UAA's lone confirmed recruit for 2009 Gustav Bengtson has left the USHL Cedar Rapids Roughriders for the Texas Tornado according to a post on Cedar Rapids Fan Forum. The Pointstreak transaction listing for November 17th confirms this trade. The Texas Tornado website doesn't have him listed on their roster as yet.Bengtson had played in only 7 of 13 games for Cedar Rapids so I have to imagine that as a highly touted player he felt that he wasn't getting enough ice time on what is admittedly a very good Cedar Rapids team this season (they have more than a few highly touted players). I've been checking on Bengtson weekly and was planning a post at some point though I was waiting for some noteworthy accomplishment. He seemed to be very effective in the preseason for Roughriders notching a couple of goals in 3 games but for whatever reason apparently didn't impress coach Mark Carlson as much as players with roots closer to Cedar Rapids.
This should prove to be a good move for Gustav. Being on the ice playing hockey is better for your development than watching from the stands. I hope he finds the move a good fit for him and flourishes in Texas. The Tornado have one road trip to Alaska on their schedule when they play the Ice Dogs, Brown Bears and Avalanche near the end of February.
23 comments:
Jay Beagle had a good weekend in the ahl. He scored 5 poins and got first star in both friday and saturdays games.
Thanks for the heads up on Bengtson, I'll be sure and catch the Av's games, if UAA isn't playing that weekend.
Rumor has it that Lawson was released by Phoenix. Any word on him?
Wow. Bummer to hear about Nate!!
I just pulled it up on the ECHL transactions, and you're right.. he was released:
http://www.echl.com/cgi-bin/mpublic.cgi?action=show_news&cat=1&id=12735
(Uh oh, I forgot Donald's instructions for adding links, so that probably won't work) :D
Looks like some of the fans in Phoenix are bummed at the decision (per intotheboards).
Good luck to Bengston! I'm still anxiously waiting to see where Robb Haider signs next year. ;) Why do I have the feeling Hill has been staying in close contact with our PBP guy? >;-(
p.s. Bummer also about Shasby breaking his leg this weekend! :(
I would have prefered to see the kid get some more playing time in USHL than the NAHL, but I don't think he is coming until '09 so maybe he will get back there next year and have playing time. I don't think that it would have been as bad as you say for him sitting a bunch of games in the USHL. The competition in practice and then getting more playing time next year would have still been very beneficial. The USHL is producing greater talent than the NAHL and just being around that can help.
Not that the NAHL is bad, don't get that idea. Meritt has been great over the past four years and McCabe is looking like he will be a great player now and in the future.
Larissa, I doubt that Haider will choose Minnesota.
I qwas very surprised to see that Billy Smith only has 1 assist in 12 games this year. Northern isn't exactly lighting up the CCHA. I bet he is second guessing his decision to leave home.
His team is 2-8-0 in 10 games.
Haider could not "choose" Minnesota. Minnesota chooses players, not vice versa. I saw him play 3 years ago, he was defintely the best player on the ice. Where is he playing now?
That is correct............................Minnesota "selects" it's roster. Looks like they need better "selection".
Mike
Wow, talk about short sighted. Take a look at the rafters in Marriucci. I think they're doing just fine. How many banners hang in the Sully? Look, UAA played a better game on ONE night. They deserved to win, their effort was impressive. That said those are still two schools with different expectations. UAA has a great season if they escape the WCHA first round. Minnesota doesn't win it all and it wasn't a good year.
UAA's players kept it in perspective, that fans have not. Yes, it's a good win for UAA to be excited about, but you are not elite by any means because of one reg. season road win.
Anon @ 8:52, you said "UAA's players kept it in perspective, the fans have not."
I'd like to know why you think that? No UAA fan has come on here or the USCHO and said UAA is the best team in the league this season. We take it one game at a time. There was no gloating done.
If Minny doesn't "win it all" it wasn't a good year? Then maybe Lucia's job is on the line. That means Lucia has led his team to four straight bad seasons, and this one doesn't look too promising.
The Mariucci had lots of empty seats last weekend, and the fans who were there looked like "cardboard", to quote the Wooger. :) UAA fans were louder!!
To rephrase my statement, if UM recruited Haider, I doubt he would take them up on their offer.
Anon 3:26: I dont know if Billy Smith is exactly second guessing his decision to leave. He told me he didn't like the direction uaa was going before he transfered last year. I dont think he bought into shyiaks plan so the two never saw eye-to-eye. But i think now, he probably realizes that UAA has improved a whole lot, and is arguably a way better team than the Northern Michigan squad he is co-captain of.
The Sully is always over half empty, and the crowd there is an F-ing joke. Those aren't fans at Sullivan arena, just people socializing that hardly even recognize when their own team scores. Pathetic. Most sports events I went to in the lower 48 have an electric feeling in the arena. The power is out at the Sully.
I don't think the Mariucci was too "electric" last weekend. LOL
Regarding attendance:
The core UAA fan recognizes that attendance at home games by the insipid bandwagon Anchorage sports fan is less than desirable. This of course doesn't reflect on the program. The Seawolves may have had plenty of difficult seasons in the toughest league in college hockey but that doesn't mean there hasn't been some damn fine hockey that Anchorage sports fans have missed out on the Sully.
Inferring somehow that the bandwagon nature of the Anchorage sports fan is in any way a reflection of the UAA program is B-U-N-K.
"I don't think the Mariucci was too "electric" last weekend. LOL"
It is definetly the least electric when UAA is in town. Thing is, no one there gets excited for the UAA series there. That's the best chance to get tickets because most season ticket holders don't care about that weekend. Things will be much different when UND or Wisconsin are in town.
Suze, bottom line is you are jealous of a school that wins and gets exposure. Consistently sold out Marriucci arena, National Championships, and coverage by a Fox Sports Regional all season long. I'd be jealous too.
I am not jealous of Minnesota. I would not want Lucia or Hill as a coach of my team. How many infractions have they had recently anyway?
The Long Island teas have gone to your head.
"Jealousy" is THE absolute height of stupidity as an argument to fans that have anything negative to say about TwinkieTown College.
If people were jealous they'd just become TTC fans wouldn't they. Jealousy implies that you want to be aligned with whatever you're jealous of. The argument is a convenient rationalization for TTC fans who deep in their hearts know that something has gone terribly afoul with their program.
Now Lucia wants to eliminate the whole process of respecting verbal agreements so they can poach recruits? I guess when the best players in TwinkieTown are committing to hated rival UND in droves that the NCAA should change the way it does things to accomodate Lucia? Then he can send out Nanne and Sonmor to do all the sleazy work of trying to convince recruits they should change their mind after they've verballed.
I guess not getting Walsky really pissed them off. Seems like they're jealous of CC.
Well anon if you are SO proud of your team, why are you still ANONYMOUS????
Lucia has about as much class and integrity as that joke of an AD they have in Maturi.
...."Haider could not "choose" Minnesota. Minnesota chooses players"
Oh STFU! Who the hell asked you anyway?
...."How many banners hang in the Sully?"
Tons of them actually. Several divisional champion banners, national champ banners, Brabham cup banner (for most points in a season) and overall League (ECHL Kelly Cup) banner as well as others.
So what if it's our city's other team? The Seawolves will have their day. It took the Aces FOREVER before they started winning.
Look at how many of the goof-balls that you praise so much wind up playing in Anchorage after college.. 4 years at your fine establishment, and here they are.. playing in our facility that needs to be replaced SOON.
..."Most sports events I went to in the lower 48 have an electric feeling in the arena."
If you didn't wiz in your pants so often, you wouldn't have that feeling ya know.
Why hang out on a SEAWOLVES board when you obviously don't like them?
Are you too pathetic to find a date? From the crowd I've seen on tv when MN plays, yeah.. that's probably it.
Well. Quit pissing in your pants, and try to find a date.
Then you can stop fretting about our team and run along back to the goof-board.
Weasel!
To annon "November 20, 2007 11:45 AM", (alias Jason). Do us a favor, stop going to the UAA games. Please.
Or better yet, let Jason stay home while his parents attend the UAA games. :)
Robb Haider, if he so chooses to look at Minnesota, has many family ties there....grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and a larger group of extended relatives. Both of his parents grew up here. It would be a fine choice as we here (who have never had the opportunity to see him play)could enjoy watching skate in Marriucci or heaven forbid the rivals who use the ice at Englestad Arena.
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