Monday, May 18, 2015
Recruits Claim Junior Titles
Sioux Falls, Minnesota Wilderness, Portage Terriers win championships in busy weekend.
Coaches can develop skill and players can build strength, but one cherished trait only comes from having team success.
Dozens of NCAA recruits will come to college with that cherished label – “a winner” – after the Sioux Falls Stampede, Minnesota Wilderness and Portage Terriers claimed their respective junior national championships this past weekend.
USHL.com | NAHL.com | RBC Cup Site
Sioux Falls won the USHL’s Clark Cup as playoff champions of USA Hockey’s only Tier I league. In Tier II, the Minnesota Wilderness won the NAHL’s Robertson Cup. Portage, meanwhile, hosted Hockey Canada’s RBC Cup and won the title Sunday.
A total of 25 schools have at least one committed recruit on the three teams. Minnesota State (with three members of Sioux Falls) and Northern Michigan (with two recruits on the Stampede and one on the Wilderness) each had three recruits win titles. Bemidji State and Ohio State each had a pair.
Troy Loggins, an NMU recruit, was named the USHL playoff MVP. His 10 playoff goals equaled a USHL Tier I record shared by Anders Lee and Matt Leitner.
Goaltender Brock Kautz posted a shutout in the deciding Game 2 less than 18 hours after the conclusion of Game 1, which was decided in four overtimes. The uncommitted goaltender led the NAHL with a .944 playoff save percentage.
Portage defeated a Carleton Place Canadians team with nine Division I commits to win the RBC Cup. Uncommitted forward Shawn Bowles had a goal and two assists in the title game; his twin brother, Brad, led all scorers with 5 goals and 9 points in the tournament.
NCAA Division I Commitments by Team
| Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) | Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL) | ||
| Kieffer Bellows | Boston University | Ivan Chukarov | Massachusetts |
| Nicholas Blachman | Lake Superior State | Tyler Cline | Alaska |
| Trey Bradley | Colorado College | Brett Heikkila | Northern Michigan |
| Arthur Brey | St. Lawrence | Bradley Johnson | Ohio State |
| Dillon Eichstadt | Bemidji State | Ian Mansfield | Army West Point |
| Mikey Eyssimont | St. Cloud State | Aaron Miller | Bemidji State |
| Dakota Joshua | Ohio State | Darian Romanko | Minnesota |
| Stefanos Lekkas | Vermont | ||
| Clint Lewis | Minnesota State | Portage Terriers (MJHL) | |
| Troy Loggins | Northern Michigan | Tanner Jago | Bentley |
| Cooper Marody | Michigan | Tyler Jeanson | Colgate |
| Matt Nuttle | Cornell | ||
| Logan O’Connor | Denver | ||
| Collin Peters | Northern Michigan | ||
| John Michael Piotrowski | Yale | ||
| Chris Pohlkamp | Bowling Green | ||
| Joey Raats | Arizona State | ||
| Ryan Schwalbe | Minnesota State | ||
| Jack Suter | Air Force | ||
| Chaz Switzer | Miami | ||
| Parker Tuomie | Minnesota State | ||
| Daniel Warpecha | Dartmouth | ||