Superior Cup Spring Showcase information has been relased.
Click HERE for more information.
Click HERE to register online.
Congratulations to former Eagle Blake Hietala for signing with the Michigan Tech Huskies of the WCHA!
Click HERE for Article
Alex Roy Has Been Named NLHL Player of the Month for November. Congratulations Alex! Click Here for Article.
The Eagles welcome Superior Smiles Dentistry as an official Team Sponsor! The Eagles would like to thank Dr. Ron Fisher for his generousity and involvement in our program.
Former Ojibwa Eagle Jake Hauswirth Signs NHL Contract with Washington Capitals.
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HOUGHTON - The Melfort (Sask.) Journal is reporting that former Ojibwa Eagle and Melfort Mustangs forward Blake Hietala has committed to return home and play for Michigan Tech's hockey team.
"For me it was a no-brainer, I grew up watching them my whole life, and I wanted to be a Husky and now I get a chance, it is a dream come true," Hietala told the Journal.
There are several connections between Hietala and the Tech hockey program already. His mother, Jane, is the program's secretary. The Mustangs were previously captained by current Michigan Tech freshman Tommy Brown.
Hietila is a former member of the Ojibwa Eagles Midget AAA hockey team. Blake played two seasons with the Eagles, amassing 44 goals and 49 assists for 93 total points. Blake is currently fourth on the Eagle's all-time points list and fifth in goals scored.
Hietala, 20, currently leads the Mustangs in scoring with 52 points (25 goals, 27 assists) in 49 games, a total good for ninth in the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.
Recently, Hietala had a two-goal night Jan. 29 as the Mustangs defeated the Humboldt Broncos 4-1. He has had at least a point in seven of his last nine games and two points in four of those.
Melfort is in fourth in the SJHL's Bauer Conference with 56 points, but has won four of its last five going into a tussle with division-leading Flin Flon Friday.
Eagles, Electricians claim victories in each other’s buildings
By Michael H. Babcock - DMG Sports Writer
POSTED: December 21, 2009
Article Photos
HOUGHTON - The Ojibwa Eagles split their two-game series with the Marquette Electricians this weekend, losing Saturday in Houghton 4-3 before topping the Electros in Marquette Sunday 6-3 at the Berry Events Center.
The Eagles (3-6-2 Northern Lakes Hockey League, 6-17-3 overall) outshot Marquette (2-10-0, 3-24-4) by a total of 81-50 in the series, and moved to 3-1-0 on the season against their archrival.
"We don't have to do anything different to win Sunday," Eagles coach Dan Giachino said after Saturday's loss, which came on a last-minute goal by Marquette's Dallas McLaughlin. "We played a very strong game, we worked hard, we played physical, we gathered scoring chances, we just couldn't finish and that's what it came down to."
Jordan Peters put Ojibwa up 1-0 early in the first period, but McLaughlin tied the game at 1-1 five minutes later with a hard shot from the point.
Marquette then pounded home another, this time coming off the stick of Tyler Szabo, who buried a McLaughlin rebound to give Marquette a 2-1 edge after one period.
The second period started with more of the same as T.J. Christensen took advantage of a screened goalie and fired a shot from the blue line over Josh Hendrickson's shoulder to put Marquette in front by two.
The rest of the second period belonged to the Eagles (2-6-2, 5-17-3), as they outshot the Electricians 18-8 in the period and got a power-play goal from Peters.
They then tied the score with a great individual effort by Chris Westin, who split two defenders before sliding home a backhand shot.
The game remained tied until McLaughlin tipped in the game-winner, which was assisted by Christensen and Ezra McPhail.
"(Saturday) was a tough one to lose, we outshot them 2-to-1, I thought we carried the play for a large portion of time," Giachino said of the loss.
The Electricians got off to a good start Sunday as McLaughlin and Szabo scored goals 22 seconds apart early in the first period.
The Eagles responded with three goals, including first period markers from Carson Omilusik and Robbie Payne before Westin scored in the second period to put Ojibwa in front.
Christensen tied the score at three before the Eagles blew up in the third period with two goals from Westin and one from Omilusik.
POSTED: December 18, 2009
Article Courtesy of Mike Babcock, Daily Mining Gazette
HOUGHTON - The Ojibwa Eagles and Marquette Electricians are renewing a heated rivalry this weekend with a home-and-home series and Shattuck St. Mary's is traveling around Lake Michigan to play a two-game series with the Capital Centre Pride in the last four-game Northern Lakes Hockey League weekend of 2009.
"Many of these kids have played against each other since they have been squirts," Eagles coach Dan Giachino said of the Electricians-Eagles rivalry. "It has always been a rivalry, and always will be."
The two teams have met twice this season, with the Eagles (2-5-2 NLHL, 5-16-3 overall) winning 8-3 in Marquette during the Fall Classic and 3-2 in Calumet during the Superior Cup.
The Electricians (1-9-0, 2-23-4) are coming into this weekend after being swept (2-1, 6-1) by the Soo Indians. The Eagles were swept in their last NLHL series, losing 5-3 and 6-3 to the NLHL-leading Pride.
Giachino said this weekend's games are vital.
"It's a huge weekend, we have been struggling a little lately," Giachino said. "A couple wins would provide some much-needed confidence going into the second half of the season."
The Eagles will host Marquette Saturday at 3 p.m. at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena in Houghton and the two teams will meet again Sunday at the Berry Events Center in Marquette at 3:30 p.m.
On December 11th, the US News and World Report issued it's Annual School Evaluation Services for 2010, a K-12 education and data research and analysis business that provides parents with education data on schoolmatters.com—analyzed academic and enrollment data from more than 18,000 public high schools to find the very best across the country. These top schools were placed into gold, silver, bronze, or honorable mention categories.
Most of the Eagle players attend Houghton High School, which earned a Silver Award, which put the school in the top 460 schools in the nation. Only 19 schools in the State of Michigan were awarded a Silver Award. Houghton High School has also recieved awards in the past, and is a State of Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School.
The Copper Country area has always been known for strong schools, and quality educational systems. Other schools in the area scored very well, and Eagle players have (and do) attend other local schools as well. Here is a run-down of the awards that were handed out:
There were 55 Bronze Awards Handed out in the State of Michigan, which included some of the following local schools:
Calumet High School: Bronze Award (Silver Award in 2009)
Chassell High School: Bronze Award
Dollar Bay High School: Bronze Award
Houghton High School: Silver Award
Jeffers High School: Bronze Award
To get more information, please go to the following website to see how the schools were scored:
Alex Roy tops scoring list; earns player of the month
“Alex is our best defensive center, as well as one of our top offensive weapons,” Eagles’ coach Dan Giachino said. “He plays a complete game.”
Alex moved to the top of the scoring charts last weekend with a goal and an assist against the unbeaten Capital Centre Pride giving him points in seven of the Eagles nine games this season, including points in five of the team’s six November games.
“He can score when needed, he plays physical and he is our team captain,” Giachino said.
Roy, a native of Hancock, Mich. is a 1992-birth year player, stands 6-foot and weighs in at 175 pounds. Last season in 10 NLHL games he scored six goals and added one assist, a mark he has already doubled in just nine games this season.
“Alex works hard every day in practice, and sets a good example for the other kids,” Giachino said.
Alex Roy tops scoring list; earns player of the month
“Alex is our best defensive center, as well as one of our top offensive weapons,” Eagles’ coach Dan Giachino said. “He plays a complete game.”
Alex moved to the top of the scoring charts last weekend with a goal and an assist against the unbeaten Capital Centre Pride giving him points in seven of the Eagles nine games this season, including points in five of the team’s six November games.
“He can score when needed, he plays physical and he is our team captain,” Giachino said.
Roy, a native of Hancock, Mich. is a 1992-birth year player, stands 6-foot and weighs in at 175 pounds. Last season in 10 NLHL games he scored six goals and added one assist, a mark he has already doubled in just nine games this season.
“Alex works hard every day in practice, and sets a good example for the other kids,” Giachino said.
HOUGHTON - The Ojibwa Eagles used five first-period goals to catapult their way to a 9-3 victory Friday afternoon against the Thunder Bay Kings in Northern Lakes Hockey League action.
"Our puck movement was good, we had some good offensive pressure on the forecheck and we locked it up in the defensive zone," Eagles assistant coach Mike Lowery said.
The Eagles jumped out to a quick lead when Jordan Peters scored with assists from Carson Omilusik and Levi Erkkila, but the visiting Kings came right back with a goal from Royce King two minutes later.
After more back-and-forth hockey, Calumet natives Ben Johnson and Erkkila scored back-to-back goals within a minute of each other. Thunder Bay scored a rebound goal to cut the lead in half, but Michael Gullan and Alex Roy scored 14 seconds apart to blow the game wide open.
That wasn't enough for the Eagles. On Oct. 17, the Eagles had two three-goal leads disappear when these two teams met in Thunder Bay, so the Eagles kept the pressure up. Three minutes after Thunder Bay's King scored, Erkkila gave the Eagles back the three-goal lead.
"We've been working on burying the puck a lot more," Lowery said. "There's been times where we've been in close games or had the chance to bury a team and we haven't."
This time the Eagles did. Roy, Johnson and Robbie Payne all scored in the third period as the Eagles coasted to a 2-1-1 record in NLHL play.
Goaltender Josh Hendrickson stopped 26 shots in the victory, including several point-blank shots and a pair of nifty one-timers that kept the Eagles ahead in the second period.
Another bright spot for the Eagles was Erkkila, one of three players to finish the game with two goals and one assist (the other two were Johnson and Roy). Erkkila is now tied for the league lead in goals with five, in just four games.
"Erkkila came in as a very young player, not even midget age yet," Lowery said. "He's worked hard since day one and it's been showing immediately in these games."
The Eagles play today at 8 a.m. against the NLHL's top team, the Capital Centre Pride, for the first game of the Superior Cup. At 9:30, the Marquette Electricians will play the Kings at the Calumet Colosseum, and the action will resume again at 4 p.m. with the Kings playing the Pride followed at 6 p.m. with the Eagles playing Marquette. Both games will be at the Colosseum.
The round-robin tournament will finish with two games Sunday, the first a 10 a.m. meeting between the Eagles and Kings, then a noon game featuring Marquette and the Pride, both of which will be played at the SDC.
The Ojibwa Eagles are pleased to announce that Jordan Peters has re-joined the squad this past week. Jordan played for the Eagles for the 2008-2009 season, and was 3rd on the team in scoring. Peters notched 10 goals and 24 assists in 52 games for the Eagles.
The 1991-born forward, who most recently played for the Squamish Wolfpack, will be a welcomed addition.
"Jordan will improve our hockey team from the first day he gets here. He will give us another older forward who has AAA experience, and will be looked upon to be part of our leadership group." stated Coach Giachino.
"Jordan's Junior A experience in Canada will help show the younger players what is required to play at the Junior A level, and the commitment level required to move on." added Giachino.
The addition of Peters allows the Eagles to return their top three scorers from last season, and 4 of the top 5.
MARQUETTE - Mechanical problems in Chassell involving the Ojibwa Eagles' bus delayed the start of the 19th Annual Marquette Fall Classic at Lakeview Arena Thursday night by 35 minutes.
It wasn't the night's only breakdown, however.
The Marquette Electricians Midget AAA hockey team suffered numerous defensive lapses and poor special teams play in an 8-3 loss to the Eagles.
Though Brett Love of Marquette scored a goal and assisted on another, coach Mike Dagenais' Electricians fell to 1-7-0 overall this season.
"It was little things like not backchecking and guys not picking the right guys in the defensive zone," Electricians assistant coach Corey Blake said. "They (also) went hard to the net and we didn't.
"Obviously, this shows we have a lot to work on."
Robbie Payne notched two goals and three assists to lead the Eagles (2-4-2).
Bryant Froberg added two goals, while Levi Erkkila chipped in a goal and two helpers for the winners.
The Eagles, who erased a 3-1 first-period deficit, scored three power-play goals and one shorthanded marker.
"Our special teams played well," Eagles coach Dan Giachino said. "We struggled defensively in the first period, then simplified what we did.
"In the second and third periods, we chipped pucks out of the (defensive) zone and it created offense for us."
Love opened the scoring for the Electricians, then teammate Jacob Stricker beat Eagles goaltender Josh Hendrickson with a low shot from the slot to make it 2-0.
After Gavin Porter notched a power-play goal for the Eagles, Forest Folker restored Marquette's two-goal edge just 42 seconds later with a goal.
Giachino said he talked with his players between periods.
"It was no Knute Rockne speech by any means," he said. "I just told them to stick with what they were doing. I thought we played well in the first period.
"We just had some defensive lapses for a few shifts. Once we eliminated those lapses, we played (well)."
The Eagles coach said Payne's first goal of the night, a backhand at 9:01 of the second period that made it 3-2, was the key for the Houghton team.
"That was big. It got us going and got us out of the 3-1 hole," Giachino said. "We kept pushing from there."
No saves were kept, but Marquette goaltender Jon Hill was often peppered with shots due to what Blake said was little defensive support.
"Most of the goals Jon let in were rebounds or deflections," he said. "I don't think he got scored on with a clean shot all night. He made some great saves for us."
The Eagles will play their next game tonight at 7:30 against the Dallas Alliance before finishing up the round-robin portion of the tournament at 11 a.m. Saturday against the Calgary (Alta., Canada) Edge.
HOUGHTON - The Ojibwa Eagles scored three third-period goals to come back and tie the Shattuck St. Mary's Sabres 4-4 Sunday afternoon at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena in the team's opening game of their second Northern Lakes Hockey League Season.
The win moves the Eagles to 1-4-2 overall and 0-0-1 in NLHL play, while the Sabres are now 1-0-2 after earning a 4-1 win and a 1-1 tie at the Soo Indians earlier this weekend.
Shattuck forward Alex Seyb scored the first goal of the game on the power play. Seyb found a Orri Haman rebound and placed it behind Eagles' goaltender Norman Purmal.
Calumet native Ben Johnson put the Eagles on the board 1:40 into the second period, as he took a low shot that the Shattuck goaltender never saw.
Shattuck didn't waste time reacting, as Nicholas Weberg scored 70 seconds later to regain the visitors' one-goal lead. Weberg added his second goal of the period four minutes later, ripping a slap shot past Purmal, who was screened by his defenseman.
With only 16 seconds remaining in the period Weberg completed his hat trick with a quick wrist shot that went in near-side.
Between periods, Ojibwa Eagles' coach Dan Giachino said the team needed to focus on its play.
"We talked about playing the game smarter," Giachino said. "We made a lot of mental mistakes (in the second period), we didn't deserve to be down 4-1 in terms of effort, so we changed it up, tried to refocus the game and eventually it paid off."
The Eagles struck early in the period with a Levi Erkkila goal. The tone of a comeback was set, but the Sabres continued pressuring, forcing Purmal to make several dandy saves.
With six minutes left, Robbie Payne, the team's leading scorer last season, made a move around the defenseman at the end of his shift and placed the puck over the goaltender's shoulder to bring the Eagles within one.
The Sabres took a penalty with just more than two minutes remaining in the game, and as the clock ticked to one minute, Purmal headed for the bench in favor of an extra skater.
Before the extra man got into the zone, defenseman Gavin Porter flung a low wrist shot towards the net. The puck took an odd bounce and the goalie went down to play it, but a high bounce left the goaltender reaching and with 40 seconds left in the game, Porter had tied the game at four.
"We just started playing smarter, there wasn't any effort-level change, we just started playing smarter, not making as many mistakes," Giachino said. "I'd like to have seen us come out with a win, I think if there was another five minutes; we had some good momentum going."
Purmal made 31 saves in the game, while Shattuck goaltender Caleb Neal made 24.
The Eagles will travel to Marquette next weekend for the annual Fall Classic tournament. Their first game will be Thursday night against the Marquette Electricians.
"Any time we play Marquette you've got to be fired up," Giachino said. "We play Thursday night, the only game of the tournament Thursday night, so I'm sure there will be a pretty decent crowd and we'll have to be up for that game."
HOUGHTON - The Ojibwa Eagles are entering their seventh season of competition, and like many of the years before it, the team will have a completely new identity this season.
"Last year we were heavily experienced on defense," third-year coach Dan Giachino said. "This year we will be very young on defense, only returning L'Anse native Justin Reilley.
"We had many young forwards that learned their way last year, this year will be the opposite with four young players on the back side."
With the expected learning curve on the defensive side of the puck, Giachino said he is going to need to see something special out of the forwards.
"We will rely heavily on our returning forwards for the beginning of the season," he said. "We have some strong forwards returning this year. Players like Alex Roy, Robbie Payne, Josh Borgen, Bryant Froberg and Mike Gullan will be looked upon to lead our offense."
There are eight total returning players this season.
"We returned eight of 11 eligible players, which is a great percentage at the AAA level," Giachino said. "It tells me that our organization is doing something right.
"We need our second-year players to be leaders on and off the ice, they need to set the expectations high and make the younger players want to improve."
Of those returning players, three are from Baraga County (Froberg, Borgen and Reilley).
"I look to them for leadership ability and to be some of our top players. Both Froberg and Borgen bring a complete game to the forward position and improved dramatically during the season last year," Giachino said. "Reilley is a third-year defenseman that will be counted on in every defensive situation."
Other locals on the roster include Levi Erkkila, Ben Johnson, Steven Helminen and Jesse Junttila. The group of four are all from Calumet and will be helping the team grow as the season goes, as all four are young players.
The most explosive is Erkkila, who scored three goals in the Eagles' opening weekend at the Motor City Cup in Detroit.
"Levi is a fearless competitor," Giachino said. "Levi is a very gifted hockey player who sees the ice very well."
In net for the Eagles this year is Josh Hendrickson and Norman Purmal.
Hendrickson played for Hancock Central High last year and will be a vital addition for the Eagles this year.
"Josh will be looked upon to be part of a strong goaltending tandem," Giachino said. "He brings a good work ethic and good leadership skills to the team. He'll be a strong goaltender at the AAA level and be asked to be the backbone of the team."
The Eagles had a 1-2-1 weekend at the Motor City Cup. The team started with a 1-1 tie against the TPH Pioneers before dominating the Chicago Huskies 7-1. Unfortunately, the Eagles fell to the West Seneca Wings and Texas Tornado in their final two games.
"I thought we looked very well at times," Giachino said. "We still have a lot of work to do defensively, which should improve quickly.
"Once we gain some defensive cohesiveness, our team game will improve dramatically."
The Eagles will travel to Lake Forest Academy for a pair of games this weekend before beginning their Northern Lakes Hockey League season on Sept. 27 at home against Shattuck St. Mary's.
For more information about the Eagles, visit ojibwaeagles.com.
Article Courtesy of Mike Babcock, Daily Mining Gazette
Local players dot Ojibwa roster for upcoming year
By Michael H. Babcock, DMG Writer
POSTED: July 28, 2009
HOUGHTON Over the weekend the Ojibwa Eagles Midget AAA team held tryouts for their 2009-10 team at the Student Development Complex on the campus of Michigan Technological University. After it was all said and done a group was formed that included seven returning players and six locals,
Though much of the roster is completed, Eagles coach Dan Giachino said the final list won't be available until closer to the season.
Highlighting the list of Copper Country players includes newcomers Levi Erkkila of Calumet at Josh Hendrickson of Hancock.
Erkkila is just the third Calumet native to play for the Eagles following Eric Bausano and Levi's cousin Jeff Erkkila. Levi will be a freshman at Calumet High School next year and played bantam AA last season.
"I joined because there will be more games and a better challenge," Erkkila said. "I will get noticed more and I can go further."
Coach Dan Giachino immediately liked what Levi brought to the table at tryouts.
"He can flat out play the game, he sees the ice well," Giachino said. "I told him it doesn't matter your age; you can see the ice better than kids 3-4 years older.
"His talent level clearly excels his age."
Hendrickson was a part of the goaltending tandem at Hancock Central High School last season that won the Lake Superior Conference. His older brother Chris, who now plays for Finlandia, spent two seasons with the Eagles.
Other locals include veteran forward Alex Roy and a Baraga County trio of Josh Borgen, Bryant Froberg and Justin Reilley, who all played last season.
Robbie Payne and Nick Vande Kieft will also be returning for a second season with the Eagles.
Payne and Roy finished last season first and second in scoring for the Eagles with Payne scoring 39 points in 52 games and Roy adding 38 points in 50 games, including a team-leading 24 goals.
Giachino said he was happy with the camp and that he likes his team's chances this year.
"The camp was really good, we had a lot of really good players," he said. "The group we have returning are all good kids, the forwards are solid and have the ability to put the puck in the net."
With only one man returning on the defensive side of the puck, Giachino said his team will have a lot of work to do.
Joining Hendrickson tending the goal is Norman Purmal.
Purmal hails from Merrill, Wisc., the same town as former-Eagle Jake Hauswirth who signed a 3-year contract with the National Hockey League's Washington Capitals last month.
"I'm pretty excited, it's going to be a great year," Purmal said. "It will be a new opportunity to get seen, more exposure."
Ironwood's Mike Gullan will also be returning. Gullan scored seven goals and eight assists last season with the team, and his parents were excited to send him back for a second season.
"It was a good experience and we feel that this is the best place for future development," Mike's father Jerry Gullan said. "Some places are all about winning, but I feel that this is the best place for him to develop and, if it's in the cards, get to the next level."
The camp was also a welcomed site for area high school players interested in playing for the Eagle's pre-season team. The team participated in about 20 games before the high school teams begin practices.
"That'll be good again this year," Giachino said. "It will mostly be younger kids, with a few older ones."
For more information on the Eagles as well as their pre-season team visit their Web site, ojibwaeagles.com.
Article courtesy of Mike Babcock, Daily Mining Gazette:
Eagles Hire Aide Lowery
By Michael H. Babcock - DMG Sports Writer
POSTED: July 21, 2009
HOUGHTON - Though try-out camp for the Ojibwa Eagles Midget AAA hockey club doesn't start until Friday, it's already been a busy summer for the organization. In March, the team added 25-year-old Marquette native Mike Lowery as the assistant coach, and in April the Northern Lakes Hockey League announced the expansion from four teams to six.
Lowery is joining head coach Dan Giachino on the bench after two years coaching Pee-Wees in the Copper Country Junior Hockey Association.
"I will bring an abrasive, yet positive coaching style to the Eagles. I will dedicate my time to making each player succeed and will expect that they do the same," he said. "Being a younger coach, I also think that I may be able to relate to the players a little better."
Lowery says the influences and systems he's learned from Marquette coaches such as Darrell Sleeman, Rick Cormier, Brian Nebel and Joe Papin will help the Ojibwa Eagles as they move forward. Fitting with the rest of the organization, Lowery sees the team as a great opportunity for players.
"The thing that I like most about the Eagles is the fact that they provide a great opportunity for kids from the Western half of the Upper Peninsula and elsewhere to play for a team that is close to home," he said. "Yet it gives them the exposure needed to meet their hockey goals.
"The players in this area are talented players, and if they do want to go somewhere with hockey after high school, the Eagles give them the chance."
Giachino is excited about what Lowery is bringing to the team.
"He is a young coach that wants to learn and continue to coach at a high level," Giachino said. "Mike brings a solid coaching background to the organization, and will be an asset on the bench and during practices.
"He should fit in seamlessly to what we're trying to accomplish with our organization, he understands that we are about player development, and will coach accordingly."
Giachino was also excited about the changes in the NLHL, which added the Thunder Bay Kings (Thunder Bay, Ont.), Shattuck St. Mary's Sabres (Faribault, Minn.) and Capital Centre Pride (Lansing).
"Getting to six teams was a big step for this league," he said. "Being able to play a 20-game league schedule allows teams to play many tournaments, but still provides some home games. I would like to think the goal for the league will be an eight- or 10-team league in the future."
The additional teams have also created some buzz around the nation, something Giachino thinks will only grow.
"I can see some national recognition on the horizon," Giachino said. "I think there are some quality teams in the league that will push us forward. The league expansion will help with recruiting for all teams, and make us a more-national-level league, not just a regional league.
Article Courtest of Mike Babcock, Daily Mining Gazette:
Eagles to host own tryout camp
By Michael H. Babcock, DMG Writer
POSTED: July 24, 2009
HOUGHTON - The Ojibwa Eagles will be hosting their annual try-out camp this weekend at the Student Development Complex at Michigan Tech.
"The planning has been very busy," Eagles coach Dan Giachino said. "Hopefully we have put together a quality camp. The spring showcase and evaluation camp was a great tool for our team, which should continue into the main camp."
Giachino said around 45 kids will be attending the camp with some coming from as far away as Colorado and Washington, while the majority will be coming from Wisconsin, downstate Michigan and the U.P.
The camp runs from today until Sunday and will include players interested in the Midget AAA team as well as players interested in the high school pre-season team that offers high schoolers somewhere to play before their season starts.
"The pre-season team is a way for players to supplement their respective high school schedule by playing around 20 additional games before the regular season starts," said Giachino. "We are anticipating playing 15 exhibition games and two tournaments from September through the end of October."
The main focus of the weekend will be on forming a preliminary roster for the Midget Major team, which was formed in 2002 as a way to help promote local talent and get players to the next level of hockey.
"We play a highly competitive 60-game schedule that exposes players to a higher level of hockey," Giachino said. "If you want to be seen by Junior teams, this is the place to play.
"We will be playing in eight to 10 national-level tournaments which will expose our players to every Junior league in the country. Many players from the organization have gone on to play Division I and Division III hockey, and we look to continue that trend into the future."
Players will see ice time in three scrimmages as well as one practice session in addition to off-ice testing and those interested in the Midget AAA team will have individual meetings with the coaching staff.
"I want to get to know the personality of the players," Giachino said. "I want to see if they will be a correct 'fit' for the Eagle organization, and will be able to represent our program positively off the ice as well as on the ice."
While Giachino will be looking for the best players on the ice, it will also come down to work ethic.
"The biggest thing I want to see is hard work and desire to play the game," he said. "If you can't work hard in a try-out situation, you won't be able to make it through the season."
After being formed in 2002 the Ojibwa Eagles, who play out of the SDC, have helped hundreds of players develop there game, with many going on to play Juniors or college hockey. Notable alumni include Michigan Tech's Eric Kattelus, Washington Capitals' Jake Hauswirth and Evan Stephens, who plays for Dartmouth College.
Giachino said a few openings are still available at the camp, interested players should show up in the SDC lobby between 5 and 7 p.m. For additional information visit ojibwaeagles.com.
The Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) are pleased to announce that Jake Hauswirth has signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
"I've been on Washington's radar since I participated in their development camp last summer," Hauswirth said. "The conversations really started to heat up last week and I was just so excited and relieved to sign the contract this morning."
Hauswirth, a 6'5", 210-pound forward, spent each of the last two seasons in Omaha amassing 41 goals and 75 points in 115 regular season games. The Houghton, Michigan native finished 4th among all Lancers last season in points (52) and was tied for the team lead in goals with 28. As a USHL rookie, Hauswirth helped lead Omaha to both the Anderson Cup and Clark Cup Championships in 2007-08 registering 13 goals and 23 points.
"Playing for the Lancers organization was the best thing that's happened with my hockey career," Hauswirth said. "It was a huge help for my progression as a player because it helped me prepare for the next level."
Hauswirth had previously committed to play at Michigan Technological University during the 2009-2010 season but admits plans can change.
"That wasn't an easy phone call to make," Hauswirth said. "But Michigan Tech was extremely supportive and understanding of my decision and wished me only the best as my hockey career progresses."
Hauswirth will attend Washington's development camp from July 12-18 and will then be at the Capital's main camp in late July. Hauswirth expects to play for Washington's AHL affiliate next season, the Hershey Bears.
Article Courtesy of the Washington Capitals:
Caps Land Lancer – Observers in attendance at last summer’s Caps rookie development camp couldn’t help but notice a big center whose dominant presence was noticeable day in and day out during the week’s scrimmages and drills. Today, the Caps signed that hulking pivot, 21-year-old Jake Hauswirth.
The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Hauswirth hails from Merrill, Wis. He had signed a letter of intent to begin playing at Michigan Tech University this fall but will forgo that to turn pro instead.
Hauswirth spent the last two seasons with the Omaha Lancers of the USHL. He helped the Lancers to a league championship in 2007-08, totaling 13 goals and 23 points in 57 games. Last season, Hauswirth racked up 28 goals and 52 points in 58 games. He tied for the team lead in goals and was fourth on the club in points. Hauswirth’s plus-16 was the second best mark on the team and was tops among all Omaha forwards.
Hauswirth will again be in attendance at the Capitals’ summer development camp this July.
Article Courtesy of Daily Mining Gazette:
ARLINGTON, Va. The Washington Capitals have signed undrafted free agent center Jake Hauswirth to a three-year entry-level contract, vice president and general manager George McPhee announced today. In keeping with club policy, financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Hauswirth, 21, is a 6-foot-5, 210-pound native of Merrill, Wis. who has spent the last two seasons with the Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL). He scored 28 goals and added 24 assists (52 points) in 58 games this season, tied for the team lead in goals and fourth in points.
Hauswirth helped lead Omaha to the USHL championship as a rookie in 2007-08, recording 13 goals and 10 assists (23 points) in 57 games.
Prior to playing with Omaha, Hauswirth spent one year with the North American Hockey League's Marquette Iron Rangers and two seasons with the Ojibwa Eagles Midget AAA team. The towering forward was expected to join Michigan Tech in the fall.
MARQUETTE, Mich. -- The Northern Lakes Hockey League, two months removed from its inaugural season, is proud to announce the additions of the Thunder Bay Kings and Shattuck St. Mary’s Sabres. They will be joining the Marquette Electricians, Soo Indians, Green Bay Jr. Gamblers and Ojibwa Eagles for the upcoming NLHL season, which will be expanding from 12, to 20 games per team.
"These two programs have a history of highly competitive teams in both the United States and Canada," NLHL Commissioner Greg Mingay said. "This also allows teams to schedule at least 10 games at home, which eases the cost during these difficult economic times."
The Thunder Bay Kings are located in Thunder Bay, Ont. and are coached by Dave Siciliano, former coach in the USHL, WHL and OHL, after a playing career that included a year with the then-semi-pro Marquette Iron Rangers. The Kings participated as a charter member during the 2008-09 season earning a 6-0-2 record during trips to Houghton, Marquette, Green Bay and the Soo. They finished their regular season with a 48-17-3 record that included a trip to the TELUS Cup West Regional. The franchise has been home to NHL stars Eric, Jordan and Marc Staal as well as Ryan Parent and Tom Pyatt.
Shattuck St. Mary's is a college prep school located in Faribault, Minn. and is world-famous for their hockey program that has brought up the likes of Zach Parise, Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby. Their midget AAA team finished the 2008-09 season with a 23-21-7 record, including a 1-4-1 record against NLHL teams and a 2-3 record against Thunder Bay. The Sabres are coached by Murray Eaves, who spent time with both the Winnipeg Jets and Detroit Red Wings after completing his college career at the University of Michigan in 1980.
HOUGHTON - There was plenty of young hockey talent on display over the weekend at Michigan Tech's SDC.
Players from across the United States and here at home skated into town for the 2009 Superior Cup Showcase.
A total of six teams played four games each during the three-day event. The Ojibwa Eagles squads went 8-3-1 for the weekend.
The Black team finished 3-0-1 and won the first place game over the White team (7-6). The Gold team was 3-1-0 and the White team finished 2-2-0.
The Eagles teams finished first, second and third in the overall standings. The Gold team defeated Marquette in a shootout to finish in third.
Eagles players were selected as most valuable players in all but one of the 12 games. Hancock's Tanner Kero was the only player to win MVP honors twice.
But the weekend wasn't about who won and who lost.
It was about having another chance to get on the ice and show off some individual skills.
"It's just nice to get the open ice because the season's over," Calumet's Steven Helminen said. "Playing for the Eagles is nice.
"I like Ed (Kattelus) he's a nice guy. Overall, it was fun."
Helminen, who plays for the Calumet Ice Kings, capped his weekend off in grand style. He scored a goal in the Showcase's final game Sunday afternoon.
"Coach (Dan Giachino) put me up at forward so I was just waiting for the opportunity to get the speed and get going and shoot on net," Helminen said. "I got my chance and I scored."
Unlike Helminen, Hancock's Trevor Givens hadn't played with most of his "new" teammates before. But having a chance to play with some new faces was all good for Givens.
"It was kind of fun to play with people you don't know," Givens said. "It's a chance to get some new buddies, some new friends."
HOUGHTON -This weekend, the second annual Superior Cup Showcase will take place in the MacInnes Student Ice Arena at Michigan Tech. This year, the Ojibwa Eagles-sponsored spring hockey tournament is adding an evaluation camp, making it a premier event for those interested in joining the Eagles for the 2009-2010 season.
Starting tonight, a group of Eagles players, local high school players and Eagles prospects will hit the ice for a round of practice. The group is split into three teams; gold, black and white.
Six of the 18 local players participating includes Davy Sproule and Brandon Taavola of Houghton, Tanner and Devin Kero of Hancock, Steven Helminen and Tyler Froberg from Calumet.
"We have over 50 players here this weekend that want to have fun," Eagles coach Dan Giachino said. "But also want to improve on their hockey skills.
"This is a great opportunity for all our local talent to come together and play some good hockey with each other."
Besides the three local Eagles teams, the Calumet Ice Kings also have a team that is participating in the tournament made up of mostly 1993 and 1994 birth-year players that played bantams over the year.
The team likely won't make a run for a championship, but they will have the opportunity to grow as players against top-notch competition.
That opportunity for growth is exactly what head coach Joel Tuoriniemi is looking for from his players.
"We do this to provide an opportunity for our younger kids in the organization," Tuoriniemi said. "As they make the transition from bantams to midgets so they understand what to expect."
Ben Johnson, Darrin Bausano and Cody Carlson from the Calumet High School team will be playing as well for the team.
The action will start at 5 p.m. on Friday with the Eagles Black taking on Calumet. Eagles Gold will play at 7 p.m. against Marquette and Eagles White will take on St. Ignace.
For more information on the tournament, check out the special insert in today's Daily Mining Gazette or visit the Eagles' Web site, www.ojibwaeagles.com.
Article Courtesy of Mike Babcock, Daily Mining Gazette.
March 30, 2009
HOUGHTON - After more than a couple seemingly-long seasons for the Ojibwa Eagles Midget AAA hockey organization, this year they were finally able to get back on the horse and prove that they are a team that can compete.
"The program took a giant step forward this past year," third-year coach Dan Giachino said. "We will look to replicate that next year."
The Eagles ended the season with a 22-25-7 record, the best since 2004-2005 when the team finished 28-29-3, and made a trip down to the state tournament.
Unfortunately for the Eagles, this year yielded no state tournament, but it did bring them some very respectable finishes in tournaments throughout the year, including three medal finishes and another tournament where they finished undefeated, but missed the medal round due to technicalities.
The season started fantastically for the Eagles as they completed two achievements that they had never done before: They won the Superior Cup Tournament and beat their arch-rivals, the Marquette Electricians.
The Superior Cup is a tournament the Eagles host every year at the SDC, and is something the Electricians had won every year since its inception. The 1-0 win over Marquette was goaltender Jordan Roy's first shutout of the year, and set them up for a chance to win the tournament.
On Sept. 14, the Eagles topped the Soo Indians 3-1 and claimed the championship.
Though the team had several highs throughout the season, that championship title might go down as the most memorable.
This was the Eagles' first year in the Northern Lakes Hockey League, and though they might not have had the on-ice success they wanted to, it was still a memorable and worthwhile experience for the team. The Eagles finished 2-1-3 in NLHL home games, but they struggled on the road, and finished their NLHL schedule in fourth place with a 2-7-3 record.
Giachino cited catching teams at the wrong time as both the Soo Indians and Green Bay Jr. Gamblers earned wins over the Eagles during lengthy winning streaks.
The wins and losses weren't the most important thing for the franchise, though, and Giachino sees a lot of future in this league. "I can see the league operating with 10 or 12 teams in the future," he said. "Which will be great for competition and regional rivalries.
"This league will provide us with a good base of games, with increasing amounts of home games."
The Eagles had seven local players on their roster this year, including three apiece from Hancock and L'Anse as well as one from Houghton.
Jordan and Alex Roy joined the team after playing for Hancock Central High School last year, and both were difference-makers throughout the season. Jordan Roy led the team in net, playing in 42 games, earning 15 wins with a 2.62 goals-against average and 90.5 save percentage.
"Jordan was the backbone of the team throughout the entire season," Giachino said. "He was a leader on the team and provided us with strong, consistent goaltending all year."
Jordan will be aging out of Midgets and ineligible to play next year, "He is another player that will be very tough to replace," Giachino said.
Younger brother Alex Roy led the team with 24 goals and added 14 assists for 38 points on the season. Alex will be young enough to return next year and if he does, he will be key to the team's success.
Robbie Payne led the team in points this year, earning 22 goals and adding 17 assists for a total of 39 points, keeping a .75 points per game average.
"He has great hands and good vision of the ice," Giachino said. "Robbie is going to be a player that will be called upon to lead our forwards again next year."
This season will see the end of seven Eagles' Midget AAA careers, including five of their six defensemen, Jordan Roy and forward Matt Gage.
"All seven of them contributed to the success of the team on and off the ice," Giachino said. "It will be very difficult to replace these guys."
Co-captains Tom Friedrich and Mike Stevens will be especially missed as their veteran leadership helped them maintain composure through a slew of injury problems.
The Eagles' season ended in Marquette Feb. 28 with a 2-1 overtime loss during game two of their best-of-three play-down series against the Electricians. It was a tough loss for the team, but the Eagles learned a lot about what it will take for next year, especially for some of the youngsters.
"Overall, I thought we battled through a lot of adversity and had a successful year," Giachino said.
The off-season starts immediately for the Eagles, who will be hosting the Superior Cup Spring Showcase and Evaluation Camp April 16-19. For more information, visit their Web site, www.ojibwaeagles.com.
The Ojibwa Eagles battled through a weekend of injuries and sickness to take silver at the Shattuck AAA Invitational Tournament. The Eagles played most of the weekend with 12 healthy skaters, and perservered through the 20-minute periods to have a successful weekend.
Game 1 vs. Colorado Outlaws:
The Eagles started off on the right foot, as they took the first game of the Shattuck Invite against the Colorado Outlaws. The Eagles opened up the scoring in the second period, as Jordan Peters scored on a bad-angle shot that eluded the Outlaw goaltender. The game would go into the third with a 1-0 lead for the Eagles. In the third, the Eagles would explode for three straight goals. Justin Reilly scored on a high & hard shot from the point. Trey Saari would match Reilley with his own blast from the point to make the game 3-0. Tom Friedrich would end the Eagle scoring with a nice tip-in goal to put the Eagles up 4-0. Colorado would score with a little over a minute remaining to break up the Eagle shut-out attempt. Jordan Roy earned the victory in goal, stopping 34 of 35 shots.
Semi-Final Game vs. Thunder Bay Kings
The Eagles took the second game of the Shattuck Invitational, as they defeated the Thunder Bay Kings 2-1 in semi-final action. The Eagles started out great in the first period, as Matt Gage opened the scoring on a scramble in front of the Kings net. Mike Gullan scored the second Eagle goal half-way through the period on a bad-angle shot that eluded the Kings goaltender. The Eagles out-shot the Kings 22-8 in the first period. The second period was the complete opposite for the Eagles, as Thunder Bay took complete control of the period, evening the shots by the end of the period. Thunder Bay would score short-handed with five minutes remaining in the period. The third period would be even for the first 15 minutes, but Thunder Bay cranked up the pressure in the last five minutes, but could not penetrate the Eagle net. Jordan Roy played a strong game in goal, stopping 45 of 46 shots in the victory.
Championship Game vs. Green Bay Junior Gamblers
The Eagles faced NLHL foe Green Bay in the Championship game of the Shattuck Invitational Tourney. The Eagles opened the scoring, as Bryant Froberg scored three minutes into the game. Green Bay would answer with two quick goals to take a 2-1 lead. The Eagles would fight back on the power play as Tom Friedrich would poke home a goal to tie the game at 2. Green Bay would regain the lead after another power play goal, but Matt Gage would answer the goal two minutes later to tie the game at 3. The period would continue to be fast-paced, but neither team was able to take the lead. The second period would be all Gamblers, as they dominated the play, and scored 3 second period goals to take a 6-3 lead. Ojibwa would fight back in the third, as Matt Gage would score his second goal of the game. The Eagles had some chances down the stretch, but could not score on the Gambler's goaltender. Jordan Roy took the loss in net, stopping 36 of 42 shots.
The Eagles were decimated by injuries and sickness throughout the weekend, but perservered to get into the championship game. In the championship game, the Eagles were without the services of their top two scorers in Robbie Payne and Alex Roy, which helped Green Bay stifle the Eagle offense.
The Eagles will play Green Bay in Northern Lakes Hockey League action next weekend. The Eagles' injury list could come into play again next weekend as the following players missed time this weekend:
Jackson Unteriner: Knee
Jaered Elwell: Flu
Kyle Fiebernitz: Shoulder
Robbie Payne: Flu
Evan Loughman: Ankle
Alex Roy: Knee
L'ANSE - After giving up two goals in the first period Wednesday night, it looked like the Ojibwa Eagles were on their way to their 21st loss.
However, the team came out firing in the second period, scoring four goals, and held tight to a 4-3 lead, edging out the Marquette Electricians for the second time this season.
The game was played at Meadowbrook Arena in L'Anse, a halfway point for the Eagles and Electricians, and also a homecoming for three Eagles who all call the L'Anse/Baraga area home.
Wolff Belanger, the Northern Lakes Hockey League's leading scorer, got things started for the Electricians at 4:43 into the first period when he took a pass from Joel Benson and rifled it over Jordan Roy's shoulder. It took nine minutes before the Electricians would score again, but a pass from Ryan Crosson and a shot by Brett Love was all it took for the Electricians to lead 2-0, a lead they finished the first period with.
When the second period started up, the Eagles started on a power play. The team lined up with the five-on-four advantage and within 10 seconds there were two whistles. The first was the puck going out of play, and the second was Tom Friedrich's goal just 10 seconds in.
The Eagles were just starting to warm up, and at 2:31 into the second they would strike again. It was again Robbie Payne that got things started as he put a quick shot into goaltender Jonathan Hill's pads, the Eagles crashed hard on the net and eventually Nick Vande Kieft was able to swat the puck into the net to tie the game up.
L'Anse native Bryant Froberg earned an assist on the Eagles' third goal as Payne earned his third point of the night. The goal put the Eagles up 3-2, a lead the team never gave up.
"Robbie [Payne] won the draw back to me, and I took a backhand shot towards the net," Froberg said. "The goalie left a rebound that Robbie was able to put in the net."
For the fourth time in the period, the Eagles scored, this time it was Alex Roy scoring his team-leading 24th goal of the season.
The Eagles finished off the period killing off over a minute-and-a-half of five-on-three powerplay.
The Electricians used their physical power and hard hitting to make a valiant comeback in the third period. Nearly the entire period was played in the Eagles' zone, but goaltender Jordan Roy stood strong.
Roy finished the game with 33 saves, but at 16:23 of the third Austin Gauthier was able to cut the Eagles' lead to just one. Gauthier's marker would end up being the final one of the game.
"Second period was the story of the game for us," Eagles coach Dan Giachino said. "We came through and battled hard. All the goals were gritty, in-front-of-the-net goals.
"Beating Marquette, whether it's a Northern Lakes Hockey League game or pond hockey, it means a lot to me."
Payne led all scorers with one goal and two assists, his third multi-point effort in his last six games. Payne was excited after the game, as his team tied the season series with Marquette at 2-2-1.
"It's great to get a win like this," Payne said. "Especially playing in L'Anse."
The Electricians were winners of their last three NLHL games, and had already clinched the league title before the game. However, a win would have been nice for them, especially after jumping out to a quick lead.
"I think the first period we outplayed them and in the second period we were just content with a 2-0 lead," Electricians coach Mike Dagenais said. "The ice was a little slow in the second, and I think that was to their advantage."
Dagenais was also happy to be playing in L'Anse, saying that many players don't get to see atmospheres like this. Meadowbrook was full of fans and the small size is a tough comparison to their usual rink, and even more startling than the rink they played in the week before.
"In a two-week span we played at the Joe Louis Arena and now the Meadowbrook," Dagenais said.
With the loss, the Electricians finish off their Northern Lakes Hockey League schedule with a 10-2-2 record, good for first in the league. They are now 30-18-9 overall.
The Eagles are 2-5-3 in the NLHL, with an overall record of 20-20-7. The Eagles will head back to Faribault, Minn. this weekend to play in the Shattuck AAA Invitational .
Michael H. Babcock can be reached at
.
First period - 1, Marquette, Wolff Belanger (Joel Benson), 4:43. 2, Marquette, Brett Love (Ryan Crosson), 12:50. Second period - 3, Ojibwa, Tom Friedrich (Robbie Payne), 0:10. 4, Ojibwa, Nick Vande Kieft (Payne), 2:31. 5, Ojibwa, Payne (Bryant Froberg), 6:46. 6, Ojibwa, Alex Roy (unassisted), 9:07. Third period - 4, Marquette, Austin Gauthier (unassisted), 16:23. Penalties: Marquette, 7-14; Ojibwa 5-10, Goalie saves: Marquette, Jonathan Hill, 26; Ojibwa, Jordan Roy, 33.
HOUGHTON - Despite a two-goal first period, the Ojibwa Eagles weren't able to earn a split against the Soo Indians.
With Sunday's 2-2 tie, the Eagles are now 1-5-3 in their 12-game NLHL schedule, just two points behind Green Bay for third in the standings. The Indians, now finished with their NLHL schedule, have a 5-5-2 record in league action, which locks them in for second place.
The NLHL, which the Eagles joined this season, includes U.P. rivals Marquette Electricians, the Indians and the Green Bay Jr. Gamblers.
L'Anse native Josh Borgen got the Eagles started when he scored at 7:13 into the first period. The goal puts Borgen at 12 on the season.
With four points in his last five games, he now has 22 for the season, good for fourth on the team.
Borgen is one of three players from L'Anse and is only a freshman this year.
Tom Friedrich scored the Eagles' second goal of the game on a power-play opportunity, assisted by Bryant Froberg and Matt Gage. With five minutes still remaining in the first period, the Eagles looked to be on their way to a compelling win over the Indians.
However, the Indians kept things tight, keeping the Eagles to the outside and using their physical game to gain space.
The Indians were able to half the Eagles lead at 8:12 of the second period when Justin Bennet scored during a scramble in front. Ritchie Radney assisted on the goal.
The Eagles were out-shot 14-10 in the period.
At 4:02 of the third period, Soo's Travis Payne scored his seventh goal of the NLHL season, an unassisted marker. With that goal, Payne is now in second place among NLHL scorers.
The Eagles put the pressure on during the rest of the game, flipping the shot total from the second period, but couldn't find the net.
With 1:32 remaining on the clock, the Eagles caught the break they needed, as Josh McKenzie was called for interference. The Eagles set the play up, but despite their best efforts, couldn't put the puck into the net.
Jaered Elwell stopped 33 of the 35 shots he faced while Soo goaltender Joe Gravedoni stopped 33.
"I thought we played with a much better effort today," said Eagles coach Dan Giachino. "We did the things we needed to be successful."
Saturday night, the team fell short of a comeback, but looked good in the third period where they cut the Soo's lead to just one before falling 6-4 with an empty-netter.
After coming out flat on Saturday night, the team needed a better effort, but in the end it came down to missed opportunities.
"We had quite a few more good chances than they did," Giachino said.
The Eagles will now rest for a couple days before meeting up with the Marquette Electricians at Meadowbrook Arena in L'Anse on Wednesday night. This is the second time in the Eagles' history that they've played at Meadowbrook, the first was also against the Electricians.
Michael H. Babcock can be reached at
.
First period - 1, Ojibwa, Josh Borgen (Unassisted), 7:13. 2, Ojibwa, Tom Friedrich (Bryant Froberg, Matt Gage), 11:57 (pp).
Second period - 3, Soo, Justin Bennett (Radney Ritchie), 8:12.
Third period - 4, Soo, Travis Payne (unassisted), 4:02.
Power-play opportunities: Soo, 0/2 ; Ojibwa, 1/4,
Penalties: Soo, 7-14; Ojibwa 5-10,
Goalie saves: Soo, Joe Gravedoni, (7-10-14-31); Ojibwa, Jaered Elwell, (11-13-9-33).
The Eagles travelled to Shattuck this past weekend and had a successful weekend. The Eagles were looking for a boost going into the last month of the season, and took advantage of the opportunity. Despite traveling 7 hours, the Eagles played quality hockey throughout the weekend, and got the results they were looking for.
"My goal was to win all three games this weekend. After last weekend, I did not feel we played our best hockey. We constantly talked about having a consistent effort during the week, and I felt we followed through with that. We need momentum going into the last month, as hopefully we will feed off of this success." Giachino stated.
The Eagles took the first game of the 3-game set against Shattuck St. Mary's on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles opened up a 2-0 lead early in the first period. Justin Reilly and Robbie Payne picked up the goals for the Eagles. Shattuck would answer back with a goal of their own, but it was the Eagles that would take control from that point. Robbie Payne would score his second goal of the game, and Matt Gage would add a shorthanded goal in the last 20 seconds of the first period, for a 4-1 lead. The Eagles would continue the domination in the second period, as Alex Roy and Ryan Faria would score goals early in the second. With a 6-1 lead, the Eagles allowed Shattuck to creep back into the game, as they scored two goals in the last five minutes of the second period. They also added a power play goal in the third. Jordan Peters picked up three assists, as Josh Borgen picked up two of his own. Faria, Payne, and Mike Stevens added 1 helper apiece. Jordan Roy earned the victory, stopping 26 of 30 shots.
The Eagles tied the second game of the three game set this evening in Faribault. The Eagles opened the scoring in the first period on a Mike Stevens blast from the point. The goal was assisted by Robbie Payne. Shattuck would answer right back with a goal of their own, to tie the game at 1. The Eagles would keep up the pressure on Shattuck, but Shattuck would score to take a 2-1 lead. Finally, the Eagles broke through to score two more goals in the last minute of the first period. Bryant Froberg tapped a puck into an empty net, and Robbie Payne would score twenty seconds later to give the Eagles a 3-2 lead at the break. The Eagles would again dominate the second period, but it would be Shattuck to take back the lead on two mid-period goals. The Eagles had many chances, but still trialed 4-3 after 2. Less than one minute into the third period, Justin Reilley would fire a one-time shot off the crossbar and into the net to tie the game at 4. The Eagles would get many more opportunities to score, but could not find the back of the net. The game would end as a 4-4 tie, as no overtime was played. Jaered Elwell earned the tie, stopping 24 of 28 shots.
The Eagles took the third and final game of the weekend series against Shattuck. The Eagles took an early 2-0 lead in the first period on goals from Josh Borgen and Matt Gage. The Eagles would continue the dominance in the second period, as Hancock natives Trey Saari and Alex Roy would open the gap to 4-0. Roy's pivotal goal came with 1 second remaining in the period, as he would slam home a rebound into the Shattuck net. Shattuck came out hard in the third period, and put many shots on Eagle goaltender Jordan Roy. The Sabres broke the shut-out with six minutes remaining. The Eagle defense and goaltending would hold off Shattuck for the remaining minutes to win 4-1. Jordan Roy earned the victory in goal, stopping 33 of 34 shots, with 17 saves in the third period.
The next series for the Eagles will be a home series against Northern Lakes Hockey League rival Soo Indians. The Eagles have 4 NLHL games left, which the Eagles are shooting to gain second place in the NLHL.
The Northern Lakes Hockey League game against the Marquette Electricians that was slated for December has been rescheduled. The Eagles will take on the Electricians at 7:00 PM on February 11th at the Medowbrook Arena in L'Anse.
The Ojibwa Eagles had a slightly disappointing weekend at the USHL Showcase, which was hosted by the Green Bay Gamblers.
In the first game, the Eagles took on NLHL rival Marquette. The Eagles fell to Marquette by a 5-1 score. Josh Borgen had the lone Eagle goal in the first period, which was assisted by Justin Reilley. Coach Giachino was not happy with the effort of his squad in the loss "We played very listless, and let Marquette pretty much do what they wanted. We gave up too many shots, and quite a few quality chances. That is not what I expect out of any game...but especially against our closest league rival," Giachino stated. Jordan Roy took the loss in net, stopping 39 of 44 Electrician shots. Marquette outshot the Eagles 44-15.
The second game was much better for the Eagles, as they would dominate the So Cal Titans. The score was not indicadive of the game, as the Eagles took the game 5-3. Despite giving up a quick power play goal, Ojibwa dominated the rest of the contest, scoring four straight goals to take a 4-1 lead after 2. The Eagles got goals from Peters and Stevens in the first, and Friedrich and Gage in the second. So Cal would fight back in the late part of the 3rd, scoring two quick goals against the Eagles to cut the gap to 1. Alex Roy would ice the game with an empty net goal with 20 seconds remaining. "We played excellent for two and a half periods...we worked hard and did the little things necessary to win. I'm a little upset with the fact we let So Cal back in the game, but it wasn't that they stopped working...I just think So Cal caught a couple breaks to score." Giachino added. Jaered well played in goal, stopping 21 of 24 shots. The Eagles outshot So Cal 44-24.
The Eagles dropped their second game of the USHL Showcase in a listless, uninspired game against Shattuck. Alex Roy opened the scoring for the Eagles, Josh Borgen picked up an assist on the goal. Shattuck would answer 3 minutes later to tie the game, and would extend to a 2-1 lead with 7 minutes to play. The Eagles would tie the game, as Robbie Payne picked up a goal, which was assisted by Mike Gullan. The 2-2 tie would be broken by Shattuck, as they scored a goal half-way through the second. The Eagles could not match the Shattuck goal in the second half of the game, and would drop the contest 3-2. Jordan Roy took the loss in net, stopping 30 of 33 shots. Shattuck outshot the Eagles 33-17. "I was not happy with our effort today, and felt that was the worst game we played in a long time. We had the opportunity to play in the semi's if we won...and we let it get away." Giachino stated.
he Eagles dropped their final game of the USHL Showcase to Mission Arizona. The Eagles dominated from the drop of the puck, and opened the scoring 4 minutes into the game. Matt Gage would intercept a pass and go in alone to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead. Mission would battle back with a power play goal in the second to tie the game at 1. The Eagles continued to dominate, but could not score on numerous scoring opportunities. The Eagles missed two key breakaways in the second, which seemed to ignite the Arizona squad. Into the third, Mission would take early control, putting numerous shots on the Eagles. The Eagles would regain control half-way through the period, but it was Mission Arizona that would break the tie with a fluke goal that was re-directed into the net by an Eagle defenseman. The Eagles had numerous opportunities to tie the game in the final five minutes but could not score. Jaered Elwell took the loss, stopping 20 of 22 shots. The Eagles outshot Mission Arizona 33-22. "I was very pleased with our effort and the way we played today. I felt that was our most complete game of the weekend...we played very well in all aspects, we just could not convert on our numerous opportunties. I'm happy with the way they played, but I feel bad for the boys...it was a tough way to lose the game, but those are the breaks." Giachino said.
Around Christmas, Josh Shingler was informed that he would get an opportunity to play in the NAHL. When Kenai River came knocking, Josh was starring for the Twin Cities Northern Lights of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League. Josh had posted 22 points (7G, 15A) in 23 games. The physical winger had also racked up 39 penalty minutes in those 23 games.
Josh played his first game with the Kenai River Brown Bears on January 17th, and was a +1 in a loss to the Alaska Avalanche. Hopefully this will be the first of many games to come!
The Eagle organization wishes Josh the best of luck, and is proud that Josh finally got the opportunity he deserved.
With the Eagles currently having 5 players out of the line-up, the Eagles must travel to Green Bay this weekend to play in the USHL Invitational, sponsored by the Green Bay Gamblers.
Here is a run-down of the injuries the Eagles currently have:
Kyle Fiebernitz, Defense: Shoulder Surgery
Jackson Unteriner, Defense: Dislocated Knee Cap
Evan Loughman, Forward: Surgery
Ryan Faria, Forward: Bruised Kidney
Josh Borgen, Forward: Shoulder
Despite the injuries, the Eagles are preparing for the upcoming tourney. Here is a schedule for the weekend:
Friday, January 23
3:30 PM CST vs. Marquette Electricians @ Cornerstone Saturday, January 24
7:15 AM CST vs. So Cal Titans @ Cornerstone
12:45 PM CST vs. Shattuck St. Mary's @ Resch Center Sunday, January 25
TBA
While already playing short 3 players, the Eagles traveled to Chicago to play #12 ranked LFA two times in less than 12 hours. The Eagles were without the services of Kyle Fiebernitz, Jackson Unteriner, and Evan Loughman, which left the Eagles' defensive corps quite depleted.
In the first game, the Eagles started out quite slow after their 8-hour bus ride. LFA struck first to take a 1-0 lead after one period. The Eagles fought back with a strong second period, but could not find the back of the net. LFA scored a late goal in the second to take a 2-0 lead into the locker room. The Eagles again fought back in the 3rd, but could not solve the LFA goaltender. LFA scored two goals in the waning minutes of the game, to win 4-0. During the game, the Eagles lost forwards Josh Borgen and Ryan Faria for the weekend, and possibly longer. Borgen injured his shoulder, while Faria received an injury to his kidney. Jordan Roy took the loss in net, stopping 27 of 31 shots.
While losing two players on Saturday night, the Eagles were left with an extremely depleted roster, only dressing 12 skaters and 2 goaltenders. Try as they might, the Eagles tried their hardest to play with the home-town LFA squad. LFA opened the game up with a 4-0 lead with 3 minutes left in the period. The Eagles struck back with a goal in the final minute of the period, to cut the lead to 4-1. The Eagles played hard in the second, but LFA would score the next three goals to take a commanding 7-1 lead. Ojibwa would score a goal late in the second to make the score 7-2 after two. LFA would score one more in the third to take the game 8-2. Jaered Elwell took the loss, stopping 6 of 10 shots. Jordan Roy played the final two periods, stopping 18 of 22 shots.
The Ojibwa Eagles started off the second half of the season on a strong note, earning a 3-1-1 record at the Steel City International Tournament. The Eagles lost a heart-breaker in the Semi-Finals to NLHL rival Soo Indians by a 3-2 score. The Indians scored a goal with 8 seconds remaining to prevent the game from going into overtime. The Indians moved on to the championship game and lost to the Sault Ste. Marie (Canada) North Stars. The Eagles ended up winning the 3rd place medals, as they defeated the Sudbury Nickel City Sons in Round Robin play.
Game summeries and statistics can be found on the "Results" tab under the Eagles Major tab.
The Eagles got better with each game on the weekend, but still have things to work on over the next couple weeks. "We got increasingly better efforts in each game, but I'm still looking for a full game out of the boys", said Coach Giachino.
Even with the success, Coach Giachino looks for bigger things out of the team. "I think this team has another level...by saying that, I mean that the players and coaches can still improve and take things up a couple notches before play-downs." Giachino added.
Giachino thinks there are some areas of improvement that will drastically help the team overall, and help them as they look toward the MAHA Play-Offs. "We have some defensive zone work that needs to be done. We need to be stronger on the defensive walls, and we need to do a better job picking up guys in our zone. If we can do that, and avoid some of the "lulls" that we tend to have during games...we will get better."
The Eagles will be traveling to Lake Forest, Illinois next weekend to take on LFA Prep. LFA is currently ranked 13th in country, and has only lost 4 games on the season. The two teams met earlier in the season, when LFA rode 4 power play goals to defeat the Eagles 6-0.
"The game against LFA was much closer than the 6-0 score indicates", said Giachino. "We had some difficulties scoring on some quality chances that game, and they converted 4 of 5 PP opportunities to take the game", added Giachino.
The two teams will face off on Saturday, January 17th at 8:00 PM. They will play again at 8:00 AM on Sunday, January 18. Both times are CST.
The games that were originally scheduled for the December 13th/14th weekend have been rescheduled for January 31st/February 1st weekend. In the change, the Eagles will pick up another game against Shattuck, and make it a 3-game weekend. The schedule has been updated on the Schedule tab, along with a few tournament games. Schedules have been released for the Green Bay Gamblers USHL Invite, along with the Shattuck St. Mary's Invite. The Eagles staff is still awating the schedule for the Steel City Invitational.
The games that were to be played on December 13th and 14th against Shattuck St. Mary's have been postponed due to bus problems for the Eagles.
The Eagles and Shattuck are working to get the games rescheduled for January 31/February 1st weekend. More details about the rescheduling will be out in the next couple days.
Saturday night the excitement moves to Fairiboult, Minn. when the Ojibwa Eagles hit the road to play against Shattuck St. Mary’s Varsity squad. The Eagles finished in dramatic fashion last weekend during a home series against NLHL-rival Green Bay. The team pulled off a second-consecutive third-period comeback Sunday morning, but this time pulled away with a win, beating Green Bay 3-2 for the team’s first NLHL win.
The win came on the heals of a 4-4 tie Saturday night in front of a good-sized SDC crowd. The 1-0-1 weekend moves the Eagles into second place in the Northern Lakes Hockey League, a spot the team will likely temporarily lose as the Green Bay Jr. Gamblers and Soo Indians do battle this weekend.
Alex Roy is the leading scorer for the Eagles, the Hancock native has been excellent for the Eagles all season notching 15 goals and nine assists while serving time on the Eagles power play and penalty killing units. His physical play is one of his strongest points, something that has been consistent all season for the Eagles.
Robbie Payne is just behind Roy with 12 goals and six assists, while Jordan Peters’ 11 assists lead the team. Co-captain Mike Stevens, fresh off a four-assist game Saturday night against the Gamblers, leads all defensemen with three goals and eight assists.
In net last weekend we saw Eagles goaltender Jaered Elwell return to play his first full game since being hurt in October. Elwell leads the team with a 91.3 save percentage through seven games. Jordan Roy has see action in 22 games for the Eagles and has a 9-9-3 record while stopping 90.0% of the shots that come in his direction.
The Eagles are 5-9-3 all-time against Shattuck Varsity. The Eagles have struggled lately finishing 1-4-1 in the teams last six games, dating back to the Eagles last win against SSM on December 8, 2006. Currently Shattuck is ranked number 74 in the nation with a 5-4-4 record in Midget AAA play. The Eagles are up at number 66, and will look to continue their climb with two good games against Shattuck.
Good news for fans of the Ojibwa Eagles, Sunday’s game, starting at noon central time (1 p.m. EST), will be webcast on Shattuck’s Web site, please go to http://www.ssmwebcasting.com/servlet/StoreFront for more information. Be sure to check out www.ojibwaeagles.com for the latest updates with the Ojibwa Eagles.
HOUGHTON - The Ojibwa Eagles matchup with the Green Bay Jr. Gamblers Sunday was actually three games in one.
The Eagles took the lead, lost the lead, and eventually came back to take the lead for good.
The end result was a 3-2 victory for the Eagles over the Jr. Gamblers in Midget AAA junior hockey action.
"We've been doing that a little too much this year," Eagles coach Dan Giachino said, describing his team's play. "We haven't played our best hockey in the second period, and that was evident again today.
"We had a six- or seven-minute span where we didn't play well, but we came out of it and did pretty well afterwards."
Ojibwa came out of the locker room flying. The Eagles controlled the play for most of the first period.
A goal by Alex Roy just past the midway point of the period put Ojibwa in front 1-0. But Green Bay would score on the power play before the end of the period to level the score at one heading to the second.
The Gamblers would then grab the lead for the first and only time in the second. A goal by Jeff Munton with just 4:32 left in the frame put Green Bay in front 2-1 after two.
The Eagles, however, weren't about to let this one slip away. Ojibwa scored a pair of goals in the third period to post the come-from-behind win.
Josh Borgen's goal with 13:25 left tied things up again at two. Tom Friedrich's goal just 54 seconds later proved to be the game-winner.
"It was almost identical to last night (Saturday)," Giachino said of the third. "We got an early goal in the third to tie the game.
"These guys feed off that and we were able to work and picked up another goal. Fortunately today, we were able to hold on to it (the lead) rather than give it up."
Ojibwa also did a good job protecting its lead in the third. The Eagles killed off four shorthanded situations in the frame.
The action was back-and-fourth, the goals kept coming and the hard hits were aplenty. However, at the end of the game the two teams were still winless in the Northern Lakes Hockey League.
The Green bay Jr. Gamblers got the game started with two goals before the Eagles could blink. Both goals came in the middle of the second period, but were no-where near the end of the road for the two teams.
The Eagles Michael Stevens started his night with a beautiful slap-pass to Robbie Payne who brought the Eagles back to one. With 11:45 remaining in the second period, the Eagles and Gamblers were in a tight 2-1 game.
Stevens wasn’t done though as early in the second period he fired another shot, this time it was tipped and the Eagles leading scorer Alex Roy was the beneficiary. Just a few minutes later Josh Borgan put the puck top-corner past Jordan Nagelkirk.
With 2:20 left in the game Blaik Doornbos found a loose puck for the Jr. gamblers and the forward put it on net as quickly as he could. The puck found the back of the net and we had a 2-2 tie.
The high-flying offenses came out of nowhere as the Eagles weren’t done yet. Penalty trouble for the Gamblers led to the Eagles having a five-on-three power play opportunity, and they made the most of it. Stevens yet again ripped the shot from the point and after a few bounces and hard work Josh Borgan found the puck to give the Eagles a 4-3 lead with just over a minute left.
The Gamblers had fight though, and with the goalie pulled they pushed harder than the Eagles could handle. Just 10 seconds after Borgan gave the Eagles the lead, the Gamblers net-crashing efforts led to a rebound goal.
“We played well during the game, we just need to bear down in the last two minutes of the game,” said Head Coach Dan Giachino. Giachino wasn’t even aware of Stevens four assists on the game, but he wasn’t surprised, “Michael has been our most consistent player and our most reliable defensemen.”
Stevens wasn’t sure what was different this game, but he would have rather finished with an Eagle win than four assists, “We’re disappointed, we just need to come back and play hard tomorrow,” said Stevens after the game.
With a final score of 4-4, both the Eagles and Gamblers move to 0-1-2 in NLHL action. The teams will meet again tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. To follow the action live log-on to www.ojibwaeagles.com for a live game blog.
During both Saturday and Sunday's Ojibwa Eagles games there will be live blogging, bringing fans from around the world into the action with live updates. The blog will have constant updates on goal scoring, big saves, critial moments in the game and commentary around the rink.
Check back to the site tomorrow night to log-on and watch live.
On December 5th, the US News and World Report issued it's Annual School Evaluation Services, a K-12 education and data research and analysis business that provides parents with education data on schoolmatters.com—analyzed academic and enrollment data from more than 21,000 public high schools to find the very best across the country. These top schools were placed into gold, silver, bronze, or honorable mention categories.
Most of the Eagle players attend Houghton High School, which earned a Bronze Award. Only 54 schools in the State of Michigan were awarded a Bronze Award, and only 20 schools were awarded Gold or Silver awards. Houghton High School has also recieved awards in the past, and is a State of Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School.
The Copper Country area has always been known for strong schools, and quality educational systems. Other schools in the area scored very well, and Eagle players have (and do) attend other local schools as well. Here is a run-down of the awards that were handed out:
Calumet High School: Silver Award (only 19 schools in state qualified for this award)
Chassell High School: Bronze Award
Dollar Bay High School: Bronze Award
Hancock High School: Bronze Award
Houghton High School: Bronze Award
Jeffers High School: Bronze Award
To get more information, please go to the following website to see how the schools were scored:
The Ojibwa Eagles (12-10-3 Overall, 0-1-1 NLHL) will be hitting the ice this weekend for their first time in three weeks when the meet up with the Green Bay Jr. Gamblers (7-13-3 Overall, 0-1-1 NLHL). The Eagles are coming off a rest from Thanksgiving and a cancelled weekend against the Soo Indians.
Coming back will be a little different for the Eagles as two of their veteran players will be out of the lineup. Kyle Fiebernitz and Evan Loughman will both miss a portion of time with injuries; Fiebernitz could miss the entire season from his recent surgery.
“Obviously losing two veterans from the line up will be difficult.” Said Head Coach Dan Giachino, “Both Kyle and Evan were playing well before their injuries, and it will be important that we pick up the slack for them.”
Luckily the Eagles are getting back Jackson Unteriner, who has been out since getting hurt during the first game of the season. In addition, joining the Eagles will be Nick Vande Kieft. Vande Keift is coming to the Eagles from the Butte Roughriders of the Northern Pacific Junior Hockey League.
“Nick will bring speed and creativity to the forward unit,” Giachino said of the newest Eagle. Vande Kieft will be wearing number 24 this weekend when the Eagles hit the ice.
The first game of the weekend will be begin just a short zamboni drive after the Denver Pioneers and Michigan Tech Huskies battle in WCHA action at the SDC. This is the second time this season the Eagles have followed a Michigan Tech game, and it provides a unique opportunity for the players to play in front of a larger crowd and additional scouts.
In early season action the Eagles beat the Gamblers 4-2 behind 23 saves from Hancock native Jordan Roy and two point by his brother Alex Roy, and L’Anse native Justin Reilley. However, the team struggled last season against the Gamblers finishing 0-4-1.
The Roy brothers have been a dominant force for the Eagles this year, leading the team both offensively with Alex Roy’s 13 goals and 21 points, and defensively where Jordan Roy has started nearly ever game. Roy is currently leading the NLHL in both goals against average and save percentage stopping 93.9% of shots against him in two games against Marquette.
On the other side of the puck, the Green Bay Jr. Gamblers have two of the best young players in the NLHL with Ryan Belonger and CJ Eick. The two already have over 30 points, just 27 games into the season. Belonger paces the team with 19 goals and 18 assists, while CJ Eick has 18 goals and 17 assists.
Giachino is well aware of what they bring to the table, and is hoping to the team can stop them, “we are planning on shutting down their two top players, Belonger and Eick, both players have led Green Bay and are far-and-away their best players.”
The Eagles will see action from both Jordan Roy and Jaered Elwell on the weekend as Elwell is fully recovered from the injury that kept him out of action for most of October and November.
The second game of the weekend is scheduled for Sunday morning at 10 a.m., again at the SDC. This is the first of two weekend series against the Gamblers; the second is set for February 21-22 in Green Bay. This is the second weekend of NLHL action for the Eagles who are looking to get their first NLHL win.
Action can be followed live this weekend on www.ojibwaeagles.com as a live blog will be available for both games.
Written by Michael Babcock on Wed, 11/19/2008 - 06:02
The Ojibwa Eagles are a Midget AAA hockey team that plays out of the Student Development Complex here on Michigan Tech’s Campus. The Eagles play a competitive 60-game schedule against teams from around the United States and Canada.
The team attracts talented players from across the U.S. to play for them including many players from the area and as far away as Alaska, Virginia and California. Most of these players are in high school and live a very busy duel-life including six a.m. practices and full days at local high schools.
This year there are three students who don’t fit that bill. These students are recent high school graduates, and are now taking the next step in their educational career by attending Michigan Tech. Playing for the Eagles and attending Michigan Tech is a very difficult combination; it is basically two full-time positions.
“I have a lot of homework, so I have to manage my time on the bus and I have to manage my time in the hotel; I can’t be fooling around with the rest of the guys,” said Eagles goaltender Jordan Roy. Roy is a native of Hancock, Mich. and is one of the top goaltenders in the Northern Lakes Hockey League.
Roy and his teammate Michael Stevens of Dollar Bay, Mich. are taking eight credits this semester and are both majoring in exercise science, one of Michigan Tech’s newest majors.
Stevens has been especially challenged this semester, working his way through biology and chemistry. “It’s getting a bit hard, but I’m glad I made the decision [to go to Tech],” Stevens commented after another tough 6 a.m. practice.
Roy and Stevens are joined by defenseman Trey Saari, a native of Hancock, Mich. who is taking 12 credits this semester, making him a full-time student.
The team’s travel schedule has improved this year with additional games against the Marquette Electricians, Soo Indians and Green Bay Jr. Gamblers. However, it’s still highlighted by four-day tournaments in Chicago, Fond Du Lac and Detroit.
The three players will continue their hard work as part student, part athlete until their season ends in March. The season’s length is much longer than any Varsity sport here at Michigan Tech and is great training for these young athletes. For more information on the Eagles go to their Web site, http://www.ojibwaeagles.com.
The Eagles have rescheduled games against the Soo Indians, that were cancelled in mid-November. The re-working of the schedule will look like this:
December 20th 9:00 AM vs. Marquette Electricians @ Lakeview Arena
December 20th 7:00 PM vs. Soo Indians @ Taffey Abel
Decebmer 21st 10:00 AM vs. Soo Indians @ Taffey Abel
The game scheduled for December 21st against Marquette will be rescheduled in January or February.
Check out the Game Schedule Tab for the Eagles' full schedule.
The Eagles will be taking on the Green Bay Junior Gamblers this weekend at the SDC. Game times are 9:30 PM on Saturday (immediately following the Michigan Tech game), and 10:00 AM on Sunday. Green Bay comes into the weekend with a 7-19-3 record. The Gamblers are led by two 1992 birthdate players, CJ Eick and Ryan Belonger. Eick and Belonger both have over 30 points coming into the weekend, and will be the main offensive weapons of the Gamblers. The Eagles and the Gamblers have met once this season. The teams played at the Marquette Fall Classic, with the Eagles coming out on top 4-2.
Injury Update
With undergoing numerous injuries during the season, the Eagles have finally returned defenseman Jackson Unteriner. This weekend will be the first action the big defenseman has seen since the first game of the season...and he has been pushing hard to get himself back in the line-up.
Goaltender Jaered Elwell saw action two weeks ago against Marquette, and has continued to stay healthy. He will see action between the pipes this weekend.
Forward Evan Loughman has undergone sucessful surgery, and will look to start skating soon. The Eagles coaching staff is hoping that Evan will return soon, as he was scoring some big goals for the Eagles in the first part of the season. Evan has had five goals in his last nine games, and has been playing solid hockey for the Eagles.
Defenseman Kyle Fiebernitz has undergone successful surgery on his shoulder. The big defenseman will most likely be out for most of the season. The coaching staff is hoping for a comeback in February, but that will remain to be seen. Kyle will be rehabbing in Houghton and skating with the team when he is capable.
Roster Addition
With all the injuries the Eagles have endured this season, they have been advertising for a couple more players. Forward Nick Vande Kieft answered the call, and has become the newest Ojibwa Eagle. Nick joined the team on November 30th, and will help the Eagles on the front side. Nick comes to the Eagles from the Butte Roughriders of the Northern Pacific Junior Hockey League (NORPAC Junior A Tier III), where he played part of last season and this season. Nick will bring speed and creativity to the forward unit and will make opposing forwards take notice of his speed and grit in the offensive zone. Look to see Nick in action this weekend against Green Bay, as he will be wearing #24.
The Eagles are sill looking for one more high-quality forward or defenseman for the remainder of the season. Any inquiries should be directed to coach Giachino at (906) 370-7503 or
All inquiries must me made by December 31st for USA Hockey Roster consideration.
Games vs. the Soo Indians
The Northern Lakes Hockey League games scheduled for November 22 and 23 in the Soo have been postponed and WILL be rescheduled. Staff from both teams are working hard to find a weekend that will be suitable for both teams, and information will be posted on the website as soon as it is available.
The games against the Soo Indians slated to be played on November 22 and 23 have been postponed due to bus problems for the Eagles. The games will be rescheduled with the Soo in the next few days. Keep an eye on www.ojibwaeagles.com for updates on rescheduling.
Ojibwa Eagles TV episde two is finally ready for viewing, to do so go to www.youtube.com/ojibwaeagles or join the Ojibwa Eagles Fan Club on Facebook. In this episode we hear from Jordan Roy and Mike Stevens. Roy, Stevens and Eagles defensemen Trey Saari all attend Michigan Technological University while playing for the Eagles.
Here is a run-down of 11 former Ojibwa Eagles, and how they are performing in recent months. This list does not include all the Eagle players that are playing at the college or junior level, but is intended to give a little insight into a few players and how they are performing. Other player updates will be done periodically during the season.
Junior Players
Blake Hietala:
Blake (Houghton, Michigan) has been tearing up the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League in the past two months. Currently, Blake is leading the league in goals scored with 17 goals in 24 games. He is also 12th overall in points with 31...Blake is also in the top 25 in penalty minutes as well. Blake was Honorable Mention for SJHL Player of the Month in October, and has 10 points in 7 games during November.
Jake Hauswirth:
Jake (Merrill, Wisconsin) has been excelling with the Omaha Lancers of the USHL. In the season after winning a national championship, Jake has been consistently putting up points, scoring 10 goals and 13 points in 15 games. Jake leads the team in goals and is third in points. The 6'4'' 210 pound forward will be skating with Michigan Tech for the 2009-2010 season. (NCAA Division I, WCHA)
Josh Shingler:
Josh (Shawano, Wisconsin) has also been excelling at the Junior level as well. Josh has notched 11 points in 14 games for the Twin Cities Northern Lights of the Minnesota Junior Hocke League. Josh is second on his team in points, and is leading his team in Penalty Minutes per game.
Matt Adamski:
After a few months away from hockey, Matt (Mason City, Iowa) is looking to jump back into his skates and play at the junior level. Matt will be traveling across the country to play with the South Jersey Raptors of the Interstate Junior Hockey League. The Eagle organization wishes Matt good luck, and is confident that he will succeed with his new team.
College Players
Eric Kattelus:
Eric (Houghton, Michigan) has been playing a consistent role for the Michigan Tech Huskies (NCAA Division I, WCHA) this season. Tech is off to a bit of a rough start to the season, but is looking to bounce back with some much-needed home games. Eric will look to be a big piece of the puzzle for the Huskies this season, as the Sophmore will be asked to play in all situations and help to put the puck in the net for the Huskies.
Evan Stephens:
Evan (Bessemer, Michigan) has been leading the charge from the defensive side of the puck for the Dartmouth Big Green (NCAA Division I, ECAC) this season. Evan, a defensemen, has 5 points in his first 6 games of the season, and is hoping to lead Dartmouth to a ECAC Championship. The team has gotten off to a good start with a 4-2 record.
Peter Lorinser:
While playing far away from home, Peter (Marquette, Michigan) has been trying to jump start a slow beginning for the Holy Cross Crusaders (NCAA Division I, Atlantic Hockey). Holy Cross has started with a 2-6-1 record, and will look to Junior forward Peter Lorinser to help get the program going in a positive direction.
Eric Bausano:
Eric (Calumet, Michigan), has been the leader for a very strong Wisconsin Superior Yellowjacket (NCAA Division III, NCHA) squad. The Yellowjackets are the 5th ranked team in the country, and Eric has been a key player for the team over the past three years. Now a Senior, Eric will be looked at for his goal scoring ability as well as leadership. Eric had 13 points in 23 games last season, and will look to improve on that performance this season.
Chris Hendrickson:
Playing in his hometown has proved to be a good move for the Hancock, Michigan native. Chris, a Sophmore, is in his second season with the Finlandia Lions (NCAA Division III, MCHA), and has been a leader on the ice. Chris has 4 points through the first 5 games, and will be a leader for the Lions' run at the Harris Cup.
Mike Gugin and Josh Lopez:
Mike (Ishpeming, Michigan) and Josh (San Diego, California) have both cracked the line-up at the college level. Both are playing for the Northland College Lumberjacks (NCAA Division III) of the MCHA. Mike has one point in two games played. Josh has yet to register a point, and has played in one game. Both players are looking to establish the program at Ashland, and will look to contribute more as the year progresses.
Forward Jordan Peters looks to make a move around Joel Benson of the Electricians. Peters had two points on Saturday night in Marquette.
On September 13 the Ojibwa Eagles beat the Marquette Electricians for the first time in team history. From September 2002 until September 2008 the Eagles had fell just short to their biggest rival again and again. However, the fates changed during the 2008 Superior Cup, and coming into the Eagles first-ever weekend of NLHL action, the Eagles had to prove that their win wasn’t a fluke.
Hitting the ice Friday night the Ojibwa Eagles were ready for a tough game. They knew the competition the Electricians would bring, and did their best to force them to the outside. However, 4:10 into the first period Brett Love put in a goal to give the Electricians a 1-0 lead.
The Eagles fought hard to get back in the game though, stalling the Electricians offense from that point on and by the end of the game they had only let the Electricians put 20 shots on goal, a very respectable total for the Eagles.
“Our goal was to keep them out of the scoring areas, and make them go the length of the ice. Basically we wanted to make them earn their goals,” Eagles Coach Dan Giachino said about the team only giving up 20 shots. The team defense was effective and eventually led to some scoring chances for the Eagles.
Evan Loughman scored his seventh goal of the season during the second period and brought the Eagle’s crowd back into the game as an effective ‘6th man.’ Loughman has five points in the team’s last seven goals, including four goals.
John Aho, the NLHL’s leading scorer found space behind Eagle’s goaltender Jordan Roy late in the third period with a goal that looked to be the winner. Aho has eight goals and five assists in six NLHL games this season, he was assisted by Artern Shtalenkov and Joel Benson.
It was do-or-die time for the Eagles though as they didn’t want to fall in their first game of the young NLHL season. Hard work and an opportunistic attitude by Alex Roy eventually gave the Eagles the chance they needed. Roy was able to put the puck past a sprowling Jonathan Hill to score his first goal of the NLHL season and team-leading 13th goal of the season. Roy was assisted by Justin Reilley on the goal.
The Roy goal ended up being the final goal of the game as no team was able to find the twine in the last three minutes. Jordan Roy made 18 saves on 20 shots while Hill from Marquette stopped 24 of 26.
Saturday the teams headed to Marquette to finish their home-home series at Lakeview Arena. This time the Eagles gave Jaered Elwell his first start since October 12 when he played 16 minutes in relief of Jordan Roy. Andrew Mills got the start for Marquette, his second start of the NLHL season.
The Eagle’s Robbie Payne scored the first goal of the game just 2:43 into the first period with assists from Jordan Peters and Mike Stevens. However, the one goal lead wasn’t enough to carry the Eagles to victory as it had been in September.
The second period was one that the Eagles would like to have back as five different Marquette players had goals en route to Jaered Elwell leaving the game after only 32 minutes. No fault can be placed on Elwell though, as the Electricians had free range inside of the Eagles zone. Elwell will hopefully be ready again for next weekend’s trip to the Soo.
During the third period the Eagles showed a moment of life as Jordan Peters finished a shot on the powerplay to bring the Eagles within three of Marquette, however with only two minutes remaining in the game the Eagles were far from having a chance to win. The goal was Peter’s second point of the night and 16th of the season. He now has four points in his last four games.
On the game Mills made 18 saves for Marquette on 20 shots while Elwell also stopped 18, but on 23 shots. Jordan Roy played 21 minutes and stopped all 13 shots he faced.
The Eagles scored four goals on the weekend, and take out the second period of Saturday’s game you have a 4-2 goal advantage for the Eagles. That’s an improvement for the team, but Coach Giachino thinks there is still some work to do, “We are generating enough shots and opportunities, but we aren't confident that we can score.” Giachino said about the weekend, “We have to get over that mental block, and learn to score when given the opportunity.”
The Ojibwa Eagles will be back in action on Saturday afternoon in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. against the Soo Indians in NLHL action.
The Ojibwa Eagles will kick-off their inaugrial NLHL schedule this upcoming weekend against arch-rival Marquette. The games will be the first "official" games wearing the NLHL crest, and will start a new era of Eagle hockey. The Eagles played NLHL Affiliate member Thunder Bay two weekends ago. The Kings came down and defeated the Eagles 4-2 and 3-2 to sweep the weekend. The Eagles look to bounce back after an off-weekend against a strong Marquette team who is currently ranked 50th in the country. The Eagles will take on the Electricians at 8:30 on Friday night in Houghton. The second game will be in Marquette at the Lakeview Arena at 4:00 PM.
Injuries Continue to Hamper Eagles
The Eagles are definitly going through a tough season in terms of injuries. The Eagles have not dressed a full line-up at any point during the season, and it looks like things will continue down that path. The Eagles have been without the services of Jackson Unteriner since the first game of the season, and have been without goaltender Jaered Elwell for most of the first half.
While it looks like Elwell will return this weekend, and Unteriner will be able to start skating soon, things were looking up for the Eagles. Unfortunately, the Eagles will most likely be without Kyle Fiebernitz for the rest of the season, as he will be undergoing shoulder surgery in mid-November. Evan Loughman also looks to be out of the line-up until after Christmas.
According to coach Giachino, all of this has meant increased ice time for everyone, and opportunities for people to step up.
"Missing Unteriner and Elwell early in the season has been difficult for the team and for them. Both are "rookies" to Midget AAA hockey, and have missed a critical part of the season for their personal development. Hopefully both can get back into skating shape quickly and start to get into a groove." Giachino stated.
"Also losing two returners (Fiebernitz and Loughman) will be critical to our success...as they are both playing well and will leave big shoes to fill." Giachino commented.
The Thunder Bay Kings came into Houghton riding a 14-3-2 record, and had just swept the Green Bay Junior Gamblers of the NLHL.
In the Saturday evening contest, the Eagles dominated the opening frame, taking a 2-0 lead at the buzzer. The second period would again be dominated by the Eagles, but two costly mistakes led to 2 Thunder Bay goals. With the score 2-2 going into the third, Thunder Bay was given a power play opportunity early in the period. The Kings converted on thier power play, and took a 3-2 lead. Thunder Bay hung on the entire third period and added an empty-net goal in the final seconds to win the game 4-2
Sunday morning write-up courtesy of KD Warvie, Daily Mining Gazette. TOUGH LOSS FOR EAGLES
HOUGHTON - Every loss is tough to take, but some losses are harder to swallow than others.
The Ojibwa Eagles suffered just such a loss Sunday.
Mitch Fox's goal with just 51 seconds remaining in the third period gave the Thunder Bay Kings a 3-2 win over the Eagles in Junior hockey action.
"The kids worked hard," Ojibwa coach Dan Giachino said. "We definitely took the play for the first two periods, but it's execution.
"We made some mistakes in the third period and we got a little sloppy on the defensive side at the most critical time in the game."
The goal by Fox ruined Ojibwa's comeback attempt. The Eagles had come from behind twice to tie the score.
A goal by Robbie Payne 2:32 into the third tied it at one. Mike Gullan's tally less than two minutes later leveled the score again at two.
The two teams scored four of the game's five goals in the final period. Prior to that offensive explosion, both goaltenders had been almost unbeatable.
"Both goalies played well," Giachino said. "Our goalie Jordan (Roy) played very well.
"He made some good saves and gave us an opportunity to win. That's what his job is and he did his job."
The two netminders, Roy and Thunder Bay's Colin Dzijacky, had a combined total of 31 saves in the first two periods. The only goal the two allowed didn't come until just past the midway point of the second.
Sam Dubinsky's unassisted tally at 9:37 put Thunder Bay in front 1-0 heading to the third. It was the first of two unassisted goals the Kings would score and set the stage for the offensive onslaught in the third.
The Ojibwa Eagles (12-7-2) found themselves coming back to Houghton a little bit earlier than they would have liked after a 1-3-0 weekend at the Chicago Fury tournament. However, it wasn’t all a loss for the Eagles as they played solid defense on the weekend, allowing less three goals per game against solid nationally ranked teams.
The first game of the weekend was against the Pittsburgh Viper Stars, a team the Eagles probably won’t see again unless both make a run for the national tournament in April. The teams were coming in very evenly matched, and it showed as it was a one-goal game throughout the match. However, the long bus ride that day and a few key injuries really hurt the Eagles who struggled to find the back of the net. The Eagles put 28 shots on net in the game, but only Josh Borgan was able to put on by the Viper Stars goalie. Jordan Roy stopped 16 shots on the game for his 11th straight game.
Needing a better performance the Eagles came out flying against Amherst. They scored five first half goals before adding one more in the second half to win the game 6-2. Jordan Roy looked good in net again for the Eagles stopping 18 of the 20 shots put his way while earning his ninth win of the year. The real highlight of the game though was Evan Loughman who scored his first career hat trick. Loughman worked hard on the game and looked great in his opportunities. The second-year forward now has six goals on the season. The Eagles leading scorer, Alex Roy, had two assists while Jordan Peters added a goal and an assist.
Coming into the weekend the Eagles knew this would be the biggest game of the weekend, playing against the tournament’s host Chicago Fury. The Fury were 2-0 on the weekend when the hit the ice against the Eagles, a win would give them a top seed in the quarterfinals. The Eagles kept Fury from overwhelming Roy with shots, but they still gave up 35, four of which found the net. Loughman earned a point for his second straight game passing the puck to Matt Gage for his fourth goal of the year.
The Eagles missed the quarterfinals and instead moved on to a familiar opponent for their final game of the weekend, the Omaha Energy. The Energy finished runner up in the North American Invite last season but were a team the Eagles handled well on October 11 when Jordan Roy stopped 29 shots for a shutout. This time things went in the opposite direction though as the Energy came out hard putting 37 shots on net. The Eagles struggled to match that with only 34 shots, but more importantly couldn’t get a goal. The Energy ended up winning 2-0.
Jordan Roy finished the weekend with 100 saves on 110 shots and the Eagles ended the weekend outscored 10-8. Loughman led the team with four points on the weekend. Head Coach Dan Giachino feels that this problem has been similar to what they’ve faced all season, while out-shooting their opponents regularly they can’t seem to find the net. Giachino said things won’t be much different at practices, they need to “continue working on scoring "team" goals; going to the net, getting rebounds and getting more second chances.”
The team has three practices this weekend before heading into a two-game series with NLHL affiliate Thunder Bay Kings.
The Ojibwa Eagles (11-4-2) hit the road to Chicago, Illi. to take part in the Chicago Fury Tournament. The Fury tournament is nothing new for the Eagles who have been in the tournament for the past three years, starting in 2005 when it was still called the Chicago Chill Tournament. Overall the Eagles have seen minimal success in the tournament totaling a record of 2-9-1, but the team was more impressive last season finishing 1-2-1.
The weekend will begin Thursday October 23 at 5 p.m. when the Eagles hit the ice with the Pittsburgh Viper Stars (3-10-1). The Stars are rated No. 85 in the nation and play a competitive schedule against mostly east coast teams. The Eagles saw the Viper Stars once last year and suffered a 1-5 loss.
At 1:40 p.m. Friday the Eagles will hit the ice against Amherst Knights (3-10-1), another east coast team. The Knights are rated 98 in the nation, but have been playing a tough schedule of before and after teams from New York and Massachusetts. The Eagles have only played against them once in the team’s history; it was 364 days before this match up during last year’s Chicago Fury tournament. The Eagles lost 1-2 in the game.
For the final game in round-robin play the Eagles will meet up with their hardest opponent of the season, the Chicago Fury (13-6-0). The Fury are rated No. 11 in the nation, and once many of the before and after teams are taken out of the rankings the Fury will be fighting for a top-5 spot in the rankings.
After completing the round robin the Eagles will play at least one additional games, with the potential of a game in the finals Sunday afternoon.
Coming into the weekend the Eagles are led in scoring by Alex Roy who has 11 goals and six assists through 17 games. Tanner Kero is right behind him with 10 goals but is leading the team with seven assists. The Hancock pair is leading the offense while their fellow Bulldog-alumni Jordan Roy has earned eight wins in net, including three straight.
Jaered Elwell is still day-to-day but hopes to join the Eagles on the bench this weekend. Check back to ojibwaeagles.com for updates throughout the weekend.
The 2008-09 Ojibwa Eagles again showed incredible improvement over the past couple year’s of teams in a 3-0-1 showing at the North American Invite tournament in Fond Du Lac, Wisc.
The first game of the weekend ended up being the most difficult for the Eagles who found themselves playing against Milwaukee Elite, a solid before-and-after team that had posted eight wins on the season coming into the weekend.
The Eagles took full advantage in the shooting department earning 31 shots on goal during the game, and the team had solid goaltending from Jordan Roy who stopped 18 of 20 shots, however they fell short of the win. Struggles in the goal-scoring department were to blame as the Eagles shooting percentage was at only 6%. Robbie Payne and Jordan Peters scored for the Eagles, but the game finished with a 2-2 tie.
In the Eagles next game they would continue to show struggles in the goal scoring department, but improved their percentages to just over 7% while scoring five goals against Wisconsin Northeast Eleite, another WEHL foe. Though the percentage remained low the Eagles were able to net five goals and put up a season-record 69 shots. Alex Roy scored his first two goals of the tournament and Mike Stevens added a goal and an assist while Jordan Roy saved 17 of 20 shots to earn the win. The final score was 5-3 with the Ojibwa Eagles moving to 1-0-1 in the tournament.
The Eagles continued their dominance on Saturday morning against the Southeast Elite, again pounding WEHL goaltenders with over 50 shots and scoring five goals. This time however, goaltender Jordan Roy was ready and stopped 19 of the 20 shots he faced in the game. Alex Roy and Tanner Kero, the two point leaders for the Eagles this year, both scored two goals and earned one assist en route to the victory. Mike Stevens and Tomas Friedrich both had two assists in the game, helping the Eagles move to 2-0-1 in the tournament.
With a 2-0-1 record the Eagles were in a tight race for the semi-finals. However, tournament rules stopped the Eagles from moving into the semi-finals. Teams ahead of the Eagles finished 2-1-0 during round robin play, but due to odd rules including winning each period, the Eagles were forced to play the Tri-City Eagles in a consolation game.
The players of the Ojibwa Eagles came out flying against Tri-City though pounding their goaltending with over 60 shots, and improving their shooting percentage to over 15%. Tanner Kero led the team with four goals and two assists good for six points, a season-high for a single game. Alex Roy also put in his fifth, sixth and seventh goals of the tournament, while Josh Borgan and Ryan Faria put home a goal and added an assist each. Jordan Roy put aside 11 of the 12 shots he faced as the Eagles closed out the weekend with a 10-1 win.
Head Coach Dan Giachino sounded pleased with the teams efforts, “The team played well in three of the four games.” The team also learned where they need to improve, “we were a little sloppy defensively at times, which led us to giving up too many goals, which will be taken care of at practice this week.”
Currently Jordan Roy is riding a four-game unbeaten streak, and leads the team with an 8-4-1 record through 13 games of action. He has a .900 save percentage and 1.69 goals against average. On offense Alex Roy and Tanner Kero are leading the team, tied with 17 points. Roy has 11 goals on the season while Kero has 10. Robbie Payne also has nine goals and four assists for 13 points.
The 3-0-1 weekend brings the Eagles to 11-4-2 overall heading into the Chicago Fury tournament this weekend.
The Ojibwa Eagles Midget Major team will travel to Fond Du Lac this weekend to participate in the North American Showcase. The Eagles will play 3 teams from the Wisconsin Elite Hockey League, and a fourth game against a team to be named later. The Eagles are coming off a solid weekend at the AHR Challenge Cup in Chicago. The Eagles went 2-1-1 on the weekend, defeating Omaha AAA and the Motor City Machine. The Eagles dropped a contest to Lake Forest Academy, who is ranked 20th in the nation in the new polls. The Eagles ended the tourney with a tie with the Colorado Outlaws, despite outshooting them considerably.
The Eagles will still be without the services of defenseman Jackson Unteriner, as he is still recovering from a knee injury sustained in the opening game of the season. The Eagles could also be without goaltender Jaered Elwell and forward Ryan Faria, as they are also recovering from injury. Both players could be ready for the weekend, but will be game to game decisions.
The North American Invite will be the second tournament in two weekends for the Eagles. Next weekend, the Eagles will be attending the Chicago Fury Autumn Invite in Orland Park, Illinois.
Please check back at www.ojibwaeagles.com for updates during the entire weekend of action!
“I have confidence in all of [the defensemen] in any situation,” said Ojibwa Eagles Head Coach Dan Giachino. “It’s a comforting feeling as a coach, when trying to defend a lead with those guys back there.”
What does that mean for the Eagles? It means nothing but great things. The team has given up only six goals through the first five games, compare that to the Eagles of last season who gave up over 3.5 goals a game, and you’ll realize the team is looking way better than they were just one season ago.
“The biggest impact is experience, four returning defensemen, along with Trey Saari being a 1990 birth-year.” Giachino sees all of these players as difference makers on the team, “having five 1990 birth-year defensemen is a huge asset to the team.”
Those experienced players are helping the younger forwards learn their way in Midget AAA hockey, Michael Stevens and Tom Friedrich are co-captains for the Eagles and fellow defenseman Collin Duggan will be wearing an A on his jersey this year. However it’s not just letters on a jersey for the team, all of the returning players are stepping it up, “there is definitely a different feeling in the locker room with these guys,” said Giachino.
Besides leadership and a dedication to the team defense, the Eagles are also lucky to have two of their fastest players on the blue line and three excellent shots that are all ready to man the point. This offensive upside offered by these highly skilled defensemen should give the team a good opportunity for not only excellent defense, but some added offense. Already the team has seen six points from their defensemen including at least one point from each of the healthy five, and a pair of assists to Trey Saari.
Saari is one of two newcomers to the Eagle’s blueline, but is definitely not a newcomer in the world of hockey. Saari completed three seasons at Hancock Central High where he was counted on to play with the Bulldogs in every situation. “Trey has fit in seamlessly into the system. Trey is a veteran defenseman that will provide us with a strong defensive effort each game,” praised Giachino.
The other new defenseman is standing above the rest of the defensive squad, even though Jackson Unteriner is two years younger than the other five defensemen. Unteriner stands at 6’3” and already weighs over 200 pounds. Giachino likes his future with the Eagles, “Jackson will provide us with some physicality on the back side, and will also fit into our defense very well. Jackson, being a [1992 birth-year], has a tremendous upside, and we look to develop him and improve his overall skills.”
No matter how you look at the Eagles defense, you are looking at an extremely deep roster of skilled players. The team will continue to work hard and improve on a defense that has already registered the best numbers seen in Ojibwa Eagle’s history.
The Eagles Major team took the first game of the 2-game set against the Phoenix Force at the KernCenter in Milwaukee.The Eagles used a stifling defense against the Force en rout to a 2-0 victory.Jordan Roy had a successful day in goal, stopping all 13 shots he faced.Roy earned his second shut-out of the season in the victory.The Eagles’ offense was led by Matt Gage, who notched a goal and assist in the win.Also having a strong game was Alex Roy, adding two helpers to be involved with both goals.Collin Duggan scored a power play goal mid way through the third period to ice the game for the Eagles.Even though goals were scarce for the Ojibwa squad, they managed to fire 41 shots on goal, and only allowed 13.
Major Game 2:Eagle Offense Finds Its Groove
After a sluggish first period, the Eagles found themselves tied 1-1 and not playing up to par.Mike Stevens scored the lone goal for the Eagles in the first period.The goal was assisted by Alex Roy and Josh Borgen, and came via the power play. During the second period, the Eagles finally started to pick up steam.Alex Roy got things started with a great individual effort to tie the game at 2, and Evan Loughman gave the Eagles the go-ahead marker with 52 seconds left in the period.The goal was assisted by Mike Gullan.With a 3-2 lead going into the third, the Eagles continued to improve each shift.Tom Friedrich notched a goal five minutes into the period, which was assisted by Kyle Fiebernitz.The final Eagle goal came by another great individual effort by Bryant Froberg. While shorthanded, Froberg stole the puck from the Phoenix defenseman and went in alone on a breakaway from center ice.Froberg beat the Phoenix goaltender on to ice the game for the Eagles.The Eagles again outshot the Force, 32-19.Jaered Elwell stopped 17 of 19 shots to earn his second victory of the season.
Minor Game 1:Minors Fire on All Cylinders
The Eagles Minor team had a great showing in their first game of the weekend.The Minors scored the first four goals of the game and found themselves with a commanding 4-0 lead halfway through the game.Phoenix made a late rally, but it was not enough to overpower the Eagles’ offense.The Eagles took the game 6-3.Tanner Kero led the charge for the offense, netting three goals and adding an assist.Zack Hill also added two goals and an assist.Alex Heinonen chipped in 4 assists.
Minor Game 2:Late Rally Falls Short
The Eagles Minor team suffered their first loss of the season, dropping the second game against the Phoenix Force by a 5-4 score.This game was very similar to the first game, except it the Force that had a quick start with a 3-1 lead.The Eagles slowly battled back, but could not find the tying goal in the third period, despite many chances.Tanner Kero registered the hat-trick for the Eagles, and Davey Sproule chipped in the other goal.
Jordan Roy and Jaered Elwell look like the most dangerous goaltending duo in Ojibwa Eagle’s history. The two combined for an amazing 94.9 save percentage during the Superior Cup, stopping 75 of the 79 shots they faced on the weekend.
Roy is a 1990-birth year, and is a 2008 graduate of Hancock Central High School. His hard work during High School lead the Bulldogs to the state tournament in 2006. With Roy guarding the net they made it all the way to the semifinals.
Roy will need to use that experience to help the team succeed this year. “Jordan, being a 90, will need to be a leader on and off the ice.” commented Head Coach Dan Giachino.
Roy knows his position with the team, and his happy about he has such a strong supporting cast, “we have a lot of older defensemen back and young forwards that can score.”
Standing beside Roy in net for the Eagles is Jaered Elwell, Elwells is six feet tall and weighs 183 pounds, the 16 year-old looks prime for his position in net. Last season Elwell played with Cheboygan High School in Cheboygan, Wic. He is excited about the prospect of more games this year, “I was only able to play 16 games with Cheboygan.”
Elwell plays a similar style to Roy, relying heavily on the butterfly and strong positioning. “I position myself after Henrik Lundqvist (of the New York Rangers)” said Elwell about his positioning.
“Jaered will hopefully be our goaltender for the present and for the future, something that I am very confident in is that he can contribute now and will be around for another year or two” added Giachino.
Though both goaltenders have seen the starting job for their previous teams, they will be splitting the duties for the Eagles this year. The split will be a benefit to both goalies though, 3-4 games in a weekend is enough to wear down even the best of goaltenders.
Both players have one thing playing through their head: the state tournament. The state tournament has been off the Eagle's schedule for two straight seasons, but these two strong-minded netminders might be just the thing the Eagles need.
One day removed from the Eagles first ever win against the Marquette Electricians, the Eagles earned another first; their first ever Superior Cup championship. It’s been over four years since the Eagle’s had won a tournament, but the wait was worth it.
The Eagles emotions earned them two first period goals; the first was a goal by Josh Borgan, his second point of the weekend. Borgan was assisted by Matt Gage and the Eagles were off and running. Just five minutes later Jordan Peters added to the lead, giving the Eagles their first multi-goal game of the year. Hancock native Trey Saari added an assist on the Peters goal.
The Eagles went into the first period break feeling strongly about their efforts, but they knew they couldn’t quit. Robbie Payne and Evan Loughman connected during the second period to add to the Eagle’s lead, topping out at 3-0. The Soo Indians came out strong during the third period and it turned out well when they scored a goal to make it 3-1. However, that wouldn’t be enough as Eagles goaltender Jaered Elwell stopped 29 of the 30 shots he faced earning the victory.
It wasn’t just three games for the Eagles this weekend, it was three great games. The team played well in their first game but lost before beating Marquette and then getting quick revenge on the Indians. This kind of success was tough to find last season, but Head Coach Dan Giachino isn’t satisfied yet. “We need to build on this success, rather than let it be our high point. Our younger players still have a lot to learn. ”
Second year defenseman Matt Gage, who added an assist on Borgan’s first period goal, agreed with Coach Giachino, “we accomplished a lot of firsts this weekend; beating Marquette, and then winning the tournament, but we just need to build off that.” Gage came out of the locker room all smiles, and said the team is pleased they were able to set the tone with league rivals.
Next weekend the Eagles will play against the Phoenix Force in MilwaukeeWisconsin. The Eagles minor team will also make the trip and play against the Force’s minor team.
The Eagle organization is pleased to announce that Taylor Laneville (07-08) and Jordan Nelson (07-08) have signed with the Helena Bighorns of the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NORPAC). Both players were very successful with the Eagles last year, and look forward to the opportunity to play at the next level. Good Luck to both players!
Upcoming Events
State Play-Down Series vs. Lansing
Best of 3 Series
Friday, Feb 26th 8:00 PM @ Summit
Saturday, Feb 27th 2:00 PM @ Summit
Sunday, Feb 28th 11:00 AM @ Summit**
**If Needed
