As the Knoxville Ice Bears prepare for the 2009-10 season, they will be evaluating some new players and re-evaluating some familiar faces.
Head coach Marc Rodgers has extended try-out agreements to Glenn Cacaro, Dan Earls, Adam Larsen and Chris Hollens. These players will participate in training camp, which begins Monday, October 12, in an attempt to be awarded a spot on the Ice Bears final roster. The Southern Professional Hockey League allows each team to bring 30 players to training camp before submitting an 18-man roster.
Ice Bears fans may remember Glenn Cacaro. The 6-foot, 190 pound defenseman was signed to a three-game try-out last season, and then Knoxville signed him for an additional two games. Prior to coming to the Ice Bears, Cacaro played for Nichols College in Dudley, Massachusetts from 2005-2009. During that time, he played 110 games, scored six goals, had 17 assists and 243 penalty minutes. Cacaro is the first person born in South Dakota to play hockey in the professional ranks.
Goalie Dan Earles attended the Knoxville Ice Bears training last season, and made the final goalie cut very difficult for the coaching staff. Even though the Ice Bears decided to go with two seasoned players, Kirk Irving and Andrew Gallant, instead of a rookie, Earles is talented. While playing at North Country Community College, he was ranked at the top of the NJCAA in goaltending statistics. He also had a stellar career in the junior hockey when he played for the Penetang Kings.
“I have seen Cacaro and Earles in action. I was pleased with Glenn’s performance when he was with us at the end of last season. I expect him to exceed that level of play. And, if he does, he will make a great addition to our defensive unit. Earles showed maturity, poise and consistency in the net during the 2008 training camp. With Kirk Irving retiring, Earles may be a great fit for our second goalie spot,” commented Rodgers.
Adam Larsen is a native of Port Moody, British Columbia. The 6-1, 210 pound forward played for the Selkirk Steelers in the Metropolitan Junior Hockey League (MJHL) last season. During 54 games, Larsen scored 13 goals, had seven assists and 94 penalty minutes. Reportedly, Larsen is a good skater, a hard hitter, and will chip in goals. Adam is a competitor, willing to do mix it up when needed. He will bring a physical component to our team and I believe opponents will have to keep an eye on him every time he is on the ice.
Center Chris Hollens has played hockey at several different levels since 2000, including the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League, Maritime Junior A Hockey League, Atlantic Coast Hockey League, United Hockey League, and most recently with Portage College of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. While at Portage, he played 26 games, scored five goals and had seven assists and 18 penalty minutes.
Marc Rodgers said, “Even though Larsen and Hollens will both have to prove themselves during training camp, I am looking for them to bring more physicality to the team. This is especially true of Adam. Our team is going to have to play intense hockey the entire season to compete with the new teams and the new talent that they will bring to the Southern Professional Hockey League.”
No comments:
Post a Comment