Buccaneers capture Clark Cup title; Okposo named Planet Hockey MVP
Published on May 1, 2006 under United States Hockey League (USHL) News Release
The Des Moines Buccaneers were crowned Tier 1 national champions after their 3-2 win over the Sioux Falls Stampede in the decisive Game 5 of the Clark Cup Finals before a sellout crowd of 4,764 at Sioux Falls Arena on Monday night.
Buccaneers forward Kyle Okposo was named the Planet Hockey Clark Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player after scoring five goals, including two gamewinners, and 11 assists in all 11 postseason games. He was also a plus-12.
Colin Vock (assisted by Okposo), Rich Purslow (unassisted) and Ben Ryan (unassisted game-winner) scored for Des Moines in the Game 5 win; Andreas Nodl (assisted by Chris Peluso) and Drew Akins (assisted by Corey Tropp and Jake Bauer) tallied for the Stampede.
Between the pipes, Des Moines' Troy Davenport made 18 saves, while Sioux Falls' Alex Kangas turned aside 31 shots.
Okposo, 17, was named the USHL Rookie of the Year and to the All-USHL First Team after finishing the season sixth in league scoring with 58 points on 27 goals.
Next season, Okposo, ranked No. 11 overall among North Americans by NHL Central Scouting on its final report of 2006 draft eligibles, will skate at the University of Minnesota.
The official sponsor of the Clark Cup Playoffs MVP, Planet Hockey is the worldwide leader in hockey skills training with more than 60 locations throughout North America. Planet Hockey also owns and operates HockeyConsultants.com, providing clear and concise hockey career consulting to players worldwide. To learn more about Planet Hockey, visit www.planethockey.com or call 1-800-320-7545.
Des Moines finished with a 9-2 record in the postseason, sweeping both Green Bay (3-0) and Cedar Rapids (3-0) before defeating Sioux Falls (3-2).
It's the Buccaneers fourth Clark Cup championship in their 26-year history and first since the 1998-99 season when future NHLers Peter Sejna (St. Louis Blues) and Noah Clarke (Los Angeles Kings) helped Des Moines to the title.
Des Moines finished with the USHL's worst record in 2004-05 with 40 points (17 wins). This year, under the direction of General Manager of the Year Regg Simon, who also serves as the team's head coach, the Buccaneers finished tied atop the East Division standings with 72 points (33 wins).
The Clark Cup, presented annually to the playoff champions of the nation's only Tier 1 circuit, is named in honor of Don Clark, the longtime registrar of the Minnesota Amateur Hockey Association. Clark was also the recipient of the NHL's Lester Patrick Award for his contributions to hockey in the United States.
United States Hockey League Stories from May 1, 2006
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