USHL West Division Preview by Trevor Grimm

How do the Lincoln Stars follow up a 41-16-1 season? Simply with a team that should again be the best in the USHL.

1. LINCOLN STARS
Someone forgot to tell the Lincoln Stars about the concept of rebuilding.

Last season, the Stars dominated the second half of the regular season on their way to the first Anderson Cup in the franchise's four-year history, finishing with a 41-16-1 record.

So how do the Stars follow up an 83-point regular season? The answer is, with a team that just might be the best to ever lace up skates in Lincoln.

While the Stars could be poised to dominate the USHL in the fashion of the 1998-99 Des Moines Buccaneers, Lincoln will take a different approach to winning. While the 98-99 Bucs used offense to overpower opponents, the Stars will win games in their own end. The Stars return six defensemen from last season's best defensive squad, and if the preseason is any indication, they have two goalies as good as any in the league.

A big reason why Lincoln allowed just 139 goals in 58 games last year, 12 less than any other USHL team, was the play of blueliners Andy Schneider (7-10-17) and Nick Fouts (2-10-12). By the end of last season, Schneider and Fouts likely made up the USHL's best defensive duo. The duo will return in tact, using strength and hockey smarts to shut down the league's 11 other teams.

Schneider and Fouts are hardly Lincoln's only "Stars" on defense, however. Lee Marvin (1-8-9), Nick Fuher (6-10-16), Ken Scuderi (3-2-5), and Tom Watkins (0-3-3) all return on the blueline. These four defensemen give Lincoln a total of three rock-solid defensive pairings.

The last line of defense appears just as solid with rookie goaltenders Jake Brandt and Justin Johnson. Brandt was one of the top high school goaltenders in Minnesota last year while playing for perennial power Roseau, posting a 1.68 goals against average and a 92.7 percent save percentage. Johnson backstopped Blaine (Minn.) High School to the state championship in the large school division. In the Buc Bowl, Johnson and Brandt allowed a combined five goals in four games.

With all the attention focused on the Stars' defense, it would be easy to overlook their offense. One look at Lincoln's roster shows this would be a mistake, as the Stars offense is perhaps as good as any in the USHL.

The Stars are led offensively by returnees Preston Callander and Chris Fournier. Callander returns for his third season in Lincoln after notching 28 goals and 57 points in 1999-2000. Meanwhile, there are state legislators who are envious of the length of Fournier's term in Lincoln. The 5'9" forward, still just 18 years old, returns for his fourth season after posting 19 goals and 59 points last season.

Other returning forwards include Chad Hontvet (5-11-16), Ryan Young (10-11-21), Josh Magnuson (5-5-10), and Trevor Frischmon (1-1-2 in 4 games).

The returnees will be joined by a strong class of newcomers, including Marco Peluso, Matt Wavra, and John Snowden. The 5'10" Peluso finished 12th in America West Hockey League scoring last year, posting 63 points in 58 games with Bismarck. His style of play should remind Stars fans of Derek Reynolds, who achieved god-like status in Lincoln during the 1996-97 season. Wavra tallied 33 goals and 56 points with Butte of the AWHL last season, while Snowden played for the U.S. Under 18 team.

ANALYSIS: One year ago, the Stars were the league's best defensive team. Considering the Stars return six defensemen and USHL teams tend to emphasize defense more in recent years than in the early days of the league, it is not a stretch to say Lincoln might have the best defense in USHL history. As a whole, the forwards appear just as strong, if not stronger, than last season. Callander and Fournier are as talented as any forwards in the USHL and several newcomers will have immediate impacts. And with Brandt and Johnson in goal, the Stars have not lost a beat between the pipes. Add it all up, and the Stars are the favorite to repeat as Anderson Cup champions.

2. SIOUX FALLS STAMPEDE
So much for the struggles of expansion teams.

Prior to last season, the last time the USHL expanded was the 1996-97 season. That year, the expansion Lincoln Stars took home the Clark Cup, symbolic of USHL playoff supremacy.

Then comes last season, which saw the introduction of the Sioux Falls Stampede. The name was appropriate, as Sioux Falls stampeded their way through the regular season with a 37-17-4 record, second only to Anderson Cup champion Lincoln. Although a first round loss to eventual Gold Cup champion Twin Cities ended Sioux Falls' season prematurely, the Stampede seem poised to challenge for the Anderson Cup once again.

One glance at the roster shows the Stampede are an offensive powerhouse. Ten forwards return from last year's team, which led the league with 239 goals. Leading the way is Dave Iannazzo, who posted more points last season (25-34-59) than any other returning player in the league. The 5'9" forward will hardly have to shoulder the load alone, however.

Joining Iannazzo are scoring machines Mike Doyle (23-33-56) and Chad Larose (29-26-55). The trio combined for 160 points last season, and should top that mark this season.

Other returning forwards are J.B. Bittner (22-25-47), James Massen (16-17-33), Thomas Vanek (15-18-33), Donny DeMars (6-8-14), John Funk (5-8-13), Jeff Corey (6-4-10), and Dustan Lick (2-6-8).

With six returning forwards posting at least 30 points last season, it would appear at first glance that Sioux Falls should run away with the USHL title. However, the defense, while solid overall, lacks the experience of Lincoln, and that is what ultimately could drop Sioux Falls to second place.

Leading the way on the blueline are USHL veterans Jon Dubel (3-20-23) and Eric Werner, who played with the USA Under 18 team last year. Jamie Mattie, a 20-year-old Nova Scotia native who will add veteran leadership, will join them on the blueline. Tom Zaleski, who played five games with the Stampede last season, will take on a greatly increased role on the blueline.

The majority of goaltending duties will likely fall to Zach Sikich, who posted a 2.64 goals against average, .926 save percentage, and a 6-2-1 record in limited action last season. He will face competition from Kellen Briggs, who posted a 2.13 goals against average and a .922 save percentage with the Vail AAA midget team last season.

ANALYSIS: In most USHL seasons, a team with 10 returning forwards, including six with more than 30 points in the previous season, would be considered clear favorites. This season, however, it will be a two-team race between Lincoln and Sioux Falls. Although the Stampede have a formidable offense that should be as strong as Des Moines' offense in 98-99, the Stars counter with a strong offense and an outstanding defense. In the end, Sioux Falls will make the Anderson Cup race very interesting, as the race could come down to head-to-head games between the Stars and Stampede. Still, the Stampede may have to pick up the physical play if they want to guarantee they will not fall victim to a playoff upset for the second straight year.

3. SIOUX CITY MUSKETEERS
When Dave Hakstol announced he was leaving Sioux City to take an assistant coaching job at the University of North Dakota, few could have suspected what was coming next.

What came next was a name from the past - Dave Siciliano. Long time USHL fans will remember Siciliano's name from the heyday of the Thunder Bay Flyers. Over seven seasons in Thunder Bay, Siciliano posted a 218-77-10 record while winning four Anderson Cups and two Clark Cups.

Sioux City certainly hopes and believes Siciliano can duplicate his Thunder Bay success, and given time, there is no reason to believe he will not. As a mid-summer hire, it might be too much to expect for Siciliano to take the Muskies to a championship this year, but few are willing to bet against Siciliano in the long run.

In the short term, Sioux City will field a very competitive squad. Up front, the Muskies return several key players, including Scott Polaski (15-22-37), Jeff Van Dyke (12-14-26), Brendan McCartin (13-11-24), Matt Ciancio (6-8-14), Brendan Schmitt (4-9-13), and Trent Mozak (4-3-7).

Key rookies include John Zeiler, Patrick Knutson, and speedy Erik Johnson, all of whom should be impact players in their inaugural USHL seasons. Zeiler played last season with the Pittsburgh Hornets midget AAA squad, posting 17 goals and 32 points to go with 94 penalty minutes in 27 games. Knutson led East Grand Forks (Minn.) High School in scoring last season with 22 goals and 35 points.

On the blueline, the Muskies are somewhat of an unknown commodity. The lone returnees are Tim Judy (5-10-15) and Ryan Geris (0-0-0 in 13 games), but the Muskies have a lot of defensive potential. More than six and a half feet of potential comes packaged as 18-year-old Arthur Femenella, who stands 6'7" and weighs 237 pounds. Femenella spent most last season with the USA Under 17 team, where he posted 156 penalty minutes and 8 assists in 54 games.

Another name from the past comes in Dan Cohen, the brother of former Musketeer Sandy Cohen. Cohen joins the Muskies after posting 5 goals and 17 points with the Ontario Hockey Association's Bowmanville Eagles last season. Matthew Fetzer and Justin Fletcher, a pair of 17-year-olds from Illinois, should develop into solid USHL defensemen.

The Musketeers look solid in goal with Bryan Smith and Casey Beauvais. Beauvais was second-team all-AWHL with Great Falls last season and played well in preseason games.

OUTLOOK: The Musketeers have developed a reputation as a physical, tenacious squad that does not back down from a challenge. With Siciliano behind the bench, Muskie fans can be certain they are getting 100% from their team every night. As a veteran coach who has been successful at every level, Siciliano will have the respect and attention of his team. Add it all up, and the Muskies have a good chance to end up with home ice advantage in the first round.

4. DES MOINES BUCCANEERS
Heading into last season, everyone knew the Des Moines Buccaneers had a tough act to follow.

After all, the 1998-99 squad merely posted a 48-7-1 record on their way to the Anderson Cup and the Clark Cup before falling to Compuware in the national championship game.

To top it all off, Des Moines coach Scott Owens headed to his alma mater, Colorado College, to take the head coaching job there following the season, leaving much uncertainty heading into last season.

The Bucs made it out alright, posting a 35-20-3 record, good for fifth place in the regular season. After a first round victory against Omaha, the Bucs took eventual Clark Cup champion Green Bay to five games before bowing out.

Still, the season left many Bucs fans with a bittersweet feeling. While the Bucs spent parts of the season in first place and looked like the league's best team on many nights, there were also many long nights, such as the 10-1 home ice loss to Twin Cities or the 7-1 home ice loss to Lincoln. In addition, by the end of the season, some fans accused the Bucs of playing as five individuals instead of as a team.

Heading into this season, many of the same questions remain. Once again, there is little question that the Bucs have plenty of offensive talent. The question is whether the Bucs will be able to develop as a cohesive unit and parlay that into on-ice success.

Up front, the Bucs are led by returnees Wade Chiodo (12-8-20 in 30 games), Ryan Bennett (14-14-28), and Ryan Kirchhoff (5-11-16). The trio will receive significant offensive help from Doug Meyer and Marcus Forsberg. Meyer joins the Bucs after a season with the University of Minnesota, while Forsberg comes to Des Moines from Mariesred, Sweden. Forsberg's skating style during the preseason has reminded many of his more famous namesake.

Other key offensive players for Des Moines include David Klema (1-1-2 in four games) and Ross Carlson, who joins the Bucs after a successful high school career at Duluth (Minn.) East High School.

The Bucs feature a physically imposing defense that could cause some damage if they maintain a physical style. Returnee Paul Baumgartner (1-9-10), who stands 6'1" and weight 215 pounds, has looked impressive through the preseason and should anchor the defensive corps. He will be joined by newcomers Arne Martensson (6-3", 200), Luke Irwin (6'1", 190), Chris Hennum (5-11", 180), and James Jernberg (6'4", 240). Returnees Mark Murphy (0-2-2, 6'2", 170) and Tony Tomaino (0-1-1, 5'10", 170) also figure to get plenty of playing time.

The starting goaltending position again falls to Mike Mantua. The feisty Mantua posted a 3.04 goals against average and a .906 save percentage in 41 games last season. While Mantua's competitiveness can be an advantage, he has been accused of losing his composure on several occasions.

ANALYSIS: The Buccaneers are one of the more unpredictable teams entering the season. There is sufficient talent at virtually every position for Des Moines to have a successful season and home-ice advantage in the first round. However, during the preseason, the Bucs showed a tendency to lapse back into the mode of playing as five individuals instead of as a cohesive unit. If that problem is rectified, the Bucs will be a solid team in an extremely competitive division. However, if everyone tries to do too much on their own, the other teams in the division all have the potential to make the Bucs pay in the standings

5. TRI-CITY STORM
For the past three decades, the Twin Cities/St. Paul Vulcans have toiled in relative obscurity in their hometown.

The Vulcans tried several homes in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area, but were never able to draw more than a few hundred fans for home games. Eventually, the lack of community interest took its toll, and the Vulcans headed south for Kearney, Neb., where there is anything but a lack of interest.

Months before playing a home game, the Storm had sold roughly 3,000 season tickets, and there was already a waiting list for season tickets. Single game tickets figure to sell out shortly after going on sale, and sellouts are virtually guaranteed for all home games.

In other words, by the time the Storm has played four home games, they will have drawn more fans than the Vulcans would in a typical season.

Not only will the Storm have success off the ice, they bring a championship with them to the Tri-City area, defined as the cities of Kearney, Grand Island, and Hastings. Ironically, despite the success of the league's two other Nebraska franchises, the Storm bring the Gold Cup to Nebraska for the first time. Technically, it was won when the Storm were in Minnesota, but the reigning champions now reside in Nebraska.

Although most of last year's Vulcans have moved on to college hockey, the cupboard is not bare for the Storm. Leading the way up front is Brad Thompson, who tallied 16 goals and 34 points last season. Other returning forwards include 6'4", 210-pound Matt Froehlich (2-10-12) and John Hart (2-4-6 in 6 games).

Konrad Reeder, a 5'8" forward from Vanderhoof, British Columbia, will add some quickness up front. Other key newcomers at forward include David Bogulawski and Loren Havemeier, who led Minnesota high schoolers with 51 goals last season with Sleepy Eye High School.

The Storm look solid on defense, led by returnees Bryan Schmidt (0-8-8, 6'2", 220) and Greg Zemple (0-6-6, 6'2", 195). Tri-City has also added some newcomers with good size, such as Troy Troje, a 6'4", 240-pound blueliner from Henry Sibley High School in St. Paul. Other rearguards include Jesse Minneman (6'1", 215), Sukias Akopyan (5'10", 185), Travis Kuznia (5'10", 184), and Chad Anderson (6'2", 195).

Tri-City takes three goaltenders into the season, including Massachusetts native Bill Zaniboni, who posted a .950 save percentage in his senior high school season with Catholic Memorial (Boston). The Storm's other goaltenders are Josh Hooyer and Schuyler Hoversten.

ANALYSIS: For years, the Vulcans played in front of sparse crowds in a community that showed virtually no interest in junior hockey. It will be interesting to see how the increased attention affects the Storm. If anything, the increased attention and crowds should motivate the team, much like Lincoln's crowd did for the Stars four years ago. Tri-City should have little difficulty making the playoffs, although home ice advantage is unlikely with a relatively inexperienced team. However, once they get to the playoffs, the Storm could make some noise. If one of the goaltenders turns out to be a solid number one goalie, the Storm's size could help them win a round or two in the playoffs.

6. OMAHA LANCERS
It took the rest of the USHL most of last season to figure out how to beat the Omaha Lancers, but once they did, there was no stopping the rest of the league.

The Lancers collapsed during the home stretch last year, falling from first to fourth in the season's final two months, then losing to Des Moines in the first round of the playoffs.

If it hadn't been for goaltender Dan Ellis, however, the Lancers would likely have never gone even that far. Ellis had a goals against average of 2.25 and a save percentage of .925 while appearing in 55 of 58 regular season games last season.

The bad news for Omaha? Ellis will be playing a few miles further east this season, as he is now with the University of Omaha Mavericks. Considering the Lancers' offensive struggles last season (168 goals in 58 games), this has the potential to be a rare mediocre season for Omaha.

If the Lancers are to have any success, they will have to rely on newcomers to pick up much of the load. The Lancers received a boost when forward Dan Welch, who played for the University of Minnesota last season, joined the team. Welch has looked impressive in preseason, and that will have to continue for Omaha to be successful. Other key newcomers up front are Jake Fleming, who skated for the USA Under 18 team last season (9-18-27), Ryan Ronkowski (10-10-20 with Lincoln), Alberta native Riley Riddell, and Aaron Slattengren, who scored 67 points with Proctor (Minn.) High School.

The Lancers return a handful of forwards, although none of them posted Sejna-like numbers last season. Dan Hacker (5-6-11), Mike Neilon (2-0-2 in 12 games), and James Martin (0-1-1) will be looked to for offensive contributions this season.

Three blueliners return from last season's squad, including Jason Krischuk (8-10-18), Jeremy Downs (6-7-13), and Bryce Lampman (1-2-3). Former USA Under 18 team member Keith Ballard will be an impact player for Omaha.

The situation in goal is much more uncertain than it was a year ago. Marty Magers, Dan Hoehne, and Stephen Murphy will compete for playing time. Of the three, Murphy is the most intriguing, as he hails from East Kilbride, Scotland, and spent last season with the Fif Flyers.

ANALYSIS: The Lancers were fortunate to have Ellis in goal last season, as without Ellis, Omaha might have missed the playoffs for the first time in recent history. This time around, the Lancers will have to get by without Ellis. Although Omaha has added some offensive firepower, this is still not an imposing team at any position. The coaching of Mike Hastings will ensure the Lancers do not fall too far, but any thoughts of home ice advantage in the playoffs are overly optimistic. A more realistic goal is to keep the Lancers' streak of consecutive playoff berths alive and hope to do some damage once they get there. However, any major success is likely at least a year away for Omaha.

By Trevor Grimm