Grading our Seniors

[Bleeding Orange]

I thought this was an interesting thread topic over at uscho.com, and couldn't help but contribute the following about our seniors. Let me know what you think. I did the best I could from memory.

----------------------

http://board.uscho.com/showthread.php?t=47165

Bowling Green Seniors in Alphabetical Order. For a team so young in talent, there are a few of the older guys really contributing this year:

Steve Brudzewski: B. What can you say about Bru? He is an absolute bruiser who will knock anyone around on the boards. He has proven himself physically, but his offensive output has been a bit disappointing (8 G, 4 A). Love to see him on the forecheck, though.

Taylor Christie: C-. Taylor has been pretty consistent all year in blocking shots and getting back on the fly. He's been an anchor on defense, but has contributed little on the offensive front. He does tend to get a bit sloppy, though, and is as a result our PIM leader with 58. Its unfortunate that a senior is leading in this category.

Ryan Minnabarriet: B+. Ryan has been a true asset to our team this year. As one of our tri-captains, he has proven his leadership skills both on and off the ice. With 22 points so far, too, he has been an offensive leader.

Chris Pedota: D. Sometimes I just want to get out on the ice and push Chris. OK, I want to get out on the ice and push Chris ALL the time! He is a very stocky defenseman at 5-11, 216, and his speed suffers for it. He has been beaten back to the zone more than a couple of times this year. I hate to rag on the kid because he is a VERY hard worker, but I have been frustrated by his play quite a bit this year.

Alex Rogosheski: A. Another tri-captain, Rogo has overcome quite a bit this year to become a team leader. After being implicated as a captain in the photo-scandal at the beginning of the year, I know more than a few people doubted that he would be able to lead the team as well as he could have. After being cleared and returning to the lineup, however, he has proven everyone wrong. He has turned into a true enforcer on the forecheck this year, going balls-to-the-wall after anyone with the puck. As a forward, this mentality has hurt his point totals, but has truly helped our defense get the puck out of the zone. Rogo is also our leading penalty killer, for much the same reason. Having come from the U.S. Military Academy, we have benefitted a great deal from his discipline.

Jordan Sigalet: A+. Jordan's accomplishments on and off the ice have been well documented this year. What often goes unrecognized about Jordan, however, is that he is the first goalie in BGSU history to wear the captain's "C." He was elected a tri-captain by the team not because of what he has done playing with MS, but because of what he has done for this program and its development (indeed, captain elections came when no one on the team knew of his disease). He has been a workhorse in net for the Falcons, leading the nation in saves last year, and has kept us in too many games to count. Without Jordan, the BG Hockey program might still be in the basement of the CCHA. But, thanks to his ability not only to keep the team in the game as a netminder, but also to his ability to motivate and lift up the players around him, BG is once again on the rise. This is being reflected in our stellar recruiting classes this year and last, and Jordan can be given much of the credit for this.

Overall we've gotten great leadership from all of our seniors this year. They have gone out of their way to create a team atmosphere for all of our young players. Little things like cooking dinner for Freshman have gone a long way in causing this team to gel on the ice and return to the upper echelon of the conference. Their contributions will surely carry over in the coming years, and their effect will be felt for a long, long time in Falcon country.

Thanks seniors!