Around the NOJHL
Soo Thunderbirds are moving yet-another defenceman to the Division 1, National Collegiate Athletic Association ranks…Having missed time with health issues, a big winger is returning to form with the Soo Eagles…More from around the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
BOMAN GOING D1
Second-year Thunderbirds defenceman Caleb Boman has a future commitment to play at the Division 1, NCAA level for the Niagara Purple Eagles, who are members of the 11-team Atlantic Hockey that also includes Air Force, Army, American International, Bentley, Canisius, Holy Cross, Mercyhurst, RIT, Robert Morris and Sacred Heart.
The Purple Eagles play out of what is known as Niagara University, N.Y. and are coached by David Burkholder, who is in his 15th season at the helm of the program.
A strong-skating, offensive-minded blue-liner, the 6-foot, 200-pound Boman has 7 goals, 20 assists, 27 points in 23 games with the Thunderbirds thus far this season.
Boman, who just turned 18-years of age earlier this month, will follow two of his former Thunderbird teammates to the Division 1, NCAA ranks.
Defencemen Owen Headrick and David Radke are both playing as freshmen this season.
The 18-year old Headrick is a standout with the Lake Superior State Lakers while the 21-year old Radke is a member of the Colorado College Tigers.
BACK IN THE NEST
Hulking forward Jake Hernandez is back with the Soo Eagles after spending some time at his Detroit area home while being treated for health issues related to anxiety.
The like-able Hernandez, a 6-foot-3, 205-pound character kid with a 1995 birth date, had a goal and an assist in two games for the Eagles on the weekend. He now has 4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points in 14 games thus far this season.
A former all-state defensive end as a high school football player in Detroit, Hernandez only began to focus solely on hockey two years ago.
ICE CHIPS
Cochrane Crunch forward Hunter Atchison has become the first NOJHLer to score 30 goals this season. Notably, of Atchison’s 30 goals, 10 have come on the power play and another 6 while on the penalty kill…North Bay Battalion of the Ontario Hockey League has returned 1998 birth-year forward Kyle Moore to the Powassan Voodoos. Moore scored 25 goals for Powassan last season…1995 birth-year forward Otis Goldman has been putting up the points for the Rayside-Balfour Canadians since coming to the NOJHL from the Ontario Jr. Hockey League. In just 10 games with Rayside, Goldman has 10 goals, 17 assists, 27 points.
PHOTO: Soo Thunderbirds defenceman Caleb Boman has a future commitment to play at the Division 1, NCAA level. (Photo by Jim Egan.)
Randy:
1) Good for Bowman who is a good player.
2) Nice touch to report on Hernandez. Anxiety is something that shouldnot be taken lightly.