Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Yale's incoming class set

Nine freshmen will enroll at Yale in the fall, the largest new class since the 10 recruits that made up the graduating class of 2006. There are four defensemen, four forwards and a goalie. The class of 2015 also has the first hockey players born in Florida, North Carolina and Norway.

Here's the lowdown.

Carroccio, Bennett, D: 6-0, 195 --- Armonk, NY/Boston (EJHL)
Day, Anthony, F: 5-9, 175 --- Buffalo, NY/Waterloo (USHL)
Fallen, Tommy, D: 5-9, 175 --- Plymouth, MN/Cedar Rapids (USHL)
Killian, Matt, D: 6-1, 200 --- Basking Ridge, NJ/Delbarton
Ruffolo, Trent, F: 5-11, 170 --- Coral Springs, FL/New Hampshire (EJHL)
Thompson, Adam, D: 6-1, 198 --- Calgary, AB/Vernon (BCHL)
Ward, Alex, F: 6-0, 180 --- Burlington, VT/Deerfield Academy
Weberg, Nicholas, F: 5-8, 160 --- Faribault, MN/Shattuck St. Mary’s
Wilson, Connor, G: 5-10, 170 --- Cary, NC/Chicago (USHL)

Bennett Carroccio
Before Yale
: Played defense for 2010-11 Boston Jr. Bruins… Hit net four times and had 26 points in 44 games… Plus-37 on season… 2010-11 EJHL All-Star… Played four years at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass… Captained baseball team and played outfield… 2009 Central New England Prep School Baseball Champions… Ted Harrison Award at Phillips… Honor roll.
Personal: Bennett Taylor Carroccio (pronounced car-o-CHEE-o) is the son of Ben and Brenda Carroccio… Flying airplanes, cooking and yoga are hobbies… Interned at a not-for-profit (Triad Trust) while playing for Bruins.


Anthony Day
Before Yale
: Played for Sioux Falls Stampede for all of 2009-10 and part of 2010-11 season… Notched 11 goals and 31 points in 2009-10… Added seven goals and 14 points following winter between Sioux Falls and Waterloo… Played for St. Francis High School from 2006-2009 with 30 goals and 79 points over three seasons and 42 games… Captain of 2008-09 team… Set school record for points in a season… 2009 First-Team All-Midwest Prep Hockey League… 2009 Hasek’s Heroes Player of Year… Team was three-time state championship finalist… Brian McNamara Memorial Scholarship.
Personal: Anthony William Day is the son of Gregory and Lois Day… Interested in economics and career in finance.

Tommy Fallen
Before Yale: Assistant captain for USHL Cedar Rapids Roughriders in 2010-11… Helped team set franchise records for wins (42) and points (90)… Anderson Cup title for best regular season record… Tied for team lead regular-season plus/minus (+19)… Led team defensemen in 2011 playoff scoring and plus/minus… Roughriders lost in Eastern Conference Championship… One of seven USHL defensemen named to U.S. team that captured gold at 2010 World Junior A Challenge… 118 games played, 46 points and +36 are among best marks for defensemen in franchise history… USHL CCM Defensive Player of the Week (3/14/11)… Played hockey (61 pts, 78 gp) and lacrosse at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School… Hockey 2008-09 first-team all-conference… Team MVP… Team Most Coachable Award… AHS 40th Anniversary All-Star Team… Minnesota Hockey “Great 8” High School Senior All-Star Team… Channel 12 All-Area Team… Nominated to participate with 120 top high school players in Midwest in the Upper Midwest High School Elite League (Team Northwest)… Nominated to Elite League All-Star Team Minnesota for 2008 Bauer National Invitational… 2007-08 all-conference HM… Minnesota Hockey Advanced 17 Festival – Final 54 Camp… 2006-07 all-conference HM… Minnesota Hockey Advanced 16 Festival – Final 54 Camp… National Honor Society… Honors Mentor Connection.
Personal: Thomas Robert Fallen (pronounced FALL-in) is the son of Robert and Kathy Fallen… Sister, Kelley, was a four-year letter winner in hockey and 2010-11 captain at University of St. Thomas… Grandfather, James Fallen, played minor pro hockey for the Cleveland Barons in the late 50s… Father, former associate publisher of USA Hockey Magazine and co-founder of Minnesota Hockey Journal, is director of Skaters Keep Achieving Through Education, an academic recognition program for youth hockey players in Minnesota… Mother is former GM for Team Minnesota, a girls high school all-star team that competed in Chicago Showcase National High School All-Star Festival… Assistant coach to the CCM/Reebok team made up of 2001 birth years around the Twin Cities area.

Matt Killian
Before Yale: One of two players in New Jersey history to be part of four straight state championships at Delbarton School… Defenseman with 30 goals, 72 assists, plus-207 for his high school career… 2011 HNIB Public/Catholic Defensive Player of the Year… 2011 Morris County Player of the Year… 2010 & 2011 first-team all-state… 2010 and 2011 First-Team All-Gordono Conference… 2011 Delbarton captain and MVP… Played with Yale teammate Kenny Agostino ’14… Three-time Gordon Cup Champions… Four-time conference champions… No. 2 nationally ranked high school team in 2009-10… Played six weeks with U.S. National Team Development Program… Graduated with highest honors… Morris County Scholar-Athlete… 2010 baseball all-area pick as pitcher/third baseman.
Personal: Matthew Killian (pronounced kill-EE-un) is the son of Joseph and Mary Killian…Worked as camp counselor at Delbarton hockey and baseball camps…Interested in business.

Trent Ruffolo
Before Yale: Born and raised playing hockey in Florida… Left home state at age 17… Played last two winters for New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs… 2010-11 Eastern Junior Hockey League MVP… Scored 56 goals with 129 points in 89 games over two seasons… Led team in points (fourth in the league) both years… Helped Monarchs win two league titles… GPA topped 4.0 in high school… National Honor Society… Student body government.
Personal: Trent Gregory Ruffolo (pronounced rough-a-LOW) is the son of John and Kelly Ruffolo… Worked as a hockey referee during the summer… Maternal grandfather played basketball at Rollins College… First Floridian on a Yale men’s hockey roster.

Adam Thompson
Before Yale: Played last three years for Vernon Vipers in BCHL… Scored 23 goals and had 95 points in 218 games… Only player in history of RBC Cup (National Junior A Championship) to play in three straight (2009-11) championship games…. Earned 2011 RBC Cup Tournament defensive MVP… 2011 championship game MVP… Vipers won title in 2009 and 2010… Runner-up in 2011… Three-time league and Doyle Cup (BC vs. Alberta) champions… BCHL Scholarship (community service, dedication to hockey, scholastics)… Scored 12 goals and had 28 points for Calgary AAA team in 2007-08… Named to AMHL All-Star team and was second-team all-league… Played in national Midget AAA Championship and finished fourth… Honors with distinction from 9th through 12th grade… Won numerous habits of mind nominations from teachers.
Personal: Adam Michael John Thompson is the son of William and Marie Thompson… Interested in business and engineering.

Alex Ward
At Deerfield Academy: Earned three varsity hockey letters… 54 points in 68 games… 2011 Deerfield Hockey Cup (MVP)… Team qualified for large school quarterfinals… Played with Yale teammate Antoine Laganiere ’13… Tennis team’s sportsmanship award… Played No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles… Three-year starter at midfield on soccer team… Jim Smith Award (scholarship, sportsmanship)… Cum Laude Society… High honors all terms… Binswanger Prize for humanitarianism… McDonald’s Scholarship.
At South Burlington High: Second-team all-state in 2007… 42 points in 20 games… 2007 Vermont singles tennis champion… Played on two state championship tennis teams.
Personal: Alexander King Ward is the son of Norman Ward and Patricia Young… Raised $4,200 for underprivileged tennis players of Burlington… Worked as tennis coach… Interested in business and medicine.

Nicholas Weberg
Before Yale
: Team-best 85 points in 54 games for Shattuck St. Mary’s (Faribault, Minn.) in 2010-11… First-Team All-Northern Lakes Hockey League… February League Player of the Month 2010… 2010 NLHL Regular Season and Playoff Champions… Played with Team Norway U20s in 2011 World Junior Championships at Buffalo (against Keith Allain’s Team USA)… Led Norway in scoring… 10 goals, 16 points in 13 games for U20… Led Team Norway in scoring at 2010 European Junior Trophy… 2009-10 Team Norway U18 assistant captain… 6 goals, 13 points, 5 games… MVP of final and semifinal games at U18 Worlds… Top scorer (44 goals, 79 points, 42 gp) for SSM U18 AAA Team in 2009-10… 2011 USA Hockey Midget U18 Tier 1 national title… Drafted by Sioux City Musketeers (USHL) in 2010… High Honors 2008-11.
Personal: Nicholas Christian Weberg (pronounced WEE-burg) is the son of Paal and Brigit Weberg, both Denver University graduates… Born and raised in Oslo, Norway… Went to SSM in 10th grade… Family moved to Minnesota in 2011… Family loves to fish and compete with each other… Webergs ran in a five-mile charity race in Aspen in 2010… Worked in Shattuck hockey camp… First Norwegian in Yale hockey… Two younger brothers, Sebastian and Joachim, attend SSM.

Connor Wilson
Before Yale: Played in 85 games over two winters for Chicago Steel (selected 57th overall in 2008 draft)… First player from North Carolina to make USHL roster… 4,752 minutes with a 3.65 GAA and .884 SP… USHL Player of Week (March 2010) after going 5-2 with 1.43 GAA… Earned three varsity letters as goalie for Berkshire School from 2007-09… Three letters on golf team… Also played soccer for two seasons as a goalie… Earned honors in the classroom every semester.
Personal: Connor Joseph Wilson is the son of Dave and Beth Wilson… Worked in food service at Durham Bulls baseball games.

Monday, July 18, 2011

Quinnipiac will hire Brian Renfrew as assistant

Brian Renfrew, the former associate head hockey coach at Michigan State, has accepted a position as assistant coach at Quinnipiac, sources told the Register.

He will replace Ben Syer, who left last month for Cornell, on the Quinnipiac staff.

Renfrew, 39, spent seven seasons at Michigan State and was part of the Spartans national championship in 2007. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2008 by Rick Comely, who retired after last season. Renfrew was not retained by new MSU coach Tom Anastos. Here is his Michigan State bio.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Yale set to hire Red Gendron as assistant

Red Gendron, as assistant coach at UMass-Amherst the past six seasons, will be named associate head coach at Yale, the Register has learned. He'll replace Kyle Wallack, now the head coach of the Indiana Ice of the USHL, on the Bulldogs staff.

The deal is expected to be finalized Friday.

Gendron and Yale coach Keith Allain have known each other for over 20 years, and worked together in USA Hockey. Gendron was an assistant to Allain for the U.S. entry in the World Junior Championships in 2001 and 2002.

Gendron has extensive college and pro experience. He was with the New Jersey Devils organization as a scout and coach for 11 years, serving two seasons as head coach of their AHL affiliate in Albany from 2002-04. He was also an assistant on the University of Maine's 1993 NCAA title squad.

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Cheshire's Matt Generous signs with Finnish club

Cheshire's Matt Generous signed a one-year contract with a second-year option with Rauman Lukko of the SM-liiga, the professional league in Finland, the club announced Monday. Generous is a 2009 St. Lawrence University graduate, and was a seventh-round draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres.

Here's what the club's player coordinator had to say about Generous on the team website. As always, the translation to English is a hoot.

"Matt is a large two-direction defender who is very good defensively, strong double battles, and skating. In his career at the University (he) played in the superiority successfully. Matt owns a very hard shot, which certainly he will take advantage of. He is a highly motivated athlete, whose objectives are still in the NHL," said Lock player co-ordinator, Hannu Old House.

Last season, Generous, 26, split time between Reading of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) and Lake Erie of the American Hockey League (AHL). In 62 games, he scored two goals and assisted on eight others (10 points). Generous played 40 games with Lake Erie, amassing one goal and four assists.

Generous began his professional career with the Portland Pirates of the AHL, seeing action in four games in 2008-09 after completing his collegiate career, and 61 games in 2009-10. He racked up 13 points, including two goals, in his first full professional campaign (2009-10).