One of the first things Coach Motzko and company need to secure during this off-season is sign a
quality back-up goaltender for
Mike Lee.
Dan Dunn was not spectacular this year, but he did great things for us last year ('09-'10) and by all accounts was a fine back-up behind sophomore Mike Lee this year ('10-'11). Mike Lee really started to find his stride during the second half and put up some pretty nice numbers (.922 save percentage and 2.41 GAA in 19 games) and is likely to be our number one net-minder for the 2011-2012 season. That doesn't mean that SCSU can rely on him for all things in all situations. Goalies like Lee need strong competition and will likely have better performance if another goalie might be able to challenge him for his job. As it currently stands, SCSU has commitments from seven forwards, five defensemen, and
ZERO goalies. So what does the talent pool look like? I choose to take a peek at the available USHL goalies as that is the league I am most familiar with and the league from which SCSU picked up SCSU greats like
Bobby Goepfert ('01-'02 USHL Goalie of the Year) and
Mike Lee ('08-'09 USHL Goalie of the Year).
Available
USHL Goalies (w/ decent stats):
If I did my fact-checking correctly, these are the top 5 USHL goalies (depending on which stats you are looking at) that do not currently have a college commitment. What do you think of these potential goalies? Should SCSU reach out to any of them for next season? What other goalies need to be considered from the USHL or other leagues?
Of the decisions that the St. Cloud State hockey program needs to make this summer, this is one of the decisions that I am most anxious about. I guess only time will tell.
Go Huskies!
I believe a great goalie to consider is David Jacobson of the Janesville (Wisc) Jets of the NAHL. This year's stats: 26W, 14L, 8 Shutouts: 2.07 GGA and a .918 save %. He is now 20 years old and no longer eligible to compete in the NAHL. I know of one other WCHA head coach that has been to Janesville to scout him. OOOwen
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads up! I will see if I can find any more information out about him.
ReplyDeleteJust happen to catch this blog today and thought I might add a little more. I am a huge SCSU fan and happen tolive in Janesville WI and am a season ticket holder for the Jets. David Jacobson is a cat-like quick goalie and always is positioned square to the shots. He is on the small side, but certainly makes up for size with talent. He was just voted MVP and best defensive player for this team. Also not to be overlooked on the team is Ross Mauermann, best offensive player of the year. He had 59 points in 56 games for a +19. Their rookie of the year Conner McBride had 44 points in 56 games for a +22. All three players have not signed a college commitment, and they are all D-1 capable. Tiny
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