Five Join Mavericks' Recruiting Class For 2014-15
May 19, 2014 | Hockey
OMAHA, Neb. – Omaha hockey head coach Dean Blais announced the signing of five student-athletes to National Letters of Intent on Monday. They will join six other incoming freshmen on the Mavericks' roster for the 2014-15 season.
“We now have all of our players in place for the upcoming season,” said Blais. “With a large senior class departing and two other players leaving early for professional hockey, we had to bring in a large class of recruits. They are all players who will help us be competitive in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference and eventually win championships.”
The five players being added to the roster are all Canadian. Three are defensemen, one is a forward and one a goaltender. Four of the student-athletes played for teams in the British Columbia Hockey League last season while one played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. They will join previously announced signees Jake Montgomery, Avery Peterson, David Pope, Jake Randolph, Luc Snuggerud and Tyler Vesel on the ice this fall.
The following is a list of the new incoming players sorted alphabetically by position:
Forward
Luke Nogard – Powell River (BCHL)
Height: 6-2; Weight: 210; Hometown: Ancaster, Ontario; DOB: Jan. 18, 1994
Nogard just finished his second season for Powell River, earning a career high 22 goals and 18 assists for 40 points in 55 games. Five of his goals were game winners and five came on the power play. He also had 107 penalty minutes. Nogard had two goals and five points in 11 games for the Kings in the playoffs. In 110 career regular season games, he had 32 goals and 32 assists for 64 points along with 185 penalty minutes.
Defense
Joel Messner – Selkirk (MJHL)
Height: 6-1; Weight: 185; Hometown: Lorette, Manitoba; DOB: March 11, 1994
Messner finished third in scoring for Selkirk in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with nine goals and 44 assists for 53 points in 54 games. Seven of his goals came on the power play. He also had 28 penalty minutes. In five playoff games, he added one goal and one assist for two points and two penalty minutes.
Shane Poulsen – Merritt (BCHL)
Height: 6-4; Weight: 190; Hometown: Kamloops, British Columbia; DOB: Feb. 17, 1994
In 58 games for Merritt last season, Poulsen had seven goals and 19 assists for 26 points to finish second among team defensemen in scoring. He had four powerplay goals and two game winners and also earned 44 penalty minutes. He added an assist in four playoff games for the Centennials. He played the previous two seasons with Trail in the BCHL. In 131 career games, he had 16 goals and 43 assists for 59 points and 108 penalty minutes.
Brian Rideout – Powell River (BCHL)
Height: 6-2; Weight: 205; Hometown: Comox, British Columbia; DOB: Sept. 20, 1994
Rideout led all Powell River defensemen in scoring last season with four goals and 26 assists for 30 points in 56 games. Two of his goals were on the power play and two were game winners. He also had 59 penalty minutes. In 11 playoff games, Rideout had a goal and three assists for four points along with 12 penalty minutes. In more than two seasons with the Kings, he had four goals and 38 assists for 42 points and 84 penalty minutes in 107 career games.
Goaltender
Brock Crossthwaite – Langley (BCHL)
Height: 6-3; Weight: 180; Hometown: Kanata, Ontario; DOB: Oct. 30, 1994
In his only season with Langley, Crossthwaite had a record of 24-9-1 with a 2.42 goals-against average and a.913 save percentage. He also earned three shutouts. He appeared in all 12 playoff games for the Rivermen, earning a record of 6-6-0 with a 2.83 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage to go along with two shutouts.
In addition, Blais also announced that goaltender Reed Peters has left the team. Peters appeared in six games for the Mavericks last year, starting three. The native of Morden, Manitoba earned a record of 1-4-0 with a 3.85 goals-against average and a .865 save percentage.
“We now have all of our players in place for the upcoming season,” said Blais. “With a large senior class departing and two other players leaving early for professional hockey, we had to bring in a large class of recruits. They are all players who will help us be competitive in the National Collegiate Hockey Conference and eventually win championships.”
The five players being added to the roster are all Canadian. Three are defensemen, one is a forward and one a goaltender. Four of the student-athletes played for teams in the British Columbia Hockey League last season while one played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League. They will join previously announced signees Jake Montgomery, Avery Peterson, David Pope, Jake Randolph, Luc Snuggerud and Tyler Vesel on the ice this fall.
The following is a list of the new incoming players sorted alphabetically by position:
Forward
Luke Nogard – Powell River (BCHL)
Height: 6-2; Weight: 210; Hometown: Ancaster, Ontario; DOB: Jan. 18, 1994
Nogard just finished his second season for Powell River, earning a career high 22 goals and 18 assists for 40 points in 55 games. Five of his goals were game winners and five came on the power play. He also had 107 penalty minutes. Nogard had two goals and five points in 11 games for the Kings in the playoffs. In 110 career regular season games, he had 32 goals and 32 assists for 64 points along with 185 penalty minutes.
Defense
Joel Messner – Selkirk (MJHL)
Height: 6-1; Weight: 185; Hometown: Lorette, Manitoba; DOB: March 11, 1994
Messner finished third in scoring for Selkirk in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League with nine goals and 44 assists for 53 points in 54 games. Seven of his goals came on the power play. He also had 28 penalty minutes. In five playoff games, he added one goal and one assist for two points and two penalty minutes.
Shane Poulsen – Merritt (BCHL)
Height: 6-4; Weight: 190; Hometown: Kamloops, British Columbia; DOB: Feb. 17, 1994
In 58 games for Merritt last season, Poulsen had seven goals and 19 assists for 26 points to finish second among team defensemen in scoring. He had four powerplay goals and two game winners and also earned 44 penalty minutes. He added an assist in four playoff games for the Centennials. He played the previous two seasons with Trail in the BCHL. In 131 career games, he had 16 goals and 43 assists for 59 points and 108 penalty minutes.
Brian Rideout – Powell River (BCHL)
Height: 6-2; Weight: 205; Hometown: Comox, British Columbia; DOB: Sept. 20, 1994
Rideout led all Powell River defensemen in scoring last season with four goals and 26 assists for 30 points in 56 games. Two of his goals were on the power play and two were game winners. He also had 59 penalty minutes. In 11 playoff games, Rideout had a goal and three assists for four points along with 12 penalty minutes. In more than two seasons with the Kings, he had four goals and 38 assists for 42 points and 84 penalty minutes in 107 career games.
Goaltender
Brock Crossthwaite – Langley (BCHL)
Height: 6-3; Weight: 180; Hometown: Kanata, Ontario; DOB: Oct. 30, 1994
In his only season with Langley, Crossthwaite had a record of 24-9-1 with a 2.42 goals-against average and a.913 save percentage. He also earned three shutouts. He appeared in all 12 playoff games for the Rivermen, earning a record of 6-6-0 with a 2.83 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage to go along with two shutouts.
In addition, Blais also announced that goaltender Reed Peters has left the team. Peters appeared in six games for the Mavericks last year, starting three. The native of Morden, Manitoba earned a record of 1-4-0 with a 3.85 goals-against average and a .865 save percentage.
Players Mentioned
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