USHL Waterloo Black Hawks

Cammarata, Wittchow Make Rookie Team

Published on May 29, 2012 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Waterloo Black Hawks News Release


Waterloo, Iowa-Ten Waterloo Black Hawks in their first full season of junior hockey helped the franchise reach the United States Hockey League's Clark Cup Championship series, and Tuesday the league named two of those skaters to its All-Rookie Team.

Forward Taylor Cammarata and defenseman Eddie Wittchow were among the seven players to be recognized by the USHL. The Black Hawks were the only organization to have more than one player chosen for the honor, which was voted on by league coaches and general managers.

"If you had come to the rink without reading their bios, you would never have known they were rookies," said Black Hawks head coach P.K. O'Handley. "Taylor and Eddie gave us remarkable consistency for the entire season, and just as importantly, carried themselves as professionals from the day they arrived in Waterloo."

Cammarata was the first overall selection during the 2011 USHL Futures Draft, and was named the USHL's Rookie of the Year earlier this month. The Plymouth, Minnesota native was Waterloo's leading regular season scorer with 27 goals and 42 assists for 69 total points. Cammarata also paced the Hawks during the playoffs; his 16 points were the most in one postseason run for the franchise since Bill Rooney reached the same number in 1987. In November, Cammarata committed to the University of Minnesota.

Wittchow was chosen in the first round, fourth overall, during the 2011 USHL Entry Draft last May. Shortly thereafter, the Burnsville (Minnesota) High School product was snagged during the NHL Draft in the sixth round, 154th overall, by the Florida Panthers. During 2011-2012, Wittchow led Waterloo with a +22 plus/minus rating and was one of only 13 defensemen in the entire USHL to appear in 60 regular season games. Committed to the University of Wisconsin, he played in a dozen additional playoff games.

The tandem are the first Black Hawks to be recognized on the USHL All-Rookie Team since 2006-2007. After that campaign, defenseman Blake Kessel and forward Josh Turnbull were honored. There were also two Hawks on the 2004-2005 All-Rookie squad (goalie Drew O'Connell and defenseman Drew Dobson). The league began naming an All-Rookie Team at the conclusion of the 2003-2004 season.

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United States Hockey League Stories from May 29, 2012


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