Bowling Green State University Athletics
Hockey Team Adds Eight Players For Next Season
June 09, 2009 | Ice Hockey
Four Defensemen, Three Forwards, One Goalie Added For 2009-10 Season
The Bowling Green State University hockey program under head coach Scott Paluch has announced the addition of five new players to the program and a total of eight for next season.
Three players, defensemen Robert Shea and Ian Ruel along with forward Marc Rodriguez all previously signed their National Letter of Intent late in 2007, but opted to play another years in juniors to gain more experience.
The four who have recently signed their Letter of Intent include defenseman Max Grover, forwards Jordan Samuels-Thomas and Nathan Pageau and goaltender Andrew Hammond. The fifth player, defenseman Reed Rushing, will be a walk-on this season.
Grover, a 6-0, 192-pound native of Kentwood, Mich., played last season at Sioux Falls in the United States Hockey League (USHL) where he scored four goals and added 18 assists in 50 games. Grover had a +23 on-ice rating for the 2008-09 season with 68 penalty minutes. "Max is a very solid, dependable defenseman," said Paluch. "He is a tough defender and is a player who knows how to move the puck. He is a good two-way player."
Samuels-Thomas played last season with Waterloo of the USHL and was among the top point producers in the league. The South Windsor, Conn. native brings size (6-2, 190) to the program along the front line and the ability to score. Samuels-Thomas scored 32 goals last season and added 22 assists in 59 games while having an on-ice rating of +17 with 59 penalty minutes. He had three points (two goals) in three playoff games for the Black Hawks last season. "Jordan was among the league leaders in goals scored in the USHL," Paluch said. "He is a big-bodied power forward who has very good hands and a great scoring touch. He is going to be a terrific college player here at Bowling Green."
Pageau, who calls Stoney Creek, Ontario home, played for the Hamilton Red Wings of the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) last season and scored 103 points in 53 games. Pageau had 48 goals and assisted on 55 others with just 20 penalty minutes. Pageau (5-11, 168) was the division most valuable player. "Nathan is a very quick, skilled offensive player," Paluch stated. "His quickness and excellent hands give him a chance to produce immediately."
Hammond (6-1, 195) led Vernon to the Coastal Conference Island Division title during the regular season then they added the Royal Bank Cup to the titles the Vipers captured in 2008-09. The Surrey, British Columbia native posted a 27-12-1 record during the regular season in 43 games. He led the British Columbia Hockey League in goals-against (2.30) and save percentage (.912). Then in the playoffs, Hammond was even better with a 12-5-0 record and a 1.50 goals-against and a .946 save percentage. For the season, Hammond was 39-17-1 with a 2.06 goals-against and a .923 save percentage. "Andrew had a terrific junior career capped of by a national championship winning the Royal Bank Cup," Paluch said. "He led his team to the title by playing extremely well in the playoffs. He is a very poised, confident goalie who has a very good mental approach to the game. He very rarely gets rattled and I think he is going to be a very good addition to the team."
Rushing played last season for the Marquette in the North American Hockey Leauge (NAHL) and had 15 points (3-12) in 41 games for the Rangers. The 5-10, 195-pounder, who is a native of Seattle, Wash., had 31 penalty minutes. Rushing also played 16 games with Motor City in the same league where he scored seven points (2-5). "Reed is a good-moving defenseman who gets involved in the play and can add an offensive touch," said Paluch, who will be behind the bench for his eighth season at BGSU in 2009-10.
Shea, a native of Harrison Township, Mich., played last season for Green Bay in the USHL and helped them to first place in the East Division. The 5-11, 195-pounder had four goals and three assists with 152 penalty minutes for the Gamblers. He had a +12 on-ice rating.
Ruel played in 52 games for Omaha in the USHL and had 148 penalty minutes while scoring nine points (2-7). The 6-4, 200-pounder from Ann Arbor, Mich. had a -1 on-ice rating.
Rodriguez played for Sioux Falls in the USHL and was a teammate of Grover this season. Rodriguez (5-9, 180) played in 31 games scoring six goals and adding six assists. The Aurora, Ill. native had just 18 penalty minutes this season with the Stampede.
"The incoming freshman class (four defensemen, three forwards and one goalie) is one we are very excited about," Paluch said. "The group, as a whole, gives us a good mix of size and durability. They will give us strong corner play at both ends of the rink. We are also adding players who have proven themselves as elite scorers at the junior level. With that mix, we also feel like we are bringing in one of the top netminders in junior hockey."
The Falcons return 16 letterwinners from last season - one goalie, three defensemen and 12 forwards. BG was 11-24-3 last season and 8-19-1 in Central Collegiate Hockey Association play.
BG lost its top two scorers from a year ago, senior Brandon Svendsen, who graduated, and sophomore Dan Sexton, who signed with the Anaheim Ducks following the season. The two accounted for 29 goals and 40 assists in 2008-09. BG does return senior Kai Kantola and junior David Solway who both had 12 goals and were fourth and third, respectively, in scoring on the team.
Defensively, BG will begin its 41st season of intercollegiate play, with seniors Kyle Page and Brian Moore returning along with junior Andrew Krelove. Sophomore James McIntosh, who played on the defense the last 10 games of the 2008-09 season, will return to a forward position this year.
Junior Nick Eno, who was slowed by an ankle injury last season that limited him to seven games and only four starts, returns in goal. Eno was a selection to the CCHA All-Freshman squad two years ago when he was 12-10-0 with a 2.79 goals-against and a .905 save percentage.
2009-10 BGSU Hockey Recruiting Class
Max Grover, D, 6-0, 192, Kentwood, Mich. (Sioux Falls/USHL)
Andrew Hammond, G, 6-1, 195, Surrey, British Columbia (Vernon/BCHL)
Nathan Pageau, F, 5-11, 168, Stoney Creek, Ontario (Hamilton/OJHL)
Marc Rodriguez, F, 5-9, 180, Aurora, Ill. (Sioux Falls/USHL)
Ian Ruel, D, 6-4, 200, Ann Arbor, Mich. (Omaha/USHL)
Reed Rushing, D, 5-10, 195, Seattle, Wash. (Marquette/NAHL)
Jordan Samuels-Thomas, F, 6-2, 190, South Windsor, Conn. (Waterloo/USHL)
Robert Shea, D, 5-11, 195, Harrison Township, Mich. (Green Bay/USHL)
