Alumni Report: Misiak on the board for Mercyhurst

Parker and Megna also strong in college debuts. Get up to date on how last year's Jacks are doing in the NCAA!

Every week, Voice of the Lumberjacks Matt Gajtka provides an update on the exploits of former Jacks now playing in the NCAA.

Ryan Misiak, Mercyhurst University – Muskegon’s most prolific point producer last winter (58 points), Misiak and his Mercyhurst Lakers dropped a pair in the Mutual of Omaha Stampede to officially start their campaign. However, Misiak did record an assist in a 5-1 loss to Jaycob Megna and Nebraska-Omaha. Another four-team tournament is in the Lakers’ future this weekend, as they’ll team up with UNO in traveling to the Brice Alaska Gold Rush.

John Parker, University of Maine – Parker finished his three-year USHL career with the Lumberjacks after two seasons with the Indiana Ice, throwing up 31 points in 58 games with Muskegon. All the experience in Tier I hockey prepared him well for his NCAA debut, as he contributed two assists and a plus-2 rating in the Black Bears’ exhibition drubbing of New Brunswick Oct. 2. John was also in the lineup for Maine’s first two regular-season tilts last weekend, as the team downed Northeastern and fell to Merrimack in Hockey East competition.

Isaac Kohls, Niagara University – Kohls’ 39-point performance last season was good for third on the Jacks, and his four game-winning tallies tied for the team lead. His Purple Eagles faced a tough task in taking on the No. 6 Michigan Wolverines in Ann Arbor last Tuesday. Niagara fell 5-0, but Kohls played a regular shift and registered four shots on goal, second best on the team. In Saturday’s 0-0 tie with RIT, Kohls nearly scored shorthanded but was robbed by goaltender Shane Maladora on his only shot of the night. Niagara squares off with Air Force Friday night in an Atlantic Hockey matchup.

Matt Berry, Michigan State University – Berry, whose 25 goals last season in Muskegon ranked fifth in the USHL, traveled with the Spartans to the Ice Breaker Tournament, hosted by the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D. Although Matt didn’t crack the lineup in MSU’s debut weekend, last year’s USHL All-Star and second-leading Jacks scorer looks to be a good bet to make his hometown of Canton, Mich., proud. The Spartans lost 5-2 to Boston College Friday before beating Air Force in overtime Saturday; they travel to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., this weekend for a pair of tilts with Lake Superior State.

Jaycob Megna, University of Nebraska-Omaha – The No. 14 Mavericks, with USHL Scholar-Athlete of the Year Megna in tow, hosted the four-team Mutual of Omaha Stampede tourney this weekend. Megna, whose 18 points placed him second among Muskegon blueliners in 2010-11, fired two shots and was plus-2 as UNO topped Mercyhurst Friday. Unfortunately Colgate edged the Mavs in the Stampede title clash Saturday. Nebraska-Omaha makes the journey north to tussle with Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska-Fairbanks this weekend.

Mike Conderman, University of Massachusetts-Lowell – The River Hawks played an exhibition game Saturday in Billerica, Mass., against the University of New Brunswick. Conderman, who didn’t dress for UMass-Lowell’s lone preseason contest, was the sixth-leading scorer on last year’s Jacks with 32 points. The Rochester, N.Y., native will gun for playing time as the season progresses; the River Hawks face Minnesota State-Mankato in a two-game road set this weekend.

Chris Lochner, Niagara University – Although his Purple Eagles didn’t score a goal last weekend, Georgia’s own Lochner performed about as well as you could expect without contributing any points. He had four combined shots in the games against mighty Michigan and RIT, and maintained an even rating throughout.

Casey Thrush, University of New Hampshire – Thrush posted 10 goals and 18 assists for Muskegon last season, and his plus-8 rating was best among forwards. The man from Maryland played in the Wildcats’ 3-0 exhibition win over New Brunswick Oct. 1, firing a pair of shots on goal and posting an even rating. The 6-foot-1 Thrush didn’t dress in UNH’s 5-0 loss at Boston University Saturday night. Hockey East rivals Boston U. and Northeastern are next up for New Hampshire this weekend.

Brendan Woods, University of Wisconsin – The 6-foot-3 power forward from Fairfax, Va., took the ice with his Badgers teammates for the first time Friday night in Madison against Northern Michigan. Although Wisconsin fell 3-2 in OT, the red and white recovered Saturday, coming back from two goals down early to win 3-2. Brendan put up 26 points in 47 games last season for former Badgers’ assistant coach Kevin Patrick here in Muskegon. UW will face Michigan Tech on the road Friday and Saturday.

Charlie Taft, Colorado College – In his debut for the Western Collegiate Hockey Association’s Tigers, Taft racked up two shots and was plus-1 in CC’s 5-0 shutout of the U.S. National Team’s Under-18 squad Saturday night. A 30-point scorer with the Jacks, Charlie will join the Tigers as they host Bemidji State Friday and Saturday to commence regular season play.

Alexx Privatera, Boston University – After a season with the Jacks in which the New Jersey-born defenseman earned an All-Star nod and scored the fourth-most points (34) among USHL rearguards, Privatera took his talents to perennial power Boston U. Alexx was a plus-2 in the Terriers’ season-opening thrashing of New Hampshire (featuring former Jacks teammate Casey Thrush.) BU is set to take on Providence and Denver next.

Micki Mihailovich, University of Massachusetts-Lowell – From Westland, Mich., the 6-foot defenseman was an assistant captain for last season’s Jacks and parlayed his time in the USHL to a Division I scholarship with UMass-Lowell. He did not suit up alongside Conderman in the River Hawks’ exhibition against New Brunswick.

Matt Gajtka is the Broadcaster/Director of Communications for the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League (USHL). Reach him at mgajtka@muskegonlumberjacks.com!