OLCZYK NETS SHOOTOUT GAME WINNER

Mission Alum Tommy Olczyk for the Sioux City Musketeers scored the game winner over rival Cedar Rapids in a shootout to give his squad a 4-3 victory. Olczyk, in his second season for the Muskies was the last shooter in the contest. The '90 birthdate has yet to make a college commitment, but he's been drawing interest from several schools including Ivy League institutions. "Tommy's a terrific all-around player," said Chico Adrahtas who coached Olczyk for the Mission U16's. "It's great that their coach had enough faith in him to put in him in such a high-pressure situation. I'm not surprised one bit that he scored."

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MISSION ALUM TEDDY RUTH NAMED TO WORLD JUNIOR TEAM

It's another first for Mission alum Teddy Ruth. Ruth, the first Mission skater named to the United States Development Program ( and who would eventually become a captain of that team ) has become the first Mission alum to be named to the USA World Junior Team. The club, consisting of the top junior-eligible players in the country, will be playing in Ottawa, Ontario for the World Junior Championship against perennial powers from Canada, Russia, Sweden, and the Czech Republic. Ruth is mid way through his sophomore season playing at Notre Dame.

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MISSION ALUM COOK TURNING UP THE HEAT FOR ICE

When Max Cook played for the Mission, his unique game always was attention-grabbing. One of the most creative forwards ever to wear the red, black, and white, it seemed that at least once a game, he would make a play that was worthy of a Sportscenter top-10 play of the day. While still with the Mission, Max received a scholarship to Miami of Ohio where he will be a freshman in the 2009-10 season. After spending some frustrating time in Green Bay of the USHL, Max's rights were acquired by the Indianapolis Ice, where new head coach Jeff Blaishill was already quite familiar with his game. Blaishill was one of the assistants at Miami who recruited Max before accepting the job with the Ice. Under Blaishill, Cook has regained his scoring touch and is among the top 25 scorers in the league with 20 points in 24 games. We have little doubt that he will carry this offensive momentum with him throughout the rest of the year for his league-leading team, and into next as well when he joins the perennial powers in Oxford, Ohio.

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STEVE SMITH ACCEPTS NEW JOB WITH BLACKHAWKS

Longtime Mission coach and former standout NHL defenseman Steve Smith has taken the next step in his hockey career as he has been named the Director of Pro Scouting for the Chicago Blackhawks. Smith, who guided the 91 Mission team to a State Bantam Championship, took over for Marc Bergevin who was elevated to assistant coach and joined new Head Coach Joel Quenneville who replaced Denis Savard. Smith is in charge of evaluating players on other NHL teams who may be considered in trades, and because of his extensive work at the 91 age level, it is expected that he will be intimately involved in the Blackhawk draft war room, as this is the first eligible draft year for that age group. We at the Mission wish Steve well, and are sure that he's going to be a great success. This was another smart hire as the Hawks continue their climb towards the goal of carrying that ever-elusive Stanley Cup.

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MM GOALIE NICK HOLMES POSTS EMERGENCY WIN FOR STEEL

It's been a roller coaster ride for Mission Midget Major goalie Nick Holmes this season. Thinking he had a spot for an NAHL team, Holmes found himself homeless when that spot failed to materialize. At the same time, a high profile goalie who'd committed to the Midget Major team opted to play in the OHL instead creating an opening in the Mission goal beside Eric Garavaglia. Coach Pete Rutili signed Holmes, a '90 birthdate, who was in the midst of having a solid season. When the USHL's Chicago Steel ran into some injury problems, Mission goalie coach Kelly Gee, who is also one of the assistants for the Steel, had Holmes practice with them, and by all accounts Homes was very effective. So when injuries left the Steel high and dry and literally goalie-less for a recent game against Sioux Falls, Holmes got the call. Never once looking like it was his first USHL game, Holmes backstopped the Steel to a 3-1 nail-biting victory, making 26 saves in the process. The only goal against him came on a 3rd period power play with less than 8 minutes to play. Congratulations to Nick on his big effort in a game that caught the eyes of several junior and collegiate scouts.

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MISSION ALUM RICKORD, GATES HELPING THEIR TEAMS IN PLAYOFF BIDS

One of the top teams in the USHL each year is the Cedar Rapids Roughriders, and this year is no exception. Currently in second place in the tough Est Division with a gaudy 15-5 record, the Roughriders have benefitted from the gritty, consistent, and productive play of former Mission midget captain Jared Rickord. Playing at a +6 clip with 9 points in 17 appearances, the speedy forward has made a comfortable adjustment to the USHL after playing his first post-AAA year with Springfield of the NAHL. There, Rickord helped lead the Jr. Blues to the playoffs despite the franchise's off-ice issues which could have been a major distraction. Forward Matt Gates is playing his first season of junior in the Eastern Junior Hockey League for Bridgewater. Gates, a solidly built center who led the Mission in scoring a year ago has recorded 18 points in the young season already, and has accepted a visit to Bentley College. He's also drawn interest from Ferris State, and as a '90 birthdate is still very young in the college selection process.

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MISSION USHL ALUM SIERS, MOORE, TEGLIA, AND PHILLIPS MAKING IMPACT

The USHL season is a long and taxing one, but in the early going, 4 Mission alum are making big impacts in their teams' successes. Defensemen Johnny Moore and Paul Phillips find themselves among the top 5 scoring blueliners in the league, with the Chicago Steel's Moore tied for second and Cedar Rapids' Phillips fifth. There is another connection between the two, as both will not only be playing college hockey in the WCHA, but they'll be doing for each school's biggest rivals. Moore is ticketed for Colorado College and Phillips is heading to Denver University. For their respective junior teams, each is earning the lion's share of ice time, logging big minutes on penalty kill, power play, and 5 on 5. This is the second year of USHL competition for both players known for their outstanding character, which is reflected by the fact that they both also excel in the classroom and are team captains. Goalie Jeff Teglia is busy making his mark for the Omaha Lancers. The rookie goalie was initially brought in to serve a year in a learning back-up role, but has found himself the team's starter as a parade of veteran goalies that the club has brought in to assume the top spot have come and gone, all outplayed by the unorthodox rookie. At this writing, Teglia has played in six consecutive Lancer games. Another rookie is also making a name for himself in Lincoln, NE for the hometown Stars. Forward Jimmy Siers has become a favorite of the fans and coaches with his relentless skating and forechecking. Recently, he found himself in a face to face fisticuff battle with a league heavyweight, and KO'd his opponent with relative ease. Siers came to the league and Lincoln the hard way, spending a year playing for the Dubuque Thunderbirds in the CSJHL ( Tier III Jr. A ) before earning a way on the Star's roster. Congratulations to these 4 alum, and here's hoping the rest of the season is as successful as the first third. STEEL'S MOORE POSTS RARE NATURAL HAT TRICK Speaking of Johnny Moore, in a home game against the Des Moines Buccaneers on November 29, the crafty defenseman recored a rare natural hat trick ( scoring three goals in a row during a game ). To make the feat even more unique, he scored all three goals in three different circumstances; one was shorthanded, one was on the power play, and the last one was scored while the teams were at even strength.

When goalie DJ Kohler patrolled the crease for the Chicago Mission, he did so with equal levels of flair, aggressiveness, and effectiveness. All of those traits are still present as he and fellow Mission alum Brad Hoelzer, Drew Heredia, Jason Nemeth, Matt Jennings, and Ryan Goberstein have played significant roles in staking the U of I to a number one ranking at the Division I Club Level of collegiate hockey. All six athletes either played at, or had opportunities with strong Junior programs, but opted to begin the college academic process before their Junior A eligibility expired. In so doing, their choice of the University of Illinois allowed them to continue playing at a high level without the all-encompassing lifestyle of NCAA Division I or III teams, while being in a position to earn one of the most valuable degrees a person can have in the Midwest. We're grateful for the contributions these skaters made to the Mission while they were here, and are very proud of their ongoing achievements.

If there ever was a prototype at the youth hockey level for the perfect image of a student-athlete, Mission alum Matt Arhontas fit the bill. A smallish speedster and perennial leading scorer, Arhontas always found a way to strike the perfect balance between academics and athletics, which resulted in his landing at Princeton, where he currently stars for the Tigers. "In the six years I coached Matt he was not just the top scorer every year," said coach Chuck Linkenheld. "Matt knew at his size he had to prove himself three times more and he did just that. Matt's picture should be in the dictionary next to tough. He backed down from nobody. He played both ends of the ice, every situation in a game and never lost sight of his goal. Always in top condition and obviously an outstanding student, Matt was a pleasure to coach and is a fine example for all Mission players to follow."
A freshman, Arhontas had to be patient throughout a three year Junior career when he saw some lesser talents being scholarshipped, often solely because of size. But Princeton learned what the Mission recognized long ago, the size of his heart is what mattered most.

Lanky defenseman Joey Sova is no stranger to adversity. A stalwart on the backline during his Mission midget days, Sova faced serious health challenges as a youngster that made the circuitous route to Division I hockey seem like a cakewalk. His first post-Mission stop was the USHL's Waterloo franchise, where he faught hard to earn regular ice time, only to find himself traded to Sioux City. After completing his second year of Junior A, The Musketeers unceremoniously dropped him from their roster.
Despite the setback, Sova refused to be discouraged, and was rewarded when Coach Mike Hastings of the Omaha Lancers picked him up. Omaha has been the perfect fit for him, and Joe has rewarded the team with one of the most consistently positive plus-minus ratings in the USHL. In turn, Joe was rewarded with a scholarship to Alaska, when coach Doc Delcastello got him to commit for the 2008 season. "Joe was one of my favorite players ever," said Midget Major coach Brad Saban. "It's great to see that good kids get rewarded for their perseverence."

If you get a chance to watch Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey, you won't have to wait very long to see defenseman Teddy Ruth. At a level of the game where it usually takes freshmen a good deal of time to earn a coaching staff's trust, Ruth has found himself playing in clutch situations consistently since the beginning of this, his freshman year.
"Teddy's improving all the time," said Associate Head Coach Paul Pooley. "He's making great strides." Ruth, an 89 birth date, was the first Chicago Mission product to be selected for the USNDT program. He eventually became it's team captain, something that did not surprise those who worked with him at the Mission and saw that, beyond being a terrific and poised hockey player, he was a very special young man. "We knew we had something special when we got him," said Coach Chuck Linkenheld. "he was terrific to work with and always tried to do more than what was asked of him as far as his work ethic." "Teddy always comported himself in a very mature way," said Mission President Chico Adrahtas, " and that poise carried over into his on-ice game." "The Mission gave me the chance to show what I could do on the ice," said Ruth, "and the coaches believed in me and worked hard to help me get to the USNDT Program." Teddy is currently a plus 9 for the Irish, and will be majoring in Business. And if his determination in hockey is any indication, when his playing days are over, he'll be making an impact in the business world.

When Matt Tomassoni anchored the power play for the Chicago Mission U16 and Midget Major squads, his talent was impossible to miss. Possessing a booming shot and breakaway speed, many felt it was just a matter of time before the right handed defenseman garnered a college scholarship. What few could have predicted is that he would have gotten that scholarship while still playing midget, and earned it at one of the premier programs in the country, Miami of Ohio. With that offer, Matt became the first Mission player to earn a full ride directly out of Midget hockey.
"We're excited about Matt being a part of the program next season," said Miami assistant coach Chris Bergeron.   "The Mission gave me great exposure through the tournaments we played in," said Tomassoni. "But Coach Saban had a big hand in all of this because he set the standard so high for all of us. A decent game was not good enough, we always needed to be at our best."   Matt jumped from Midget to the USHL's Cedar Rapids Roughriders, but the early transition was not easy. During his first year, he got a first hand understanding of Saban's demanding ways. "In Midget, if you have a bad practice, you may get yelled at. In Junior, you find yourself in the stands. You are competing every day for ice time, and even when you're a vet, you're still competing," he said. "Over these last two years, I have learned to only worry about and focus on the things I can control like my work ethic and my results." In his second full year with Cedar Rapids, Tomassoni clearly has the competition thing down. His team is firmly ensconced in first place with a 12-4 record, and Tomassoni is the team's leading scorer amongst defensemen with 10 points, and 6th on the team overall.   At barely 5'10" and 165 pounds, Tomassoni, similar in style and size to the Blackhawks' Duncan Keith, is another example that heart and desire, coupled with ability, can trump size as a factor when it comes to collegiate hockey and potentially beyond.