Ross Olsson taken by Lincoln in USHL Entry Draft

Northeastern recruit Ross Olsson was taken in the 5th round of the USHL Entry Draft, with the 73rd overall pick by the Lincoln Stars tonight.  Olsson, a forward, is a ’94 from Billerica, MA.  He is expected to enroll at Northeastern in the fall of 2013.   Olsson, who is listed at 6’4, 192 lbs played this past season for Williston Northampton Prep.  Before that, he played at Billerica Memorial, where he scored 43 points in his junior season.

Olsson said that he plans to go to the Stars preseason training camp and work his way onto the team.   If he cannot get onto the team, he will return to Williston for one more season before coming to NU.  Lincoln is projected to return about 9 forwards, so there is definitely spaces for Olsson to take.  Kirk Luedeke, a scout for Red Line Report, had this to say about Olsson on twitter:

“1st couple of steps are sluggish like a lot of big men, but he’s got a powerful stride and pretty good top speed. He’ll get better.  Raw yet, but has some nice upside. Just going to need time, patience to put it together.”

Hopefully that development can occur in Lincoln next season alongside another NU recruit Zach Aston-Reese.  Daniel Willett could also potentially make the team, as he is currently on Lincoln’s affiliate list.   Lincoln has been good to NU in the past, providing Brodie Reid, Jake Newton, Garrett Vermeersch, and Ben Oskroba in recent years, as well as Colton Saucerman and Dax Lauwers who are coming this fall.

 

Dax Lauwers Commits to Northeastern

Dax Lauwers, a ’91 from Anchorage, Alaska committed to Northeastern over the weekend.  The 6’2, 220 lbs defenseman will arrive this fall as a sophomore after using a year of eligibility playing for Army in the 2010-2011 season.  He played this past season with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL.

Lauwers joined the Lincoln Stars in 2009 for his senior year of high school, where he played alongside former Husky Brodie Reid.   Lauwers posted an 0-4-4 line in 54 games with 88 PIMs and a -1 rating, which was the highest on the team among regular skaters.  The Stars finished in dead last.

Lauwers then moved on to Army to begin his college career.  He played in 33 of 35 games for Army despite being the youngest member on the team by a full 2 years.  He led the team with 53 PIMs. He finished the year with 1 goal and 2 assists.

After the season, Lauwers chose to leave Army.  “I decided to take a different route with hockey and school, so I went back to Lincoln for my 20 year old season,” said Lauwers.  And Lincoln was happy to have him.

This time around, Lauwers was named team Captain and got to play fora much more successful Stars team.  He played in all 60 regular season games for the Western Conference Champion Stars.  He had 5 assists to go with his 87 PIMs and -6 rating, but those numbers severely undersell his value to the team.   He also managed to get his first career USHL goal during the playoffs this year before his team was knocked out by Waterloo. Despite having his season end in defeat, Lauwers left Lincoln with positive memories:  “I had a great year and loved my team.  Couldn’t have asked for a better place to play Juniors.”

With his junior career over, Lauwers turned his focus to the next level and prepared for his return to the NCAA. “Once we were knocked out of the playoffs, I decided to take a look at Northeastern,” said Lauwers.   A logical choice due to the recent connection between the Stars and Northeastern.  Current Huskies Ben Oskroba and Garrett Vermeersch both played for the Stars, as well as Brodie Reid and Jake Newton who both sandwiched a year at Northeastern in between Lincoln and the professional ranks.  Lincoln’s current roster also features two Northeastern recruits, who Lauwers consulted before visiting: “Sauce (’12 recruit Colton Saucerman) and (’13 recruit Zach Aston) Reese told me great things.”  But it was his visit that really sealed the deal. “I had an awesome visit and loved the rink, facilities, staff as well as the academic side of things. (Northeastern) has everything I’m looking for in a hockey program and university. I couldn’t be more exited to get there in the fall. I’m looking forward to winning at Northeastern and being a part of a championship team.”

Lauwers is the latest name that will be thrown into the mix on defense next year.  The Huskies lost 3 out of their 4 most experience defenseman this summer, but Coach Madigan has responded by bringing in a wide range of players to compete for those spots.  Like most of Madigan’s other recruits, Lauwers is a guy who is known for his heart and leadership.   That seems to be his M.O. right now.   Last season, Madigan did not have much options on D.  This year, he will have plenty.  That means the lackadaisical play and mental mistakes will be rewarded with a seat in the rafters.  It should be a nice change of pace after watching some truly frustrating displays of apathy last year from a certain defenseman.   Lauwers also should bring the physicality that will be missed with the loss of Luke Eibler.

This should certainly mark the end of the defensive recruits for next year.  There might still be players moving on, and there could be an effort to bring another forward.  But its nice to finally be able to report on some guys coming in, instead of adding to the list of guys headed out.

Also here is a clip of Lauwers getting some good licks on former NU recruit Mike McKee.

Willett Selected by Lincoln in the USHL Futures Draft.

Northeastern recruit Daniel Willett was selected by the Lincoln Stars in the second round of the 2012 USHL Futures Draft tonight.  He was the 17th overall pick.

Willett, a ’96, is a defenseman from Bayville, NY.  He committed to Northeastern back in September 2011.  He spent last year with the New Jersey Rockets playing for their MJHL team (23 games).   He was called up to their AJHL team for 3 games.  He was recently picked by the Plymouth Whalers in the OHL Draft last month after a good performance in the OHL Cup.

Willett is expected to come to Northeastern in the fall of 2014, but if he chooses to sign for Plymouth, he would be ineligible to play NCAA hockey.  Being picked in the Futures Draft means that Willett will be on the Stars’ Affiliate List for next season.

Northeastern recruit Dylan McLaughlin was selected by the Sioux Falls Stampede in the first round last year, and he appeared in 48 out of 60 games for them.  That kind of playing time is far from a guarantee, though.   Northeastern recruit Garett Cockerill was the second overall pick in the 2010 Futures Draft, but he played in just 2 games for the Muskegeon Lumberjacks in the 2010/2011 season.  He was traded to Des Moines in February 2011, but did not play a single USHL game for either team in the 2011/2012 season.  He did however play 2 games with the U-17 USNDTP.

The Lincoln Stars are no strangers to Northeastern.   Colton Saucerman will come to Northeastern next season from Lincoln.  Current Huskies Garrett Vermeersch and Ben Oskroba also played for Lincoln before coming to NU, as did Jake Newton who played 1 season with NU before signing with Anaheim.  Zach Aston-Reese, a 2013 Northeastern recruit, also plays for the Lincoln Stars.

Being picked in the Futures Draft is a good sign, but it will be up to Willett to work himself into the lineup. Still, it is a positive sign for Northeastern as it may help keep him from the OHL and help retain his NCAA eligibility.

Recruit Update

Cam Darcy, F, USNTDP, 2012: Husky fans who made an appearance at the exhibition against the USNTDP Saturday night were given the opportunity to see Darcy in action. It was a homecoming of sorts for the Boston native, with family and friends in attendance. Darcy played well and received a nice Matthews Arena welcome (“We want Darcy!”). Darcy is a heady player and is an effective penalty killer for the team. A lot of young players don’t play the puck effectively nowadays. It’s nice to see that the Huskies have someone who does that well coming their way. Team USA won the bout 7-4, and Darcy centered a line with two BC recruits on his wings with Frankie Vatrano and Brendan Silk.

Ryan Belonger, F, Youngstown (USHL), 2012: Belonger finds himself on a team fighting for wins, but the forward continues to have an impressive season with 10 goals and 21 points in 29 games.

Mike Gunn, D, Youngstown (USHL), 2012: The 6’3″ defenseman finds himself +14 for the season, and appears to have assisted on a couple of Belonger’s goals. The chemistry is encouraging.

Jon Gillies, G, Indiana (USHL), 2012: Gillies is having one heck of a year. The Ice are 8-0-2 in their past 10 games. Gillies, who is one of the headliners in a showcase of USHL talent coming up, was named USHL goaltender of the week last week. He is 17-5-4 on the season with a .928 save percentage and a 2.28 GAA, and could be looking at the top two rounds of the NHL draft in June if he keeps it up. The young tender has stated that he is “100% committed” to Northeastern recently. If this stays the case, he would be a heck of an addition to an already promising program.

Colton Saucerman, D, Lincoln (USHL), 2012: Saucerman is undersized for a defenseman, but he makes up for it in his excellent offensive production, with 14 points in 24 games and a +11 rating.   His season however has been cut short due to a torn ACL he suffered last week.  He will the rest of the season and it will be interesting to see how this affects next year’s plan.   Saucerman turns 20 in May, so he will likely be here next year, even if he has to redshirt or miss part of the season.

Zachary Aston-Reese, F, Lincoln (USHL), 2013: Saucerman’s younger teammate was selected to join Jon Gillies for the USHL showcase. He has 11 points in 28 games.

Recruit Update: 12/14

No major news for Northeastern in terms of recruits.  Ryan Renz officially won’t be joining the Huskies, but that was obvious when he didnt come this fall.  Not really a loss since NU has already picked up better defenseman and Renz has not committed anywhere else.  No incomings either.  Next season’s class is pretty much set barring a major change.  So Madigan and his staff are probably focused on 2013 and beyond now.  Here is who all of the current recruits have been doing this year:

2012

Jon Gilles (G, Indiana Ice) continues to impress. This past week, he won USHL Player of the Week.  With all signs pointing towards a Rawlings exit, Northeastern cannot afford to lose Gillies to Major Juniors.  This radio interview makes it seem like he will probably be here, but MJ is probably going to come after him pretty hard and who could blame him for taking the chance to play for Patrick Roy’s team?  He has a 2.50 GAA (6th in USHL) and .922 SV Percentage (2nd) through 20 games this year.  He has played all but 2 games for his team.

Ryan Belonger (F, Youngstown Phantoms) is leading his team in penalty minutes with 44 in 21 games. But, 31 of those 44 have come in 2 games due to fights and misconduct.  He is also 3rd on his team with goals with 9 and 4th on his team in points with 15.

Mike Gunn (D, Youngstown Phantoms) is a +13 through 21 games, which is the 8th best in the entire league.  Gunn was a -13 last year in a half season with Chicago, so clearly the move to Youngstown has been a good one for him.

Colton Saucerman (D, Lincoln Stars) may be just what Northeastern needs on the Power Play.  Through 20 games he has a 3-8-11 line.  All 3 of those 3 goals, along with 3 of the assists have come on the Power Play.  His 11 points have him tied for 8th among defenseman.    Saucerman has just 10 penalty minutes on the year, which is extremely low for a defenseman.

Cam Darcy (F, USNTDP) has a 2-5-7 line in 26 games in all action.  Remember that since he plays for the USNTDP team, these games are not only against USHL opponents, but also some exhibitions against college or international teams.   Darcy and the USNTDP will visit Matthews Arena January 7th, so be sure to check him out. The talent is there.

2013

Garrett Cockerill (D, Muskegon Lumberjacks) has only appeared in 2 games for Muskegon this year.  He has spent most of his team with the Compuware U18 team that he played for last year.

Zach Aston-Reese (F, Lincoln Stars) has gotten off to a slow start.  He has a 3-6-9 line in 21 games for a Lincoln team that is currently in 1st place.  He finished last year with just 5 points from 25 games with Lincoln.

Nathan Ferriero (F, Governor’s Academy) has just begun his Junior year at GA, who play in the ISL.  The plan appears for Nate to come right from prep school, just like his brothers Cody and Benn (at BC) did.  Its rare that a kid doesn’t spend at least a year in juniors.  Cody struggled in his first year here as an 18 year old, but really has turned it on this year.  It will be interesting to see if Nate will take a similiar path.

Ross Olsson (F, Williston Northampton) has also entered his Junior season in the Prep League.  He picked up a goal the other night, but his team is 0-4 on the season.

2014

Dylan McLaughlin (F, Sioux Falls Stampede) has appeared in 11 games in his first USHL season.  He has an 0-2-2 line.  McLaughlin is just 16 years old, so he has plenty of time to develop and grow.

Daniel Whillet (D, NJ Rockets) has split time between the AJHL and the MJHL teams for the Rockets organization.  He is currently in the lower of the two leagues, the MJHL, where the 15 year old has spent much of his time this season.

2016

Cam Askew (F, Valley Jr Warriors) is absolutely tearing it up in the EJHL.  He has 21 points in 12 games. which is 3rd best on his team.  Askew, who is just 14, is seeing action as a freshman for St. Sebastians as well.  He picked up a hat trick against Milton Academy earlier this month.  The game also marked his first varsity goal.

Cam Askew Commits to Northeastern, plus Recruit Updates

There is nothing wrong with planning ahead and thats exactly what Coach Madigan has done by getting a commitment from Cam Askew.  Askew, a forward, is currently in 8th grade at St. Sebastian’s.  He is a ’97 birthdate and is planning to be here for 2016.

It is interesting to say the least.  Askew is apparently one of the best in his age group and its great to see Madigan and Northeastern getting a local kid before BC or BU can get their hands on him.  But its hard to get excited over someone 5 years away.  There is plenty of time for him to change his mind or go the Major Juniors route.  And there is no guarantee that he continues to develop like he has. So kudos for getting the commitment, but lets not get too excited yet.  We just hope it doesnt end up like the Chris Student situation.

2012

Jon Gillies has signed his National Letter of Intent to come here next season. Which probably means Rawlings will be leaving for the pros.  Gillies is 7-3 with a 2.44 GAA and a .913 SV % so far this season with the Indiana Ice of the USHL.

Cam Darcy and the USNTDP U-18 won the Four Nations tournament in Switzerland last week.  Darcy had an assist.

The other forward from next year’s class, Ryan Belonger has racked up 39 Penalty Minutes in just 15 games.  He also has 6 goals and 6 assists.  We can only hope he is the second coming of Dennis McCauley.

Defenseman Mike Gunn, who plays with Belonger for Youngstown, has a 1-4-5 line through 15 games.   He is also a +13 on the season.  With Gunn and Colton Saucerman (1-5-6, +3) coming in next season and no defenseman graduating, it could be a real battle for lineup spots on the blue line.  It will be interesting to see how that situation plays out.

2013

Defenseman Garrett Cockerill is making the jump up to the USHL this year with the Muskegon Lumberjacks.  In 2 games, he has yet to register a point but he is a +3.

Forward Zach Aston-Reese is off to a slow start with just 2 goals and 2 assists in his first 12 games.

Ross Olsson, who is from Billerica, is playing with the Eastern Mass Senators U18 team this season.

Nathan Ferriero is playing for the Governor’s Academy.

2014

Daniel Whillet has 5-9-14 line in 15 games for the New Jersey Rockets in the Atlantic Metropolitan Hockey League.

Dylan McLaughlin has joined the Sioux Falls Stampede for his first season in the USHL.  Through 5 games, he has 2 assists.

Overview

So no real big news with any of the recruits in terms of stats.  Its good to see McLaughlin and Cockerill playing in the USHL at such a young age.  And its really good to see some local kids commit.  Olsson, Darcy and Askew are all from Massachusetts.  Obviously you want the best players available, but its always good when you get local talent.  This year’s team has 5 players from Massachusetts (Tuckerman, Dongara, Vrolyk, Ferriero and Cornell) and it’d be nice to keep that going.

CSS Preliminary Rankings

NU commit G Jon Gillies has really impressed NHL scouts thus far.

Today CSS (Central Scouting Services) for the NHL released their annual preliminary player rankings for November. Included are current  freshman forwards Adam Reid and Joseph Manno, as well as future Huskies F Cameron Darcy (USA U-18) and G Jon Gillies (Indiana USHL).  The full list can be seen here.

In the “NCAA watch” section of the list, Reid and Manno were classified as C skaters for scouting purposes, meaning they are officially under consideration for the upcoming 2012 NHL entry draft in Pittsburgh. This also shows that while they are not seen as must-see prospects in Hockey East, the two forwards still have impressed scouts with their improved play (Manno) and defensive prowess (Reid).

The two Northeastern commits were mentioned in the USHL portion, where Gillies has earned himself the top spot on CSS’s goalie rankings, and may be selected earlier rather than later in the draft. Darcy’s two-way play has scouts thinking draft as well, slotting him at 20th amongst skaters in the USHL. These two prospects headline a formidable group of recruits for the future. We’ll keep you updated on scouting throughout the season.