A six month break proved to be no setback for the Missoula Maulers. A team that dominated last year, making it all the way to division finals, only to be crushed in McCall in a series of three games, was a devastating end to Missoula fans last season. However, this season, Coach Marcus Baxter, Assistant Coach Joren Johnson and owner, Micheal Burks put an even stronger team on the ice to compete for the WSHL Thorne Cup Championship, taken by McCall for the last four years.
With veterans Austin Azzinnarro, Damon Hanson, Tyler Zandhuisen, Matt Chamberlain, Joey Porco, Justin Barnes, and Alex Shalamov, and goalie, Noah Parker, a core was established early for Missoula, with the combined chemistry of new-comers proves that these may be some of the best lines Zootown has ever had.
Anyone who has watched the Maulers for a number of years may remember the name, Zach Paisley. While he has been aged out for four years now, one of the rookies could be a mirror image (metaphorically of course) of the ex-Mauler, his name is Zach Jaffe. Up until last year, Missoula has had an array of captains, from Al Maul, to Brett Matthews, to Anders Nord, up until last season, when Sawyer Jacobson took the 'C', the honor was always given to a Missoula native. Not that I'm complaining, Sawyer was an outstanding player, who is now playing for St Olaf College in Minnesota (Congrats to him!) Point is, if that streak had kept up, Jaffe would more than likely be a captian in a number of two or three seasons. He works well on his home ice. It's easy to tell Jaffe has a passion for the game that's hard to come across. Though the game isn't all about throwing big hits, Jaffe is definitely good at it. He may only have a couple of goals and an assist, it;s clear he isn't going anywhere but uphill with this team, and I can't wait to see him grow over the course of the season.
Though Zoo natives do tend to be among crowd favorites, there are many other honorable-mention rookies we just have to talk about. One of them is Mikhail Akatnov. Akatnov hails from Tyumen, Russia. Like, Jaffe, Mikhail plays like every game is his last. With 15 goals and 12 assists, totaling 27 points, and only one minor penalty,in just 12 games, it's pretty clear that the kid knows what he is doing. Some players are just born with a natural ability to play hockey, there just isn't much else to say. At just 16 years old, Mikhail has already made his mark on the USA ice, and no doubt there are big things to come.
Speaking of captians, let's talk about ours. Damon Hanson. Wow. His league-leading stats speak for themselves. With an outstanding 32 points in just 12 games played, Hanson is a star on the ice. Points don't say everything though. Being a captain is more than just putting up goals, anyone that plays hockey can do that, but it takes a real hockey player to lead a team. A good attitude is key. Hanson stands out for that specific reason. He plays clean. Something a lot of players have a tough time with. Personally, I don't see anyone better fit for the position!
Well, that's a wrap for now! Go Maulers!
With veterans Austin Azzinnarro, Damon Hanson, Tyler Zandhuisen, Matt Chamberlain, Joey Porco, Justin Barnes, and Alex Shalamov, and goalie, Noah Parker, a core was established early for Missoula, with the combined chemistry of new-comers proves that these may be some of the best lines Zootown has ever had.
Anyone who has watched the Maulers for a number of years may remember the name, Zach Paisley. While he has been aged out for four years now, one of the rookies could be a mirror image (metaphorically of course) of the ex-Mauler, his name is Zach Jaffe. Up until last year, Missoula has had an array of captains, from Al Maul, to Brett Matthews, to Anders Nord, up until last season, when Sawyer Jacobson took the 'C', the honor was always given to a Missoula native. Not that I'm complaining, Sawyer was an outstanding player, who is now playing for St Olaf College in Minnesota (Congrats to him!) Point is, if that streak had kept up, Jaffe would more than likely be a captian in a number of two or three seasons. He works well on his home ice. It's easy to tell Jaffe has a passion for the game that's hard to come across. Though the game isn't all about throwing big hits, Jaffe is definitely good at it. He may only have a couple of goals and an assist, it;s clear he isn't going anywhere but uphill with this team, and I can't wait to see him grow over the course of the season.
Though Zoo natives do tend to be among crowd favorites, there are many other honorable-mention rookies we just have to talk about. One of them is Mikhail Akatnov. Akatnov hails from Tyumen, Russia. Like, Jaffe, Mikhail plays like every game is his last. With 15 goals and 12 assists, totaling 27 points, and only one minor penalty,in just 12 games, it's pretty clear that the kid knows what he is doing. Some players are just born with a natural ability to play hockey, there just isn't much else to say. At just 16 years old, Mikhail has already made his mark on the USA ice, and no doubt there are big things to come.
Speaking of captians, let's talk about ours. Damon Hanson. Wow. His league-leading stats speak for themselves. With an outstanding 32 points in just 12 games played, Hanson is a star on the ice. Points don't say everything though. Being a captain is more than just putting up goals, anyone that plays hockey can do that, but it takes a real hockey player to lead a team. A good attitude is key. Hanson stands out for that specific reason. He plays clean. Something a lot of players have a tough time with. Personally, I don't see anyone better fit for the position!
Well, that's a wrap for now! Go Maulers!