College Hockey Inc.
Recruits Claim Junior Titles
Sioux Falls, Minnesota Wilderness, Portage Terriers win championships in busy weekend.

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Sioux Falls claimed its second Clark Cup championship with a sweep of Muskegon in the final.

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