Marquette announces 19 players for the fall

Lead by five players with Upper Peninsula ties, the Marquette Rangers this morning announced the selection of 19 players for the upcoming season.

During this past weekend, over 60 players from around the country convened on the Berry Events Center on the campus of Northern Michigan University in hopes of earning a roster spot. After seven games, coaches Leigh Mendelson and Randy Enders made decisions on who will don the blue, grey and copper jerseys.

"We were very pleased with the skill and competitive nature of the camp as it progressed through the weekend," said Mendelson. "The talent depth made our decisions difficult, but we are pleased with what we have put together so far."

Two Keweenaw area players, defenseman Ross Rouleau and forward Jacob Hauswirth were selected for the squad. Rouleau was a standout Hancock High School player, while Hauswirth lead the Ojibwa Eagles Midget AAA team in goals last season. Three players from Marquette were also selected, including forwards Nick Kosinski (Cleveland Barons, NAHL) and Neeco Belanger (Chilliwack, British Columbia Hockey League) and defenseman Bret Larson (Mahoning Valley, NAHL). All three players were teammates on the Marquette Electricians Midget AAA and the Marquette Senior High School Redmen squads.

Other expected members of the team include former Providence College goaltender Stephen Ritter, defensemen Nick Condon (Minnesota Ice Hawks Junior B), Jason Cohen (Capital Center Pride Midget AAA), Andy Keough (Wayzata (Minn.) High School) and Todd Graham (Seguin, Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League) and forwards Luke Bennett (Bozeman Ice Dogs, NAHL), Michael Macari (Dearborn Crestwood High School), Nic Weight (Northland Pines (Wisc.) High School), Chad Johnson (Wisconsin Dells High School), Chris Smith (Surrey, BCHL), Raymond Gillies (Ohio Junior Bluejackets Midget AAA), Jake Saville (Helena, Bighorns, NAHL), Coles Holmes (University (Wisc.) High School), and Dustin Partacz (Neuqua Valley (Ill.) High School).

"Our full roster is not yet confirmed as we expect to carry 23 players during the season," Mendelson said. “We still have a number of decisions to make and some of the young men who came to Marquette this weekend remain in the hunt for spots on the team.

"We have a nice mix of speed and size, as well as a number of experienced players who we will lean on to make an immediate impact in the NAHL. We will be ready to play just about any style of hockey necessary, whether it's a power or finesse game. Our players and the entire Rangers' organization are excited to get training camp started so we can develop the winning combination necessary to compete in the NAHL."

The Rangers will open training camp on August 28, with the season set to begin on September 13 in Blaine, Minn. The home opener is September 23 at Lakeview Arena with the full schedule expected to be announced next week.