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NAHL Corpus Christi IceRays

IceRays Alumni Report

January 27, 2015 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Corpus Christi IceRays News Release


All-star fever is buzzing around the winter sports, especially in hockey. The National Hockey League and American Hockey League just rounded up their all-star festivities over the last couple days, and the ECHL preceded that with their own all-star game the weekend prior. So in the 15th edition of the IceRays Alumni Report, we roll out the IceRays Alumni All-Stars at this juncture of the season.

The IceRays Alumni All-Star team consists of nine forwards, six defensemen, and three goaltenders to create three lines of players on each side of the ice. During the selection process, both points and impact on their respective teams were factored into the nominations, and most players were able to slot in their regular positions on the ice. Every affiliation that IceRays alumni currently play within is represented by at least one player:

- National Hockey League (1)

- American Hockey League (2)

- NCAA Division I (3)

- ACHA Division I (2)

- NCAA Division III (6)

- Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (1)

- United States Hockey League (1)

- British Columbia Intercollegiate Hockey League (1)

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Forwards

Line 1: Ian McGilvrey (D-III) - Jon Grebosky (D-III) - Beau Walker (BCIHL)

Three of the five highest point producers found their way to the top line of the Alumni All-Stars with two of the three players coming from NCAA Division III action. All three skaters are close to the top of their respective teams in terms of production, I would even venture to say they'd compliment each other in a game situation as a high-potent line.

Leading all IceRays alumni forwards this season as well as accolades is Beau Walker ('10-'13), who has a history for producing large amounts of points through his junior career. In just 17 games this season, Walker has amassed 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points with East Washington University, which ranks second in the league. He's already recorded two hat tricks and has produced points in all but one game in his freshman season.

Centering that line is Jon Grebosky ('11-'13), another freshman that has been a large contributor for his squad at the University of Concordia-Moorhead. The Pennsylvania native has been referred to as "The Big Grebosky" for his work over the season, recording nine goals and six assists for 15 points through 19 games. The center has two multi-goal games, a game-winning overtime goal that came on Jan. 16 against Saint John's (Minn.), and earned MIAC Player of the Week for his performance two weeks ago. He ranks second among IceRays alumni behind Walker for the most goals this season.

Another NCAA Division III skater rose to the top line as one of two representatives from Plymouth State College on this select roster: Ian McGilvrey ('12-"˜13). The sophomore winger shares second on the team in points thanks to six goals and ten assists for 16 points through 17 games this season. McGilvrey has been slated as a second-liner for the Panthers but by the production, one would never be able to guess. He leads all NCAA Division III alumni in assists and earned a game-winning goal against Salem State early in the season. With eight games to go until the MASCAC Tournament, look for the Nebraska native to keep consistently producing.

Line 2: Ryan Garbutt (NHL) - Matt Weis (D-I) - Jake Durflinger (USHL)

The second line of the IceRays Alumni All-Stars can be summarized in one word: speed. All three create plays with their legs and determination and have seen a large amount of success with that mentality without seeing time on the top line.

The only pro alum to crack the Alumni All-Star roster is Ryan Garbutt ('09-'10) of the Dallas Stars, who has had a roller coaster of a season. The former CHL skater has seven goal and nine assists for 16 points through 38 games this season with a lot of stellar moments, including one of the team's four shorthanded goals and two game-winners. Two stints of suspensions brought some controversy leading up to the holiday break, but the Canadian has been able to string together points and rebound from that stretch.

He may have only joined the team at the start of this season, but freshman forward Matt Weis ('11-'12) out of Ohio State University has brought an added boost to a struggling squad in the infancy of the Big Ten as a standalone conference. Through 20 games thus far, the Madison, N.J., native has produced four goals and nine assists for 13 points while leading the charge in assists for all NCAA Division I alumni. He is the most potent freshman on the roster and is showing signs of success already.

To his right is another first-year player in his respective league that is continuing where he left off after leaving the IceRays last season. 17-year-old Jake Durflinger ('13-'14) led the IceRays in points last season, and while he sits eighth on the Sioux City Musketeers this season, his seven goals and 12 assists for 19 points have come the same way as his production did last season. While he does hold 101 penalty minutes-he leads the team in minutes and is the only player above 70 PIMs-but his grit makes him a strong foil to his left-winger on this line that would continue to grind and create plays.

Line 3: Josh Obregon (D-III) - Kevin Crowe (D-III) - Mike Economos (D-III)

The third forward line is the only all-Division III trio, but all three have the potential to score goals combining for 17 of the level's 47 goals (36.17%) produced by alumni. They would provide strong depth in a game situation and knowing the level of play each competes at would aid in the mental aspect.

The back end of the two representatives for Plymouth State College will take the right wing of the line and act as the catalyst to set up his line mates. Mike Economos ('12-"˜13) has played for the Panthers for the same length of time as McGilvrey, and his addition to his side's top line has benefitted the production of the squad overall. The 22-year-old owns six goals and eight assists for 14 points through 17 games and is the third-highest scorer among NCAA Division III alumni in goals and points while sitting second in assists. He owns two game-winning goals and has four multi-game point streaks over the course of this season. With a bottleneck in the top-six point scorers on the team, the sophomore could rise above his freshman mark of 20 points in his final eight games of the season.

Goals are the name of the game for senior Kevin Crowe ('10-'11) at Wentworth Institute of Technology this season. Traditionally, the Galloway, N.J., native produces a balanced output of points, but this season the goals have come a lot sooner than the helpers, recording six goals and one assist for seven points through 14 games played. While the numbers have slowed from his hot start to the year, he's a large reason why the Leopards shot out of the gates 3-0-0 in November. The center has eight more games remaining in his collegiate career.

The only forward to slide to the other side of the ice in this lineup is Josh Obregon ('10-'12), who has seen a bit of a different fortune in his third year at Johnson & Wales University. His first two seasons saw fruitful success with the Wildcats, but points have been harder to come by, claiming five goals and three assists for eight points. His five goals still ranks him as one of the higher producers among NCAA Division III alumni, and the trade off could be a better overall record with JWU going 10-6-1 with eight games remaining.

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Defense

Line 1: Luc Neitenbach (ACHA D-I) - Phil Pietroniro (QMJHL)

On the back end, the two highest-scoring defensemen take the top line with a strong push offensively and a ratings balance. Both defensemen also range outside the confines of the NCAA and are toward the end of their eligibility at each respective level.

24-year-old Luc Neitenbach ('10-'11) has found success after transferring from Worcester State College to the University of Colorado, and his role with the Buffaloes has allowed him to blossom in the ACHA. In 21 games this season, Neitenbach has five goals and ten assists for 15 points with a +7 rating, including four points over his last two games. His season has been one of bookends, grabbing numerous points at the outset and this juncture of the year but ranks third on the team in points. His season closes on Feb. 21, which remains just eight games away.

At the major junior level, Phil Pietroniro ('11-'13) has found the golden touch in his final season of eligibility despite splitting the year between two more QMJHL teams: the Geatineau Olympiques and Victoriaville Tigers. In 50 games played, the older of the two Pietroniro brothers has four goals and 27 assists for 31 points and has blown by his career-highs in assists and points. While he won't reach the century mark for career points, this season is a great momentum builder if his plans to pursue a professional career linger.

Line 2: Payden Mielke (ACHA D-I) - Colton Saucerman (D-I)

The middle defensive pairing provides a balance of positive results to the ice with nearly both players earning positive ratings around the middle parts of their collegiate careers. This introduces the first NCAA Division I defenseman as well as the final ACHA Division I representative on the entire team.

Another ACHA Division I player from the state of Colorado made his way into the defensive side of the IceRays Alumni All-Stars, and while Payden Mielke ('11-'12) stretches through his second season of play with Colorado State University, he's been a very positive influence on the defensive side of the puck. He has three goals and ten assists for 13 points this season in 25 games, and his +11 rating is second on the team only by one and first among defensemen. He may be one of the highest influences in scoring among all alumni with player ratings calculated by each respective league, holding the highest recorded rating among all former players.

Pair Mielke's production with the recent hot hands of Colton Saucerman ('10-'11), and the middle pairing remains a strong option in game situations. Saucerman plays on a Northeastern University lineup that lost its first nine out of ten games but turned the ship around just prior to December, which is about the same time when the junior found his best stretch. Through it all, Saucerman has four goals and six assists for ten points in his 21 appearances and marched his way into the all-star lineup thanks to his turnaround.

Line 3: Frank Misuraca (D-I) - Casey Rogers (D-III)

A hot start and a hot stretch round out the defensive pairings and cross between NCAA Division I & III levels. Both players are battling through their third seasons, and as long as their recent production translates to this line, the depth of the IceRays Alumni All-Stars will be cemented in place by a strong compliment of goal and assist production

Three points in four games made for an interesting start to the season for Frank Misuraca ('11-'12) with the University of Alabama Huntsville, and he owns the most goals from any defensive alum. It's taken 26 games for the Clinton Twp., Mich., native to record six goals and four assists for ten points for the Chargers, but a long stretch through the middle of the season held his production before recording goals in his last two games. His -7 rating is the best in his collegiate career and his best since ending his USHL career with a +11 in 2011-12 with the Lincoln Stars.

For the first seven games of the season, Casey Rogers ('10-'11) was held completely off the scorecard. Since then, he's produced eight points over his last nine games including six points during his last four-straight games. The junior is encroaching on his career-highs in assists and points, recording one goal and eight assists for nine points in 16 games. At seven games remaining for the season, Rogers is four assists away from tying those career-highs, and if his production maintains the same pace heading into the weekend, another stronger season is in store for the Calif. native.

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Goaltenders

Starter: Pheonix Copley (AHL)

The long road is always less traveled and tougher to traverse, but Pheonix Copley ('10-'11) has made a strong impression on the Washington Capitals organization. In his first professional season, the 23-year-old earned a spot with the Hershey Bears out of rookie camp and provides a strong backup for the AHL franchise, recording a 7-3-1 record with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage in just 12 games. His strong play along with some luck helped earn him a call-up to the NHL. While the former Michigan Tech goaltender may not see an increase of playing time over this season, his counterpart and AHL All-Star Philipp Grubauer could see some upward momentum in the coming seasons, providing a possible opening as the main asset in Hershey moving forward.

Backup: Anthony Stolarz (AHL)

Former NHL 2nd Round Draft Pick Anthony Stolarz ('11-'12) has seen a bit of a different start to his professional career, but a lot of time as the starting netminder has helped his growth with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. In 16 games this season, the Jackson, N.J., native owns a 6-9-1 record with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage, all solid numbers while making the professional adjustment. Thanks to the multiple call-ups for counterpart Rob Zepp to the Philadelphia Flyers, Stolarz has been able to grasp more action as the point person in net. He provides a strong tandem in net with Copley, and either option would be a welcome sight to stop pucks. At 21-years-old, Stolarz can take his time and continue to gain experience at the AHL level.

Reserve: Hayden Stewart (D-I)

In eight games to kick off his collegiate career, Hayden Stewart ('12-'13) has already begun to gain recognition at the NCAA Division I level in spite of being a backup goaltender. While his record is 2-4-0 in six starts, the telling statistics are his 2.10 goals-against average and .931 save percentage. He has two shutouts to go along with two ECAC Rookie of the Week awards, the first Cornell netminder to have multiple shutouts in his first season since All-American Dave McKee posted five in 2003-04. A long shadow casts over Cornell netminders that have earned All-American recognition and NHL contracts, but that lineage could benefit Stewart with continued strong play moving through this season and into next year.

While the selection process does not factor into the level of competition nor how much of the season is remaining, the IceRays Alumni All-Star team does give a gauge as to who to watch moving through the final weeks of collegiate competition and the rest of the IceRays season. The final edition of the IceRays Alumni Report will revisit these accolades as well as the scope of the season amongst all IceRays alumni, but there is still a long way to go before that can be brought into perspective.

Read the IceRays Alumni Report every Tuesday on www.GoIceRays.com and hear the audio version on the IceRays Broadcast Network.

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