Future Minutemen Shane Bear and Cale Makar, both currently playing together for the Brooks Bandits in the AJHL, won gold this past week representing the Canada-West team at the World Junior A Challenge.  Canada-West beat Russia 2-1 in the championship game. Makar had a goal in the tournament, and hit a post in the championship, while Bear did not register a point.  Makar was named to the tournament all-star team.

https://twitter.com/JPGasparini/status/678396398488952832

It’s been a couple weeks since the last recruit update, so there’s a lot of catching up to do.  This week’s update also includes the addition of the newest UMass recruit, Brian Williams.

Shane Bear – D – Brooks Bandits (AJHL) – 2016 (NLI Signed)
21 GP / 5 G / 12 A / 17 Pts / 26 PIM
Bear has not played in the past two weeks due to his participation in the WJAC.

Troy Conzo – RW – Wenatchee Wild (BCHL) – 2016 or 2017
36 GP/ 8 G/ 13 A / 21 Pts /  8 PIM
Conzo had four assists in his last five games.

Kyler Nachtigall – LW – Brooks Bandits (AJHL) – 2016 (NLI Signed)
35 GP / 7 G / 17 A / 24 Pts / 52 PIM
Nachtigall had three assists in his past 5 games.

Jake Massie – D – Omaha Lancers (USHL) – 2016 (NLI Signed)
15 GP / 0 G / 2 A / 2 Pts / 8 PIM
Massie had an assists in his last four games.

Jake McCarthy – D – South Shore Kings (USPHL) – 2016
11 GP / 0 G /1 A / 1 Pts / 6 PIM
McCarthy was scoreless in his most recent two games.

Ty Pelton-Byce – C – Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) – 2016 (NLI Signed)
26 GP /5 G / 7 A / 12 pts / 6 PIM
Pelton-Byce had a goal and two assists in his last three games.

Brian Williams – C – Omaha Lancers (USHL) – 2016
25 GP /6 G / 6 A / 12 pts / 8 PIM
Williams is 7th on the Lancers in scoring.

Justin Dixson – LW – Tri-City Storm (USHL) – 2017 (NLI Signed)
20 GP / 0 G / 4 A / 4 Pts / 8 PIM
Dixson had two assists in his last four games.

Colin Felix – D – St George’s (RI-HS) – 2017
9 GP / 4 G / 10 A / 14 Pts
Felix had a goal and 4 assists this past week.  His 14 points is 3rd most among prep defensemen so far.

Nick Jenny – D – Omaha Lancers (USHL) – 2017
26 GP / 0 G / 6 A / 6 Pts / 18 PIM
Jenny had two assists in his last four games.

John Leonard – LW – Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) – 2017
21 GP / 3 G / 1 A / 4 Pts / 6 PIM
Leonard had a goal in his last four games.  Leonard will play in the USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game on January 12th.

Cale Makar– D – Brooks Bandits (BCHL) – 2018 (NLI Signed)
29 GP / 5 G / 23 A / 28 Pts / 16 PIM
Makar did not play in the past two weeks due to his participation in the WJAC.

Brian Scoville – D – Winchendon (NE Prep) – 2018
8 GP / 1 G / 2 A / 3 Pts
Scoville had a goal and two assists in his last 4 games.

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The Herald has this notebook piece on how the winter break is coming at just the right time for the Minutemen.

An interesting story coming out this week was Boston University forward Nick Roberto being suspended for the season for gambling last year.  It sounds like there could end up being more to this story in terms of additional players, additional teams, or additional details.  There is a UMass connection to the story as the BU players’ placed their bets through former Minuteman defenseman Keith O’Connell, who was arrested last month along with 32 others for their involvement in the gambling ring.  O’Connell started his career at Boston College before transferring to Amherst when the program was reinstated in the mid-90s.