Hawai'i clinches WAC title, top tourney seed

Hawai'i clinched its first regular-season Western Athletic Conference softball title since 2007 with a 5-0 win over Fresno State late Friday night at the Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium in Honolulu.With the win, Hawai'i also claimed the top seed in the WAC postseason tournament that begins May 12 in Las Cruces, N.M. The Wahine won their nation-leading 18th consecutive game and remained unbeaten

04.30.10

NM State gets gift-wrapped sweep from Utah State

The New Mexico State Aggies, just six outs away from seeing their postseason hopes all but come to a crushing end, got a gift of major proportions from the softball gods Friday in Las Cruces.Trailing 3-0 in the sixth inning and barely mounting a threat against Utah State pitcher Kate Greenough, the crimson-clad Aggies saw their fortunes change in a hurry. Utah State committed costly errors on two

Louisiana Tech comes from behind to rout Nevada

Amberly Waits hit a 3-run homer in the fifth inning to give Louisiana Tech its first lead of the game and the Techsters went on to rout Nevada 9-3 Friday in Ruston, dropping the Pack to last place in the WAC standings.Katie Holverson, the reigning WAC Pitcher of the Year, was cruising along with a 2-hitter and her team leading in the fifth inning before things went sour in a big way. Kendra

Broncos score three late runs to beat Spartans

Boise State broke a tie in the sixth inning by scoring three runs and holding off San Jose State 10-7 at Mountain Cove Friday afternoon.The Broncos took a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never trailed in the game. However, San Jose State had a couple of rallies that made the game interesting and pulled the Spartans into a tie late.The Spartans scored a pair in the second inning to pull within 3-

Vancouver vs. Chicago, Playoff Fan Art! Volume 1

My oh my, have we had a lot of fun with photoshop today. Can you tell it's the day before a big game? It's only been about four hours since I launched PiTB's first ever photoshop contest, but I'm going to be honest with myself: it's not going to happen. PiTB is no Puck Daddy, and the best photoshoppers/hockey fans don't have us on their blogroll. Yet. Our time will come.

In the meantime, however, I've stumbled across something almost as good: playoff fan art from Canucks.com. You see, there is a second battle on the horizon, and it's between Vancouver's fans and Chicago's fans. With a year of context and hatred under our hats, the fan art is out in full force. Let me show you what I mean. Click on all images for larger sizes.

First, there's the photo above. It's just a normal photo, but it was introduced to us by forum member BeExcited, hoping somebody could use it for some excellent photoshopping.


So far, I've seen one entry and it's this one. It turns out Canucks.com is not the place for intense and competitive photoshop contests. Anyhow, BeExcited's photoshop contest conflated with my photoshop contest, and neither really went in any new directions.


It really only led to this. And, as much as I'm happy to see people disseminating my art, I'm not sure this is an improvement. Oh well, I guess it's a little more topical (not the most topical, but definitely moreso). That said, somebody needs to tell this photoshopper about color balance. He could have matched the green in Blanka's skin to Byfuglien's head quite easily. But who has the time for that? Speaking of time...


The best photoshop utilized neither HenKik(TM) nor SpearBuff. But it did inspire the joint effort above, from Pinkyandthebrain and Egatti. See, because the Blackhawks are gay, or something? I think only a few of them were gay, but I get what was intended. Originally, only Patrick Kane was photoshopped in here, but eventually, at the behest of the rest of the forum, a place was found for everybody. From left to right: Hossa, Kane, Dustin "Feather-Ryfuglien" Byfuglien" (no?), Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Andrew Ladd. All present and accounted for. Remarkably, the guy Andrew Ladd replaced used to be black. That is seamless.


This one makes me uncomfortable because, um, well, they still look good to me... maybe? No, wait, no, I didn't say that. I see what patsajac is going for, but, well, the less said about this one the better.


And then there's this, by Trevor19Naslund This looks hand-drawn to me and I'm not sure what to make of it. I'm going to assume that the irony of an orca shooting an aboriginal person in the face is lost on the artist. Note, as well, the misuse of the blowhole: see, it's how they breathe, not a valve that releases when they're aroused by murder. It's a killer whale, not a serial killer whale.

This completes the first of what I hope to be many rounds of Vancouver vs. Chicago fan art. Oh, uh, wait, there's also this one, but click at your peril. And, if you think it's maybe a bit optimistic, redstar504 changed it to this, which is just as perilous. *sigh* You should probably just click them.

Anyhow. If you have any more to add, please, drop me a line at passittobulis@gmail.com.

Stanley Cup and Cheesecake 2010 - Eastern Conference Semifinals

(4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. (8) Montreal Canadiens

Wow. What an unreal couple weeks, huh? It would seem that, impossibly, the Penguins have a clear path to a third straight Eastern Conference title, what with the Caps, Devils and Sabres pulling off the choke trifecta in the first round. The waters have parted, and a third straight trip to the finals lies, however infeasibly, just ahead...but this is the playoff, so no way is it a walk in the park.

First the Penguins need to get past the Canadiens and suddenly-stellar goaltender Jaroslav Halak, who absolutely slammed the door on Washington's terrifying offense in games 5, 6 and 7 to stun the Caps and take the series. One would have to imagine that the Habs can't possibly have lightning strike twice and steal another series...but if I'd been doing this in 1996 I woulda said the same thing about John Vanbiesbrouck and the Florida Panthers, and we all know how that turned out. If Halak is still human, the Pens should win relatively easy. Penguins in five.



(6) Boston Bruins vs. (7) Philadelphia Flyers

I gotta be honest, I have no feel for this rematch of the Winter Classic, outside of stunned disbelief that it's even happening. If this is a regular season game on NBC on a Sunday afternoon, I probably volunteer to tag along with my wife on a trip to Barnes & Noble...just zero interest. But a playoff matchup is a different story entirely, and you gotta figure we'll see some pretty tight games. In the end, though, I have a nagging feeling that Philly won't be able to overcome injuries to scorers Jeff Carter and Simon Gagne, and that Brian Boucher is due for a return to planet Earth. And speaking of goalies and planets, doesn't the name of Boston netminder Tuukka Rask sound like the name of one of those STAR WARS characters that's onscreen for like .002 seconds, but you don't find out his actual name 'til they put out an action figure of him? I'll go with Bruins in seven.



CRASS COMMERCIALISM DEPT: All of the original, hand-drawn art for the Stanley Cup pinup girls is available at my Etsy store...and if you'd like to go the extra mile and get a personalized, one-of-a-kind uni-girl illustration of your very own to your exact specifications, that information can be found here.

Henrik Sedin "Flying Jump Kick" Photoshop Contest?

That picture of Andrew Alberts and Henrik Sedin is hilarious. The size difference! The fact that Sedin looks like a sprite from Street Fighter IV. As soon as I saw it, I wondered why I'd never seen it before, and knew I had to photoshop it right away. So I did. That is all.

You are invited to do the same. I don't know if our readership is quite ripe enough for a Photoshop contest, but frankly, I don't care, sir. I'll take this to canucks.com if I have to. It must be done. The original pic is linked above. Photoshop your hearts out. What else can Henrik kick?

E-mail your doctored pics to passittobulis@gmail.com.

NTDP adds Sieloff to Under-17 Team

USA Hockey today announced that 13 players have been added to the 2010-11 roster for its National Team Development Program.

The group of 13, which includes eight forwards, four defensemen and one goaltender, will be part of the U.S. National Under-17 Team next year.

“We’re pleased to announce this next group of players that will surely benefit from being part of the National Team Development Program,” said Ryan Rezmierski, director of player personnel for the NTDP. “We’re very excited about the talent level of this group. Our scouting staff, especially Peter Ward, Eric Silverman, Mike Kesler and Louis Pacella, has done an outstanding job evaluating these players and helping bring them into the mix.”

The eight forwards added for next season include Cameron Darcy (South Boston, Mass.), Thomas Di Pauli (Woodridge, Ill.), Ryan Hartman (West Dundee, Ill.), Stefan Matteau (Chicago, Ill.), Quentin Shore (Denver, Colo.), Brendan Silk (Melrose, Mass.), Henrik Samuelsson (Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Frankie Vatrano (E. Longmeadow, Mass.).

The four defensemen joining Team USA in 2010-11 include Connor Carrick (Oak Lawn, Ill.), Dakota Mermis (Alton, Ill.), Patrick Sieloff (Ann Arbor) and Brady Skjei (Lakeville, Minn.).

Jared Rutledge (Skokie, Ill.) is the goaltender signed on for next season.

The latest additions join Seth Jones (Plano, Texas), Nicolas Kerdiles (Irvine, Calif.), Niklas Olsson (Escondido, Calif.) and Jacob Trouba (Rochester), who were already announced as part of next year’s team.

Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Can Henrik Sedin Actually Win the Hart?

So the nominees are in, and your three finalists for the Hart trophy are: Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Henrik Sedin. I think I speak for everyone when I say, "Whaaaaaaaaaa? What about that East Coast bias?"

Well, as much as I think it's partially a myth--it's no more a bias than the fact that you've never seen a Florida Panthers game--the bias probably wouldn't have factored in much to the naming of the finalists. Let's not pretend that winning the Art Ross doesn't make you an automatic lock for a Hart nomination. I don't feel like pulling up the stats to prove it (I'm a blogger, not a journalist), but I'd be willing to wager that every Art Ross winner in the last decade was also nominated for the Hart. I wouldn't wager a ton, mind you--I'm a coward. Heck, like Andrew Ladd, I laugh at being called a coward. Some people don't mind. I don't. Bender doesn't.

Henrik Sedin is no coward. He was a warrior all season, and he deserves to be the first Canuck in NHL history to take home this prestigious award.

But can Sedin actually win? Yes, he totally can. Ovechkin and Crosby are going to win Harts by the bucketload. This might be the only season this decade where one of them doesn't win the Art Ross. Plus, awards ceremonies always give trophies to one-year wonders and snub legends. Here's some proof. And I'm not saying Henrik's a one-year wonder, but, come on, he very well could be. I personally think he'll win, even though I also personally think Crosby dragged a mediocre team into the playoffs for the third year in a row and deserves it more this year.

One thing I am certain of: Alex Ovechkin won't win it. I know his playoff and Olympic failures shouldn't be counted into his NHL regular-season value, but they will be, because the media are not smart. Frankly, it's a two-horse race between Sedin and Crosby, and its a death race.

Give Us Barabbas! Why Andrew Alberts is the Key

If Alberts can't get it done, Sedin should give him the Tekken 6 flying jump kick, just as this picture depicts.

Brace yourselves, Vancouver: Andrew Alberts is the key to this series.

Don't panic. He can do it. I know that this is the guy that we have ruefully called A Minor for his 23 penalty minutes in the first two games of the LA series. I recognize that this is the guy who was undressed by Jason Spezza in one of the highlights of the year. I am aware that the fans want the unspectacular Aaron Rome, or the equally unspectacular Nolan Baumgartner instead of him. But I stand by my thesis. Andrew Alberts is the key to this series.

Let's get a couple of things straight. First, Alberts is not all bad. He's not even close to as bad as you think he is. In fact, the Canucks are 9-1 when his plus-minus is even or better. If he can limit mistakes, the Canucks tend to win. The guy has a natural size advantage over anybody else on the ice at 6'5", 218. Dustin "Feather-Rufflin'" Byfuglien (it really doesn't work, Skeeter, but I'll keep at it for you) may outweight him by thirty pounds, but considering a good chunk of that is fat, let's call it even. Much bigger than previous and current crease-clearers such as Mitchell, Ohlund, and O'Brien, Alberts has the potential to muscle people out of the crease no Canuck has had since Bryan Allen, maybe. And it'll be expected of him on the penalty kill.

Yes, Andrew Alberts is the key to the penalty kill. Notice that, in the LA series, it improved drastically in games where he wasn't the one in the box. The Kings got one power-play goal in the last two games, and Alberts didn't take a penalty in either one. Towards the end of the series, Alberts did a good job of keeping all-star crease presences like Ryan Smyth at bay without taking a penalty. Since Chicago has about twenty-seven guys who can stand in front of the net, Alberts is more vital than necessary. And consider this: his limitations in the mobility department are effectively nullified on the penalty kill, when he won't be asked to go anywhere at all. Stay by the net, and cross-check Dustin Byfuglien for two minutes. That's all we ask.

If Alberts can do this, his acquisition is a complete win for Mike Gillis. As a sixth defenseman, he likely won't get a ton of minutes 5-on-5. And that's good; Patrick Kane might literally skate between his legs. Let's stop and imagine Hughson calling the play:

Hughson: Kane dangles between Alberts' legs!
Simpson: *snicker*

Hmm. It sounds horrible, any way you think about it. And let's be honest. This entire post was an excuse to make that joke.

Now, even I'd prefer if Kane and Alberts never met but on the PK, like an arranged marriage. While not being nearly as slow as most think he is (Canucks fans think speed is inversely proportional to size), Alberts will still likely get undressed by the much more fleet-of-foot Kane . But, if every time the Canucks take a penalty, AV can throw out a well-rested wrecking ball, and Alberts can do this one job with some success (clear the frakkin' crease), then our chances to win the series improve drastically.

Motor City had 'special group' this year

The season-long journey has come to an end for the Motor City Metal Jackets.

A team that won just 11 games the previous year earned their way to the NAHL Robertson Cup playoffs this season and had relative success, sweeping the Marquette Rangers in the opening round. The team's post-season drive came to a stop however, as the Traverse City North Stars defeated the Jackets in Game 3 of the North Division finals (pictured above) and secured a series sweep with a 5-3 final score.

“I thought our team worked hard in Game 3, but we didn't seem to get any bounces to go our way," Motor City coach David Cole said. "A disallowed goal and one that was a judgment call could have been a factor.

“When it is all said and done, my guys can hold their heads high. This has been a very special group and I can truly say that I have enjoyed this group the most in my coaching career. It has been a great experience seeing them evolve as a team and this group will ultimately have a positive long-term effect on our organization.”

The team has definitely set the table for the future by establishing an incredible work ethic and a never-say-die attitude. Their demeanor on and off the ice has helped increase the visibility of exciting junior hockey within the Downriver community and beyond.

“I am extremely proud of our kids and what they accomplished," said Metal Jackets assistant coach Jason Cirone. "They have all set the tone for future Metal Jacket teams and they should be very proud if how close-knit of a group they are.”

With committed ownership, strong management and experienced coaches, the Metal Jackets are poised for success in the coming seasons.

“The initial goal was to make the playoffs and be competitive - reaching the division finals was a great accomplishment,” said Cole. “It leaves the core group of returning players hungry for greater accomplishments. It is tough to believe our first season has come to an end, but we've already started planning the 2010-11 season at our new home in Trenton.”

With an ever-growing fan base, the Metal Jackets are already excited to provide fast-paced hockey again at Kennedy Recreation Center next winter. With an outstanding turnaround this past year, the team looks to build upon what they have learned and stride head-first into a new season ready for another successful run.

Photo by John Castine/HockeyWeekly.com

Metal Jackets announce tryout camps

The Motor City Metal Jackets have announced their next round of tryouts for prospective players for the 2010-2011 season.

May 14-16
Kennedy Recreation Center
3101 West Rd.
Trenton, MI
Check-In/Registration
FRIDAY, May 14 @ 4:00-5:30pm

Pre-register at MetalJacketsHockey.com

Additional Locations
Denver, CO June 18-20
Los Angeles June 25-27
Philadelphia, PA July 9-11
Trenton, MI July 16-18
Tokyo, Japan July 23-25

Sacco could be awarded for great season

Former BU standout Joe Sacco (photo), the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche finished 8th in the Western conference this year. Ya 8th gets you into the playoffs, where they lost to the San Jose Sharks in six games. That's not the point, last season the Ave's finished out of the playoffs with an under .500 record at 32-45-5. This season, as you now know, made the play offs and had a much better record at 43-30-9.

It is clear that Sacco has done a great job turning around the program and thats why he was nominated for the Jack Adams Award. This goes to the NHL's coach of the year. in the running along side Sacco is Dave Tippett of the Phoenix Coyotes and Barry Trotz of the Nashville Predator. Oh ya, did I mention that this is Joe Sacco's first year behind an NHL bench. Joe was in the NHL as a player for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, New York Islanders, Washinton Capitals and, Philadelphia Flyers.

In Other News

Every BU player who was in the playoffs is now out.

There is one exception though. John Curry, BU's former goalie, has bean called up to the Penguins from Wilkes Barre/Scranton 

South Park Solidarity

Stanley Cup and Cheesecake 2010 - Western Conference Semifinals

(1) San Jose Sharks vs. (5) Detroit Red Wings

I simply cannot tell you how sick I am of drawing pictures of girls in Red Wing jerseys. I am as tired of it as I am excited about drawing girls in Pens sweaters. Every year, every round, there they are...as inescapable as death itself. Plus, the fact that they play in Detroit means that no one will ever have the scratch to buy any of the original art. For me, it's a lose-lose situation.

Still, picking the Sharks to win would be an inexcusable affront to whatever feeble claim on journalistic integrity I have. I know they're going to choke, you know they're going to choke...hell, I'm sure even they know they're going to choke. It kills me to admit and I'd love to see San Jose prove me wrong, but you can't fight fate. Red Wings in six.



(2) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (3) Vancouver Canucks

A few weeks back, maybe mid-March, I was about halfway through a five-mile run, and a weird premonition of the Penguins and Canucks popped into my head. As the season wound down, it looked less and less likely, and kinda fell to the back of my consciousness...but with all the wacky events of the past week, the scenario, while still highly unlikely, now at least approaches the realm of possibility.

I'm also a little down on the Blackhawks...they've traditionally been among the small group of teams I don't hate, and in fact root for when my horse isn't in the race. But they've got the stink of Hossa on 'em this year, which I'd kinda forgotten about until he Ovechkined Nashville's Dan Hamhius last weekend. Dude is such a turd. As amazing and satisfying as it'd be to watch him lose in the Stanley Cup Finals for a third straight year, I'm afraid that with many of the East's top seeds having choked in the first round that if the Hawks make it that far he might actually lift The Cup. *shudder* It's too gross an image to consider.

Anyway, it's kind of a toss-up, but I'm thinking Luongo and the Sedin-bots will get it done. Canucks in seven.



CRASS COMMERCIALISM DEPT: All of the original, hand-drawn art for the Stanley Cup pinup girls is available at my Etsy store...and if you'd like to go the extra mile and get a personalized, one-of-a-kind uni-girl illustration of your very own to your exact specifications, that information can be found here.

Seguin, Hackett named OHL All-Stars

The Ontario Hockey League today announced the All-Star teams for the 2009-10 OHL regular season.

The OHL All-Star Teams were selected by the OHL’s General Managers. Players were voted on by position and received five points for a first place vote, three for a second place vote, and one for a third.

2009-10 OHL All-Star Teams (voting points in brackets):

First Team:

Centre – Tyler Seguin, Plymouth Whalers (85)

Left Wing – Taylor Hall, Windsor Spitfires (93)

Right Wing – Bryan Cameron, Barrie Colts (67)

Defence – Jacob Muzzin, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds (79)

Defence – Nick Crawford, Barrie Colts (63) - ex-Saginaw defenseman

Goaltender – Chris Carrozzi, Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (59)

Coach – Dale Hunter, London Knights (47)

Second Team:

Centre – Nazem Kadri, London Knights (39)

Left Wing – Jeremy Morin, Kitchener Rangers (40) - ex-NTDP forward

Right Wing – Taylor Beck, Guelph Storm (41)

Defence – Cameron Gaunce, Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (51)

Defence – Ryan Ellis, Windsor Spitfires (47)

Goaltender – Matt Hackett, Plymouth Whalers (48)

Coach – Dave Cameron, Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors (39)

Third Team:

Centre – Luke Pither, Barrie Colts (33)

Left Wing – Chris MacKinnon, Kitchener Rangers (19)

Right Wing – Greg Nemisz, Windsor Spitfires (28)

Defence – Alex Pietrangelo, Barrie Colts (23)

Defence – Shawn Lalonde, Belleville Bulls (21)

Goaltender – Patrick Killeen, Brampton Battalion (27)

Coach – Marty Williamson, Barrie Colts (36)

Kero named to NAHL All-Rookie Team

The North American Hockey League has announced its All-Rookie Team for the 2009-10 season, as selected by the league’s coaches and general managers.

NAHL All-Rookie Team
Forward: Bryce Johnson, Topeka RoadRunners
Forward: Tanner Kero, Marquette Rangers
Forward: Shawn Pauly, Wenatchee Wild
Defenseman: Alex McLean, Wenatchee Wild
Defenseman: Sam Rendle, Bismarck Bobcats
Goaltender: Brandon Jaeger, Wenatchee Wild

Johnson, a 19-year-old St. Cloud State University (WCHA) recruit from Grimes, Iowa, tallied 19 goals for 54 points in 58 regular-season games to finish tied for 13th in league scoring.

A 17-year-old from Hancock, Kero, a Michigan Tech University (WCHA) recruit, notched 51 points on a league-leading 32 goals in 57 games.

Pauly, a 17-year-old Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey) recruit from Bellingham, Wash., struck for 17 goals and 36 points in 50 games for the regular-season champion Wild.

McLean, a 19-year-old from Duluth, Minn., who will also play his college hockey at Air Force, registered four goals and 20 points in 51 games. He was also a plus-19.

Rendle, a 19-year-old Bemidji State University (WCHA) recruit from Grand Rapids, Minn., tied for the league-lead in scoring among defensemen with 47 points on 10 goals and 37 assists in 57 games. He was also a plus-22.

Jaeger, a 19-year-old from Champlin, Minn., fashioned a 22-3-1 record in 29 appearances to compliment a NAHL-best goals-against average (1.83) and save percentage (.928).

NAHL players in their first year of Junior A hockey are considered rookies.

The Rookie of the Year, along with the Most Valuable Player, All-NAHL Team, Forward of the Year, Defenseman of the Year, Goaltender of the Year and the NAHL’s nominee for the USA Hockey Junior Player of the Year will be announced Robertson Cup Championship Tournament banquet on Monday, May 3, in Wenatchee, Wash.

The Academic Achievement Award, Community Service Award, Coach of the Year, General Manager of the Year and Organization of the Year will also be announced at the banquet.

WAC title on the line: It's Fresno State at Hawai'i

In the world of Western Athletic Conference softball, it doesn't get much bigger than this.It's Fresno State vs. Hawai'i with the WAC regular-season championship on the line, beginning with the 75th all-time meeting between the teams Friday night in Honolulu.Also up for grabs is the top seed in the WAC postseason tournament that runs May 12-15 in Las Cruces, N.M. The Bulldogs and Rainbow Wahine

Round Two 2: Round Harder

Jonathan Toews looking a lot like his infamous mural

For the second consecutive year, the Vancouver Canucks are playing the Chicago Blackhawks in Round Two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It's time for a sequel!

The typical sequel ramps up everything that was successful in the first movie: bigger action, bigger villains, bigger explosions, and bigger box office returns. How does the second-round sequel of Canucks vs. Blackhawks stack up?

Bigger action?

The Canucks enter the series with the highest goals per game of the playoffs and boast the Art Ross trophy winner (and Hart nominee) in Henrik Sedin and the playoff's leading goalscorer in Mikael Samuelsson. With the ability to score throughout their top three lines highlighted by Steve Bernier's 4 first-round goals, the Canucks have one of the most potent offences in the NHL.

The Blackhawks feature the high-flying Patrick Kane, hard-working Jonathan Toews, and the no-Stanley-Cup-winning Marian Hossa. Top that off with a mobile defense corps and free-wheeling style and there will certainly be plenty of action from Chicago.

The Canucks will look to protect their home turf better than Wolverine did in X-Men 2 and hopefully steal a couple games in Chicago, if only to avoid having to hear "Chelsea Dagger" too often.

Bigger villains?

Dustin "Feather-Rufflin'" Byfuglien (I don't expect that nickname to stick) is the main villain in the minds of Canucks fans and possibly in the mind of Roberto Luongo. With the announcement that Byfuglien will be moving back up to forward for the Hawks-Nucks series, the media is already abuzz with Byfuglien vs. Luongo talk.

From the Chicago side, there is no bigger villain than Alex "André" Burrows (yet another nickname that won't stick). Rest assured, they still haven't forgotten the infamous hair-pulling incident.

On the plus-side, it is extremely unlikely that any familial revelations will come out from either of these villains. And cries of "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" will be kept to a minimum unless Stephane Auger is called upon to ref.

Bigger explosions?

How about the bad blood brewing between Andrew Ladd and Ryan Kesler?It's bound to explode at some point in this series and the potential for a brouhaha is high. If any game in this series turns into a blowout, look out.

Look lots more of these throughout the series, though hopefully without the Luongo face-punching, fish-hooking, and hair-pulling. And, hopefully, no nuclear explosions akin to Terminator 2.

Bigger box-office returns?

There's a reason this series is starting on a Saturday: the CBC knows that this series will be their moneymaker, as the Canucks are one of two Canadian teams left in the playoffs, so they threw their weight around to get a Saturday night game for HNIC.

Combine that with the marketing potential of 5 Olympic medal winners, the storylines mentioned above, and the star status of players like the Sedins, Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, and Roberto Luongo, and you have a (near) Summer Blockbuster.

Will it make over 1 billion dollars like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest?

No.

Plymouth captain Jenks inks with Florida

Florida Panthers GM Randy Sexton announced today the club has agreed to an entry level contract with center AJ Jenks.

Jenks, 19, played in 52 games with the Plymouth Whalers this season, placing second on the team in goals (23), assists (40) and points (63), finishing behind the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting No. 1 prospect Tyler Seguin.

Jenks, who served as Plymouth’s team captain played in nine playoffs games this year with the Whalers, scoring four goals with eight assists.

The Wolverine Lake native won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championship in Saskatchewan, recording five points (3-2-5) in seven games.

Jenks was drafted by Florida with their fourth choice (100th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

Photo by Walt Dmoch

South Park Solidarity

Another round of updated WAC statistics

Does anyone else agree that the 2010 softball season has really flown by? Here we are in the final week of the season for both Hawai'i and Utah State! While the other six Western Athletic Conference schools complete their seasons next week, both the Wahine and Aggies will conclude things Saturday.Here's a look at our updated stats both overall and in conference play only. There are a few items of

Penn State

A little spring football for ya...

Beynon signs with team in France

Michael Beynon, a former Union defenseman who graduated in 2008, has signed with Gap of Ligue Magnus in France. This past season Beynon played for the Edinburgh Capitals (EIHL). The big blueliner was a very solid defensive defenseman over his four years in Schenectady.

For more on the signing check out ECAC Hockey.com.

Ferris Ranked 10th In The Midwest Region ... AGAIN!

BIG RAPIDS - It's not time to sweat just yet, but Ferris State University bumping its head against an invisible ceiling as it attempts to climb the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Softball Rankings.

For the third consecutive week, the Bulldogs are ranked 10th in the r

egion according to the latest poll released April 28. Again, it's no time to panic as there are still more than enough softball games and opportunities left for head coach Keri Becker's Bulldogs to truly climb the ladder. Ferris, however, seemed to have greatly helped its cause by sweeping No. 17 Saginaw Valley State and splitting with No. 9 Wayne State last weekend in a pair of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheaders.

If Ferris can remain consistent, finish the regular season strong and play its best ball in the GLIAC Tournament then the rankings will take care of themselves.

Ferris, led by senior designated player/pitcher Rhea Flores (pictured) currently is 24-16 overall and 15-9 in the GLIAC.

Check below for the NCAA Division II Midwest Region rankings:

This Saturday, the Bulldogs wrap up regular-season play when they travel to Allendale to take on Grand Valley State in a doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.

The top 10 teams in each region are listed in rank order with records as of April 26.

Midwest Region	Division II	In-Region
1. Wayne State (Mich.)	41-10	28-7
2. Ashland	31-11	30-9
3. Lewis	27-11	24-7
4. Indianapolis	32-13	27-7
5. Saginaw Valley State	20-10	16-9
6. Quincy	34-10	31-8
7. Tiffin	27-16	25-13
8. Northern Kentucky	28-15	27-14
9. Northwood	20-14	18-11
10. Ferris State	23-15	21-12

Seguin named OHL's best player

The Ontario Hockey League announced that Plymouth Whalers center Tyler Seguin has been named the recipient of the Red Tilson Trophy as the league’s Most Outstanding Player during the regular season.

Seguin beat out fellow finalists Taylor Hall of Windsor and Nazem Kadri of London in voting conducted by OHL media and broadcasters.

“It’s not about just being a player, it’s also about being a total person,” OHL commissioner David Branch (pictured above) said about Seguin. “Tyler’s clearly a champion, both on and of the ice.”

Seguin is the top-rated North American prospect listed by the National Hockey League’s Central Scouting Bureau for the upcoming 2010 NHL Entry Draft, held June 25-26 in Los Angeles.

Seguin, 18, scored 48 goals with 58 assists 106 points in 63 games and shared the OHL’s scoring title with Hall. In Seguin’s 63 games played, he contributed directly to over 46 percent of the Whalers offense.

“Tyler’s off-ice work has been exceptional this season,” said Plymouth coach-GM Mike Vellucci. “He’s a very mature player and mature person and that’s a credit to his parents (Jackie and Paul Seguin). He’s always willing to help out anyone on the team or anyone that’s part of the franchise. In terms of his conditioning, he’s one of the most committed players I’ve ever seen. He strives to be the best player he can possibly be and not just in games.

“It all started from the first time we practiced at the start of the year. He worked extremely hard in practice. (In games) he was committed to scoring goals, or beating an opponent one-on-one, or improving his defensive play. One of the best things I can say is that Tyler is a hockey player – he’s not just a player who happens to play hockey. He’s an ultimate professional.”

Seguin was named the Whalers' Regular Season Most Valuable Player and Regular Season Leading Scorer and was named Smartest Player, Best Playmaker, second best Stickhandler, and second (tie) Most Dangerous in the Goal Area in the OHL’s Western Conference Coaches Poll.

“I’m very proud and humble to be accepting this award today,” said Seguin. “It’s a very exciting day for me and my family.”

Seguin was named the OHL Player of the Month for both December and January. He also was named Canadian Hockey League Player of the Week and OHL Player of the Week for the period of January 18-24 and OHL Player of the Week for the period of October 5-11.

Seguin participated in a number of all-star competitions for the Canadian Hockey League during the season. He played for the OHL All-Stars in November against Russia in the Canada/Russia Subway Super Series. He was captain for Team Orr in the 2010 Home Hardware CHL-NHL Top Prospects Game in Windsor in January and also represented the Western Conference in the OHL All-Star game in Kingston in February.

Besides the CHL events, Seguin represented Canada while leading the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in scoring with four goals and six assists in four games to capture a gold medal in August. He also attended Canada's World Junior selection camp for the World Junior Championships in December.

In two seasons with Plymouth, Seguin has scored 69 goals with 104 assists for 173 points in 124 games and is 18th on the Whalers all-time scoring list.

Seguin is the third player in franchise history to win the Red Tilson Trophy, joining Pat Peake (1992-93) and David Legwand (1997-98).

The Red Tilson Trophy is voted by sports writers and broadcasters in the OHL. The award is in honor of Albert “Red” Tilson, who was killed in action in Europe during World War II. Tilson was the OHA scoring champion for the 1942-43 season after scoring 19 goals and 38 assists for 57 points in 22 games with the Oshawa Generals.

In voting, players received five points for a first-place selection, three points for a second-place selection and one point for a third-place selection.

Last season, Cody Hodgson of Brampton received 161 points in the voting process ahead of John Tavares of London, who received 115 points as runner-up.

Seguin will be formally presented with the Red Tilson Trophy, along with the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the co-winner of the league's Top Scorer, at the 2009-10 OHL Awards Ceremony set for Wednesday June 9 at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. He will also be the OHL’s nominee for Most Outstanding Player at the Canadian Hockey Leauge Annual Awards.

Photo by Aaron Bell/OHL Images

Communication Breakdown

As you probably heard, Mike Bacsik from The Ticket (Dallas sports radio station) was fired for putting things on Twitter that involved the phrase “dirty Mexicans” and “Stern’s cornhole” (the latter being an excellent name for a booth on the food pavilion at the State Fair this year). I don’t know Mike Bacsik and don’t think I’ve ever met the dude before. But I feel really, really bad for him. I’m not particularly interested in discussing the political correctness or incorrectness of what he put on Twitter. I watched this Great Twitter Mistake unfold before my eyes and I never thought for a second that it would lead to this.

Let me explain: I get a head’s up that Bacsik is drinking and Tweeting (horrible idea but we all have horrible ideas we indulge from time to time) and that he is very upset about the game and the way it’s being called. By the time I find his Twitter, he’s speculating about David Stern’s no-no areas. There’s some exchanges between some friends and I about how amusing/possibly not a good idea this all is. I said the words, “It’s funny to watch but someone NEEDS to take his phone away from him, hide it, pretend it’s missing and then return it to him when he is in a better state.” Then I saw the second to final Tweet about “dirty Mexicans in San Antonio.” And I knew it was a joke. Albeit, one in pretty poor form considering he is a public figure. But it was a joke.

I get why he had to be fired, though I may not agree. I find it reaching that every article I read about it mentions that he was the pitcher who gave up “the” homerun to Barry Bonds. It makes me wonder what, should I ever become semi-famous, will be my etched in history moment? I’m hoping it is that time that my friend Chrissy and I managed to pilfer an entire pizza off a man sobbing late at night in a NYC subway station or maybe the fact that I’m the only known person to have injured herself in a backyard (next to a keg) doing a Leon Lett impression. But Bacsik got to play professional sports so that means that we can all remind him of his failures in that sport when anything happens to him from now on. Serves him right for playing baseball!

But all this is very beside the point. My bigger issue is how hot exactly I think the fire Twitter dies in should burn. Hot enough to melt titanium is my current answer. I’ve written about it countless times and there’s no reason to beat you over the head with it again. I’ve tried Twitter as many times as Oprah has tried to lose weight and keep it off. There is no appeal. I don’t get how it works and I don’t get anything positive from it. In the past 72 hours, Twitter has allowed the following thoughts to go from air bubbles in cerebral blood flow to something that is permanently available for public viewing:

Michael Lohan, father of Lindsay, decided to give people a head’s up that his daughter is “living with HIV” and that she “had an affair with Tommy Mottola when she was 17.”

Jenna Jameson decided to try to work out her recent brush with abuse at the hands of her boyfriend by using Twitter to counter some of his claims and throw some slings and arrows his way. He, naturally, rebutted by accusing her publicly of being hooked on Hillbilly Heroin. As you do to the mother of your kids, you know.

I’m not saying that Twitter begat lousy humans but giving morally sorry people or drunk people or people who need instant feedback a forum wherein any old bullshit that can be abbreviated into 140 characters is permanently etched into the interwebs is a really horrible idea. Sure, that leaves Facebook statuses or drunk dialing/texting/emailing as an alternate route to ruining your career, talking shit about people or starting fights. But Twitter seems the most immediate and hardest to live down. I miss the old days when you had to pick up a phone and call someone in the heat of the moment to tell them that they are a polesmoker. And how contained that outburst could be in the privacy of a two-way call.

Unless Bacsik’s Twitter was hacked, he can’t blame the messages or the fallout on anyone but himself. But there’s the rub. I don’t think he is. The guy’s said sorry a lot. But apparently everyone who is out to crucify him has never cracked an offensive joke or sent a message that they wished they could get back within a few seconds or minutes of hitting that sexy “send” button. We all live in glass internet houses (like the movie BioDome, kind of) and I’ll be the first to stand up and say that reading back through old posts on this blog make me cringe sometimes. You’re a lucky motherfucker if everything you’ve ever written/posted/texted/emailed/said is something you stand by 100 percent. If so, I would like to meet you so I can call you names and Tweet about you. Until then, lay the fuck off this guy. He had what seems to me to be a pretty badass job and it’s gone now. That stings real bad. If for nothing other than your own karma, don’t jump on the pile. Unless you’re sure that you will never say or write anything that you might regret or about which you could have a change of heart. Ok, deal?

Signed,

A Filthy German

NCAA releases its next-to-last RPI of the season

The latest Ratings Percentage Index numbers for NCAA Division I softball were released today and they hold some mixed news for Western Athletic Conference teams.Three WAC teams improved their positions in the RPI compared to the first release of the season two weeks ago, but five teams suffered drops.Nevada made the biggest jump of all, surging 11 spots simply on the basis of playing three games

McAuliffe cleans up at EMHA awards

Joe McAuliffe of the Flint Jr. Generals was the big winner last weekend at the Eastern Michigan Hockey Association awards ceremony.

McAuliffe recieved the "Gale Cronk Award" as junior player of the year, was one of six $1000 Bob Landall Academic Scholarship honorees and also won the EMHA Academic Award for overall academic excellence (3.7 grade-point average at Goodrich High School) for the fifth time.

McAuliffe, a 17-year-old (turns 18 July 6) forward from Goodrich, put up eight goals, including three game-winners, and 14 points in 45 games last season for Flint.

"Joe is one of those hard-working players that never gives up," said Flint GM Kelly Cronk.

Photo - Flint head scout Doug Bailey, McAuliffe and GM Kelly Cronk

Utah State doubles its 2009 season win total

Utah State has gone from only 10 wins in the 2009 season to 20 -- and counting -- this year following a doubleheader sweep of Weber State Tuesday.The Aggies got four hits and four RBI from junior Shasta Tyteca in an 11-1, 9-3 sweep of the Wildcats in Logan. Utah State, which owns an impressive win over top-ranked Washington earlier this season, improved to 20-26 overall.Under first-year coach

Robertson Cup schedule announced

In their first-ever trip to the Robertson Cup, the Traverse City North Stars will kick off the tournament against a pair of teams who dueled in last year’s Cup finals.

The Stars open the NAHL’s championship tournament on Tuesday, May 4 against host Wenatchee, then take on three-time defending Robertson Cup champion St. Louis the following afternoon. The league announced yesterday the five-team round-robin schedule, which will yield this year’s two finalists for the championship game on Sunday, May 9.

Wenatchee was the top team in the NAHL during the regular season. The Wild finished 45-10-3, while St. Louis was 44-11-3, but Wenatchee breezed through its two playoff series with 3-0 sweeps. The Bandits, on the other hand, went to a decisive fifth game in the first round against Texas and the South Division finals against Topeka.

The North Stars will square off against Bismarck on Thursday, May 6 before closing out the round-robin portion of the tourney on the next day against Fairbanks. All Robertson Cup games are available live via webcast on the b2 Network. Links to the webcast can be found at the team’s website.

There will be a coffee-and-cake send-off for the team on Sunday, May 2 at Centre ICE arena. The team practices at 10 a.m., followed by refreshments, photos and autographs, and NAHL North Division Playoff Champion t-shirts. The team bus is slated to depart Centre ICE at noon.

The Robertson Cup champion represents the NAHL’s playoff champion and USA Hockey’s Tier II Junior A national champion. The oldest junior hockey trophy in the United States, the Robertson Cup is named in honor of Chuck Robertson, a pioneer of junior hockey in the NAHL and youth hockey in the state of Michigan. Robertson was the owner of the Paddock Pools Saints when they won a record seven straight NAHL championships from 1976-83. For more information on the Robertson Cup Championship Tournament, visit RobertsonCup.com.

2010 ROBERTSON CUP SCHEDULE

Tuesday, May 4
Bismarck vs. St. Louis, 2:05 p.m. PT/5:05 p.m. ET
TRAVERSE CITY vs. Wenatchee, 6:35 p.m. PT/9:35 p.m. ET

Wednesday, May 5
TRAVERSE CITY vs. St. Louis, 2:05 p.m. PT/5:05 p.m. ET
Fairbanks vs. Wenatchee, 6:35 p.m. PT/9:35 p.m. ET

Thursday, May 6
Fairbanks vs. St. Louis, 2:05 p.m. PT/5:05 p.m. ET
TRAVERSE CITY vs. Bismarck, 7:05 p.m. PT/10:05 p.m. ET

Friday, May 7
Fairbanks vs. TRAVERSE CITY, 2:35 p.m. PT/5:35 p.m. ET
Bismarck vs. Wenatchee, 7:05 p.m. PT/10:05 ET

Saturday, May 8
Fairbanks vs. Bismarck, 2:35 p.m./5:35 p.m. ET
St. Louis vs. Wenatchee, 7:05 p.m. PT/10:05 p.m. ET

Sunday, May 9
Championship Game, 5:05 p.m. PT/8:05 p.m. ET

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South Park Solidarity

TYROC!

When it comes to Legionnaires, there are few more badass than Troy Stewart, better known to the United Planets as TYROC. Hell, you'd have to be a stone-cold badass to even think about putting on that costume! This one's for you, Mr. Sanders.

Bulldogs Get Split Against Northwood In Dramatic Fashion

MIDLAND - Needing to salvage a win in some way, shape or form, Ferris State University reached down deep and escaped Northwood University with a much-needed softball split in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference softball action.

The Bulldogs (24-16 overall, 15-9 GLIAC) dropped a 4-0 decision in game one of the doubleheader, but rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning of game two to take a 7-6 win over the Timberwolves in Midland.

Northwood's game-two heartbreak was a translated into a very important road triumph for the Bulldogs who remain a contender in a tightly-contested battle for the top spot in the GLIAC, for seeding in the league tournament and for NCAA regional rankings.

Game 1: Northwood 4, Ferris State 0

Junior catcher Rachel Mueller had two hits. Senior designated player/pitcher Rhea Flores, junior shortstop Lynsay Weaver and sophomore pinch hitter Lindsey Pettit each had a hit for the Bulldogs in the game-one setback. In spite of five hits, the Bulldogs were not able to push a run across the plate against the Timberwolves. Most of the damage Northwood inflicted came mostly from the top five spots in its lineup. Batting first and second, Rachel Hammer and Jamie Swick each had a hit and an RBI. NU did get some production from other spots in the lineup, but it was the top that did a good deal of the damage. Dana Bowler took the loss for the Bulldogs while Jessica Wojcik picked up the victory for Northwood.

Game 2: Ferris State 7, Northwood 6

Ferris State made created a lot of drama, but it's better to be on the positive side of a dramatic fashion than on the negative side of it. Sophomore third baseman Makenzi Peterson (pictured) tied the score at 6-6 on an RBI single. It's not the most thrilling way to end a game, but a sacrifice fly from Flores scored freshman outfielder Morgan Kramerich to give the Bulldogs a come-from-behind win over the host Timberwolves. Flores had two hits and two RBI, Peterson had two hits and an RBI, senior center fielder Rachel Wade had a hit and an RBI, Mueller had a hit and an RBI and senior second baseman Amanda Harrington had a hit and an RBI.

Former Bulldog Jager Enjoying Her Experience Coaching In High School

BIG RAPIDS - Amanda Jager was a hard-nosed competitor who expected the most out of herself every time she stepped to the plate during her softball career at Ferris State University.

The numbers do not lie in the evaluation of Jager as a college softball player. With a career batting average of .312 (tied for 10th all time in Ferris State history), Jager, a Kalamazoo native who prepped at Comstock High School, enjoyed a strong career playing for the Bulldogs on the diamond. Jager has used her experiences (and others) in the next phase of her softball career - as an assistant varsity coach at Big Rapids High School for head coach Jamie Bechaz.

"They needed some help rebuilding programs and getting some insight and to have someone to push them a little harder and someone who was recently a player coming from a higher level of softball to come in and teach them new things from what I've learned," Jager said. "I have been all over the place. I've been doing pitching workouts with the pitchers, catching workouts with the catchers and I've been working with outfield and the infield having them do specific drills and focusing a lot on fundamentals. Making sure they have good mechanics and good fundamentals."

Jager, an All-GLIAC and all-region player during her career, ranks third all time on the Ferris list of career hitters (.516), first all time in on-base percentage (.434), eighth in doubles (35), third in home runs (17) and on and on the list goes for one of the more accomplished offensive players in Bulldog softball history.

One of the benefits of having a Division II university in Big Rapids, the size of Ferris, is a resource that sometimes makes talented young coaches available to get their start. In many ways, it's a mutually beneficial relationship that also works for the younger kids at Big Rapids to have college student-athletes taking interest in helping them learn and grow.

Jager is enjoying the experience working with the Cardinals as a varsity assistant.

"They're a great group of girls. They're a good group that really wants to learn and get better," said Jager, who was encouraged by Bechaz and by former BRHS varsity head coach and current Ferris assistant softball coach Dawn Thompson. "It's fun teaching them and they are very hard-working kids."

Let's compare the '09 season vs. the 2010 season

From time to time this year, we've taken a look at how each Western Athletic Conference softball team fared in the 2009 season versus this year.It seems very hard to believe, but Hawai'i and Utah State are already wrapping up their regular-season schedules this week. All other WAC teams complete their regular seasons next weekend, and the WAC Tournament begins two weeks from tomorrow.Let's look

OHL Priority Selection goes Saturday

Courtesy Michigan Hockey

The Ontario Hockey League draft is slated for Saturday and many Michigan players are being looked at as future stars in the league.

The only glitch is the choice these players will have to make: stay out of major juniors and keep their NCAA eligibility, or play in the OHL.

One such player is forward Brady Vail, a Northville native who just turned 16 years old on March 11 and played Tier I Junior A hockey in the United States Hockey League with the Waterloo Black Hawks this season.

As of now, Vail is on the fence about which route to take to further his career.

“For the most part, I’ve always wanted to play college hockey,” said the 6-foot-1, 190-pound Vail, who moved to Michigan two years ago to play for the Compuware organization. “But as far as the OHL is concerned, never say never.”

Vail was born in North Carolina and then lived in Florida before the move to Michigan. Last summer, he traveled out to Waterloo to get some experience playing with Junior A players at an open tryout, but wound up making the Black Hawks.

Vail wasn’t the only player on the Waterloo roster to start the season as a 15-year-old as he was joined by New Jersey-born defenseman Nick Ebert. Both are considered first-round material for the OHL draft, should they totally commit to the league and both are the only 1994 birthdates in the USHL.

Ebert is a player Red Line Junior, an independent scouting website that identifies players eligible for the OHL draft, says “has all the tools to be a superstar and at worst, he’s safe and smart.”

Playing in the USHL was difficult at first for Vail, but those struggles dissipated as the season went on. He said he’s been improving his assets – hands, shot and vision – and his weakness – footwork.

“I think I fit in pretty well,” Vail said. “I think for my age, I got a lot of ice time. Once I made the team after tryouts, I realized that playing here would be the best option for me. It’s a great situation.”

Vail played for the Compuware ‘93s (a year ‘up’) and ‘94s his two years in Plymouth and said he’s been seeing the past year or so that hockey may eventually be something he can do for as long as he wants.

“I’ve been told for a while now that I can make hockey a career if I want,” Vail said. “But there are a lot of other ‘94s out there that have the same skill level as I do, so we’ll just see what happens from here on out.”

Other 1994 birthdates that will be considered for the OHL draft, with comments from Red Line Junior:

Riley Barber, C, Compuware: At 5-foot-10, he is the most skilled forward in metro-Detroit. Can finish, scores big goals and is good playmaker. Not big now, but has growth potential. His dad played pro.

Brett D’Andrea, C, Belle Tire: Not there yet, but could be a good player in the long haul.

Troy Donnay, D, Belle Tire: Older brother, Cody, was a Peterborough pick (in 2008), but never reported and is in Marquette (NAHL) now. Troy is already 6-foot-6, has a long reach, good mobility and a mean streak.

Josh Henke, C, Belle Tire: Has been a big scorer all along and may have peaked.

Brandon Hope, G, Honeybaked U18: Quick, athletic and a good skater, he
has some longterm upside.

Max Iafrate, D, Belle Tire: Just like his father, Al – go, go, go all the time.
Takes a lot of chances but is tremendous skater with big upside.

Kerby Rychel, LW/LC, Belle Tire: Son of former NHLer Warren Rychel struggled with injuries this season but competes and has goal-scoring touch.

Patrick Sieloff, D, Compuware: Good all-round game. Plays a safe, smart game and could develop into shutdown defender.

Jacob Trouba, D, Compuware: Powerful skater with good size and likes to hit. Has signed with the U.S. NTDP.

Grant Webermin, D, Honeybaked: Not a sexy pick, but a solid defensive defenseman.

Mitch Wedding, D, Honeybaked: Has worked on his conditioning and has good skill. Is willing to get down and dirty.

Connor Wood, C, Honeybaked: Small in size, but a goal scorer with great hands.

Others to watch: Garrett Cockerill, D, Compuware; Sheldon Dries, C, Honeybaked; Alex Kile, RW, Honeybaked; Jordan Masters, RW, Little Caesar’s; Nick Schilkey, C, Honeybaked; Mark Yanis, D, Belle Tire.

The top U.S. forward is Cristoval (Boo) Nieves of the Syracuse Jr. Nationals. Nieves “has tremendous acceleration, makes slick moves at top speed and can turn on a dime,” said Red Line Junior.

The consensus top overall pick in the entire draft at this point is winger Matia Marcantuoni of the Toronto Marlies, a player Red Line Junior said is “a dominating power winger with skill.”

2010 OHL Priority Selection
Saturday, May 1 - 9:00 a.m.
Follow online at: http://www.ontariohockeyleague.com/
Eligible birthdates: Jan. 1, 1991 - Dec. 31, 1994
First overall pick: Sarnia Sting
Plymouth/Saginaw: Whalers pick 15th; Spirit 13th

Ladd, Higby up for top NAHL award

The North American Hockey League has announced its final four nominees - one per division - for the 2010 Junior Player of the Year Award, which is presented annually by USA Hockey to the outstanding American-born player in junior hockey.

Out of the four players, listed by division below, one will be chosen by the NAHL’s Junior Player of the Year Selection Committee as the league’s final nominee, which will be announced at the Robertson Cup Championship Tournament banquet on Monday, May 3, and submitted to USA Hockey’s blue-ribbon coaches and administrators for consideration, along with candidates from every other USA Hockey-sanctioned junior league.

Central Division
Jason Fabian, Forward, Bismarck Bobcats
In his second season with the Bobcats, Fabian finished ninth overall in league scoring with 58 points (24 goals) in 57 games for the Central Division regular-season champions. The 20-year-old from Roseau, Minn., has committed to the Air Force Academy (Atlantic Hockey) for next season.

North Division
Garrett Ladd, Forward, Marquette Rangers - pictured
In his third year with Marquette, Ladd finished fifth overall in league scoring with 63 points on 23 goals in 55 games. The 20-year-old from Fenton has committed to Bemidji State University (WCHA) for next season.

South Division
Erik Higby, Forward, Topeka RoadRunners
A 20-year-old from Shellby Township, Higby, in his second NAHL season, won the league’s regular-season scoring title with 80 points on 27 goals for the South Division regular-season champions. He has committed to Northern Michigan University (CCHA) for next year.

West Division
Brandon Jaeger, Goaltender, Wenatchee Wild
In 29 appearances with the NAHL regular-season champion Wild, Jaeger, a 19-year-old from Champlin, Minn., fashioned a 22-3-1 record to compliment a league-leading goals-against average (1.83) and save percentage (.928).

Hawai'i 23rd, Fresno State 28th in NFCA poll

As they head towards their showdown for the Western Athletic Conference regular-season title this weekend, Hawai'i and Fresno State are surging in the polls.While both are still ranked below where they probably should be, at least they are improving their poll positions. What the Wahine and Bulldogs have done lately is remarkable as both are on impressive runs entering this weekend.Hawai'i is

News and notes around the WAC

It's time for our weekly peek at how the 2010 Western Athletic Conference postseason tournament bracket would look if the season ended today. Hawai'i and Fresno State would receive first-round byes if the tournament was beginning this week, while Nevada and New Mexico State would not qualify for the 6-team field. First-round games would match Louisiana Tech vs. San Jose State (with the winner

TC's White, Thompson honored by NAHL

The Traverse City North Stars are busy chasing the ultimate team prize – the NAHL’s Robertson Cup – but have picked up some individual accolades along the way.

Defenseman Travis White was Traverse City’s lone representative on the All-North Division squad, while winger Garrett Thompson was among eight league finalists for USA Hockey’s annual Junior Player of the Year award.

White, who has spent the past two seasons with Traverse City after winning the Robertson Cup with St. Louis in 2008, scored a goal and assisted on 15 others in 45 games this season. His +23 plus-minus rating was ninth among defensemen and 14th among all NAHL skaters. White has a pair of assists and is +7 through six postseason contests.

The Stars’ captain has amassed six goals and 36 assists in 149 career regular season NAHL outings and was an All-North pick in 2008-09 as well. He was joined on the All-North team by former TC blue-liner Mike Schenfeld and a trio of Marquette forwards – Tanner Kero, Andrew Kolb and Garrett Ladd. Rangers goalie Kevin Kissaw was the all-division backstop.

Thompson, who recently committed to Ferris State, led the North Stars with 24 goals and helped stage 26 others. He was fourth in the league at +30 during the regular season and has eight points with a team-best five goals so far in the playoffs.

Thompson and seven other NAHL players – two from each division, including Ladd – will be pared to a group of four finalists before the league’s top player is selected. The league’s final nominee will then be submitted to USA Hockey’s blue-ribbon coaches and administrators for consideration, along with candidates from every other USA Hockey-sanctioned junior league.

White, Thompson, and the rest of the North Stars will be heading to Wenatchee, Wash., for the Robertson Cup next week after first- and second-round playoff sweeps of Janesville and Motor City. The five-team event’s schedule has not yet been finalized as one divisional final series has yet to yield a fifth finalist: St. Louis-Topeka. The decisive fifth game in that series is slated for tonight.