Wolverines Ink Five Players for 2010-11 Season
11/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Ice Hockey
Nov. 23, 2009
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan ice hockey head coach Red Berenson announced today (Monday, Nov. 23) that the team has received National Letters of Intent from two forwards and three defensemen for the 2010-11 campaign. Jacob Fallon (Southlake, Texas) and Luke Moffatt (Paradise Valley, Ariz.) are forwards for the U.S. National Team Development Program. Two of the three defensemen also hail from the U.S. NTDP -- Kevin Clare (New Rochelle, N.Y.) and Jon Merrill (Brighton, Mich.). Defenseman Mac Bennett (Narragansett, R.I.) plays for the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Roughriders of the United States Hockey League.
"I think the class is a quality class. I don't know that it's a class of game breakers, but I don't know how you'd describe them," said head coach Red Berenson. "[Jacob] Fallon, for example, is a real good hockey player from [Texas]. He's been with the [U.S. NTDP] and hasn't played much this year, but he'll be playing shortly. Luke Moffatt is from Arizona. These are non-traditional recruits that we probably never would have found had it not been for the [U.S. NTDP] finding them in these prospect camps. Moffatt is a kid that always wanted to come to Michigan. He's a good hockey player, good hands. I think they both have some skill and some smarts and we'll see how they do when they get here. It's about development. Then there are three defensemen. Mac Bennett is a kid from Rhode Island who is playing in the USHL in Cedar Rapids. He's a pretty good player. He has good offensive upside, smarts. He could be a real good Division I defenseman. The other two are over in the U.S. development program. Jon Merrill has been a top young defenseman his whole life. He's a real good prospect. He's good with the puck and really good without the puck. Kevin Clare is more of a physical, abrasive defenseman. He's good defensively and can shoot the puck. All three of those defenseman should come in and be able to help our team."
Bennett (5-11, 168) has a goal and three assists in 10 games for the Roughriders. The rearguard missed a handful of Cedar Rapids games in early November while skating for Team USA at the 2009 World Junior 'A' Challenge. Bennett helped the Americans win the gold medal and was named to the tournament all-star team, posting one assist in five games. Bennett was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the third round (79th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. He spent the 2008-09 season as an alternate captain at the Hotchkiss School (Conn.), where he had a 2-11-13 line in 15 games due to an injury-shortened season.
Clare (6-1, 202) is in his second season with the U.S. NTDP. A member of the Under-18 Team this year, he has two goals, one assist and 37 penalty minutes in 22 games. Clare accumulated six goals and 12 assists in 66 games with the U.S. Under-17 Team in 2008-09. He served as the team captain during the first half of the year.
Fallon (5-10, 184) has yet to play during the 2009-10 season, though he is a member of the U.S. NTDP. Last year with the U.S. Under-17 Team, he racked up 17 goals and 27 assists for 44 points. Five of his goals and three of his assists came at the 2009 World Under-17 Challenge.
Merrill (6-3, 200) has four goals -- all on the power play -- and 10 assists with eight penalty minutes through 22 games with the U.S. NTDP Under-18 team. Merrill split time between the U.S. Under-17 and Under-18 Teams in 2008-09, contributing three goals and five assists over 43 games between the two squads. Ultimately, he helped Team USA win the gold medal at the IIHF World Under-18 Championship. Merrill was rated the No. 7 prospect among his USHL/U.S. NTDP peers by the NHL Central Scouting Service's preliminary rankings on Nov. 17.
Moffatt (6-0, 179) has scored three goals and added seven assists for 10 points in 22 games with the U.S. NTDP Under-18 Team this fall. He notched 21 goals and 20 assists over 67 games as a member of the U.S. Under-17 Team in 2008-09. Moffatt was rated No. 13 in the USHL/U.S. NTDP category by the NHL CSS preliminary rankings last week.
Additionally, Clare, Merrill and Moffatt contributed to Team USA's first-place showing at the 2009 Four Nations Cup in Finland in October.
The Wolverines will graduate five players from their 2009-10 roster: forwards Anthony Ciraulo (Clinton Township, Mich.), Brian Lebler (Penticton, B.C.) and defensemen Eric Elmblad (St. Ignace, Mich.), Steve Kampfer (Jackson, Mich.) and Chris Summers (Milan, Mich.).
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| Jon Merrill | Kevin Clare | Jacob Fallon | Luke Moffatt |
Czarnik Quits Team
Sophomore forward Robbie Czarnik (Washington, Mich.) has quit the Michigan hockey team, Coach Berenson announced on Monday (Nov. 23). Czarnik had eight goals and 14 assists over 51 career games for Michigan.
Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423
