There was a high level of interest in Team Indiana players shown by Junior and college scouts and coaches at this year’s Showcase. This was especially true for the six seniors on the squad. Three fast-paced, hard fought and very competitive games not only got the scouts’ attention but kept them intrigued throughout the weekend. They were lined up outside the TI locker room after every game.
Playing in the A "Stripes" pool, Team Indiana opened the tournament with a 3-2 victory over Team Midwest. Unfortunately for TI, that would be the only win on the weekend, dropping two close games against Team Illinois (4-6) and Team Philadelphia (3-4 OT) before falling to Team Wisconsin (2-6) in the consolation round.
There were some bright spots for Team Indiana, as Alex Arnold finished tied for the scoring lead with 6 points in pool play (2 G, 4 A) and two more goals in the consolation game. Matt Spaletto took home the Peggy Fikis Award, given to the most outstanding goaltender in the tournament.
Representatives of 23 different programs talked to Team Indiana players during the Showcase. Others sent emails or called after the week was over. This is a unusually high number in light of the fact that two-thirds of our roster was made up of high school juniors.
College programs included University of Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Robert Morris, Pitt and Washington University. Scouts representing Junior teams from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Minnesota, Indiana and Virginia also talked to TI Players. Strong interest was shown by the Nashua Islanders, Minnesota Blue Ox, Steele County Blades and Brookings Blizzard, all members of the USPHL.
Scouts are usually more interested in seniors. That was certainly the case for Alex Arnold, Ryan Freeby and Joe Shaughnessy. Last year as a junior, Shaughnessy was spoken to by only one team. This year he was approached by several teams starting right after the first game. He has since signed with the Minnesota Blue Ox of the USPHL.
Juniors Mike Ivory, Ryan Calhoun and Ben Kinkade also caught the eye of several teams. With the unusually high number of returning players, we are looking for several other players on the TI roster having a chance to take their game past high school.
Not to be outdone, Team Indiana's Girls squad went 3-1 in pool play to reach the semi-final round. Team Wisconsin would once again prove to be TI's nemesis, ending the girls' bid to repeat as champions. Emily Devir would bring home some hardware, though, garnering the Ray Harrison Award for outstanding forward.
More information on Team Indiana can be found on the ISHSHA website.
