UNH Recruits Update: Week 21

Player of the Week - Shane Eiserman

For the second time this season, 2014 Recruit Shane Eiserman** has been named Player of the Week among all UNH Recruits. As the regular season of the New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) entered the final week, Eiserman and the Cushing Academy Penguins were battling for the final playoff spot in the upcoming Elite Eight Tournament.

NEPSAC utilizes a complex formula to determine the top 8 teams among the 61 prep school hockey teams. These teams compete in the Stuart/Corkery Tounament (aka: Elite Eight Tournament) at the end of the regular season. The remaining 53 teams may still qualify for two other post-season tournaments - the Large School Tournament and the Small School Tournament. However, the winner of the Elite Eight Tournament is considered the champion of New England Prep School Hockey.

In recent weeks, Cushing had fallen off the U.S. Hockey Report's Division I Prep Hockey Poll. The Top Ten Rankings are a regular feature on USHR - the site that provides the most extensive coverage of New England prep school hockey. In early January, Cushing had risen as high as #4 in the USHR Poll.

In order to have any chance of qualifying for the Elite Eight Tournament, Eiserman and Cushing Academy needed to win the final two regular season games last week. On Wednesday, Feb. 22nd, Cushing defeated the New Hampton School 7-1. Shane Eiserman scored a goal and two assists, including an assist on the game-winning goal.

In the final regular season game against Berwick Academy on Saturday, Eiserman's dominant performance propelled Cushing to a 4-3 overtime victory. In the second period, Eiserman scored Cushing's second goal which put them ahead 2-1. Berwick scored the final two goals in regulation to tie the game at 3-3. Just under 5 minutes into overtime, Shane Eiserman scored the game-winning goal. It was the sophomore forward's 18th goal in his 29-game regular season. Eiserman is Cushing Academy's leading goal scorer and he has accumulated the second most points on the team.
** Photo Credit: Kenny Fitzgerald

NOTE
The statistics for the recruits, presented in the table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, the "2012 Recruits" are projected to begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2012. I have based these projections on a number of factors including:
~ How old the player would be upon admission.
~ Number of years in junior hockey prior to admission.
~ Anticipated date of high school graduation.
~ Number of seniors leaving the team at the end of the previous season.
~ The player's performance in the current season.

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2012 Recruits
Dan Correale	Nanaimo Clippers	BCHL	23	8	10	18	14
Maxim Gaudreault	Sioux City	USHL	46	11	11	22	36
Jamie Hill	Waterloo	USHL	38	6	15	21	46
Collin MacDonald	Jersey Hitmen	EJHL	45	27	18	45	14
Brett Pesce	Jersey Hitmen	EJHL	17	1	5	6	18
Harry Quast	Bay State	EJHL	45	8	24	32	58
Jamie Regan	Philly Revs	EJHL	25	9W	16L	3.97	.903
Kyle Smith	Junior Bruins	EJHL	43	24	38	62	32
2013 Recruits
Jordan Masters	Muskegon	USHL	31	5	10	15	39
Matias Cleland	Waterloo	USHL	26	1	5	6	28
Dylan Maller	Tri-City	USHL	36	3	6	9	10
Andrew Poturalski	Buffalo Jr Sabres	OJHL	33	16	22	38	32
	Playoffs	OJHL	7	5	2	7	0
2013 or '14 Recruit
Michael McNicholas	Muskegon	USHL	31	4	4	8	10
2014 Recruits
Dylan Chanter	Merritt Cents	BCHL	51	2	10	12	45
Shane Eiserman	Cushing Academy	NEPSAC	29	18	26	44	-
Tyler Kelleher	USA U17 Team	USHL	25	10	9	19	16
2015 Recruits
Jason Kalinowski	Salisbury Prep	NEPSAC	25	12	15	27	-

News & Notes

New England Prep School Hockey Conference:

~ 2015 Recruit Jason Kalinowski and The Salisbury School finished the regular season as the #1 team on the U.S. Hockey Report's Division I Prep Hockey Poll. Kalinowski scored an assist in Salisbury's final game; a 3-1 victory over Canterbury. On a team with 4 high-scoring seniors, the junior Kalinowski finished tied for 2nd in goal scoring and 3rd in points.

The Salisbury School earned the #1 Seed in the Elite Eight Tournament. On the strength of their two victories last week, Cushing Academy earned the final, #8 Seed. This sets up a quarterfinal matchup between Salisbury and Cushing on Wednesday, Feb. 29th at 3:45. The game will be played at Avon Old Farms in Avon, CT which is west of Hartford. This will be the second time Jason Kalinowski's team has played Shane Eiserman's team this month. Salisbury defeated Cushing 3-1 on Feb. 12th at UMass-Amherst. The winner of the quarterfinal game will advance to the semifinals of the Elite Eight Tournament. The semifinals and Championship Game will be held on Saturday and Sunday at the Ice Center in Salem, NH.

United States Hockey League:

~ U.S. Hockey Report reported that 2013 Recruit Jordan Masters was dismissed from the Muskegon Lumberjacks for a "violation of team rules" and will not play for the remainder of the season. Plans for where Masters will play the 2012-13 season will presumably be finalized over the summer.

~ After missing 7 games, 2012 Recruit Jamie Hill returned to the Waterloo lineup on Feb. 24th. Hill scored a power play goal in Waterloo's 4-3 victory over Des Moines on Sunday.

~ 2013 or '14 Recruit Michael McNicholas scored the game-winning goal for the Muskegon Lumberjacks in their 3-1 win over the Indiana Ice on Feb. 24th.

Ontario Junior Hockey League:

~ With the Buffalo Jr. Sabres facing elimination in their second round playoff series against the Oakville Blades, 2013 Recruit Andrew Poturalski scored a goal last night in Game 4. The Jr. Sabres defeated Oakville 4-1. So far, Poturalski has scored 5 goals in the playoffs which is the most on the Jr. Sabres. He is third in the OJHL in playoff goals.

Eastern Junior Hockey League:

~ The regular season of the EJHL has been completed and the playoffs are set to begin. 2012 Recruit Harry Quast and the Bay State Breakers will compete in a "play in" series against the Rochester Stars on Feb. 28th and 29th. The winner advances to the EJHL quarterfinals.

~ 2012 Recruit Kyle Smith and the Junior Bruins have already qualified for the EJHL quarterfinals and will have the home ice advantage. Collin MacDonald and the Jersey Hitmen have also earned home ice for the quarterfinals. The EJHL quarterfinals will be held on March 3rd and 4th.