Talent unveiled at Bulls tryout, Gasper headed to Robert Morris University
August 11, 2004 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Billings Bulls News Release
The Billings Bulls coaching staff was thrilled at the level of play they saw throughout their six-day camp summer tryout camp conducted between July 27 and August 1 at the Buffalo Civic Center in Buffalo, Minnesota.
Confident in the players they have chosen from the camp, head coach Mike Aikens and assistant coach Doug Johnson agreed that there were a significant number of talented athletes at the camp, and that the fast-paced sessions fueled the intensity of the competition from start to finish.
In the past, the Bulls have held a couple of tryouts over the course of the summer and then invited players from those camps back to Billings for the training camp. However, this year Aikens decided that one camp would be more resourceful, easing the additional travel and camp expenses on the players.
The camp included two days of goalie tryouts, followed by two days of open tryouts, and concluding with an invitation-only session, which included those selected from the open camp as well as draft picks, tenders and returning players from the 2003-04 squad.
Returning players that participated in the camp included Matt Palmer, Sean Bertsch, Lou Hoey, Mike Mayra, Brian Kaufman, Ian Schaser and Jon Anderson. Scott Dana was unable to attend, but will be reporting for the 2004-05 season. Former captain Joel Gasper and Mike MacMillan, both moving on to play at the college level next season, made appearances at the camp as well.
The thirty players selected from the tryout camp have been asked to report to Billings, Montana on August 25, where they will kick off training camp for the upcoming season.
Gasper has signed a National Letter of Intent and will continue his career with the NCAA Division I Robert Morris University Colonials.
Gasper, from Crookston, Minnesota, is a 6-foot-2, 200 pound right wing. His his two seasons with the Billings Bulls were marked by high levels of acheivement. In 2002-03, the Bulls captured the AWHL (America West Hockey League) regular season champion title and advanced to the National Tournament to claim third place. Last season, the Bulls were the NAHL West Division regular season champions, with a record of 40-14-2. Gasper accumulated 44 points, with 22 goals and 22 assists.
"Joel brings a tremendous work ethic to the team and is a physical force every time he steps on the rink," Robert Morris U's first year head coach Derek Schooley commented. "With his size and strength, we look for Joel to be a threat in front of the net in the offensive zone."
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