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Champions Crowned at USHL Western Shootout
Tuesday September 4, 2012
USHL Western Shootout took place at Sharks Ice in San Jose, California. (USHL Images)
USHL and San Jose Sharks partnered to host first-ever youth tournament
The USHL completed the first-ever USHL Western Shootout in partnership with the San Jose Sharks during Labor Day weekend and champions were crowned in each of the three divisions.
The tournament featured a total of 22 teams over the three divisions and was a valuable opportunity for scouts from each USHL Member Club to evaluate players.
“It was great to see so many good players from the western part of the United States, an area that keeps producing quality hockey players,” said Rick Comley, Jr., Director of USHL Central Scouting. “There was definitely some good young talent that we will see in USHL uniforms in the future.”
CLICK HERE for full division standings
In the Bantam Division, the Arizona Bobcats earned a perfect 6-0-0 record. They outscored their opponents 25-5 during the four pool play matchups and then went on to win both playoff contests, including a 6-3 victory in the championship game against the Texas Alliance Bulldogs. The Arizona Bobcats were led by Phillip Knies who tallied nine goals and Blake Bargar who netted six goals over the weekend. The duo finished first and second among all scorers in the Bantam Division with 13 points (9g, 4a) and 12 points (6g, 6a) respectively.
The Midget 16AAA Division proved to be good for the hometown organization as the San Jose Jr. Sharks captured a 6-3 win over the Texas Alliance Bulldogs in the championship game. The Jr. Sharks posted a 3-0-1 record in division play before winning both playoff matchups. Tyson McLellan led the team, and entire division, with 12 points (7g, 5a) over six games while Austin Elchinoff tied for the Jr. Sharks team lead with seven goals. Ethan Somoza of the SoCal Titans led the entire division with eight goals in five games during the tournament.
Eight teams competed in the Midget 18AAA Division and the St. Louis Jr. Blues Prospects earned the division championship. Over the three playoff contests, the Jr. Blues Prospects outscored their opponents 14-1. Goaltender Clint Steinmeyer stopped all 35 shots he faced in the 4-0 shutout win against the Anaheim Jr. Ducks in the title game. Cody Gidorzi netted a pair of goals for the St. Louis team in the championship. Goaltender Luke Opilka recorded two shutouts for the Jr. Blues Prospects during the weekend. Lane Bauer of the Alaska Jr. Aces tied for the division scoring lead with seven points (5g, 2a) despite playing just four games on the weekend.
CLICK HERE for the completed schedule and scoresheets
USHL interview - Jon Gustafson
Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, the USHL celebrated its 10th season as the nation's only Tier I junior hockey league in 2011-12. With 28 picks during the 2012 NHL Entry Draft and over 280 players already committed to NCAA Division I schools this season, the USHL has emerged as the world’s foremost producer of junior hockey talent. For more information, visit us on the web at www.USHL.com or visit the League’s social media platforms, including Facebook (www.facebook.com/ushlhockey), twitter (www.twitter.com/ushl), and YouTube (www.youtube.com/ushlinteractive). Fans can also watch USHL action all season long, live or on-demand via FASTHockey (ushl.fasthockey.com).
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