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Junior Hockey Roundup

By Craig Peterson, 11/27/17, 8:30PM EST

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A quiet couple of days with action limited over the holiday weekend

There are more than 100 MI-HS alumni continuing their playing careers post-high school. With the Junior Hockey Roundup, we highlight some of the standout performances in various junior leagues from across North America over the weekend.

Beginning in the USHL, goaltender Derek Schaedig (Chelsea, 2016) won his third straight start on Friday for the Lincoln Stars. The 6-foot-4 netminder turned away 33-of-37 shots and stopped all three attempts in the game-deciding shootout as Schaedig improved his record to 3-1-0 this season with a 2.86 goals-against average and .888 save percentage.

Jake Crespi (Brighton, 2017) scored the first goal of his junior career in the second period of Tri-City’s 3-2 overtime win on Friday. He followed it up with the primary assist in the extra period, contributing on the game-deciding goal and giving Crespi four points this season.

Recently traded from Shreveport to Aberdeen in the NAHL, it took Evan Rochowiak (Detroit Catholic Central, 2015) just 44 minutes into the Wings’ game on Friday for him to score his first goal with the new team. That gives Rochowiak eight goals and 17 points in 20 games this season.

His new teammate and fellow MI-HS alum, Adam Pitters (Grosse Pointe South, 2017) extended his goal streak to four consecutive games, giving the NCAA Bowling Green commit eight on the season and 12 points in 16 games.

Vince Marino (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 2016) helped Brookings to a crucial 3-2 overtime win over Minot on Friday. The West Bloomfield native picked up assists on the Blizzard’s first and last goals of the game, improving his season total to 10 assists and 18 points in 23 games.

Making consecutive starts for the first time this season, Logan Neaton (Brighton, 2017) won his second and third straight games, both coming against Kenai River. The win on Friday was Neaton’s first-ever shutout at the junior level, as he stopped all 23 shots in Fairbanks’ 7-0 win. Neaton is now 5-2-0 with a 1.67 goals-against average and .922 save percentage.

With four assists in the Northeast Generals’ 5-4 win on Saturday, Colin Bilek (Brighton, 2015) snapped a five-game drought without a point. That performance gives the NCAA Army commit a team-high 18 assists and 28 points for the season.

With a goal and an assist on Friday and a point in each of Shreveport’s last five games, Jack Clement (Brother Rice, 2017) leads all Mudbugs defensemen in scoring with six goals and 14 points in 19 games. The NCAA Nebraska-Omaha commit has a plus-11 rating which ranks among the top five in NAHL defensemen.

Moving to the BCHL, Shane Kelly (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 2016) recorded a goal and two assists in two games over the weekend. The 6-foot-5 defenseman has three goals and eight points in 26 games for the Vernon Vipers.

Just days after announcing his verbal commitment to NCAA UMass-Lowell, Sam Knoblauch (U-D Jesuit, 2016) continued his tear through the CCHL. With a goal and an assist in Carleton Place’s 4-1 win on Friday, Knoblauch is firmly out in front as the league’s leading scorer, with 19 goals and 49 points in 33 games.

Austin Stauffer (Orchard Lake St. Mary’s, 2016) was named one of the NOJHL’s three stars of the week after picking up four goals and six points in his last three games. The Bloomfield native is tied for sixth in the league in scoring and is averaging 1.37 points per game.

C.J. Bradburn (Ann Arbor Pioneer, 2015) picked up a goal and two assists in a 5-3 loss for Timmins Rock before the Thanksgiving break. Bradburn has eight points in his last eight games and 11 total for the season, as Timmins looks to make up ground in the East Division standings.

There are more than 30 different junior leagues across North America and these are just some of the more prominent performances over the weekend from our MI-HS alums. Check back next week, as we continue to track these and many more players furthering their hockey careers post-high school.