This past weekend (4/20-4/22) the Moose participated in its first spring tournament, the Madison Meltdown in Sun Prairie, WI. The Moose play in 4 tournaments throughout the summer to offer players an opportunity for exposure, development and a competitive atmosphere. This also offers the Moose coaching staff to identify future players for the Moose roster for the 2018/2019.
The Madison Meltdown has turned into one for the most premier spring tournaments in the United States and that was proven this past weekend with the 18 teams competing for a championship in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
The Moose roster consisted of players from around the United States looking to land a home for the 2018-2019 season. The roster included 5 veterans from the 2017-2018 championship season with the Moose. Those veterans were Forwards Brendon Jones (2g 2a), James Frantz (3g 3a), Jake Casto (3a), Defenseman Nichiolas Gonrowski (1g 4a) and Goaltender Jacob Fry who went 2-1 in the tournament. Other players that joined the Moose were players from other junior teams in the Midwest, AAA players from around the country, Minnesota and Wisconsin High School players.
The Moose finished the tournament in 6th place out of 18 teams with a 2-1-1 record. The first game was vs the 3-Brothers team which consisted of U16 and U18 players from the Milwaukee Admirals AAA program. It was a tight back and forth game that showed the players getting their offseason rust off. Game 2 featured the Moose vs the Epitome team which consisted of Wisconsin High School players. The Moose peppered the Epitome goalie with 40 shots but could not find the back of the net, eventually dropping the game in OT 2-1.
Once the rust was finally shaken off by the Moose roster, the naturally offensive Moose took off with a 5-1 win over the Outlaws, who also consisted of Wisconsin High School players and local AAA players. In this game, James Frantz highlighted the offense with 2 goals and Jacob Fry turning aside 15 shots. Game 4 the Moose played the M-Cats coached by a Division 3 Head Coach. The Moose came out buzzing and took a 6-2 lead. In the last 5 minutes the M-Cats came within 1 goal, but couldn’t take down the Moose.
“Overall I thought this tournament was a great experience for players from all around the country to showcase their talents in front of Dozens of scouts. It was great to see scouts lining up outside of our locker room after each game to speak with players for the 2018-2019 season. The Madison Meltdown allowed us to expand the brand of Minnesota Moose hockey and allowed us to players that we felt were a great fit for next season. The most important part was it allowed players to compete in a competitive atmosphere and continue to work on their development while showcasing their talents” Stated by Head Coach Jon Jonasson
The Moose next tournament will be in Detroit, Michigan May 11-13 in the “Hockey Fights Cancer Tournament”. The Moose roster for Detroit primarily will consist of Midwest AAA players and players aspiring to play Junior hockey next year or the year after.
The Minnesota Moose are looking for players to participate in the Capstone Invitational in Blaine, MN July 27-29 and players looking to push themselves in the 2018-2019 season, those interested should contact Coach Jonasson at 952-457-0525 or visit our website at www.minnesotamoosehockey.com!
The Minnesota Moose are based out of Fogerty Ice Arena in Blaine, MN a hockey hotbed. The Moose prides itself in Dedication, Advancement and Commitment!
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