While hockey has become a year-round endeavor thanks to summer showcases, camps, etc., the primary hockey season (the one with easy-to-access info) is unfortunately winding down, and that of course includes the teams housing Penn State's recruits. As each player's season concludes, they'll be removed from this post as this feature fades into the offseason as well. So far, the removed players include:
- 2013 D Thomas Welsh. His top-seeded Salisbury Prep was stunned in the Stuart/Corkery Tournament (the New England prep championship) semifinals by Lawrence Academy.
- 2012 D Luke Juha. Juha played on the gold medal winning Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge. His Vernon Vipers, though, were 30-27-3 and missed the BCHL playoffs for the first time since 2000-2001, thanks in part to Juha's absence for most of the season due to injury.
- 2014 D Bo Pellah. The youthful Langley Rivermen also missed the BCHL playoffs at 19-35-6, although Pellah led the team's blueliners in scoring.
- 2014 D Kevin Kerr. Team Comcast missed the AYHL playoffs and then lost out to the North Jersey Avalanche for the Atlantic District bid to USA Hockey nationals on March 17th and 18th. Meanwhile Kerr's prep team, Holy Ghost, lost to La Salle College High School for the Flyers Cup title on March 14th.
- 2013 D David Thompson. Thompson's Chilliwack Chiefs put forward a valiant effort in the first round of the BCHL playoffs against the juggernaut-ish Penticton Vees, but ultimately fell in six games.
As always, for updated season stats of all recruits, visit the
M Current Commitments page.
Casey Bailey
Forward
Omaha Lancers (USHL)
6'3", 195 pounds
Anchorage, AK
Class of 2012
DOB 10/22/1991
Date Opponent Score G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------
3/21 at Sioux Falls W 7-3 0 1 1 0 [box score]
3/23 at Tri-City L 1-5 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/30 at Lincoln W 5-2 1 1 2 2 [box score]
3/31 vs. Lincoln L 4-5 0 1 1 0 [box score]
The Lancers remain locked in a tight battle with archrival Lincoln (and Eamon McAdam's Waterloo) for first place in the Western Conference... despite Bailey's three points, a pair of Lancers-Stars games this past weekend settled nothing... his 56 points have him among the USHL's top ten scorers.
Kenny Brooks
Forward
Tri-City Storm (USHL)
6'2", 195 pounds
Las Vegas, NV
Class of 2012
DOB 12/11/1991
Date Opponent Score G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------
3/23 vs. Omaha W 5-1 0 1 1 0 [box score]
3/24 vs. Dubuque L 1-4 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/30 at Waterloo L 2-4 0 1 1 0 [box score]
3/31 at Sioux Falls W 6-3 0 0 0 0 [box score]
The Storm have opened up a five-point lead on Des Moines for the Western Conference's final playoff spot with four games left in the regular season.
Related stories:
Max Gardiner
Center/Left Wing
Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
6'2", 175 pounds
Minnetonka, MN
Class of 2012
DOB 5/7/1992
Date Opponent Score G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------
3/23 at Lincoln L 1-3 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/24 at Tri-City W 4-1 0 0 0 2 [box score]
3/30 vs. Muskegon W 5-3 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/31 vs. Team USA W 3-1 2 0 2 0 [box score]
Gardiner busted out of a scoring slump (no points in his previous 10 games) with the game-winning goal and an empty-netter against the NTDP.
David Glen
Center
Spruce Grove Saints (AJHL)
6'0", 175 pounds
Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Class of 2012
DOB 2/14/1991
Date Opponent Score G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------
3/23 vs. Fort McMurray W 3-1 0 1 1 0 [box score]
3/24 vs. Fort McMurray W 4-2 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/26 at Fort McMurray L 2-3 1 0 1 0 [box score]
3/27 at Fort McMurray L 3-4 1 1 2 0 [box score]
3/30 vs. Fort McMurray L 3-4 0 0 0 0 [box score]
4/1 at Fort McMurray W 4-3 2 1 3 2 [box score]
The two-time defending AJHL champs, who led the league for most of this season as well, have been extended to a seventh game by the Oil Barons in the North Division finals Tuesday night... Glen, for his part, has been fantastic in the series and was named Spruce Grove's star of a do-or-die Game Six.
David Goodwin
Center
Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
5'9", 187 pounds
St. Louis, MO
Class of 2012
DOB 2/27/1992
Date Opponent Score G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------
3/24 at Lincoln W 6-3 0 1 1 0 [box score]
3/30 at Des Moines W 4-1 0 2 2 0 [box score]
3/31 vs. Fargo W 3-0 0 0 0 0 [box score]
4/1 vs. Des Moines W 3-2 0 0 0 0 [box score]
With Sunday's shootout win over Des Moines, Goodwin and his teammates clinched a playoff spot.
Reed Linaker
Center
Brooks Bandits (AJHL)
5'9", 165 pounds
Edmonton, AB
Class of 2012
DOB 11/4/1991
Date Opponent Score G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------
3/23 vs. Olds W 7-1 - - - - [box score]
3/24 vs. Olds W 4-3 - - - - [box score]
3/26 at Olds W 4-2 - - - - [box score]
3/27 at Olds W 3-0 - - - - [box score]
Brooks, the South Division's top seed, easily disposed of the Olds Grizzlies in the AJHL South Division finals to advance to the Enerflex Cup Finals for the first time in franchise history... Linaker (knee) has been sidelined since early December.
Curtis Loik
Forward
Penticton Vees (BCHL)
6'1", 205 pounds
North Vancouver, BC
Class of 2012
DOB 4/23/1993
Date Opponent Score G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------
3/22 vs. Chilliwack W 4-2 1 0 1 2 [box score]
3/23 at Chilliwack W 4-0 0 0 0 2 [box score]
3/27 vs. Merritt W 5-0 1 0 1 0 [box score]
3/28 vs. Merritt L 3-4 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/30 at Merritt W 3-2 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/31 at Merritt W 3-2 0 0 0 0 [box score]
4/2 vs. Merritt W 6-2 0 0 0 0 [box score]
The Vees finished off David Thompson's Chiefs with a pair of wins (Loik was second star of Game Five on the 22nd), then made much easier work of the Merritt Centennials in the Interior Conference final... Penticton will play Coastal Conference champ Powell River for the Fred Page Cup, the BCHL's championship trophy.
Joseph Lordo
Defenseman
Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
5'11", 185 pounds
St. Louis, MO
Class of 2012
DOB 1/28/1991
Date Opponent Score G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------
3/21 vs. Omaha L 3-7 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/23 at Waterloo L 0-7 0 0 0 15 [box score]
3/25 vs. Cedar Rapids W 3-2 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/30 vs. Fargo L 0-8 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/31 vs. Tri-City L 3-6 0 0 0 0 [box score]
The Stampede, a league-worst 16-34-6, is mercifully close to the season's finish line with just four games left to play.
Eamon McAdam
Goaltender
Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
6'2", 180 pounds
Perkasie, PA
Class of 2013
DOB 9/24/1994
Date Opponent Score SA GA Sv% GAA
--------------------------------------------------------------
3/23 vs. Sioux Falls W 7-0 -- - --- --- [box score]
3/24 at Cedar Rapids L 0-6 -- - --- --- [box score]
3/25 at Chicago W 4-3 -- - --- --- [box score]
3/30 vs. Tri-City W 4-2 -- - --- --- [box score]
3/31 vs. Muskegon W 4-1 -- - --- --- [box score]
4/1 vs. Lincoln W 4-1 -- - --- --- [box score]
After a brief period of regular activity, McAdam has been chained back to the bench for the last two weeks.
Jonathan Milley
Right Wing
Pembroke Lumber Kings (CCHL)
6'4", 220 pounds
Ottawa, ON
Class of 2012
DOB 5/8/1991
Date Opponent Score G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------
3/28 at Nepean W 3-2 0 1 1 2 [box score]
3/30 vs. Nepean W 3-2 1 0 1 0 [box score]
4/1 at Nepean L 2-4 1 0 1 2 [box score]
The top-seeded Nepean Raiders finished a full 27 points ahead of Pembroke during the regular season, but it was the defending league and RBC Cup champs who jumped out to an early series lead behind a finally-healthy Milley, who now has 13 points in eight playoff games... an important Game Four is set for Tuesday night.
Zach Saar
Right Wing
Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
6'5", 200 pounds
Plainwell, MI
Class of 2012 or 2013
DOB 6/22/1993
Date Opponent Score G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------
3/23 at Fargo L 0-2 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/24 at Fargo L 2-4 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/30 vs. Sioux City L 1-4 0 1 1 2 [box score]
3/31 at Cedar Rapids L 2-3 0 0 0 2 [box score]
4/1 at Sioux City L 2-3 1 0 1 0 [box score]
Saar's goal on Sunday gave the Buccaneers a 2-1 lead that they ultimately could not hold in a shootout loss...he has five goals in his last 43 games, and all have come against Sioux City - and of course, the Musketeers' starting goalie is...
Matt Skoff
Goalie
Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
6'0", 186 pounds
McKees Rocks, PA
Class of 2012
DOB 7/23/1991
Date Opponent Score SA GA Sv% GAA
--------------------------------------------------------------
3/24 at Lincoln W 6-3 25 3 .880 3.00 [box score]
3/30 at Des Moines W 4-1 34 1 .971 1.00 [box score]
3/31 vs. Fargo W 3-0 28 0 1.00 0.00 [box score]
4/1 vs. Des Moines W 3-2 31 2 .935 1.85 [box score]
Skoff continues to play his best hockey of late and was named the USHL's goalie of the week for the period including the last three games... he has now won seven of his last eight starts, posting three shutouts in that span... his six clean sheets overall are second only to North Dakota recruit/Boston Bruins draftee Zane Gothberg's seven... his save percentage and goals against average have climbed to sixth and seventh after settling in the lower middle of the pack for most of the season... from the "that doesn't happen every day" department, Skoff's goaltending coach, John Grahame,
was signed away from the team by the New York Islanders - to play.
Related stories:
USHL Honors - Week 27 (ushl.com)
Connor Varley
Defenseman
Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL)
6'0", 190 pounds
Lansdale, PA
Class of 2012
DOB 6/3/1992
Date Opponent Score G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------
3/23 at Fargo L 0-2 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/24 at Fargo L 2-4 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/30 vs. Sioux City L 1-4 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/31 at Cedar Rapids L 2-3 0 0 0 2 [box score]
4/1 at Sioux City L 2-3 0 0 0 2 [box score]
As the Buccaneers continue their free fall, coach Regg Simon was let go last week after seven years on the team's coaching staff... the firing came one day after a bizarre incident that
saw a toilet left in Simon's parking spot - although the coach calling his dismissal "one of the happiest days of [his] life" may have topped it... Simon becomes the fourth USHL coach fired this season, and all have involved teams with PSU recruits (Omaha, Tri-City and Muskegon are the other three to make a change).
Mark Yanis
Defenseman
Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
6'2", 195 pounds
Grosse Pointe Woods, MI
Class of 2012
DOB 5/26/1994
Date Opponent Score G A Pts PIM
--------------------------------------------------------------
3/23 vs. Team USA L 1-6 0 0 0 2 [box score]
3/24 vs. Green Bay W 4-3 0 0 0 2 [box score]
3/30 at Dubuque L 3-5 0 0 0 0 [box score]
3/31 at Waterloo L 1-4 0 0 0 0 [box score]
4/1 at Green Bay L 1-6 0 0 0 4 [box score]
Although the Gamblers got their revenge a week later, a 4-3 shootout win over league-leading Green Bay easily stands as one of the highlights of the Jacks' season.
Kris Myllari
