Recruit Lichtenwald on tear in SJHL (w/ Q&A)

by Ryan Fay

Men's hockey recruit Eli Lichtenwald has been surging since being re-acquired by the Nipawin Hawks of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) in late December.

Lichtenwald, who is set to join the Dutchmen this fall, has 21 points (8 goals, 13 assists) in 16 games since the trade with Omaha of the U.S Hockey League.  

Lichtenwald had spent the past season-plus with Omaha, where he collected 29 points (8 g, 21 a) in 70 games.

The forward previously played for Nipawin during the 2010-2011 campaign and accumulated 45 points (21 g, 24 a) in 56 contests en route to league rookie of the year honors.

For some insights on Lichtenwald, I checked in with Doug Johnson, head coach and general manager of the Hawks. Johnson, who also coached Lichtenwald in his first go-around in Nipawin, describes what kind of player he is, his upside in Division I, and more.

Lichtenwald (Nipawin)

UNION HOCKEY NEWS (UHN): What kind of player is Lichtenwald?

DOUG JOHNSON (DJ): Eli will be an all around player. His most intriguing attribute is his size (6'6"/216). He takes up a lot of space which helps him defensively but also offensively using his reach to protect pucks. For a big player he skates incredibly well and has an extremely good skill set. The biggest thing with Eli is that he has a lot of room to improve. He is a late bloomer. He was an average midget player that blossomed his first year of junior and will only get better in the future. What Union fans see from Eli as a freshman won't even be comparable to what they see from him as a senior.

UHN: What type of upside does he have at the Division I level -- a depth guy? a regular? an impact player? 

DJ: I firmly believe Eli has the ability to be a very good regular with the possibility to be an impact player if he keeps developing like I believe he will. The level of his success will be very dependent on how he adjusts to the speed of college hockey and how his skating improves as he moves forward. He is a very good skater for 6'6, but still has room for improvement. Knowing Eli, he will make the necessary strides.

UHN: How would you gauge his readiness for Division I college hockey? 

DJ: Like most players, Eli will probably have his bumps along the way during his freshman season. But I believe he will be able to step in and contribute right away in whatever role the coaching staff wants from him. His willingness to do whatever it is needed from the team and his ability to play all those roles will help him make the transition to the college hockey.

UHN: His numbers in Nipawin are a lot better than what he did in Omaha. What do you attribute that to? Is the USHL that much tougher?

DJ: From my time coaching in the USHL, I do know that the USHL is a stronger league than the SJHL. I don't think this is the main reason his numbers have improved as dramatically as they have though. Does the competition make some difference? Absolutely. But I believe that the role we have him playing in and the opportunity to showcase his skill are the biggest factors in his increased production. He showed his first year of junior hockey that he has the skill and ability to be a top six forward. A player doesn't forget how to score or how to make plays. They just need to have the opportunity to showcase their skills and the confidence from their coaches to allow them to make plays.

Q&A with Tri-City Storm head coach / GM Josh Hauge

by Ryan Fay

Josh Hauge, the head coach and general manager of the Tri-City Storm of the United States Hockey League, has an interesting connection to the Union men's hockey team.

Not only is he coaching a player set to come next season, Michael Vecchione, he's also coaching a player who recently left the program, Trevor Mingoia.

Vecchione, who had a power play goal and two assists in last night's 5-2 win over Sioux City, has 14 goals and 23 assists in 40 games this season.

Since departing Union, Mingoia has two goals and 20 assists in 29 contests, including an assist on Vecchione's goal last night.

On Wednesday, I conducted a phone interview with Hauge and asked him about both players and more.

UNION HOCKEY NEWS (UHN): For those who may not know, how good is the talent level in the USHL?

JOSH HAUGE (JH): It's the best 16-to-20 year olds in the country who aren't in college hockey. It's the top tier in United States junior hockey and a great league.

UHN: What are the benefits of playing in the USHL prior to college hockey?

JH: A player gets to be bigger, stronger, and faster. A player can really develop and mature. He finds out what it takes to manage his time and live away from home.

UHN: What kind of player has Vecchione been for you the past couple years?

Hauge (Tri-City Storm)

JH: The thing the fans notice is just how good of a skater he is. He's extremely fast, plays at a fast pace, and has a natural ability to score goals.

UHN: Vecchione has eight more points in nine fewer games than he did last year. What's behind the improvement?

JH: He's really developed as a player. He has a confidence now that he can score at this level. Statistically, he's improved a lot but his overall game has also improved by a lot... areas like his defensive play, his ability to block shots, play tough, and do the little things.

UHN: What's the biggest thing Vecchione will need to improve on at the college level?

JH: He needs to get that confidence right away that he can score at the collegiate level. It's a big adjustment for any player. But if he goes in there and plays confident, he'll be able to make a difference right away.

UHN: When Mingoia left Union, how did he end up in Tri-City?

JH: There were rumors that he was leaving school and we called some different people. I called the coaching staff at Union and they said they were talking but hadn't heard anything officially. The Union coaching staff was great through the whole process in helping us get Mingoia here. Even though [Union] didn't work out for him, I respect the way they took care of their player.

UHN: What have been your impressions of Mingoia since he joined your club?

JH: He's a great skater and he plays fast. I think he's learning to play a little tougher and a little harder than he did in college hockey. He'll be more successful the second time wherever he ends up next year.