Mavs Announce Early Hockey Signees
Dec 12, 2012 | General, Hockey
OMAHA, Neb. –University of Nebraska Omaha head hockey coach Dean Blais announced today that five players have signed a national letter of intent to play for the Mavericks in the 2013-14 school year.
“The five players who have signed can all have an immediate impact on our lineup as we move into the National Collegiate Hockey Conference next year,” said Blais. “We were looking for skilled forwards and steady defensemen, the kinds of players who will help us be competitive in the NCHC, and we think we've got them.”
The early signees include four forwards and a defenseman, four of which currently play in the United States Hockey League and the other in the North American Hockey League.
The following is a list of the incoming players sorted alphabetically by position:
Forwards
Jonathan “Jono” Davis – Wenatchee (NAHL)
Height: 5-8; Weight: 155; Hometown: La Verne, Calif.; DOB: Sept. 14, 1992
Davis is in his first season playing for former Omaha Lancer coach Bliss Littler at Wenatchee. In 24 games, he has 19 goals and 13 assists for 32 points to lead the team in scoring. He is also in a tie for seventh in scoring in the NAHL. He's racked up six powerplay goals and four shorthanded goals this season to go along with 32 penalty minutes. Prior to joining the Wild, he played two seasons in the USHL for Cedar Rapids and Dubuque where he totaled 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points in 55 games.
Jake Guentzel – Sioux City (USHL)
Height: 5-9; Weight: 153; Hometown: Woodbury, Minn.; DOB: Oct. 6, 1994
Guentzel ranks second in scoring for Sioux City with seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 22 games. Four of his goals have come on the power play. He's also accumulated 14 penalty minutes in his first year with the Musketeers. Prior to joining Sioux City, Guentzel played for Hill-Murray School in Maplewood, Minn. where he led the team in scoring with 67 points last year as his team finished runner up in the Class AA state championship game. Guentzel is the son of former UNO assistant and current Minnesota associate head coach Mike Guentzel.
Jake Montgomery – Sioux City (USHL)
Height: 6-1; Weight: 191; Hometown: Oakdale, Minn.; DOB: June 8, 1994
Montgomery is sixth in scoring for Sioux City this season, his first with the team. He's scored six goals and added five assists for 11 points in 20 games. He's also got 11 penalty minutes. Prior to playing at Sioux City, he appeared in 39 games for Shattuck St. Mary's Prep last year, notching 20 goals and 38 assists for 58 points and 80 penalty minutes.
Austin Ortega – Indiana (USHL)
Height: 5-7; Weight: 170; Hometown: Escondido, Calif.; DOB: April 12, 1994
Ortega leads Indiana in scoring this season with 15 goals and 12 assists for 27 points in 26 games. He also has 14 penalty minutes. Three of his goals have been game-winners. In addition to leading the Ice in scoring, he's tied for fifth in scoring in the USHL. This is Ortega's second year in the USHL. Last year, he had 19 goals and 14 assists for 33 points in 59 games for Cedar Rapids.
Defensemen
Ian Brady – Cedar Rapids (USHL)
Height: 5-11; Weight: 193; Hometown: Lombard, Ill.; DOB: May 22, 1994
Now in his third year with Cedar Rapids, Brady has a goal and eight assists for nine points and four penalty minutes in 16 games. In 117 career games for the Rough Riders, he has six goals and 34 assists for 40 points to go along with 79 penalty minutes.
The No. 13/14 Mavericks return to action on Friday and Saturday when they host the No. 20 Minnesota State Mavericks at the CenturyLink Center. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m. and can be seen live, statewide on NET-1 and NET-HD. Saturday's game begins at 7:07 p.m.
“The five players who have signed can all have an immediate impact on our lineup as we move into the National Collegiate Hockey Conference next year,” said Blais. “We were looking for skilled forwards and steady defensemen, the kinds of players who will help us be competitive in the NCHC, and we think we've got them.”
The early signees include four forwards and a defenseman, four of which currently play in the United States Hockey League and the other in the North American Hockey League.
The following is a list of the incoming players sorted alphabetically by position:
Forwards
Jonathan “Jono” Davis – Wenatchee (NAHL)
Height: 5-8; Weight: 155; Hometown: La Verne, Calif.; DOB: Sept. 14, 1992
Davis is in his first season playing for former Omaha Lancer coach Bliss Littler at Wenatchee. In 24 games, he has 19 goals and 13 assists for 32 points to lead the team in scoring. He is also in a tie for seventh in scoring in the NAHL. He's racked up six powerplay goals and four shorthanded goals this season to go along with 32 penalty minutes. Prior to joining the Wild, he played two seasons in the USHL for Cedar Rapids and Dubuque where he totaled 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points in 55 games.
Jake Guentzel – Sioux City (USHL)
Height: 5-9; Weight: 153; Hometown: Woodbury, Minn.; DOB: Oct. 6, 1994
Guentzel ranks second in scoring for Sioux City with seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 22 games. Four of his goals have come on the power play. He's also accumulated 14 penalty minutes in his first year with the Musketeers. Prior to joining Sioux City, Guentzel played for Hill-Murray School in Maplewood, Minn. where he led the team in scoring with 67 points last year as his team finished runner up in the Class AA state championship game. Guentzel is the son of former UNO assistant and current Minnesota associate head coach Mike Guentzel.
Jake Montgomery – Sioux City (USHL)
Height: 6-1; Weight: 191; Hometown: Oakdale, Minn.; DOB: June 8, 1994
Montgomery is sixth in scoring for Sioux City this season, his first with the team. He's scored six goals and added five assists for 11 points in 20 games. He's also got 11 penalty minutes. Prior to playing at Sioux City, he appeared in 39 games for Shattuck St. Mary's Prep last year, notching 20 goals and 38 assists for 58 points and 80 penalty minutes.
Austin Ortega – Indiana (USHL)
Height: 5-7; Weight: 170; Hometown: Escondido, Calif.; DOB: April 12, 1994
Ortega leads Indiana in scoring this season with 15 goals and 12 assists for 27 points in 26 games. He also has 14 penalty minutes. Three of his goals have been game-winners. In addition to leading the Ice in scoring, he's tied for fifth in scoring in the USHL. This is Ortega's second year in the USHL. Last year, he had 19 goals and 14 assists for 33 points in 59 games for Cedar Rapids.
Defensemen
Ian Brady – Cedar Rapids (USHL)
Height: 5-11; Weight: 193; Hometown: Lombard, Ill.; DOB: May 22, 1994
Now in his third year with Cedar Rapids, Brady has a goal and eight assists for nine points and four penalty minutes in 16 games. In 117 career games for the Rough Riders, he has six goals and 34 assists for 40 points to go along with 79 penalty minutes.
The No. 13/14 Mavericks return to action on Friday and Saturday when they host the No. 20 Minnesota State Mavericks at the CenturyLink Center. Friday's game begins at 7:37 p.m. and can be seen live, statewide on NET-1 and NET-HD. Saturday's game begins at 7:07 p.m.
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