Sports Hub

Tri-City Storm coach Josh Hauge had definite needs to fill at forward and goalie.There’s a reason the Storm took nine forwards and two goalies with their first 14 picks.

Somebody is going to have to replace all the goals scored by Brian Ward, Mike Vecchione, Tim Bonner and Grant Opperman. The Omaha native Wilkie figures to fill at least some of that void. He’ll only be a one-year guy but Hauge and NHL scouts rave about his all-around upside.

The Storm went with goalie Hayden Lavigne in the third round to fill a much needed hole. It’s hard to win hockey games without a legitimate goalkeeper, a reality the Storm faced far too often last season. The job will likely be Lavigne’s to lose.

Unless you for some crazy reason stayed awake for all seven hours of the USHL draft, you probably didn’t see the entire draft board. Here’s a look at the Storm’s selections.

Tri-City Storm 2013 USHL Draft Phase 2 Selections

1st Round: Chris Wilkie – Forward – Omaha, NE – Team USA U-17

3rd Round: Hayden Lavigne – Goalie – Brampton, Ont. – Wellington Dukes

4th Round: Jalen Schulz – Defense – Cambridge, Minn. – Corpus Cristi Ice Rays

5th Round: Robbie Payne – Forward – Gaylord, Mich. – Kalamazoo Jr. Wings

5th Round: Brock Kautz – Goalie – Rochester, Minn. – Janesville Jets

7th Round: Mike Lee – Defense – Hamden, Conn. – The Gunnery

8th Round: Lane Bauer – Forward – Anchorage, Ak. – Alaska Jr. Aces
10th Round: Steven Haydon – Forward – Plymouth, Mich. – Odessa Jackalopes

11th Round: Chase McMurphy – Forward – Chestermere, Alb. – Calgary Mustangs

12th Round: Kurt Keats – Forward – Winnipeg, Man. – Winnipeg South Blues

13th Round: Trevor Yates – Forward – Beaconsfield, Que. – Deerfield Academy

14th Round: Dakota Boutin – Forward – Moosejaw, Sask. – Moosejaw Generals

15th Round: Max Prawdzik – Goalie – Andover, Mass. – Brooks School

16th Round: Jedd Soleway – Forward – West Vancouver, BC – Penticton Vees

17th Round: Victor Beaulac – Defense – St. Hyacinthe, Que. – Longueuil

18th Round: Tyler Bird – Forward – Andover, Mass. – St. John’s Prep

19th Round: Andrew Cross – Defense – Saugus, Mass – Austin Prep

20th Round: Alec Mono – Defense – Las Vegas, NV – Las Vegas Storm

21st Round: Will Garin – Forward – Mound, Minn. – Holy Family

22nd Round: Charley Graaskamp – Forward – Eau Claire, Wis. – Eau Claire Memorial

23rd Round: Nicholas Cardelli – Forward – Itasca, Ill. – Chicago Hawks

24th Round: Mike Ilvonen – Defense – Helsinki, Finland – Espoo

25th Round: Derek Lodermeier – Forward – Brooklyn Center, Minn. – Totino-Grace H.S.

-Connor O’Gara

Kearney High (7-3)

The picture pretty much says it all. Kearney High’s 1-0 win over No. 3 North Platte ended their undefeated season in dramatic fashion. The Bearcats notched what was easily their best win of the season to halt a three-game losing streak. They played like a team focused on avenging their GNAC championship loss to North Platte. Goalkeeper Morgan Lee, along with a defensive unit anchored by Morgan Wicht and Carrie Oaklund, did not allow the speedy North Platte forwards to get good looks on goal. Kelsey Stithem suffered a concussion that forced her out of the two team’s first meeting. Tuesday was her first game back and though she didn’t find the net, her presence relaxed a young squad. It’s no mistake that the Bearcats are 7-0 when Stithem starts and finishes a game. Yes, it’s only one win. But this is the point last year that Tami Anderson’s team fell apart. Tuesday showed they can not only compete with the state’s elite but that they are among the state’s elite. If Hannah Lundell can return from a knee injury, this team is certainly capable of making a run to state.

Kearney Catholic (4-3)

Kearney Catholic coach Brian Rodine admitted he was just happy to get some offensive output in their 2-0 win over winless Lexington Tuesday. It was the first time the Stars scored multiple goals in a game in nearly a month. Carlie Prososki has provided many the scarce goals the Stars have scored this season. Younger sister, Allie Prososki, recorded her second straight shutout on Tuesday. After a couple rough games to start the season, the sophomore goalkeeper has kept the Stars close since then. She’s averaged one goal allowed in that stretch but the issue is still finding multiple scoring options. It’s difficult and nearly impossible to ask Allie Prososki to keep every opponent scoreless. The Stars do have a favorable end to their regular season schedule with winnable home games against Holdrege and Nebraska Lutheran.

Holdrege (4-4)

Despite their .500 record, it’s been a roller coaster season for the Dusters. They appeared to hit their stride after losing the first two games of the season by winning four straight. Albeit they came against four sub .500 opponents but they did put up four and a half goals per game during that stretch. Brad Larson’s squad has since lost two defensive struggles to Platteview and York. All of the Dusters wins this season came in a two-week span. That proves this team is definitely capable of getting on a roll but it’s getting there that’ll be the tough part. If they can get some of that scoring back against an offensively limited Kearney Catholic squad, they’ll have a good chance to go into a season finale against Kearney High at 7-4.

Lexington (0-11)

Keith Allen’s young squad has not had an easy go of it in 2013. A winless campaign, however, has seen signs of improvement. The Minutemaids lost two straight one-goal games to Scottsbluff and Northwest and lost to Kearney Catholic on two late goals. Lexington is not getting blown out like it was in the beginning of the year. They suffered an 8-0 loss on April 2 to a Kearney High team that was obviously far more talented. Allen talked about how important it was for his young squad to take lumps against one of the state’s best teams. Three days later, the Minutemaids looked like a much improved team facing Kearney High in the first round of the GNAC tournament. They put more pressure on the Bearcat defense and looked like they belonged. It’s hard to feel good about a 5-0 loss. But that game, and this recent stretch has shown that Lexington should end up in the win column sooner rather than later.

Kearney High (9-0)

The No. 3 Bearcats are getting some awfully good experience winning in a variety of ways before the playoffs. They got what coach Scott Steinbrook called their best win of the season last weekend in a 1-0 shootout over Lincoln Southeast. They improved to 3-0 in shootouts, a stat that could prove vital to them as they face some tougher teams down the stretch. Damien Austen and Isaac Armstrong always seem to find space around the net, even when they get man-marked. Quincy Bennett is as good as there is in the area at keeper. He recorded his fifth shutout and he’s only allowed four goals in nine games. Credit should be shared with a defensive unit anchored by Gabe Bushnell and Austin Hibberd, both of whom have come up big on the back end. They didn’t get to face No. 2 Grand Island last week due to the snow/sleet/hail/thunderstorm but they’ll face good tests against Columbus, Hastings and Millard West before they make a bid for their fifth straight state appearance.

Lexington (7-4)

The key stat for the No. 7 Minutemen is 6-1. That’s their record against Class B schools. Three of their four losses came not only against Class A teams but very good Class A teams. Mike Zarate’s squad had plans of getting a rematch against Kearney High in the GNAC final after suffering a 3-0 loss earlier in the week. But the Minutemen caught a hot Columbus team in the semifinals and fell 4-1. The defense in front of goalkeeper Edgar Ramirez has been inconsistent this season. They had stretch like they did against some lower level squads where they posted three straight shutouts. Then they’ve had games like they did against Kearney High and Columbus where they allowed for way too many good looks on goal. Gerardo Ramirez, Arliss Alvarez and Erick Tinajero have helped fuel an offense that has dominated against Class B. They’ve averaged nearly four goals while letting up just one goal per game against those foes. Their strength of schedule should pay off against some of the better Class B schools they’ll likely face if/when they make a deeper run in the playoffs.

Holdrege (4-4)

Ethan Corkery has done a solid job keeping the Dusters close this season. The only time the Holdrege keeper allowed multiple goals was in a 3-2 loss to No. 7 Lexington. Unfortunately for the Dusters, they’ve struggled to find the net. Jared Hunke, Dakota Fulk and Andrew Maaske have helped provide the limited offense the Dusters have had this season. However, Holdrege is averaging just over one goal per game in regulation. They did get a nice 1-0 win against No. 10 Northwest, which resembled the low-scoring type game they’ll likely have to win against some of the tougher Class B opponents. They should have a good chance to turn their current two-game winning streak into a five-game winning streak before the regular season finale showdown against Lexington.

Kearney Catholic (0-6)

Amer Arram’s team is searching for any sort of offense. They still have scored in just one game this season. Weather has not been kind to a young, struggling team that simply needs more time on the field. It doesn’t help that because of cancelations, they’ve played one game in 17 days. That’s tough for an elite team to deal with, much less a team searching for its first win. Tuesday will begin a stretch of four games in the next week. Goalkeeper Garrison Lowe will give the Stars a fighting chance but there’s only so much he can do when most of the game is being played in their zone. Their best chance to get their first win could be in the regular season finale when they take on 1-8 Grand Island Central Catholic.

By Jason Arens, Hub Sports Writer

The Red-White game has come and gone. Let’s call it a success, for the offenses at least.

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Kearney High (3-0)

The Bearcats couldn’t have asked for a better start to the season. An unblemished start came in convincing fashion for Kearney having outscored its opponents 9-3. Senior goalkeeper Morgan Lee has allowed a lone goal in each game. Her job has been made easier thanks to the efforts of Kelsey Stithem, who scored a hat trick in a 5-1 win over Norfolk, and the Sickler sisters. Hannah and Claire Sickler, along with Morgan Wicht and Courtney Hayden, have provided consistent offense in the early going. The Bearcats beat No. 10 Duchesne but that is their only notable win thus far. If Kearney can pick up a win at Lincoln Southwest this weekend, it’d be tough to keep them out of the top 10.

Kearney Catholic (2-3)

The injury bug has bit the Stars early and often. Brian Rodine’s squad is down to 12 healthy players which has made it difficult for them to score late. Goalkeeper Allie Prososki is capable of keeping KCHS in close games, but she needs more help defensively. Her sister, Carlie, has been the aggressor offensively. The Stars will get a much needed nine day break before their double dip against Lutheran High and Norfolk Catholic. Rodine will likely focus on getting his team healthy while figuring out some ways to get Allie Prososki more help defending the net.

Holdrege (2-2)

It’s hard to evaluate a Holdrege squad that was beat soundly by a one of Class B’s best in Hastings while losing in a shootout to No. 8 Gering. Yet they’ve won two in a row against Scottsbluff and Lexington. Yes, the competition level dropped after their first two games, but the Lady Dusters found some offense. They’ve scored four goals in each of their last two games after being held to one in their first two. The Dusters will have a legitimate chance for a four-game winning streak with 1-3 Schuyler amd 1-2 Lincoln Northwest up next.

Lexington (0-3)

It’s been a less than ideal start for the Minutemen. It’s hard to win games having scored once in the first three contests. It’s even harder to win games when opponents are scoring over three goals per game. Lexington suffered a 5-0 loss at the hands of North Platte, who are ranked No. 9 in Class A. The road doesn’t get any easier, either. Lexington will open the first of its three games in two days against No. 8 Gering before the GNAC Tournament next weekend.

As usual, Spring sport athletes are victims of the worst weather of the year. For Hub territory soccer teams, this year has been no exception. Here’s a look at how some of the boys teams started the young season.

BOYS:

Kearney High (3-0)

As expected, the Bearcats are off to a fast start behind one of the state’s top scoring attacks in Damien Austen and Isaac Armstrong. The duo is averaging a combined two goals a game for a squad that doesn’t need to score very much. Goaltender Quincy Bennett already logged two shutouts and has allowed one goal this season. The senior held Norfolk scoreless in regulation and in PK’s in a 1-0 shootout victory at Norfolk. KHS coach Scott Steinbrook admitted his squad was lucky to escape Norfolk with an unblemished record. But sloppy field condititions helped slow down the Bearcats scoring opportunities. The No. 5 Bearcats will get their first big test of the season Saturday when they travel to take on No. 6 Lincoln Southwest.

Kearney Catholic (0-4)

The young squad has had its hands full in the early part of the season. The Stars were held scoreless in their first three contests of the season. They finally found the back of the net in a 3-2 loss against York. The start of the schedule has not been kind of Amer Arram’s team. Scottsbluff and Grand Island Northwest are tough teams for a young team to gain confidence again. Kearney Catholic does have a solid goalkeeper in Garrison Lowe that is capable of keeping the Stars close. But in order for this team to notch its first win, it’s going to need to start creating a whole lot more opportunities around the net.

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