Here come the NCAA recruiters
Recruiters from the Division 1 and Division 3 ranks of the National Collegiate Athletic Association are doing — and in some cases, have done — their homework on a flock of front-line players from within the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
Wisconsin-based Northland College, which already has a history with the NOJHL, finalized a commitment with Cochrane Crunch goalie Brett Young earlier this week. Young, who has a 1995 birth date, will begin his Division 3, NCAA career at Northland next fall.
Northland — which already has six former NOJHLers on its roster — is part of the 10-member Northern Collegiate Hockey Association.
In most instances, Division 3 schools lean towards committing to 20-year players who are in their final season of junior hockey.
On the other hand, while Division 1 schools tend to take players when they are 19 or 20, many like to make early commitments to their recruits when they are 16, 17 or 18.
For example, the Northern Michigan Wildcats of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association committed to 1995 birth-year forward Denver Pierce of Sault Ste. Marie when he was a 16-year old and brought him in to play this season as a 19-year old freshman.
There are a number of current NOJHLers with 1998 and 1999 birth dates who certain Division 1 schools are doing their due diligence on.
That list includes two forwards who are Ontario Hockey League draft picks — Zach Senecal (Oshawa Generals) of the Soo Thunderbirds and Cayse Ton (Owen Sound Attack) of the Rayside-Balfour Canadians. Senecal has a 1998 birth date and Ton was born in 1999.
At least two other NOJHL forwards with 1999 birth dates have been the subject of inquiry from Division 1 schools — Mark Tassone of the Thunderbirds and Caleb Rich of the French River Rapids.
Alex Dajia of the Blind River Beavers has also committed to Northland for the 2016-2017 season… Another 1995 birthdate and former Crunch player now with the Beavers.
Rich is the real deel, next kid from Callander to make it imo.
Tassoni has all the tools .. he can skate, go to the net and he can score and he don’t back away from the traffic. I can see Lake State going after him and maybe Senecal & the Pilon Twins. I think the Carruso brothers deserve a look from Lake State to. I beleive that one of there coaches was at a game at the Puller .. Randy no doubt you would know this. Love the writeups.