1 E Exeter
3 W Gunnery @ 2 W Taft
(Winners to meet in second semi -- Sat. 3/7/09, 6:00 pm)
Div. II
Quarterfinals:
#8 Vermont Academy @ #1 Hebron
#7 St. George's @ #2 Dexter
#6 Worcester @ #3 New Hampton
#5 Groton @ #4 North Yarmouth
2/25/09
NTDP to Return to USHL
The U.S. National Team Development Program, which in the program’s early years had its Under-18 Team play a full USHL regular season schedule, will be returning to the fold this coming fall.
The USHL’s new commissioner, Skip Prince, has been in ongoing talks with USA Hockey Executive Director Dave Ogrean, Director of Hockey Operations Jim Johansson, NTDP Director of Operations Scott Monaghan, and NAHL Commissioner Mark Frankenfeld.
“We continue to be in discussions,” says Prince. “We have the framework of an arrangement which would bring the NTDP into the USHL next year.”
That arrangement, says Prince, “Would be for a full schedule – including playoffs.”
The players comprising the NTDP entry in the USHL, says Prince, would be “a combination of the Under-18’s and Under-17s in a mix recognizing the schedule the two teams have for international tournaments.”
“It would not be blended,” adds Prince. “The Under-18’s would play some games and the Under-17’s would play some. That is the architecture we have discussed.”
For example, in April, when the USHL playoffs are in full swing, the U.S. Under-18’s are in the World Under-18 Championship, hence the only NTDP kids who would be available for the USHL playoffs would be the Under-17’s (and whichever Under-18 players are cut).
Part of what makes the negotiations complex is the fact that the U.S. Under-18 and U.S. Under-17 Teams are currently playing as a member of the NAHL. About three-quarters of this seasons’s NTDP games against NAHL league members feature the Under-17 team, and about one quarter of the games feature the Under-18 Team. The rest of the Under-18 Team schedule, aside from international play, consists of NCAA Div. I and Div. III college teams. The number of college games played by the U.S. Under-18 Team would significantly curtailed by the NTDP returning to the USHL.
Prince doesn’t want to leave the NAHL high and dry. “This is not a zero sum situation,” he says. “It represents a loss to the NAHL and we want to minimize that damage. The NAHL is an important part of the hockey infrastructure in this country. I am not sure what we can get done (as far as the NAHL is concerned) but we are working on it.”
“It’s been a long time since USA Hockey, the USHL, the NTDP, and the NAHL have all worked together so well,” says Prince.
The NTDP would give the league 13 members -- an uneven number -- which would make scheduling difficult. Prince says the league is considering one or two applications for expansion teams. It is Prince’s hope that within the next 3-4 years the league can expand to 18 teams – in three six-team divisions -- and stretch more to the east and west geographically.
“I want it to be a controlled-yet-aggressive expansion,” says Prince. “I’d like to not dilute the league.”
To that end, Prince hopes to draw in a healthy percentage of the one hundred plus U.S. kids that typically go north to play major junior.
“I think we can hold our own as a full-fledged fourth major junior league,” says Prince, “but we’ll be doing it on the American model, with NCAA eligibility as the goal.”
“My responsibility to the league is to push the envelope forward.”
Update -- 2/26/09: This is now official. The NTDP will play a full 60-game schedule, as well as keep their international and college commitments. There will be no more formal league affiliation with the NAHL.
2/25/09
Notre Dame Lands TinordiNotre Dame has a verbal commitment from 6’4”, 182 lb. U.S. Under-17 Team defenseman Jarred Tinordi.
Tinordi made his final choice from between Notre Dame and Boston College. Earlier, Denver and Miami were in the mix. Tinordi also visited RPI, where his older brother, Matt, will be playing next season.
Tinordi, the son of 12-year NHL veteran Mark Tinordi, projects to be an excellent shut-down defenseman at the college level, and a high draft pick for the 2010 NHL draft. He’ll also chip in offensively, as he has a strong, accurate shot.
A 2/20/92 from Millersville, Maryland, Tinordi played for the Washington Junior Nationals before going to the NTDP. Currently an 11th grader, Tinordi will be at Notre Dame in the fall of ’10.
In 47 games so far this season in Ann Arbor, Tinordi, in 47 games, has a 5-11-16 line with 53 pims.
Notre Dame, and college hockey as a whole, was hit hard by the recent decision of U.S. Under-18 Team defenseman Cam Fowler to give up his scholarship to Notre Dame and join the Windsor Spitfires (OHL) for next season. Fowler could be among the top few picks in the 2010 NHL draft – if not the #1 overall – and would have been a top college defenseman right off the bat. Fowler is a special talent, one of those rare players who, when he is on the ice, it’s hard to take your eyes off of. Getting Tinordi to commit doesn’t remove the sting of the Fowler loss -- nothing could really do that. But it certainly helps some. And the bottom line is that Notre Dame has a stockpile of talent.
2/24/09
Deblois to Wolverines
5’11”, 180 lb. Hotchkiss junior forward Derek Deblois has committed to the University of Michigan for either the fall of ’10 or ’11.
Deblois, in his second year at Hotchkiss, is the Bearcats’ leading scorer, with a 10-21-31 line in 21 games.
The Narragansett, RI native made his final choice from between Michigan -- which he visited a couple weeks ago, during the long weekend -- and BU.
A 2/19/91 birthdate, Deblois was #69 on Central’s Mid-Term rankings for the June NHL draft.
Before going to Hotchkiss, Deblois, a right-shot who can play either center or wing, played a year for Bridgewater in the Empire League.
Hotchkiss, by the way, has a tradition with Michigan going back a ways. Most recently, Luke Glendening, who was at Hotchkiss last year, is now a Wolverines freshman forward. Hotchkiss junior defenseman Mac Bennett, as you may know, will also be heading to Michigan, in the fall of ’10.
2/22/09
Mass. Super 8 Bracket
The Mass. Super 8 has been announced -- and here they are:
1. Catholic Memorial
2. Needham
3. Malden Catholic
4. Hingham
5. Central Catholic
6. Xaverian
7. Burlington
8. Winchester
9. Springfield Catholic
10. Arlington Catholic
The play-in games are on Monday night Feb. 23 at the Chelmsford Forum. Winchester faces off against Springfield Cathedral at 6:00 pm, and Burlington faces Arlington Catholic at 8:00 pm.
On Sunday March 1, the remaining eight teams will all be in action at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Mass.
Last year's Super 8 winner, Reading High, didn't make it this year, and will be playing in the Div. I tournament, the matchups of which will be announced after tomorrow's play-in games.
2009 Mass. Super 8 Bracket
2/19/09
Prep Playoff Info
The 2009 NEPSIHA prep playoffs will follow the traditional pattern, with quarterfinals taking place the first Wednesday following the close of the regular season (March 4), and the semis and finals taking place that weekend, Sat.-Sun. March 7-8, in Salem, NH.
Div. I
Quarterfinal action is scheduled for the afternoon of Wed. March 4 at campus sites:
#4 West will play at #1 West; and #3 East will play at #2 East. The winners will meet at the Icenter in Salem, NH in semifinal play on Sat. March 7 at 3:30 pm.
#3 West will play at #2 West; and #4 East will play at #1 East. The winners will faceoff at the Icenter in Salem, NH in semifinal play on Sat. March 1 at 6:00 pm.
The Div. I championship game will be held at 3:00 pm on Sun. March 8, also in Salem, NH.
Div. II
For Div. II, teams are simply seeded 1-8. As with Div. I, the quarterfinals will take place Wed. afternoon March 4 at campus sites. The games will be held at the higher-seeded schools unless the travel time exceeds two hours, in which case the game will be held at a neutral site somewhere between the two schools.
#2 plays #7 and #3 plays #6. The winners will meet at the Icenter in Salem, NH in a semifinal matchup on Sat. March 7 at 11:00 am.
#1 plays #8 and #4 faces #5. The winners will meet at the Icenter in Salem, NH in semifinal action on Sat. March 7 at 1:15 pm.
The Div. II championship game will be held Sunday March 8 at 12:30 pm, also in Salem, NH.
Driving Directions to the Icenter: From Boston, Take Route 93 North. Right after crossing the Mass/New Hampshire border, take Exit 1 (Rockingham Park Boulevard). After exiting, you will see a sign for Mall Road, which will take you up on an overpass. When you come to a traffic light, take a right. This is Mall Road (you will see the race track on your right). Very shortly thereafter, it comes to a T, take a left there (Rt. 38 South), go straight through two sets of lights, and you'll see the Icenter about a half-mile down on the right.
Tickets prices, per day, are $2 for students with school ID and $5 for adults.
2/18/09 A Goalie for PC, and a D for UMass
Stein leads the EJHL in goals against (1.94) and save percentage (.935). He has five shutouts.
Stein, who is 6’1”, 185 lbs., is a 9/23/89 birthdate. A native of Ridgefield, Conn., he played at the Berkshire School from his 9th through 11th grade years. Seeking more playing time, he decided to try out for the Junior Bruins in the fall of ’07 and made the team as one of three goalies. He wound up playing in 22 games with a 2.50 gaa and .915 save percentage.
This year, Stein and Nick Broadwater began the season in rotation, but when Broadwater tore his MCL in mid-October, Stein was the #1 guy for three straight months, played well, and drew a lot of attention. RPI, Quinnipiac, and Holy Cross were others that were interested. PC had been watching him very closely lately, and made their offer. He committed yesterday.
Stein has good feet, and handles the puck well. His numbers are excellent, he’s consistent, and we’ve seen him come up with big saves.
He’ll be going into a challenging situation at Providence, where there will be four goalies on scholarship next season -- Alex Beaudry, Ryan Simpson, Justin Gates, and Stein.
***
6’2”, 210 lb. Green Mountain Glades defenseman Mike Donnellan has committed to UMass for this fall.
Donnellan, who is in his second year with the Glades, previously played at Vermont Academy, where he was a three sport athlete all four years he was there. In his senior year, '06-07, Vermont reached the Div. II prep finals, but bowed out against Hoosac.
A 3/3/89 birthdate, Donnellan has a 5-19-24 line in 39 games with the Glades and, among defensemen, is the team’s leading scorer. He's from Saxton’s River, Vt.
2/17/09
Eaglebrook School Tournament
The Eaglebrook School Tournament, which each season brings a number of the top 16-and-Under teams in the Northeast to Eaglebrook’s campus in Deerfield, Mass, is scheduled for Thursday, February 19th through Sunday, February 22nd, with all games on-campus, at McFadden Rink at Alfond Arena. Directions to the school can be found online at: www.eaglebrook.org. The tournament schedule can be found there as well.This tournament, now in its tenth year, is a good one. Jeff Quebec, Eaglebrook's head coach for the last 15 years, runs the show. We like the wooded setting, on a hill over the Pioneer Valley. Plus the arena is a nice place to watch a game. And the tournament is well-run, with a good concession stand, and a complete printed tournament program. In other words, all you need.
Some pretty good players have appeared here over the years – Angelo Esposito, Jet Morin, Chris Bourque, and many, many others.
This weekend, watch Westchester Express D Steve Santini. He’s only a ’95, but you could be watching a star of tomorrow.
Here are this year’s participating teams:
Eaglebrook School, Boston Junior Terriers (MA), Clifton Park Dynamos (NY), Connecticut Clippers (CT), Darien Wave (CT), Mass/Conn Braves (MA/CT), Mid- Fairfield Blues (CT), Philadelphia Junior Flyers (PA), Southern Connecticut Stars (CT), Syracuse Stars (NY), Team Comcast (PA), Top Gun (NH), Westchester Express (NY).
Past Winners and Participants/Tournament History
2/17/09
EJHL Franchise Moving to Philly Area
The Boston Jr. Shamrocks (EJHL) are in the process of being sold to a rink owner in suburban Philadelphia.If the franchise sale, for a reported $300,000 plus, goes through as expected, the Shamrocks will have a new owner in Phil Pulley, currently the owner of the Warwick Ice Arena in Warminster, PA., roughly 18 miles north of Philadelphia.
The Warwick Ice Arena is home to the Tri-State Selects of the Empire Jr. B League. That team is coached by Mike Anderson, who will move up and coach the EJHL team.
Anderson played at the Westminster School and also for Gary Dineen on the New England Jr. Whalers (EJHL). He then went on to UConn, where he played from 1997-2001. Anderson’s Empire League team is one of the top teams in that circuit, with a 28-8-3 record, good for second place in their division.
The move will trim the glut of EJHL teams in Eastern Mass from eight to seven. The Shamrocks franchise, previously known as the Boston Harbor Wolves and, before that, the Matt O’Neill Lightning (a charter club in the EJHL back in 1993) has never had a winning season. Between ’06-08 they lost 80 of 90 games. This season has been a little better, as they are 7-31-1-1 to date. Still, a geographic cure can’t hurt.
The team will move immediately after the season.
2/16/09
USA Hockey Select Festival Dates
This summer, all the boy’s USA Hockey Select Festivals will be held in Rochester, NY – no more St. Cloud. Not only that, but the schedule has been compressed. Very compressed, actually, to the extent that the 17’s and 14’s will be going on simultaneously. (The ESL Centre has four sheets).Select 16’s (1993): Fri. June 26-Thurs. July 2
Select 17’s (1992): Tues. July 7-Mon. July 13
Select 14’s (1995): Wed. July 8-Tues. July 14
Select 15’s (1994): Wed. July 15-Tues. July 21
2/15/09 Whitney’s Season Still Has a Long Way to Go
As soon as Lawrence Academy finishes its season, senior forward Steven Whitney will be joining the Omaha Lancers (USHL) and will be staying with them for the duration of their season, however far it should go.
The school and Whitney have worked together with the Lancers since September to make this happen.
Each year, Lawrence students take part in a two-week program called Winterim, which allows them to pursue community service, or a specific skill or passion, and report back to the student body on their experience.
Whitney’s passion is hockey (in case you hadn’t guessed) and the theme of his Winterim project will be “Professionalism.” To that end, he will be spending part of the day observing and taking notes on the inner workings of the Lancers operation, which probably means asking coach/GM Bliss Littler a lot of questions.
After the two-week Winterim segment ends, Lawrence Academy students go on their two weeks of vacation. Spring semester begins April 6th and Whitney will be working with tutors and his teachers back at school in order to make sure he is current with his schoolwork when he returns to campus – and that will depend on how deep into the playoffs the Lancers go.
Over the past two seasons, Whitney has turned down opportunities to join the NTDP or head to the USHL, and, as Lawrence head coach Kevin Potter said, the school appreciates it.
”Steven has been really loyal to Lawrence Academy,” Potter said. “The school supports a lot of its students passions in many different ways, and we’re happy to support him in his.”
After this afternoon’s game, Whitney said, “I’m excited about going to play for Omaha, but first I want to go as far as I can here (at Lawrence). I have to focus on what we’re doing first. I’m trying not to think ahead and let going out there affect what I’m doing here.”
To be playoff eligible, a player must appear in ten regular season games. Even if Lawrence Academy goes all the way to the prep finals, Whitney would still get into the minimum ten regular season games – exactly ten, as the regular season in the USHL ends on April 4th.
2/14/09 USA Hockey Waves the White Flag – For Now
What happened, basically, is that the program’s creators went out to various districts to sell the program’s merits, but were shot down, and shot down hard.
But, like a drunken politician with a wad of taxpayers’ dough, USA Hockey is determined to spend this $8 million dollars from the NHL and will attempt to retool the ADM/LTAD/HPC Alphabet Soup and come back with a newer, bolder version next year.
We have attached below the text of the letter sent out to USA Hockey officials by USA Hockey President Ron DeGregorio and Executive Director Dave Ogrean. Read it with a careful, critical eye.
As you can see, they are using the argument that the NHL thinks this is a great idea -- or why else would they be giving us $8 million dollars?
Look, the NHL doesn’t give away money for purely altruistic reasons. They are expecting something in return, i.e. a voice in the way hockey is structured in the U.S. Do we want to be beholden to the NHL? Is that consistent with the aims of a non-profit organization like USA Hockey?
Ogrean and DeGregorio’s request that we write the NHL a thank you note for the $8 million is bizarre, just totally kiss-ass. And being asked to send them to ThankYouNHL@usahockey.org is simply creepy, in an Orwellian way. Only positive, praise-worthy notes will be forwarded, so don’t waste your time pointing out to the NHL that USA Hockey is tripping all over themselves trying to launch an impractical program that is doomed to create huge rifts within their own organization. Any such emails will almost certainly be deleted.
But wait -- there’s more hocus-pocus. Referring to the fact that approximately $3 million of the NHL’s $8 million earmarked for the NTDP is “budget relieving” is semantically dubious. If one believes that the NTDP is an essential component of USA Hockey’s quest for gold medals at the World Junior Championship (after all, that is the raison d’etre of the program, at least as originally outlined) then yes, perhaps that $3 million does indeed fall in the category of budget relief. However, if one questions the value of the NTDP and finds it wanting, then the $3 million spent on the program is not budget relieving at all. Perhaps it’s something else entirely. A wasteful luxury? A farm system for the CHL? We could easily spend that $3 million dollars on something else, something at the grass roots of the game, but would the NHL let us? The NHL is a business, remember. They want players. And if USA Hockey thinks they have this new magic formula, well, you can be sure that the NHL will humor them, if only for the sake of having a fat and happy trading partner in the land that is home to 24 of the 30 NHL franchises. A year from now, USA Hockey will have spent the $2 million earmarked for reselling the Alphabet Soup to us, and we will be having this same discussion all over again.
And USA Hockey will also pick up another $8 million installment from the NHL. And on and on it will go.
Why does it feel like a Trojan Horse has been wheeled into our midst?
Send the $8 million back to the NHL. To them, it's a pittance (for a point of reference, league commissioner Gary Bettman's salary is $6 million a year), and to us it's not enough to solve what ails hockey in this country. We'll waste it -- all for the lack of a practical, workable plan -- and in the process imperil some of the good things we have going, hockey-wise, in the U.S. today.
***
Here is the text of the letter:
From The President and Executive Director
Over the past several weeks, our staff has made presentations about the concept of a new initiative – the American Development Model (ADM). At the core of the ADM are long-term athlete development (LTAD) principles, which for the first-time ever provide our 2,500-plus associations across the country a blueprint to follow in optimal athlete development – a blueprint based on sport science and consensus child development research.
A small but important component of the new ADM is what we’ve called a High Performance Club program. While there is widespread support of the long-term athlete development principles presented as the core of the ADM, it is clear that we need additional time to discuss how the HPC tool can work within our various regions throughout the country. We’ve had applicants for the HPC from across the country and we’re extremely pleased with the interest level. However, because of the feedback we’ve received from many in terms of the challenges involved with implementation in a very constrained time frame, we have determined that we will not implement the HPC component of the ADM in any region for the 2009-10 season.
We are asking stakeholders such as Tier I applicants, affiliates, directors, rink owners, league operators, local programs, etc., to send your comments on the overall ADM and specifically the HPC program to adm@usahockey.com. We are keenly interested in how you view the effect of the HPC as it is now proposed (more information at usahockey.org/adm). We’ll utilize usahockey.com/adm as our vehicle to share commentary on these topics as the evaluation process moves forward.
As for the implementation of the LTAD principles in the ADM, our staff will continue to work on the infrastructure and provide personnel to assist districts and affiliates in adapting these principles within local hockey associations for those that wish to adopt them.
Most of you are aware of the generous support we’ve received from the NHL. The grant they’ve provided to us includes up to $8 million dollars annually, consistent with the restrictions defined in the plan provided to and approved by the NHL. Under that plan, approximately $3 million is budget relieving as it covers our costs of the NTDP and the USA Hockey elite officiating program. Because of that budget relief, USA Hockey will continue all its current budgeted programs without the need for any membership fee increases for next season. Up to $2 million will be invested in support of growth initiatives through our Membership Development department under the leadership of Pat Kelleher. Up to $1 million will be utilized for specific NHL requested elements, including support for the USHL, referee development programs and college hockey. Approximately $2 million will be allocated to the efforts of the ADM, including the HPC component. We will utilize some of these resources this year to build up the infrastructure to support the LTAD initiatives with districts and affiliates.
The NHL is solidly behind our efforts and has conveyed they are with us for the long term. They fully understand that the results associated with the investment they are making will take several years to measure. The oversight committee the NHL has in place associated with the grant has the responsibility to assure that the money is being spent on targeted initiatives and is well-managed. It is the responsibility of the hockey department at USA Hockey to deliver on providing quality products relating to the NTDP, referee development and the ADM. It is USA Hockey’s business operation which is responsible for helping to grow and retain participants in the game, as well as to develop more enthusiasts in watching and loving the game.
We’d ask to you take a moment to thank the NHL for its grant, one that helps us support the growth of the game and its participants throughout the USA in these economically difficult times. You may express your appreciation by sending a note to ThankYouNHL@usahockey.org. We will gather your sentiments and share them with the NHL.
We appreciate the trust and confidence expressed by so many directors and presidents. We will continue to work on exciting new options and tools for providing a “fun and learning” environment for our children. There is a lot to like about USA Hockey.
|
Dave Ogrean |
Ron DeGregorio |
February 12, 2009
2/7/09
Big Offensive D-Man for UNH
6’3”, 195 lb. RD Justin Agosta of the Berkshire School has committed to UNH for the fall of ’09 or, most likely, ’10.Agosta, a Long Island native who is a senior at Berkshire, was not really highly-regarded last season. But in the off-season he dedicated himself to fitness, shed 25 lbs. and the improvement in his game was eye-opening. He drew a lot of attention at the Avon Christmas Tournament and it’s continued over the seven weeks since.
Agosta, a 10/9/90 birthdate, is an interesting player in that he’s not a very good skater forward, and even worse backward, but he has a real knack for seeing the ice and making plays. If passing or skating lanes are open, he’ll exploit them. He just sees the ice very well.
A lot of schools were on the fence about Agosta, but UNH has been watching him like a hawk. They may have a big sheet that favors skaters, but Brian Yandle, who was not a good skater, was an All-American there, so they must have felt a degree of confidence.
Boston College was interested, and so was UMass-Amherst. Yale was very interested.
Agosta is the third-leading scorer at Berkshire with a 6-24-30 line in 25 games.
2/6/09 Good Reading
I’d always assumed that York, a Watertown, Mass. native and BC High graduate who went on to become a team captain and All-American center at Boston College, was one of the most heavily-recruited kids in Greater Boston in the early 1960s. I pictured Snooks Kelley making daily calls to BC inquiring about Jerry.
But no, that wasn’t the case at all.
Check out the article.
Jerry York Article in Sports Illustrated
2/3/09
A Boston Kind of Guy
6’2”, 198 lb. LD Philip Samuelsson of the Chicago Steel (USHL) has committed to Boston College.Samuelsson will be arriving at the Heights this coming fall, and is hoping to win some fans in a city where his father, former NHL defenseman and current Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Ulf Samuelsson, is still vilified for his career-ending hit on Bruins wing Cam Neely (though Neely has reportedly said that the specific career-ending hit may have occurred on a previous play, when Neely hit Samuelsson).
A 7/26/91 birthdate, Samuelsson is in his first year in the USHL. For the past two seasons he has played in the P.F. Chang’s organization, first on the midget minors, then the midget majors.
In 2004-05, Samuelsson spent his 9th grade year at Avon Old Farms and played on the freshman team there. During that year, his father worked with the varsity, as an assistant coach on John Gardner’s staff.
Samuelsson, in 37 games for the Steel, has an 0-11-11 line with 42 pims. He’s a talented defensive defenseman who has blossomed as he’s grown into his body. And yes, he does play with an edge.
Right now, Samuelsson is in Europe with the U.S. Under-18 Team, the only outside player added for this year’s Five Nations Cup.
Samuelsson has a younger brother who is a top prospect for his age group, a '94, Henrik Samuelsson, who is playing up with the P.F. Chang’s ’92 squad (he was at the tournament at the Berkshire School a couple of weeks back.)
Notre Dame and UNH also recruited Samuelsson hard.
Samuelsson was ranked #59 on the NHL's recent Mid-Term Rankings.
2/1/09
Brick’s Pick
Belmont Hill 6’1”, 192 lb. sophomore center Connor Brickley has committed to the University of Vermont for the fall of ’11.UVM made Brickley, a ’92 birthdate, a recruiting target early on. They offered him last spring.
Recently, Boston University had been watching him, and wanted to get him on campus for a visit. But Brickley was already happy with Vermont’s offer, and decided not to take the visit. Friday night, he phoned up to Burlington to say he wanted to be a Catamount.
A three-sport athlete, Brickley also plays football and baseball. A strong, powerful skater with a long stride, Brickley thrives on the big sheet at Belmont Hill. He’s an excellent playmaker with a good shot. At Belmont Hill, he’s the fourth-leading scorer with a 10-8-18 line in 19 games.
An Everett, Mass. native, he is the son of Craig Brickley, who played for coach Bob Crocker at the University of Pennsylvania, during that school's too-brief tenure as a Div. I program.
Connor is the younger brother of Brendan Brickley, an ’89 forward on the South Shore Kings (EJHL).
