Thursday, July 07, 2005

Indians players moving on to juniors, NCAA

While the Soo Indians may be no more, several players from this past season’s team will be moving on to Division I and Division III programs this fall, as well as other junior programs.

League MVP Jason Kearney is heading to Bentley College in Waltham, Mass., to tend goal for the Falcons. Fellow goalie Troy Redmann is off to the NAHL champion Texas Tornado for another season of juniors.

A foursome of forwards, Jim Pentecost, Nik Sellers, Andrew Broughton (started last season with the Indians, finished with Texarkana) and Derek Punches (finished with Texas) are all college-bound. Pentecost and Broughton will play for D-III Curry College in Milton, Mass., while Sellers and Punches will offer their services to Wayne State University.

Sellers and Punches will join former Soo forward and 2004-2005 CHA rookie of the year Stavros Paskaris in Detroit.

Defenseman Tiger Marcotte has committed to Utica College, a D-III college in New York and Marty Gurnoe, another blueliner, is staying close to home and will play for Lake Superior State University.

Ray Kaunisto, a Northern Michigan recruit for 2006, and cousin Steven Kaunisto are leaving town to play for the USHL Clark Cup champion Cedar Rapids (Iowa) RoughRiders.

The Indians finished in third place at the Gold Cup National Championship in April and promptly folded after their tenth season in the NAHL, all under head coach Joe Shawhan.

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