EGF's Gage Ausmus playing well in the Elite League

                Warroad power forward helps Great Plains dump Norway


A crazy thought went through Nick Stoskopf’s head while he was zooming in on a shorthanded breakaway during the third period of his Great Plains team’s 7-1 triumph over Norway.

Stoskopf, a senior from Warroad (pictured), briefly considered doing something fancy. Maybe one of those wacky, put-the-stick-between-your-legs-and-shoot moves.

“But the scouts would probably cross me off every list they have,” said Stoskopf, who instead went with the more conventional snap shot aimed for the upper corner.

“I saw the top corner was open, but that didn’t quite work out,” said Stoskopf, who scored 17 goals and added 22 assists while playing on Warroad’s top line last season. “I didn’t quite get her high enough.”

Stoskopf didn’t score on the breakaway but he did have a goal in the victory, giving him two goals and two assists in four Elite League games.

“It’s quite the experience,” Stoskopf said. “I watched (Warriors linemates from last season) Brock Nelson and Brett Hebel do it last year, and they came back for the season really in shape. They said it’s a great experience and it has been all of that so far.”

The heavy hitting Stoskopf (he stands 6-feet tall and weighs 191 pounds) classifies himself as a power forward, “but I like to claim that I have a couple of skills here and there.”

He will need all of his skills if Warroad, which placed third at the Class A state tournament last season, is going to have yet another successful season. Losing Nelson and Hebel also means the Warriors lost the bulk of their scoring.

“We’re all just going to have to step up our game and take care of Brock’s scoring,” Stoskopf said. “He had almost triple digits in points, so we’re going to have to have a few guys add up to that.”

Three Stars

1. Luke Johnson, Great Plains

Just a sophomore, the forward from Grand Forks Cenral (pictured) scored twice and added two assists as he used his quickness to routinely elude Norway’s defensemen. Johnson, despite his youth, might very well be North Dakota’s top scorer during the upcoming high school season.

2. Nick Stoskopf, Great Plains

Unlike the bulk of Great Plains’ waterbug forwards, the senior from Warroad plays a power game (Stoskopf never backs away from contact) but can put the puck in the net, too. Stoskopf scored a goal and almost made it two when he broke free for a shorthanded breakaway in the third period but failed to score on a rising glove-side shot.

3. Gage Ausmus, Great Plains


Making his first Elite League start, the East Grand Forks defenseman is a sophomore who played more like a senior. He was steady in the defensive zone and picked his spots well in the Norway end, where he scored a goal.

East Grand Forks' Poolman riding the wave

 Here's a good article on Greenwave defenseman Tucker Poolman.

East Grand Forks' Poolman riding the wave

09/10/2010, 11:19am (CDT)

By Loren Nelson, Editor

Great Plains defenseman could help tip balance of power in northwest

.Spotlight On: Tucker Poolman

Over the past several years, Warroad and Thief River Falls have made the Section 8A championship game more exclusive than the most trendy New York City nightclub.

While yet another Warriors vs. Prowlers final is a distinct possiblity again this high school season, keep an eye on East Grand Forks as a team with the talent to crash that party.

Senior defenseman Tucker Poolman (pictured above) is one of the reasons Warroad and Thief River Falls should be wary of the Green Wave. Poolman, making his Elite League debut this fall, was one of the standout defensemen for Great Plains in its 9-1 thumping of Norway.

“I tried out for the team this summer,” the 6-foot, 170-pound Poolman said. “I thought I did pretty well. Yeah, I was excited to make it.”

Poolman, who had three goals and nine assists in 27 games for East Grand Forks last season, spent the summer working out at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Grand Forks. One of his training partners was his defensive partner against Norway, Grand Forks Central senior Jeremy O’Keefe.

“I had no idea what to expect,” Poolman said about the matchup with Norway. “I heard some Norwegian out there. Some English, too.”

..Three Stars

Shane Omdahl

1. Shane Omdahl, Great Plains

The senior center from Roseau needed just 10 seconds to put his stamp on the new Elite League season, scoring a goal that would ignite the rout of Norway. Omdahl and linemates Josh Erickson of Roseau and Nick Stoskopf of Warroad were buzzing the Norway defense all game.

2. Eric Brenk, Great Plains

The speedy winger from Moorhead led all players with three points (one goal, two assists), routinely showing his eagerness to crash the net.

3. Mark Bittner, Great Plains

The senior defenseman from Crookston didn’t crack the scoresheet, but he scores big points for playing a football game Friday night (he’s the Pirates’ quarterback) and making the early morning drive to New Hope. He and defensive mate Carson Gray of Warroad were solid at both ends of the rink.

..Line Combos

GREAT PLAINS

Josh Erickson-Shane Omdahl-Nick Stoskopf

Comment: Last season the Great Plains line combination of two Warroad players (Brett Hebel and Brock Nelson) and one from Roseau (Adam Knochenmus) was one of the highest scoring in the league. This season the mix is slightly different with two Roseau players (Erickson and Omdahl) and one from Warroad (Stoskopf), but at first glance the grouping looks like it could be equally explosive.

John Simonson-Luke Johnson-Jordan Aamot

Comment: An all-Grand Forks Central trio, if these guys stay together during the North Dakota high school season they will be extremely difficult to stop. Aamot and Simonson each scored a goal and Johnson finished with two assists.

Eric Brenk-Bryant Christian-Casey Fugleberg

Comment: Speed, speed and more speed, with Moorhead’s Brenk and Christian were joined by Grand Forks Red River’s Fugleberg. Brenk had a game-high three points and Christian added a goal and an assist.

Micah Ranum-Alan Zahui-Conor Jonasson

Comment: Ranum of Thief River Falls had a goal playing on the unit with Zahui of Grand Forks Red River and Jonasson of West Fargo. This group played better and better as the game wore on and looked especially good in the third period.

..Recruiting Update: Shane Omdahl

Great Plains center Shane Omdahl of Roseau (pictured at right) figures to be on the short list of Mr. Hockey candidates during the coming high school season. He will also, undoubtedly, be heavily scrutinized by college coaches.

Omdahl, who had 27 goals and 42 assists last season to lead the Rams, said he has been in contact with Bemidji State and Colorado College but hasn’t received any scholarship offers.

He said he has toured the new Bemidji State Regional Events Center and came away impressed.

“Plus Bemidji is close to home,” he said.

..Football Foes

Great Plains head coach Scott Oliver missed his team's 10 a.m. game against Norway on Saturday in New Hope but was expected to arrive in the Twin Cities later in the day.

Oliver is the new head football coach at East Grand Forks. His Green Wave beat Crookston 34-20 on Friday night, and Oliver spent Saturday's early morning hours reviewing game film with his assistant coaches and players.

Meanwhile, Mark Bittner, Crookston's quarterback and Great Plains defenseman, left home at 4:30 a.m. for the long drive to the Twin Cities.

Great Plains assistant coach Chad Hommerding handled the head coaching duties in place of Oliver.

East Grand Forks' Poolman riding the wave

MN High School Elite League

The Elite League is becoming a big part of our High School athletes' development and provides additional exposure to opportunities to play our game past the High School level.  Currently we have Tucker Poolman and Gage Ausmus representing our Greenwave in the Elite League.  Former Greenwave Michael Palmiscno and Jake Useldinger competed in this fall league and have continued their playing careers.  Palmiscno is currently a sophomore at St. Johns University.  Useldinger is playing for the Coulee Region Chill of the North American Hockey League in Onalaska, WI.

ELITE LEAGUE PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY, STRENGTHENS HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY


From Warroad to Winona, high school hockey is part of the fabric of Minnesota. But several years ago, the sport was threatened by the growing appeal of junior hockey in the United States. Some of Minnesota’s best players were leaving their hometown high schools, foregoing their remaining high school eligibility, to seek better competition and increased exposure in junior leagues.

The Upper Midwest High School Elite League was founded to give those players another way to find top-flight competition and exposure without leaving their homes, or missing all of the great experiences that high school hockey provides.

The concept was simple: Find a way to give these players the competition and exposure they needed, without disrupting the high school experience. “We wanted to keep these kids at home, and needed to give them a reason to commit to staying with their hometown teams,” said John Russo, one of the league founders and current Commissioner of the Elite League. “At the same time, we didn’t want to do anything to reduce opportunities for kids who want to play football or another fall sport.”

Those goals were met by scheduling Elite League games on Saturdays and Sundays, spread over seven fall weekends, leaving athletes free for traditional fall sports. A rigorous tryout and selection process ensured that the league’s competition level would be high. And word quickly spread among the scouting and coaching communities that the Elite League was a terrific place to watch a number of prospects at one time.

The Minnesota Hockey Coaches Association (MHCA) recognizes the importance of keeping players in school, and the contribution the Elite League makes towards meeting that goal. In 2007, the MHCA launched an ad campaign with the theme “Nothing Compares,” encouraging Minnesota hockey players to stay in school. “High school hockey is such a terrific experience, and we want as many kids as possible to have the opportunity,” said Ken Pauly, coach at Benilde-St. Margaret’s and one of the catalysts behind the MHCA’s promotional efforts. “The Elite League has been a terrific alternative for players who want to play at a high level, perform in front of scouts and still create those special high school hockey memories with their buddies.”

After a 21-game regular season and league tournament, 40 players from the Elite League are selected for one of two Minnesota teams that compete in the Bauer National Invitational Tournament. Nearly 100 professional scouts and Division 1 college coaches will watch, along with parents, fans and many others who enjoy the special place high school hockey holds in Minnesota.

The High School Elite Hockey Development Program and the Upper Midwest High School Hockey Elite League operates from September through mid-November and is intended primarily as a high-level supplement to the High School season. The program is a non-profit, 501(c)3 venture. The league features five teams from Minnesota, one North Dakota/Minnesota combo team and Wisconsin's top prep team. Shattuck's top team and other top Midget AAA teams also participate in some of the league's action.

High School Elite Hockey has a dedicated staff of paid and volunteer individuals who administrate, promote, scout and coach on behalf of the program.

Here is a list of all of the Former Elite League NHL Draft Picks

UMHSEL Draft Selections


Name Elite League Team High School Draft Year NHL Team Round Overall College

Nick Leddy Southwest Eden Prairie 2009 Minnesota 1st 16 Minnesota

Jordan Schroeder Southeast St. Thomas 2009 Vancouver 1st 22 Minnesota

Zach Budish Southwest Edina 2009 Nashville 2nd 41 Minnesota

Ben Hanowski North Little Falls 2009 Pittsburgh 3rd 63 St. Cloud State

Josh Birkholz Northwest Blake 2009 Florida 3rd 67 Minnesota

Troy Hesketh Southwest Minnetonka 2009 Edmonton 3rd 71 Wisconsin

Dan DeLisle Southwest Totino Grace 2009 Chicago 3rd 89 Minnesota-Duluth

Michael Lee Great Plains Roseau 2009 Phoenix 3rd 91 North Dakota

Nick Oliver Great Plains Roseau 2009 Nashville 4th 110 St. Cloud State

Seth Helgeson Southeast Faribault 2009 New Jersey 4th 114 Minnesota

Alex Fallstrom Shattuck Shattuck 2009 Minnesota 4th 116 Harvard

Jeff Costello Wisconsin Madison 2009 Ottawa 5th 146 Notre Dame

Nick Jensen Northwest Rogers 2009 Detroit 5th 150 St. Cloud State

Anders Lee Southwest Edina 2009 NY Islanders 6th 182 Notre Dame

Erik Haula Shattuck Shattuck 2009 Minnesota 7th 182 Minnesota

Kirill Gotovets Shattuck Shattuck 2009 Tampa Bay 7th 183 Colgate

Max Tardy North Duluth East 2009 St. Louis 7th 202 Minnesota-Duluth

Jake Gardiner Southwest Minnetonka 2008 Anaheim 1st 17 Wisconsin

Aaron Ness Great Plains Roseau 2008 N.Y. Islanders 2nd 40 Minnesota

Cory Fienhage Northeast Eastview 2008 Buffalo 3rd 81 North Dakota

Justin Jokinen North Cloquet 2008 Buffalo 4th 101 Mankato

Nick Larson Southeast St. Thomas 2008 Calgary 4th 108 Notre Dame

Drew Olson North Brainerd 2008 Columbus 4th 118 UMD

Jeff Foss Great Plains Moorhead 2008 Nashville 6th 166 RPI

Joe Gleason Southwest Edina 2008 Chicago 7th 192 North Dakota

Nate Condon Wiscosin Wausau West 2008 Colorado 7th 200 Minnesota

Ryan McDonough Northeast Cretin Derham 2007 Monteral 1st 12 Wisconsin

Patrick White North Grand Rapids 2007 Vancouver 1st 25 Minnesota

Nico Sacchetti North Virginia 2007 Dallas 2nd 50 Minnesota

Mike Hoeffel Northeast Hill Murray 2007 N.J. 2nd 57 Minnesota

Jake Hansen Northeast WBL 2007 Chicago 3rd 68 Minnesota

Travis Erstad Wisconsin Stevens Point 2007 St. Louis 4th 100 Wisconsin

John Lee Great Plains Moorhead 2007 Florida 5th 131 North Dakota

Josh Turnbull North Duluth East 2007 L.A. 5th 137 Wisconsin

Scott Kishel North Virginia 2007 Monteral 7th 192 UMD

David Fischer Southeast Aple Valley 2006 Monteral 1st 20 Minnesota

Carl Sneep North Brainerd 2006 Pittsburgh 2nd 32 Boston College

Mike Forney North Thief River Falls 2006 Atlanta 3rd 80 North Dakota

Aaron Marvin Great Plains Warroad 2006 Calgary 3rd 89 St. Cloud

Andy Sackrison Southwest St. Louis Park 2006 St. Louis 5th 124 Mankato

Jordan Fulton Northwest Breck 2006 Calgary 6th 179 UMD

Chris Hickey Northeast Cretin Derham 2006 Minnesota 7th 192 Wisconsin

Jay Barriball Southwest Holy Angels 2006 San Jose 7th 203 Minnesota

Boys' College Committments

HS Grad Year Name High School College Elite League Team

2010 Mark Alt Cretin Derham Hall Minnesota Southeast

2010 Joe Basaraba Shattuck Minnesota Duluth Shattuck

2010 Nick Bjugstad Blaine College Northwest

2010 Chris Casto Hill Murray Minnesota Duluth Northeast

2010 Jason Clark Shattuck Wisconsin Shattuck

2010 Willie Corrin International Falls Minnesota Duluth North

2010 Justin Crandall St. Thomas Minnesota Duluth Southeast

2010 Cal Decowski Andover Minnesota Duluth Northwest

2010 Joe Faust Bloomington Jefferson Princeton Southeast

2010 Danny Fick Forest Lake Harvard North

2010 Derek Forbort Duluth East North Dakota North

2010 Tyson Fulton Breck Union College Northwest

2010 Max Gaede Woodbury Minnesota State Southeast

2010 Max Gardiner Minnetonka Minnesota Southwest

2010 Kirill Gotovets Shattuck Cornell Shattuck

2010 Zane Gothberg Thief River Falls North Dakota Great Plains

2010 Garrett Hendrickson Virginia St. Cloud State North

2010 Caleb Herbert Bloomington Jefferson Minnesota Duluth Southwest

2010 Troy Hesketh Minnetonka Wisconsin Southwest

2010 Justin Holl Minnetonka Minnesota Southwest

2010 Christian Isackson St. Thomas Minnesota Southeast

2010 Adam Krause Hermantown Minnesota Duluth North

2010 J.P. Lafontaine Shattuck Minnesota State Shattuck

2010 Tony Larson Blaine Alaska Anchorage Northeast

2010 Ben Marshall Mahtomedi Minnesota Northeast

2010 Michael Morin Breck Colorado College Southwest

2010 Jimmyy Mullin Shattuck Miami - Ohio Shattuck

2010 Brock Nelson Warroad North Dakota Great Plains

2010 James Polk Shattuck Nebraska Omaha Shattuck

2010 Andrew Prochno Minnetonka St. Cloud State Southwest

2010 Connor Reilly Holy Angels Minnesota Northeast

2010 Ryan Reilly Holy Angels Minnesota Northeast

2010 Eric Scheid Blaine Alaska Anchorage Northwest

2010 Archie Skalbeck Hopkins Colorado College Southwest

2010 Brett Stern Centennial Minnesota State Northeast

2010 Andy Welinski Duluth East Minnesota Duluth North

2009 Matt Bruneteau Shattuck Vermont Shattuck

2009 Cody Strang Madison Edgewood Wisconsin Wisconsin

2009 Ben Hanowski Little Falls St. Cloud State North

2009 Danny Mattson Holy Angels North Dakota Southwest

2009 Zach Budish Edina Minnesota Southwest

2009 Nick Leddy Eden Prairie Minnesota Southwest

2009 Tyler Pitlick Centennial Minnesota State Northeast

2009 Nick Oliver Roseau St. Cloud State Great Plains

2009 Josh Birkholz Blake School Minnesota Northwest

2009 Seth Helgeson Faribault Minnesota Southeast

2009 Marshall Everson Edina Harvard Southwest

2009 Tyler Lapic New Prague Wisconsin Southeast

2009 Max Tardy Duluth East Minnesota Duluth North

2009 Zach Palmquist South St. Paul Minnesota State Southeast

2009 Ben Persian Orono Air Force Northwest

2009 Alex McLean Duluth East Air Force North

2009 Joe Rehkamp Breck Air Force Northwest

2009 Thomas Fallen Armstrong Air Force Northwest

2009 Patrick Borer Benilde St. Margarets Nebraska Omaha Northwest

2009 Izzak Berglund Little Falls Merrimack North

2009 Erik Haula Shattuck St. Marys Minnesota Shattuck

2009 Anders Lee Edina Notre Dame Southwest

2009 Aaron Harstad Stevens Point Colorado College Wisconsin

2009 Matt Paape Appleton United Wisconsin Wisconsin

2009 Dan Delisle Totino Grace Minnesota Duluth Northeast

2009 Nathan Sinz Shattuck St. Marys Colgate Shattuck

2009 Tyler Landman Roseau Providence Great Plains

2009 Brendan Baker Edina Holy Cross Southwest

2009 Alexander Fallstrom Shattuck St. Marys Harvard Shattuck

2009 Bill Simon Lakeville South Providence North

2009 Aaron Jamnick Hibbing Providence North

2009 Willie Hess Centennial Providence Northeast

2009 Nate Schmidt St. Cloud Cathedral Minnesota North

2009 Ryan Walters St. Thomas Minnesota Southeast

2009 Jeff Costello Catholic Memorial Notre Dame Wisconsin

2008 Ryan Bohrer Cretin Derham Hall Northeast Canisius

2008 Bo Dolan Hill Murray Northeast RPI

2008 Ben Lynch Blaine Northwest RIT

2008 Cory Thorson Armstrong Northwest St. Cloud State

2008 Chase Drake Mosinee Wisconsin Wisconsin

2008 Seth Soley Eau Claire Michigan Tech Wisconsin

2008 Jefferson Dahl Eau Claire Wisconsin Wisconsin

2008 Ted Behrend Oregon Colorado College Wisconsin

2008 Cody Strang Madison Edgewood Wisconsin Wisconsin

2008 Aaron Ness Roseau Minnesota Great Plains

2008 Brandon Bahneman Rochester Lourdes Bentley Southeast

2008 Jordy Murray Shattuck St.Mary's Wisconsin Great Plains

2008 Joe Gleason Edina North Dakota Southwest

2008 Jake Gardiner Minnetonka Wisconsin Southwest

2008 Joey Frazer Brainerd Nebraska Omaha North

2008 Alex Rush Eden Prairie Princeton Southwest

2008 John O'Neil Anoka Minnesota Duluth Northwest

2008 Adam Mueller Roseville Minnesota State Northeast

2008 Tyler Barnes Burnsville Wisconsin Southwest

2008 Nathan Condon Wausau West Minnesota Wisconsin

2008 Cory Fienhage Eastview North Dakota Northeast

2008 Jake Hendrickson Burnsville Minnesota Duluth Southwest

2008 Anthony Decenzo Hibbing Vermont North

2008 Chris Student Benilde St.Margaret Northeastern Southwest

2008 Justin Jokinen Cloquet Minnesota State North

2008 Anthony Raiola Minnetonka Massachusetts Southwest

2008 Bryce Ravndalen Warroad St. Cloud State Great Plains

2008 Matt Bergland Benilde St. Margarets Providence Southwest

2008 Dan Sova Hill Murray Michigan Tech Northeast

2008 Joe Howe Wayzata Colorado College Northwest

2008 Luke Greiner Shattuck St. Marys Harvard Shattuck

2008 Steven Hoshaw Culver Military Alaska Fairbanks Culver

2008 Corey Leivermann Mankato West Minnesota State Southwest

2008 Michael Lee Roseau St. Cloud State North

2007 Drew Olson Brainerd Minnesota Duluth North

2007 Rob Maloney Eastview Providence Southeast

2007 Luke McManus Rosemount Minnesota Duluth Southeast

2007 Zach Lehrke Park Rapids Minnesota State Great Plains

2007 David Eddy Woodbury St. Cloud State Northeast

2007 Chris Stafne Duluth Denfield Minnesota Duluth North

2007 David Brown Cloquet Providence North

2007 Jack Barnes The Blake School Army Southwest

2007 Ryan McDonagh Cretin-Derham Wisconsin Northeast

2007 Taylor Matson Holy Angels Minnesota Southwest

2007 Nick Larson Hill-Murray Minnesota Northeast

2007 Kent Patterson Blake School Minnesota Northwest

2007 Brandon Martell Elk River Ohio State Northwest

2007 Matt Reber Edina Dartmouth Southwest

2007 Joe Stejskal Grand Rapids Dartmouth North

2007 Scott Kishel Virginia Minnesota Duluth North

2007 James Knelman Holy Angels Colgate Southwest

2007 Jack Connelly Duluth Marshall Minnesota Duluth North

2007 Joe Schiller Detroit Lakes Minnesota State Great Plains

2007 Dan Vranek Eden Prairie New Hampshire Southwest

2007 Reid Ellingson Cloquet Northern Michigan North

2007 Nick Larson St. Thomas Notre Dame Southeast

2006 Patrick White Grand Rapids Minnesota North

2006 Tyler Johnson Cloquet Colorado College North

2006 Aaron Marvin Warroad St. Cloud State Great Plains

2006 Adam Estoclet Benilde St.Margaret Dartmouth Southwest

2006 Bryan Brutlag Holy Angels RPI Southwest

2006 Josh Levine Bloomington Jefferson Princeton Southwest

2006 Mike Louwerse Blake Minnesota State Southwest

2006 Jordy Christian Moorhead St. Cloud State Great Plains

2006 Chris Hickey Cretin Wisconsin Northeast

2006 John Lee Moorhead Denver Great Plains

2006 Tyler Kieffer Stillwater St. Cloud State Northeast

2006 Jeff Foss Moorhead RPI Great Plains

2006 Travis Erstad Stevens Point Wisconsin Wisconsin

2006 Tyler Thompson Benilde St.Margaret Minnesota State Southwest



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