Tag Archives: Omaha Lancers

That Heat…

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Just a few minutes ago, I was going through some old notes when I noticed something which happened a year ago today.

What happened was Jason Herter leaving the Fargo Force for Minnesota-Duluth to become an assistant. Herter’s departure opened the door for John Marks, who led the Force to a second-round playoff appearance.

And of course a year to the day, the Indiana Ice hire a new head coach, Ron Gay.

Pretty interesting given what’s gone on in the last year with USHL coaches. Let’s use May 22, 2011 as a starting date. Since then, 12 of the league’s franchises have replaced their head coaches.

No joke. Here’s the proof of what every team has done with its coaching situation.

In the Eastern Conference:

-Green Bay Gamblers: The Gamblers replaced Eric Rud, who left for his alma mater, Colorado College with Denver assistant Derek Lalonde. Lalonde, in his debut season, leads the team to one of the USHL’s greatest ever seasons and a Clark Cup title.

-Indiana Ice: Technically, they’ve gone through three coaches and four coaching changes in the last year. Charlie Skjodt was the team’s head coach when the season ended before he returned to the front office. The Ice hired Yale assistant Kyle Wallack, who was fired shortly before the playoffs. Skjodt returned to the bench and then the team hired Gay.

-Dubuque Fighting Saints: Former Maine great Jim Montgomery remains the team’s head coach. But here’s where it’s really interesting. He just finished his second season and he’s already the third most-tenured coach in the league. Interpret that one however you want.

-Youngstown Phantoms: Curtis Carr left the team late in the summer to become an assistant at Merrimack. Days later the team promoted assistant Anthony Noreen, who led the Phantoms to fourth in Eastern Conference.

-Cedar Rapids RoughRiders: Here’s the second team which hasn’t made a coaching change. It may never look that way either as Carlson has been there for 12 seasons and has a partial stake in the team’s ownership. Carlson, a former Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick, has won everything imaginable from the Clark Cup to the Anderson Cup to the USHL’s Coach of the Year during his time in Cedar Rapids. He also led this year’s team to the playoffs, something he’s done every year he has been in the league.

-NTDP: USA Hockey lost Ron Rolston last season to the Rochester Americans (AHL), which is an affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. It resulted in the team hiring Don Granato. The NTDP also lost Kurt Kleinendorst and replaced him with Danton Cole. The program made the USHL Playoffs for a second straight season.

-Chicago Steel: The 2010-11 season wasn’t kind to the Steel, as the franchise suffered through a 9-43-8 season, easily one the worst in any realm of junior hockey in the last few years. It’s what led to the dismissal of Jon Waibel and the promotion of Scott McConnell. McConnell was made the team’s full-time head coach last summer. In his first full season, he led the Steel to a 25-31-4 mark and were just three points out of the playoffs.

-Muskegon Lumberjacks: Former Wisconsin assistant Kevin Patrick was among the 2011-12 season’s first coaching casualties. The team hired former NHL toughman Jim McKenzie, who had no previous junior experience. McKenzie and the Lumberjacks, despite improvement, still finished last in the Eastern Conference.

 

In the Western Conference:

-Lincoln Stars: Another weird case of the fluidity of this league. Stars coach Chad Johnson just finished his second year and he’s No. 4 in the league among tenured coaches.

-Omaha Lancers: Omaha got the trend going early in the 2011-12 season when it fired longtime USHL coach Bliss Littler. He was replaced by Mike Aikens, who led the team to a second-place finish during the regular season. Aikens signed an extension during the season.

-Waterloo Black Hawks: Behind Carlson, P.K. O’Handley is No. 2 when it comes to tenured coaches. He just finished this 10th season with the Black Hawks leading them to a Clark Cup Finals appearance. Like Carlson, O’Handley has won virtually every trophy a coach could win and when it comes to wins, ranks in the Top 10 all time.

-Fargo Force: Hiring Marks gave the Force their fourth coach in as many seasons. Marks, who is the sixth-most tenured coach in the league, already said he will stay this season and looks forward to a second year in Fargo.

-Sioux City Musketeers: Larson is technically the man who started the trend. He was hired May 22 by the Musketeers. He was at Minnesota-Duluth as an assistant. His departure resulted in the Bulldogs hiring Herter and the Force hiring Marks.

-Tri-City Storm: The team replaced Drew Schoneck with Josh Hauge during the middle of the year. Hauge led the Storm to a first-round appearance where they lost to eventual Western Conference champs, Waterloo. Even with an early exit, Tri-City returns all but six players and has what could be considered the strongest affiliates list in the USHL.

-Des Moines Buccaneers: Turmoil more or less blanketed the Bucs this season. Off-ice issues coupled with losing is what led to Regg Simon being fired. He was replaced in the off-season by Gamblers assistant Jon Rogger.

-Sioux Falls Stampede: Maybe no team has undergone more changes in the off-season than the Stampede. They fired longtime head coach Kevin Hartzell and in the span of a week, hired former North Dakota assistant Cary Eades. Eades oversaw the team’s Entry Draft and heads into next season with at least 15 returning players from the 2011-12 team.

Hometown Glory…

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Add finding a forward for tonight’s USHL Entry Draft plans for the Force as Jonny Brodzinski said this morning he would not return to the team.

Brodzinski, instead, will be playing next season at St. Cloud State. He said in a text message he would be going to college. The 6-0, 185-pound former Blaine (MN-HS) star committed to St. Cloud State shortly after he joined the Force last season.

He becomes the seventh known player to leave the Force due to a college commitment and is the fourth forward to depart.

Brodzinski was used in a multitude of roles during his one-plus year tenure with the Force.

Under former Force coach Jason Herter, he was used as a winger on the second and third lines putting up five points in 10 games. Under John Marks, Brodzinski became a third-line player who took a more active role in his defensive game.

He scored 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in 58 games which tied for third among Force players with most games played this season. Brodzinski was tied with Alex Iafallo (Minnesota-Duluth) while Willie Corrin (Minnesota-Duluth) and Taylor Richart, Brodzinski’s former high school teammate, played all 60 games.

Brodzinski and his line of Nate Arentz and Neal Goff were one of the Force’s strongest during the postseason playing a hybrid offensive/defense role, which got the team to the second-round for a tightly-contested series against the Lincoln Stars.

Back in February 2011, he came to the Force as a free agent signing as he led Blaine in scoring and to another Minnesota state hockey tournament. Following Blaine’s elimination, he and his family drove through blizzard-like conditions for him to make his Force debut and to get in the 10 games needed to stay protected for the following season.

His senior season and exposure with the Force resulted in Brodzinski being recruited by multiple schools including Bemidji State and Maine, which offered him a scholarship. He was also slated to visit with Minnesota-Duluth and Michigan before he committed to St. Cloud State.

Brodzinski’s father, Mike Sr., set numerous school records at St. Cloud State including most goals in a season.

Going to St. Cloud State adds to what is already a robust pipeline between the school and the Force. Former Force forwards Nick Oliver and Joe Rehkamp – a mid-season addition – played there along with former goaltender Mike Lee. Lee recently signed a contract with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Brodzinski will also be joined by former Force teammate and Omaha Lancers forward Jimmy Murray next season. It remains to be seen if former Force coach Steve Johnson will be at St. Cloud next season.

Mick Hatten of the St. Cloud Times recently reported Johnson was under strong consideration for an assistant opening at Nebraska-Omaha, another school with a Force pipeline.

Brodzinski’s decision comes a day after his younger brother, Michael (Minnesota), had a successful operation to remove a tumor. Brodzinski posted a photo of his brother via Twitter, which showed bandaging around his head.

Michael Brodzinski led Blaine to another state tournament appearance this year and afterward, came to the USHL where he played with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. He played in three games with the Lumberjacks picking up one point.

“He’s doing great,” Brodzinski said in the text about his brother.

A Little Deeper…

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Now that the playoffs are close, it officially closes the books on the USHL’s regular season.

It now means six teams have to use to the rest of spring and summer to think about what could have been. The rest of the league can still decide its fate but there’s no doubting there will be another four teams who will soon join the ranks of those not playing.

But here’s something we can all agree upon. This season showed us quite a bit and with that, here’s what we learned from each team this season.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

-Green Bay Gamblers: That if Derek Lalonde and that front office is really good at dominating the USHL on and off the ice, we’d sure hate to make them mad in a game of ‘Risk’ and/or ‘Battleship’.

-Indiana Ice: That Daniil Tarasov really DID score 88 points and it won’t be remembered because of what some guy in Lincoln did this year.

-Dubuque Fighting Saints: Two projected first-round picks in Zemgus Girgensons (Vermont) and Michael Matheson (Boston College) help. Talent and depth have certainly defined the defending Clark Cup Champs. So did winning the Cowbell Cup. That also helped.

-Youngstown Phantoms: They proved you can recruit to Youngstown and furthermore, you can win there. It also showed a continual theme. Returning experienced players gives you a chance at winning. Youngstown certainly has shown that to be true with how it has been good all long. And its also showed that this Austin Cangelosi (Boston College) might be something special.

-Cedar Rapids RoughRiders: That even without experience or even the best players for his system, Mark Carlson might have had one of his best seasons as a head coach.

-Team USA: They’ve shown this nation’s best hockey talent keeps improving.

-Chicago Steel: They will be next year’s Youngstown. They have a coach in place who wants to work and a ton of returning talent. Next year will be the year in Chicago.

-Muskegon Lumberjacks: Year 1 brought playoffs. Year 2 brought dread. What Year 3 will bring is anyone’s guess.

 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

-Lincoln Stars: They’ve shown us that between Kevin Roy (Brown) and Ralf Freiburgs (Bowling Green), it might be a good idea for the USHL to open up that import rule to a few more players.

-Omaha Lancers: That if you make the right moves and draft smart, you can rebuild and reload in one season.

-Waterloo Black Hawks: We saw this on a message board, so there’s a chance it could be wrong. The post said Taylor Cammarata (Minnesota) was the first 16-year-old in league history to score 60 or more points in a season. If that’s true, what he does next year could be scary. If its not true, what he could do next year could be scary.

-Fargo Force: Losing 13 of your first 15 is no need for people to panic about a coach and blaming it on the fact he’s 64 years old. Its proof things really can turn around if given a chance. Oh and as for that coach he feels its, “letting people know Zane Gothberg (North Dakota) is the best goaltender in the USHL.”

-Sioux City Musketeers: You don’t need a superstar, first-round projected defenseman to go far. That you can parlay that into getting more pieces, fighting in a tough division and then coming out with equally or even maybe a better chance at going far in the playoffs.

-Tri-City Storm: That if its possible, clone Adam Wilcox (Minnesota) for next season and pair him with the incoming talent to make them the deadliest force imaginable.

-Des Moines Buccaneers: You can’t go home again as Regg Simon learned the hard way. Oh and toilets are the new pink slip.

-Sioux Falls Stampede: Remember what your team did to them this year. Because next year, it’s not happening. They’ll be more experienced and with Charlie Lindgren in net, it won’t be easy.

The Start of Your Ending…

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Just in case you needed a reminder, the USHL Playoffs are here.

First-round action kicks off tonight while the second round will start later this week.

Playoff runs are dictated by the best team but having one player could make the difference between your team trying to grow a patchy playoff beard or your team taking an earlier-than-expected team golf trip.

Here’s the list of the 10 players to watch this postseason:

-Nolan LaPorte, forward, Green Bay (Western Michigan): LaPorte was extremely good for the Gamblers when they reached the Clark Cup Finals last year. He scored eight points in 11 games and has continued to prove his postseason performance was not a fluke. LaPorte and the phalanx that is Green Bay have just hammered opponents up front. He’s led the way scoring 70 points (36 goals, 34 assists) this season. Add LaPorte to the list that reads “Embarrassment of Riches” that someone is probably jotting down about the Gamblers.

-Jon Gillies, goaltender, Indiana: Gillies with his large frame (6-5, 215 pounds) and 31 wins this season has been a wall at so many points and it should continue to be that way. Maybe we’re over analyzing here but getting the No. 2 seed could benefit Gillies quite a bit. He’ll get some days off to rest while others have one day off between the end of the regular season and start of the playoffs. Maybe that gives Gillies an edge of what could be some weary forwards and if that’s the case, good luck. Remember. Gillies did lead the league in minutes played and saves. Time off could help him and possibly make him harder to beat.

-Matthew Caito, defenseman, Dubuque (Miami (Ohio)): For one, Caito has been on fire lately scoring five points in his last eight games. Caito has been a major part of Dubuque’s defense which ranks third in the USHL in goals allowed and ranks first in the penalty kill. This defense has been consistent all year long and there’s no reason to think that would change. And one more note on Caito. Scoring five points in five games isn’t a fluke. He’s been chipping in on that end too scoring 26 points in 59 games. Between Caito, Michael Matheson (Boston College) and both Downing boys, this defense is nothing nice.

-Mike Ambrosia, forward, Youngstown (Princeton): Youngstown has quite a bit of talent but Ambrosia stands out because of his vision. He finished third in the USHL in assists with 47 helpers. Ambrosia plays on arguably one of the best lines in the league with Austin Cangelosi (Boston College) and J.T. Steinglein (UMass-Lowell) who each had 50 or more points this season. That’s a line that could do some serious damage. If it does, expect Ambrosia to be the one setting it all up.

-Ian Brady, defenseman, Cedar Rapids (Nebraska-Omaha): Brady has already turned things around from last season. He had five points in 46 games last year and finished this season with 25 points. Offense aside, he’s helping Cedar Rapids get hot at the right time having won four of its last five games. That and he’s been solid on the power play with 12 assists on the one-man advantage. This was a young team who earlier in the year struggled on offense and even lost six in a row. But things have turned around as of late. Question is: How will that momentum carry over into the playoffs?

-Bryn Chyzyk, forward, Fargo (North Dakota): Chyzyk might be one of the more complete forwards in the league. When it comes to the penalty kill, he’s one of the reason’s why the Force are No. 2 in the league. Chyzyk, on multiple occasions, has pilfered the puck when it gets to the point on the opposition’s power play turning it into a breakaway chance. Not too many guys can turn defense into offense that quickly. And when he does get on the offensive side, be careful. He has 28 goals this season and has scored five points in his last five games.

-Kevin Roy, forward, Lincoln (Brown): When you score 100 points, score 52 goals, dish out 48 assists and lead the league in points, goals, assists, plus/minus and domination, you’d be on a FBI-like watchlist let alone a USHL Playoff watchlist. Kevin Roy doesn’t just beat people, he destroys them.

-Jimmy Murray, forward, Omaha (St. Cloud State): Take Roy away from this for just one minute. Maybe no forward has impacted a team in the Western Conference this season like Murray has with Omaha. He was told he could be the guy in an offense needing a playmaker and has lived up to it. Murray, who finished second in assists, finds ways to get open and pick apart a defense. But there are times where he can take over a game. Just ask his old mates, the Force. They’ve seen it happen…twice.

-Taylor Cammarata, forward, Waterloo (Minnesota): Anyone wondering if Cammarata, a rookie, would be slowing down doesn’t need to ponder. He’s scored four points in his last two games and appears ready to take on the postseason. Cammarata has lived up to the billing that has come with being the first overall pick in last season’s USHL Futures Draft. Most guys in the Entry Draft either have a bit role or aren’t even playing in the league yet. Then there are some guys like Fargo’s Gabe Guertler (Minnesota), who was No. 2 last season, who have played a whole year and have contributed. Then there’s Cammarata who makes every defense aware of what he can do, how he can do it and how you might not be able to do anything about it. Nabbing 69 points in as a 5-6, 145-pound rookie is pretty special. Cammarata can only enhance his reputation with a solid playoff performance.

-Adam Wilcox, goaltender, Tri-City (Minnesota): There’s debate to whether you could choose Wilcox or Fargo’s Zane Gothberg (North Dakota) for the USHL Goaltender of the Year. What cannot be debated is how Wilcox isn’t exactly someone you want to face in a short series. Wilcox has the tools needed to steal not just a game but maybe even a series. If a team were to make a mistake leading to a goal, it makes getting past Wilcox an even more daunting task. But he has looked shaky have only grabbed one win in his last five starts. Which Wilcox will show up? The one we’ve seen lately or the one most teams don’t want to see?

Shake It Up…

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By now we’re all aware the Indiana Ice fired coach Kyle Wallack on Monday, a week before the USHL playoffs start.

As it stands, it appears Indiana will walk into the postseason with the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. Maybe that gives interim head coach Charlie Skjodt, who coached the team last year, some more time to work with the team.

Coaching turnover has always been considered normal given this is a league used to feed college or in the case of former NTDP coach Ron Rolston, a professional organization.

Eleven of the league’s 16 teams since April 9, 2011 have replaced their coaches due to coaches moving on to another position or because their teams have made firings. The five clubs with no changes are Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Lincoln, Sioux Falls and Waterloo.

Wallack’s dismissal marks the sixth time this season a USHL franchise has fired its coach. Some wonder what affect will this latest move will have on a team which could go far in the post-season.

No one knows but what we do know is how the other moves worked out. Here’s a look back at the team’s that made changes behind the bench and what’s happened so far:

-Omaha Lancers:

Fired: Bliss Littler

Replaced With: Mike Aikens

The Result: Omaha comes into this weekend a point out of first place in the West and are  guaranteed a first-round bye if they win this weekend. It it is a major turnaround compared to how the season started. Omaha had trouble scoring goals relying on a young defense and a rookie goaltender to win games. Thanks to some moves and trades – actually made by Littler – this team appears geared to go the distance in the playoffs.

 

-Tri-City Storm:

Fired: Drew Schoneck

Replaced With: Josh Hauge

The Result: Hauge helped Tri-City make up some ground as they’ve clinched a playoff spot where they will either play Waterloo or Fargo in the first round. Hauge’s wide-open style of hockey has seen the Storm get wins over squads like the Force to name a few. A stronger offensive style accompanied by goaltender Adam Wilcox (Tampa Bay/Minnesota) makes this team a likable option to pull off either a first-round upset or at least a first-round heartattack.

 

-Muskegon Lumberjacks

Fired: Kevin Patrick

Replaced With: Jim McKenzie

The Result: Muskegon still suffered through a tough year but did show some signs of a turnaround. It seems like every time they play the Green Bays of the world, they do not look bad by any means. McKenzie’s real test will come this off-season when he tries to build a team through the drafts.

 

-Des Moines Buccaneers

Fired: Regg Simon

Replaced With: Graham Johnson (interim)

The Result: Simon’s firing came not that long ago so its really hard to say long-term what the impact will be. But for now, a 12-game losing streak isn’t exactly a good thing and considering Omaha and Indiana, which play Des Moines this weekend, have something to prove it could be a while before this streak is snapped.

 

-Indiana Ice

Fired: Kyle Wallack

Replaced With: Charlie Skjodt

The Result: At least with Skjodt, you get someone who is familiar with the inner workings of the franchise, the Eastern Conference and the playoffs. What happens in the playoffs remains to be seen.

It Just Is…

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About a year ago, this could have been a lineup that could have won at the Minnesota state hockey tournament.

These days, however, they’re shooting for something greater. A Western Conference title would be nice. A Clark Cup would be a lot better.

Omaha’s roster has plenty of stories to it. The latest one is its defense and goaltending are spearheaded by five Minnesotans who a year ago weren’t even on a USHL roster.

“First of all, a big part is Alex Lyon (Yale) our goalie,” said Lancers defenseman Kevin Schulze (Wisconsin). “Our defense, we don’t give up a lot of quality chances. We may give up a lot of shots, but they are not quality chances.”

Omaha heads into Friday with the second-best record in the Western Conference and are a point out of first with two games left. Defense is a big reason why. Based on goals allowed, has the fourth-best defense in the USHL and it ranks second in the Western Conference.

The Minnesota-based defense has a lot to do with it. Apple Valley’s Vince Pedrie and Edina’s Ben Ostlie were drafted by the Lancers and have been with the club since Day One.

Ostlie and Pedrie, who were at Edina and Apple Valley last season, have had to adjust to what is a considerably more demanding USHL schedule. Minnesota schools play from 24 to 25 regular season games and assuming a team reaches the state title game, a player can at most play 31 or 32 games.

The USHL season is 60 games and Pedrie has already played 40 games this season while Ostlie has played in 52 games.

“Its a big transition. Teams here are a lot deeper,” said Ostlie, who has scored nine points this season. “Every player out here is skilled. In high school, usually the top two lines are skilled. But with the guys on the team, the season does go by pretty fast.”

Ostlie and Pedrie were both drafted by Omaha. Lyon, who is from Baudette, Minn., was acquired via a trade with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.

It still didn’t stop Omaha from making a few more moves to bolster its already Minnesota-heavy defense.

The Lancers traded for Schluze, who is from White Bear Lake, Minn., and played for Hill-Murray, and about a month ago added high school free agent, Jake Bischoff (Minnesota), who played this season at Grand Rapids, which was knocked out in the second round of this year’s playoffs.

Omaha, in all, has six players on its roster from Minnesota. Forward Tanner Lane (Nebraska-Omaha) is from Detroit Lakes and was acquired earlier this season from the Fargo Force.

Everyone Minnesotan on the team came in with promise based off what they did in high school. Lyon won the Frank Brimsek Senior Goaltender Award last season. Ostlie helped Edina finish fourth at the state tournament while Schulze helped White Bear Lake pull off one of the state’s biggest upsets in the section tournament by beating title contender Hill-Murray in the section finals.

Pedrie, despite missing out on last season’s state tournament, was part of one of the state’s most promising teams in Apple Valley, which featured forwards A.J. Michaelson and Hudson Fasching (both Minnesota). Michaelson is now with Waterloo while Fasching is with the National Team Development Program.

Then there’s Bischoff, who is considered to be one of Minnesota’s best defenseman and he still has another year of high school left.

Oh and as for Lane. Even though he’s not a defenseman, he still scored 90 points as a junior.

“It’s been great,” Schulze said of playing in Omaha. “A lot of the kids we know each other growing up. I didn’t play with them but I knew who they were. Its nice to come out and show what Minnesota does have to offer.”

Gratisfaction…

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Folks, our USHL Awards Tour is at its end as we take a look at the men vying for the USHL Coach of the Year.

Some names such as Green Bay’s Derek Lalonde won’t be a surprise on this list given everything his team has accomplished. Though there will be some names that could raise a few eyebrows.

So let’s get started:

 

-Derek Lalonde, Green Bay Gamblers: All the former Denver assistant has done in his first year was make this team a juggernaut the USHL hasn’t seen in a while. They have skill on just about every line, their defensive corps is extremely sound and they have what might be the best 1-2 punch at goalie in the league. Lalonde came into a situation where he was replacing Eric Rud, who left for his alma mater in Colorado College. The dominating season, the relentless attack and solid defense could easily be Lalonde’s biggest mark on this team. But let’s not forget this. Guy made the moves to grab Jordan Schmaltz (North Dakota) adding to an already potent team and parlayed that into getting Nick Schmaltz (North Dakota) and tendering Brendan Lemieux for the future.

-Anthony Noreen, Youngstown Phantoms: Noreen was an assistant and Youngstown becoming the head man in a matter of days after Curtis Carr left for Merrimack. Noreen built off what Youngstown did last season and turned them into an early season surprise for some. Now, however, there’s no surprises with Youngstown who could reach the Eastern Conference finals. Quite a turnaround from last year when the team missed the playoffs by a point.

-Kyle Wallack, Indiana Ice: Wallack has almost become the forgotten man out East this season with what Green Bay, Dubuque and Youngstown are doing. He’s been able to continue the Ice’s familiar high-octane style of offense but he’s done it while implementing younger players. That and he’s also been getting what many had hoped from goaltender Jon Gillies this season. He’s also retooled a defense which at times last season could be an Achilles heel for the Ice.

Mike Aikens, Omaha Lancers: Aikens became the head man early in the season after the team parted ways with Bliss Littler. He took a team which might have had the least USHL experience and they are now in first place by a point. Aikens took a roster with promise and turned into a team which has maybe the best shot at stopping Green Bay for a Clark Cup title. Aikens has also done all this in a Western Conference which has been about as wild as it gets. Aikens brought consistency to the Lancers and it looks like that may continue through the playoffs.

Brett Larson, Sioux City Musketeers: Here’s where there might be some eyebrows raised but give the man credit. Guy had a star in Schmaltz who wanted out of town. He took the pieces in the trade to strengthen a team which did have holes. Larson used what he had to climb out of the Western Conference cellar and into the No. 5 spot. Another move Larson made where should get a lot of credit is how much the Musketeers’ blue line has emerged and getting John Grahame as a goaltending coach. Grahame, before leaving for the NHL last week, made goaltender Matt Skoff (Penn State) a scary man in net as evidenced by six shutouts.

John Marks, Fargo Force: Marks has had a wild ride. He started the season with people calling for his head. He ends the season as a relaxed, silver fox wooing fans into why they should renew season tickets. Even when the Force lost 13 of 15 to start the season, players had no problems admitting it was not Marks’ fault. They were clear Marks and his staff were giving them everything needed to succeed. A nine-game winning streak, the longest in the league this year, proved that. So does being the No. 4 seed. But one must wonder, where would the Force be in the standings if they at least won three or four games during that slow start?

 

VERDICT: Let’s narrow the field down the three. The finalists being Lalonde, Noreen and Larson. Lalonde goes to final round leaving it up to Noreen and Larson. Noreen gets a hell of a lot of credit for what he did with Youngstown this year. But we give Larson the edge because he came into a new team, introduced a new system to players he was unfamiliar with and has them looking like a team which could upset someone in a short playoff series. Our final round comes down to Larson vs. Lalonde and yeah, we’re not going against Lalonde. We’d be stupid. The winner (as if there was really a surprise) is Green Bay’s Derek Lalonde.

 

 

New Lands…

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As we promised, we’re back with the candidates for Rookie of the Year.

Figuring out Rookie of the Year can be a bit of a tricky one. Take Taylor Cammarata (Minnesota) and Austin Cangelosi (Boston College) for example. Both players have come in and have really shaped their teams. Cammarata is 16 while Cangelosi is 17.

Then there are the players like Alex Lyon (Yale), who graduated last year from Lake of the Woods (MN-HS) in Baudette before coming to the league.

-Kevin Roy, forward, Lincoln (Brown): He has a league-leading 96 points. He has a league-leading 49 goals. He’s helping break the myth the USHL is a challenging league for forwards. He’s a Player of the Year frontrunner. He’s a Forward of the Year frontunner. He just might be the Rookie of the Year frontrunner too. Disagree with the following statement if you want: Kevin Roy is having arguably the best individual season in USHL history.

-Taylor Cammarata, forward, Waterloo (Minnesota): On a team full of draft picks and former Minnesota high school stars, Cammarata has really guided the ship. He’s been consistent with how he’s sculpted this team’s identity. He opened the season creating plays before taking over as a goal-scorer. He and his 62 points (25 goals, 37 assists) have helped Waterloo, which now finds itself in striking distance of a first-round playoff bye with two weeks left in the season.

-Michael Matheson, defenseman, Dubuque (Boston College): Give Matheson some credit. He came into the season with expectations regarding his offense but has shown he certainly has two-way capability. Dubuque’s defense has been tested all year especially when it lost goaltender Matt Morris (Maine) to an injury. Take a look at Dubuque’s defense and you’ll see when it comes to the numbers, they challenge Fargo and Green Bay for the title of the league’s best.

-Austin Cangelosi, forward, Youngstown (Boston College): Similar to Cammarata, except Cangelosi didn’t have to shoulder the burden by himself. He’s had help but he’s certainly managed to have an impact. His 55 points are second on his team and are 10th in the entire USHL. All of this has helped Youngstown have maybe the best season of any team in the USHL that isn’t Green Bay.

-Robbie Baillargeon, forward, Indiana (Boston University): Ball So Hard has been incredible on a team which has been defined by its more experienced players. He’s made people realize there’s more to Indiana than just Daniil Tarasov, Sean Kuraly (Miami (Ohio)) and Jacob Fallon (Vermont) up front. He’s added another scoring punch especially on the power play. He’s scored 20 points (4 goals, 16 assists) on the one-man advantage this season.

-Michael Downing, defenseman, Dubuque (Michigan): Remember what we were saying about the Fighting Saints’ defense being one of the best in the league? Downing is a reason why. Dubuque has the top penalty killing unit in the USHL. It is third in goals allowed and has no issue suppressing a team in one-goal games. Downing has been Captain Consistency given that he’s played in 50 of his team’s 56 games which is quite a bit for a rookie. Especially a rookie defenseman.

-Alex Lyon, goaltender, Omaha (Yale): Take a look around Omaha’s roster and it cane be argued there’s four or five Rookie of the Year candidates in general. We’re going with Lyon because he’s been solid for them all year even when the offense was sputtering. Lyon has that ability to make just about every game close and has established himself in a goalie-heavy conference. Lyon, in the course of a month, could face Tri-City’s Adam Wilcox (Minnesota), Fargo’s Zane Gothberg (North Dakota), Waterloo’s Stephon Williams (Minnesota-Mankato) and a bonafide stud in Sioux City’s Matt Skoff (Penn State), who is second in the USHL in shutouts. Lyon is 25-15-3 with a 2.80 GAA and a .909 save percentage. Oh and then there’s this little note, he’s doing all this while playing for a first-place team.

-Bryn Chyzyk, forward, Fargo (North Dakota): We’ve watched Chyzyk get severe back spasms with the way he carried the Force at certain times this year. Guy was the best forward to open the season and has continued to be that during injuries, losing streaks, nine-game winning streaks and everything else. Chyzyk’s 26 goals are tied for 10th in the USHL. But he does more than score. Chyzyk has the ability to stop a power play dead in its tracks by stealing the puck at the point and turning it into a shorthanded breakaway chance.

VERDICT: Quite a bit of names. Lot of deserving names at that. If we narrow it down to four, we’ll take Roy, Lyon, Matheson and Cangelosi. And from those four, we’ll narrow down the final two to Roy and Matheson. Roy has certainly been the engine that makes Lincoln run. Though Matheson has helped anchor a defense which has withstood the likes of Green Bay, Indiana, Youngstown and a young, but mad gifted U-17 and U-18 team out East. Roy is the Everything of the Year and it is hard to argue against anything he is done. Matheson’s been great but where would Lincoln be without Roy? They’d be playoff-bound for sure but would the this much of a threat to challenge for a Clark Cup? We’re not so sure. Our winner for Rookie of the Year is Roy.

 

NEXT: Coach of the Year

Get Back…

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There’s been some defensemen who have been part of juggernaut while others are the reason their teams are jockeying for playoff positioning.

Either way, we consider them to be the favorites for the USHL’s Defenseman of the Year award.

So let’s take a look at the five guys who could potentially walk away with the award.

-Andy Welinski, Green Bay Gamblers (Minnesota-Duluth): He’s been what a team would want in a defenseman. He has been an offensive threat and he’s been a leader on what is statistically the league’s best defense this season. Welinski has further established himself as one of this league’s best players as it appears the Gamblers have a strong chance at reaching the Clark Cup Finals. They’ve allowed the least amount of goals in the league while Welinski has also led a scoring-friendly blue line which has two players in the Top 5 in scoring among defensemen this year. He has scored 15 goals and 21 assists this season and has a plus-36 rating to boot. It has been argued Welinski has been to USHL defensemen what Kevin Roy (Brown) has been to forwards this year.

-Nolan Zajac, Omaha Lancers (Denver): Zajac has proved every since he was traded from Cedar Rapids he’s had an impact on Omaha. He came to what was once an offensively-challenged team and has helped turned them into what is (at least for now) the first place team in the Western Conference by a point over Lincoln with two weeks left. Zajac leads all league defensemen with 11 goals and 28 assists for 39 points. Compared to Welinski, his plus/minus ranking isn’t high. It is a plus-3. Though when you look at how valuable he has been to getting a charge into Omaha, it cannot be argued he’s has certainly been influential.

-Brian Cooper, Fargo Force (Nebraska-Omaha): OK. For those wondering why Cooper is on this list, here’s why. The Force have been the league’s second-best defense based on goals allowed. Its a penalty kill that has also been ranked in the Top 5 also. In fact, is the third-best penalty kill in the league. Who’d have thought that considering the Force opened the season losing 13 of its first 15 games? Cooper was known last year for leading the rush and delivering the big hit. He still does that, but he’s also done more to be a stay-at-home defenseman. He has scored 23 points this year, ten less than last year but what he’s done to help make the Force one of the league’s Top 3 defenses says a lot more.

-Paul Ladue, Lincoln Stars (North Dakota): Life has been rough for Lincoln lately considering it has one victory of its last four games. Not the situation where you want to be given the Stars are only a point out of first place. Wherever Lincoln ends up, just know Ladue will be one of the reasons why they will be a hard team to face this postseason. He plays in every big situation for the Stars and has backed it up multiple times. His 33 points are sixth among league defensemen and his plus-32 is third among league defensemen. Ladue has been one of those pleasant surprises for the Stars this year. Stars coach Chad Johnson said earlier in the year before Ladue committed, that he’s been one of this team’s best players and cannot be overlooked. Its clear people are starting to get the message.

-Michael Matheson, Dubuque Fighting Saints (Boston College): Matheson and Dubuque have certainly had an interesting year. Losing their best two-way forward (Zemgus Girgensons) to injuries and international duty didn’t help. Losing their No. 1 goalie (Matt Morris) to injuries also didn’t help. Yet Matheson and the defense found a way to make up for those losses. Dubuque’s defense ranks third in the league in terms of goals allowed. It has the best penalty kill at a shade over 87 percent. He has also scored 22 points in 49 games this year, which is second on his team among defensemen. He’s done all this while helping his draft stock rise. One Eastern Conference scout told NHL.com he believes Matheson will go in the late first round to the Vancouver Canucks.

THE VERDICT: Cooper, Ladue and Matheson have all been good this year. No one is doubting that. But no one can also doubt this has been a two-horse race between Welinski and Zajac. Zajac has helped save one team’s season while Welinski has helped destroyed others. It’s a tough one, but we will go with Welinski for the win.

NEXT: Goaltender of the Year.

Popular Demand…

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We’re back with Part II in our series looking at frontrunners for specific USHL awards.

Today’s post looks at the Forward of the Year candidates. Feeling around the league and practically the planet is Lincoln’s Kevin Roy (Brown) is going to run away with the award among other trophies.

Let’s look and see if anyone really could challenge Roy for the award

-Kevin Roy, Lincoln (Brown): He’s a Player of the Year favorite. He’s a Rookie of the Year favorite. He’s turned down the QMJHL team in his backyard. He’s about to score 100 points and in the process get drafted in his second year of eligibility. Oh and he’s also been an internet sensation long before coming to the USHL. Let the record reflect Roy has scored 90 points (47 goals, 43 assists) in 53 games. Guy has terrorized USHL defenses while making Lincoln look like an even more dangerous team and maybe the Western Conference favorite as the playoffs draw closer. The only thing Roy hasn’t done is feed the homeless but for all we know, he’s probably done that between shifts.

-Daniil Tarasov, Indiana: If anyone has reason to be mad the last two seasons it could be Tarasov. He scored 75 points in 57 games last season. It led some to wonder if he could do it again this season without some of the high-end talent he previously had. Tarasov has done it again scoring 76 points (41 goals, 35 assists) in 54 games. He has made Indiana another legit contender and he’s done it in a year where Green Bay has dominated the league and he has a younger core of teammates. Roy’s incredible season, in turn, has made people forget about what Tarasov has done this year. He’s helped younger forwards such as Robbie Baillargeon (Boston University) into becoming a solid presence on a franchise known for its scoring. He’s shown the league a player such as Jacob Fallon (Vermont) could be a playmaker and have as many goals this season as he had in the last two years. If its not for Kevin Roy, people would give Tarasov more credit. Period.

-Mike Ambrosia, Youngstown (Princeton): Ambrosia is in the same boat as Tarasov when it comes to being overshadowed by Roy. Ambrosia has been one of the better forwards in the league this year constantly creating chances for his teammates. He’s created chances and been a leader on a team which definitely had the pieces to compete and contend for an Eastern Conference title. Ambrosia’s 44 assists – second in the league – have gone a long way towards changing the image many have had about Youngstown’s forwards and in truth, that whole team. We’ve talked to him for an upcoming feature and you can tell he gets it. He gets how important it is to achieve consistency and be a leader for a team. Ambrosia looks the part, sounds the part and acts the part.

-Jimmy Murray, Omaha (St. Cloud State): Murray, in a way, represents what’s been so intriguing about this year’s group of top forwards. From Roy to Murray, every one of these guys were questioned. Murray was questioned as to whether or not he could really succeed in the USHL. He was here in Fargo and was later shipped to the NAHL and then eventually the Lancers. All he’s done is lead the USHL in assist along with having Omaha as one of the favorites to challenge for the Clark Cup title. Teammates say he’s been a leader and it’s even made some in Fargo say they wish he was back. Murray also managed to earn a scholarship to St. Cloud State in the process. Can’t discount the kind of year he’s having.

-Zemgus Girgensons, Dubuque (Vermont): See this post to get an idea of where Girgensons stands in this debate.

 

THE VERDICT: All of these players make really legit arguments. But when it comes down to who has been the best forward this year, without question it is Kevin Roy. It’s Roy all the way. But if we had to pick a winner that wasn’t Kevin Roy, it’d be a toss up and in that regard we’d have to go with Ambrosia. Nothing against Tarasov, Murray or Girgensons but what’s being done in Youngstown gets more impressive by the week.

NEXT IN THE SERIES: Defenseman of the Year