Eagles Eye First Place in First NAHL Season
March 14, 2013 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Soo Eagles News Release
Soo Eagles have shrugged off a sluggish start to become a soaring success in their debut season in the North American Hockey League.
Formerly of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League, the Eagles started the 2012-2013 NAHL season with a 0-3-1 record at the league's Showcase Tournament.
But the Eagles have flown high.
Since their Showcase swoon, the NAHL North Division-leading Eagles have posted a record of 38-9-3 and with an overall mark of 38-12-4 are eight points up on the second-place Jamestown Ironmen with six games to play in the 2012-2013 regular season.
A progressive project of coach-general manager Bruno Bragagnolo, his top assistant Gerry Fraser and their head scout Tom Farnquist, the Eagles have gotten stronger as the season has gone on.
Backed by ace stopper Tyler Marble, who is arguably one of the top two or three goalies in the 24-team NAHL, the Eagles are sparked by heart-and-soul captain Jared VanWormer, who plays with the energy of a shutdown forward while leading his team in scoring.
A 1992 birth year, VanWormer recently committed to the Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association Ferris State Bulldogs, one of the better programs in the nation.
How VanWormer was not scooped up by the Division 1, Lake Superior State Lakers, who play out of the same town that the Eagles do, is a question that is being asked by many who have knowledge of the situation.
Not only is VanWormer a hard-working team captain and scoring leader but his character is beyond question.
With due respect to forward recruits of similar age who Lake Superior State head coach Jim Roque chose to commit to over VanWormer, not one can carry the skates of the Eagles captain, let alone match his combination of skill, work ethic and attitude.
Thus the question: What could Roque have possibly been thinking in overlooking VanWormer?
Interestingly but perhaps not surprisingly, Lake Superior State is the school that Marble, the masked goaltending marvel, de-committed from last week. Marble is now being pursued by a half-dozen Division 1 schools.
At any rate, this Eagles team is not just about Marble and VanWormer.
The Eagles boast a solid, steady blue-line brigade led by Michael Lant and Cody von Rueden and are deep at the forward position behind VanWormer with gunslingers Eric Rivard, Brandon Adams and Sean Murphy, twin towers Alexander Taulien and Chris Waterstreet and a reserve keg that includes rookie Mike Sabatini, who was an Ontario Hockey League draft pick of the Soo Greyhounds in 2011.
The NAHL is a high-end league with games that are played at a fast pace.
Just as fast as the Eagles have adapted to the NAHL in their first season.
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