URBANDALE, IA – The Des Moines Buccaneers announced today the schedule for the 2009-10 regular season. The USHL expands to 14 teams this season and two divisions of seven with each team playing a total of 60 games (30 home, 30 road).
The Buccaneers have moved back into the West Division of the USHL due to the addition of the Youngstown Phantoms and Team USA. The West Division includes Des Moines, Omaha, Lincoln, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Fargo and Tri-City.
The Buccaneers hit the road for their season opener on Friday, October 2nd against Sioux Falls. The following night, Saturday October 3rd, the Buccaneers open their home campaign by facing off against the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. Other notable games include a Thanksgiving night bout against Omaha and a New Year’s Day game against the Tri-City Storm.
The final home game of the regular season will be on March 27th against the Chicago Steel. The season wraps up with the Bucs on the road against Sioux Falls, Tri-City and Omaha in a three game road trip. The top four teams in each division at the end of the regular season schedule will qualify for the Clark Cup Playoffs.
The Buccaneers promotional schedule will be released sometime next month. Single game tickets will be on sale in September while season tickets are available for purchase throughout the summer.
Click here to see the schedule.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Thursday, July 2, 2009
2009 - 2010 Roster Released
The Des Moines Buccaneers have taken the first steps to finalize their roster for the 2009 – 2010 season; with 5 returners and 20 new players the team is making strides to put an exciting, fresh product on the ice.
Over 100 players attended the invitation-only selection camp held June 18th though June 21st in hopes of becoming a Buccaneer. All players attending the camp possessed talent, dedication and commitment, but cuts were made throughout the camp. At the end of camp, Head Coach Dave Allison and General Manager J.P. Parise had the list down to 30 players.
“The amount of talent at our invite camp was above average – all of the players who attended showed us a great amount of talent and skill. We had a difficult time cutting our list of players down to 30, and an even harder time making the final cuts. But the final roster that we have put out is the one that will make the difference out on the ice for this upcoming season,” said Parise.
The new team listed below mixes backgrounds, experience, diversity and skills as the roster include players from the all over the United States including the Southwest and the Northeast, as well as the Northwest and Canada.
Five returning Buccaneers appear on the list, including forwards J.P. Burkemper, Michael Fink, H.T. Lenz and Ryan Walters, as well as defenseman Ami Peled, all who are expected to be playmakers this season.
Absent from the roster are forward Josh Myers and defenseman Andrew Panzarella, who were traded to Tri-City in a trade earlier this week.
“We are continuing to build our future. Andrew and Josh were traded earlier this week in return for Daniel Heath (D-Tri City Storm) and Joe Wilson (F-Syracuse Stars). Both players have the ability to succeed wherever they are playing. Both were strong players, but in looking forward we had to make a decision that would be best for their futures and best for ours. We wish both of them nothing but the best and look forward to what Daniel and Joe are able to bring to the table in Des Moines,” said Head Coach Dave Allison.
In addition to Daniel Heath and Joe Wilson, some other notable new players on the roster include Eric Knodel, Austin Coldwell, Colton Saucerman, DJ Vandercook and TJ Tynan.
Knodel, a 6’6” 225 lbs. defenseman, played for the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers last season and drafted by the Bucs in the USHL Entry Draft. He made an impression at the Buccaneers Invite Camp, not just with the Bucs coaching staff but with an NHL team. This past Saturday he was drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft.
Coldwell, a 6’1” 190 lbs. defenseman, was the first round draft pick in the USHL Entry Draft and played for the Springfield Jr. Blues of the NAHL last year. He played in 56 games and raked up a total of 27 points and 61 penalty minutes.
Saucerman, a 5’9” 180 lbs. defenseman, tried out for the Buccaneers during the Open Camp at the end of May and was invited back to Invite Camp and made the final cut. The offensive defenseman played for the Pikes Peak 16AAA team last year and had 48 points and 183 penalty minutes.
Vandercook, a 6’3” 190 lbs. forward, was drafted by the Buccaneers in the USHL Entry Draft. He played in 70 games for the Wenatchee Wild of the NAHL and had 40 goals and 30 assists last season.
Tynan, a 5’9” 170 lbs forward, spent time on the Buccaneers affiliate list over the last season. The Illinois native played for the Chicago Mission, who participated in the Buc Bowl, and in 80 games, had 47 goals and 82 assists.
“We’re pleased with the amount of talent that this roster has, as well as our affiliate list. We’ll continue to make some changes and a final roster will not be out until after the USHL Fall Classic in September but this is the beginning of something new. We look forward to the start of the season and the product we will put on the ice,” said Parise.
Below you will find the complete roster of 25 players…
Jack Berger('90 - Forward)
J.P. Burkemper ('91 - Forward)
Brandon Burrell ('90 - Defense)
Mitch Cain ('91 - Forward)
Brandon Carlson ('92 - Defense)
Austin Coldwell ('90 - Defense)
Joe Faust ('91 - Defenese)
Michael Fink ('90 - Forward)
Connor Frick ('92 - Defense)
Daniel Heath ('90 - Defense)
Eric Knodel ('90 - Defense)
HT Lenz ('89 - Forward)
Jack McNamara ('90 - Forward)
Eric Mihalik ('91 - Goalie)
Dan O'Donoghue ('91 - Forward)
Ami Peled ('89 - Defense)
Colton Saucerman ('92 - Defense)
Trevor Tracy ('91 - Forward)
TJ Tynan ('92 - Forward)
DJ Vandercook ('90 - Forward)
Ryan Walters ('91 - Forward)
Charles Williams ('92 - Goalie)
Joe Wilson ('92 - Forward)
Taylor Wolfe ('91 - Forward)
Dalton Young ('93 - Defense)
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