UConn's new class
Men’s Hockey Announces Incoming Recruits
STORRS, Conn.
(July 11, 2012) – University of Connecticut men's hockey coach
Bruce Marshall and his staff have announced that 10 players will join
the Huskies for the 2012 season. Connecticut will add six forwards and
four defensemen to the roster.
“We
are definitely on the rise and we feel that this class will help us to
continue to make the climb in Atlantic Hockey as we try to get to
Rochester (Home of the AHA
Semifinals and Finals) and make the next step in March,” said
Marshall. “We’ve made ourselves deeper and more competitive at every
position for Friday and Saturday nights with this incoming group.”
2012-13 Men’s Hockey Recruiting Class Notes
-
UConn will welcome six forwards and four defensemen in 2012-13.
-
Six
players hail from the North American Hockey League (Tier II), two from
the Eastern Junior Hockey League (Tier III), one from the Alberta Junior
Hockey League in Canada
(Tier II) and one skater from the United States Hockey League (Tier I).
-
Connecticut will have four players from the St. Louis Bandits of the NAHL on the roster at the start of 2012-13.
-
Two incoming players (Joe Birmingham, Joe Schmitz) were named NAHL All-Division.
-
Seven of ten recruits served as team captain or assistant captain for their respective junior programs.
-
UConn recently announced it will join the Hockey East Association for the start of the 2014-15 season.
Joe Birmingham, Medford, N.J./St. Louis Bandits (NAHL) – 5-foot-10, 175lbs, Forward
Birmingham
joins a long list of UConn players to play for the St. Louis Bandits of
the NAHL, joining current Huskies Tom Comunale, Brad Smith and Garrett
Bartus. Birmingham
earned a spot on the NAHL Central Division All-Star Team in 2011-12 and
finished seventh in total points in the NAHL regular season last year,
tallying 24 goals and 45 assists for 69 points in 60 games. He
previously captained the Northfield Mt. Hermon preparatory
school in 2010-11. He looks to play right wing for the Huskies next
year.
“Joe’s
a good team player,” said St. Louis Bandits coach Jeff Brown. “He’s a
character guy who can skate, score and work his tail off. He’s a bit of a
dynamic player
too. I’m sure he’s going to have a great college career.”
Chris Bond, Centreville, Va./Topeka RoadRunners (NAHL) – 6-foot-2, 205lbs, Defenseman
Bond
finished the 2011-12 season with the Topeka RoadRunners, tallying four
goals and 13 assists for 17 points in 59 games. Bond, a left-shot
defenseman, served as an
assistant captain for Topeka last season. He was named the Defenseman
of the Year for Topeka in 2011-12 and was awarded the NAHL Community
Service Award in 2010-11.
“Chris
is a very solid defending defenseman. He plays with a lot of energy
and takes a lot pride in the defensive part of the game,” said Topeka
Roadrunners head coach
Scott Langer. “First and foremost, he’s one of the highest character
kids our league has ever seen. He keeps his body in order. He’ll be
one of the hardest working Huskies all year, that’s just the way he is.
He won’t be outworked. He’ll help set the
bar very high for the rest of the team. He’s a great addition to that
program.”
Tyler Bouchard, Glastonbury, Ct./Springfield Pics (EJHL) – 5-foot-10, 180lbs, Forward
A
prolific scorer for the Springfield Pics, Bouchard totaled 35 goals and
31 assists for 66 points in just 45 games last season. He finished the
regular season ranked
eighth in total points and second in goal scoring in the Eastern Junior
Hockey League. Bouchard captained Springfield last season and was
selected for the EJHL All-Star Game in 2011 and 2012.
“He’s
a natural goal scorer. As soon as he gets the puck in a scoring
opportunity, he can pounce on it and convert,” said Pat Tabb, head coach
of the Springfield Pics.
“He’s got a quick release and an accurate, pinpoint shot. His biggest
attribute is to snap the puck off in traffic and he converts nine out of
10 times. I think he’ll be an impact freshman who will challenge for
power-play time in his first year.”
Tyler Cooke, Warwick, R.I./South Shore Kings (EJHL) – 6-foot-1, 205lbs, Defenseman
Cooke
comes to Storrs after skating for the South Shore Kings of the Eastern
Junior Hockey League. In 2011-12, Cooke notched three goals and 13
assists for 16 points
in 40 games as a right defenseman.
“I
think he’s a kid the coaching staff will eventually rely on. You can
rely on him in any situation,” said Scott Harlow, head coach of the
South Shore Kings. “He’s
a kid who can do anything for the team when called upon. I think he’s
going to develop into a top two or three defenseman at UConn.
“With
Tyler I don’t think he knows how good he can be. He’s obviously very
athletic, when he gets into that atmosphere with hockey, hockey, hockey
every day, he’ll thrive
there,” added Harlow.
Joey Ferriss, Novi, Mich./Michigan Warriors (NAHL) – 6-foot-1, 185lbs, Forward
Ferriss
most recently spent one season with the Michigan Warriors of the North
American Hockey League after playing two years at Novi High School for
former UConn All-American
Todd Krygier. Ferriss recorded 41 points on 14 goals and 27 assists
last season for the Warriors, earning a spot at the NAHL Top Prospects
Showcase. A two-time All-State selection in Michigan in 2010 and 2011,
he captained his team to the state championship
in 2010-11.
“Joey
is a creative player. He will be a perfect fit at UConn,” said
Krygier. “I think Joey can do some things that will translate right
away to the college game.
He can create, he sees lanes that maybe others don’t and he works hard
every day. He can find the net too. He’s a good all-around player.”
Tyler Helton, Colorado Springs, Colo./Drayton Valley Thunder (AJHL) – 6-foot, 190lbs, Forward
Helton
finished eighth in total points in the Alberta Junior Hockey League
last season, registering 20 goals and 46 assists for 66 points in 60
games. An assistant captain
for Drayton Valley, Helton finished the year with a plus-15 rating.
Helton was named Team MVP and the Top Forward for Drayton Valley in
2011-12.
“Tyler
is very strong on the puck, he’s got great hands. He works well in the
high traffic areas. He’s a heads up hockey player that sees the ice
well,” said Fran Gow,
head coach of the Drayton Valley Thunder. “I think he’ll do very well
at the next level. He’s a fierce competitor. Whether it’s practice or a
game, he’s ready to go every day.”
Kyle Huson, Parker, Colo./Wenatchee Wild (NAHL) – 6-foot-5, 200lbs, Defenseman
Huson
is the first of two players coming to Storrs from the Wenatchee Wild. A
left-shot defenseman, Huson served as an assistant captain in 2011-12
and registered two
goals and 11 assists for 13 points in 58 games. Kyle Huson’s father,
Jeff, played professional baseball for 13 seasons.
“He’s
a leader, on and off the ice, first and foremost,” said Wenatchee
assistant coach Chris Clark. “He’s very well respected by his
teammates.
Obviously, coming from a professional sport family, his parents have
done a great job raising him. I’d be shocked if he wasn’t a captain
there by his junior year.
“He’s
a shutdown defenseman – a big lanky kid. Once he puts on weight and
learns how to use that to his advantage, he’ll be that much better. He
has a great stick and
will learn to use his body at that level,” added Clark.
Patrick Kirtland, Cary, N.C./Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) – 6-foot, 190lbs, Forward
A
left wing from the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey
League, the only Tier 1 junior hockey league in the nation, Kirtland
tallied 11 goals and 15 assists
for 26 points while serving as an assistant captain in 2011-12.
“Patrick
plays a very responsible two-way game,” said Regg Simon, head coach of
the Des Moines Buccaneers. “He is effective on the fore-check because
he
can skate and bring a physical element, and still be trusted
defensively. He'll block a lot of shots and is an excellent penalty
killer. He also provided good leadership for our club.”
Shawn Pauly, Bellingham, Wash./Wenatchee Wild (NAHL) – 6-foot, 185lbs, Forward
UConn’s second recruit this season from the Wenatchee Wild (Kyle Huson), Pauly finished tied for 19th
in total points in the NAHL regular season with 56 points
on 20 goals and 36 assists. An assistant captain for Wenatchee, he was
tabbed as the team’s Most Valuable Player last season. Pauly previously
earned a spot on the NAHL All-Rookie Team in 2009-10.
“Shawn’s
going to be very reliable two way center. Also a great kid. He’ll
lead by example,” said Clark. “He’ll play just as hard in the defensive
end as he does in
the offensive end. He’ll create plays. He has the ability to make
passes most kids can’t make.”
Joe Schmitz, Lino Lakes, Minn./Alaska Avalanche (NAHL) – 6-foot-3, 210lbs, Defenseman
Schmitz,
a right-shot defenseman, served as captain for the Alaska Avalanche
last season. He finished ninth in total points by a defenseman in the
NAHL regular season
with 33 points on 10 goals and 23 assists. A captain for the
Avalanche, he was named to the NAHL West Division All-Star Team in
2011-12.
“He’s
a tough, hard-nosed defenseman that has solid offensive ability. He’s a
jack of all trades really. We put him on the penalty kill, the power
play, 5-on-6, 6-on-5.
He was the anchor of our blue line last year,” said Josh Perpinich,
assistant coach of the Alaska Avalanche.
“I
expect him to go in and work hard. The best trait that Joe brought to
us last year, on a consistent basis, was his leadership. I expect that
to come out over the
years at UConn. He’s going to go in and listen to the veterans and
coaching staff and work hard. I expect him to bloom into a top notch
player at UConn. I think that’s why he was so excited to join the
Huskies, he knew he would fit in and impact the program,”
added Perpinich.
Connecticut
is set to open the regular season at UMass, a member of the Hockey East
Association, on October 12. UConn’s first home game of the 2012-13
campaign will
be against Frozen Four participant Union on October 27 at the Mark
Edward Freitas Ice Forum in Storrs.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home