Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Commits Chase U.S. Junior Titles

USHL’s Clark Cup, NAHL’s Robertson Cup up for grabs beginning this weekend.

Commits Chase U.S. Junior Titles
Ryan Zuhlsdorf (left) and John Marino help lead Dubuque and Tri-City into the USHL’s Clark Cup finals.

As the puck drops to determine the champion in the nation’s top two junior leagues, dozens of future NCAA stars will be facing off for the USHL’s Clark Cup and the NAHL’s Robertson Cup.

The USHL, USA Hockey’s only Tier I league, features the Dubuque Fighting Saints and Tri-City Storm in the Clark Cup finals, which open Friday in Tri-City. The best-of-five series is filled with Division I commits, with 26 schools boasting a future player playing for the championship.

Future teammates at nine schools will face each other in the series, led by a group of five Miami commits – three on Dubuque and two on Tri-City.

Michigan Tech recruit Keegan Ford of Dubuque leads all scorers in the playoffs with 12 points in nine games. Carson Meyer (Miami) and Dan Labosky (Wisconsin) have led Tri-City’s offense.

Tri-City goaltender Jake Kielly, a Clarkson commit, leads all goaltenders with a .947 playoff save percentage.

Robertson Cup

Four teams – all division champions – have advanced to compete for the Robertson Cup as champion of the NAHL, USA Hockey’s only Tier II junior league. Action begins Thursday in Edina, Minn., with best-of-three semifinal series between Fairbanks and Aston in one bracket and Bismarck and Wichita Falls in the other.

The two semifinal winners will play on Sunday for the Robertson Cup.

Twenty-one Division I commits are on the four rosters, representing 17 schools. Air Force (3), AIC (2), Bentley (2) and Miami (2) all have multiple commits in the event.

Rensselaer commit Todd Burgess of Fairbanks and uncommitted Bismarck forward Willie Brown lead all participants in playoff scoring with 13 points, trailed closely by Wichita Falls forward and Alabama-Huntsville commit Austin Beaulieu with 12.

Ferris State commit Justin Kapelmaster has a .945 save percentage in the playoffs for Wichita Falls to lead all goaltenders in the Robertson Cup field.

NCAA Commits in USHL Clark Cup

Dubuque Fighting Saints
Jaxon CastorArizona State
Keegan FordMichigan Tech
Dallas GeradsMinnesota State
Gordon GreenMiami
Cole GuttmanSt. Cloud State
Casey JohnsonNorth Dakota
Shane KavanaghProvidence
Joey KeaneMiami
William KnierimMiami
Hunter MiskaMinnesota Duluth
Michael O’LearyNotre Dame
Mitchell SmithYale
Evan SmithYale
Nathan SucesePenn State
Colin TheisenDartmouth
Baron ThompsonMaine
Carson VanceWisconsin
Spenser YoungProvidence
Ryan ZuhlsdorfMinnesota
Tri-City Storm
Wade AllisonWestern Michigan
Joe CipolloneNew Hampshire
Tory DelloNotre Dame
Justin DixsonMassachusetts
Walker DuehrMinnesota State
Brandon DuhaimeProvidence
Mattias GoranssonUMass Lowell
Montgomery GrahamBoston College
Brian HawkinsonMiami
Max HumitzLake Superior State
Jake KiellyClarkson
Jason KrychMinnesota State
Dan LaboskyWisconsin
Alex LimogesCornell
John MarinoHarvard
Jack McNeelyOmaha
Carson MeyerMiami
Andrew PeskiNorth Dakota
Dayton RasmussenDenver
Collin RutherfordDartmouth
Nico SturmClarkson
Jake WahlinSt. Cloud State
Carver WatsonMichigan Tech

NCAA Commits in NAHL Robertson Cup

Aston Rebels
Dean BalsamoBentley
Kristofers BindulisLake Superior State
Darion HansonUnion
Bismarck Bobcats
Patrik DemelAIC
Jared PikeAIC
Hunter ShepardMinnesota Duluth
Joey TyranAir Force
Fairbanks Ice Dogs
Todd BurgessRensselaer
Logan CoomesMerrimack
Ryner GorowskyBentley
Aaron McPhetersAlaska Anchorage
Alex MehnertAir Force
Gavin NietoBrown
Tyler TomberlinNiagara
Wichita Falls Wildcats
Austin BeaulieuAlabama-Huntsville
Jacob DaltonBowling Green
Adam GoodsirDenver
Erich JaegerAir Force
Justin KapelmasterFerris State
Ben LownMiami
Michael RoundsOhio State
Rourke RussellMiami