Eagles at the One-Third Mark
November 15, 2012 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Soo Eagles News Release
A third of the North American Hockey League regular season has passed and Soo Eagles are more than holding their own in the eight-team North Division.
After four years in the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League - including their 2010-11 championship season - the Eagles are flying high in the NAHL's North Division with a record of 13-5-3, good for 29 points and second place behind the pace-setting Jamestown Ironmen. Jamestown has 32 points from a record of 15-3-2 and has a game in hand on second-place Soo.
While the Eagles feature nine players born in 1992 - including scoring leader Jared VanWormer and goalie Tyler Marble, who has a 2013-14 commitment to play at Division 1, Lake Superior State University - they also boast five rookies with 1995 birth dates.
Heading the list of youngsters born in 1995 is defenceman Alex Robert, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound defenceman from the Detroit area. Robert, who has played in all 21 games this season and taken a regular shift, is being pursued by a number of Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association schools.
Robert could be selected at the 2013 National Hockey League draft as could Eagles winger Michael Sabatini, a 1995 birth year, an Ontario Hockey League draft pick of the Soo Greyhounds in 2011.
Robert, a well-grounded, well-spoken youngster, has quickly adapted to the fast-paced NAHL. He credits Eagles coach Bruno Bragagnolo and a trio of 1992 birth year defencemen - Nathan Harris, Michael Lant and Cody von Rueden - for assisting with his development.
"Bruno's an unbelievable coach," said Robert on a recent edition of the Hockey North Show on ESPN 1400 Radio.
"And it's been great to be in a position to be able to learn from our older defencemen. They are all great players and great guys who have been a big help."
The fact the Eagles have so many 1995 birth year rookies has boosted the 1992 birth year players who hope for a Division 1 commitment for next year as they end their final season of junior eligibility.
"Because we have so many good 1995s on our roster we have a lot of NCAA scouts following us wherever we play," said Bragagnolo. "The exposure that our 1995s have been getting has also meant more exposure for our 1992s which is something that we hoped would happen."
After playing eight straight games on the road over the past four weekends, the Eagles return to the home ice of Pullar Stadium this Saturday and Sunday for a pair of 7:30 p.m. contests with the visiting Michigan Warriors.
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