DYHA Jr. Sun Devil’s Midseason Recap
By Jack Harris
The DYHA Jr. Sun Devils family of teams has experienced plenty of highs and lows in the first half of the 2016-2017 season, but have also seen growth and progress out of their players and teams.
U18 AA (Shevalier)
Record: 17-5-0
Best Tournament Result: Champions (Music City Tournament)
The U18 Jr. Sun Devils had little to complain about in the first half of their season. Sitting at 17-5 overall, the Midgets played up to high expectations with some impressive performances. The U18’s tournament record was perhaps most impressive, as the Jr. Sun Devils reached the championship game of all three events they played in. Of the three, their one win came in Nashville, where a shootout was needed to knock of the Music City Maurders.
“Three tournaments, three championship games,” head coach Jeff Shevalier pointed out. “The best moment [was] winning the Music City Tournament.”
In-state, the U18s have been equally impressive. In 9 meetings against fellow Arizona U18 teams, the Jr. Devils are a perfect 9-0-0, outscoring their opponents 46-11 in those games. The team’s only losses to in-state competition came during the Thanksgiving Shootout, when the AZ Bobcats U16 AAA side knocked them off twice.
Individual contributions have also been noteworthy, especially from leading scorer Anthony Masanotti. Masanotti amassed 21 goals in the first half of the season, to go along with 13 assists and a total of 34 points. Haden Shevalier and Ryan Bonner have also chipped in significantly, collecting 26 and 22 points respectively. On the blue line, Nick Hinshaw (13 points) and Trent Nietzel (12 points) have had positive contribution from their defensive positions.
Yet, it is the overall balance of his team that Shevalier is happiest with.
“We have three solid lines and two really good goalies,” Shevalier noted, pleased with the production he has received from other forwards Joshua Tucker (10 goals-8 assists-18 points), Devin Most (7-9-16), Evan Shupe (6-8-14), Jeffrey Soloman (3-8-11), Turner Stansbury (2-5-7), and David Martin (2-4-6). The U18s other defensemen, Brendan Nall (2-2-4), Jacob Nickerson (0-4-4), Evan Montano (0-2-2), and Peter Schilletter (1-1-2), have helped solidify the Jr. Sun Devil blue line, and make life easier for their net minders.
The U18s goalie situation has also come along nicely, with the tandem of Barrett Rosser and Kevin Church helping the Jr. Devils average only 2.4 goals against per game. Rosser enters the midway point with a sparking 10-1 record, 2.43 goals against average, .891 save percentage, and 1 shutout. Church has also been impressive, with a 7-4 record aided by a 2.20 GAA and .896 save percentage.
The U18s will continue their march toward State Play-Downs in 2017, where they will hope to clinch a state championship, and a berth in USA Hockey’s National Championships. If their first half performance is any indication, the Jr. Sun Devils are right on track in their pursuit of both.
U16 AA (Whyte)
Record: 15-12-2
Best Tournament Result: Runners-Up (Silver Stick Las Vegas Regional)
The U16s have had their ups and downs over the 1st half of the season, but enter their holiday break on a high note. Since a 6-8-2 start, the Jr. Sun Devils had steadied their ship, and enter their final tournament of the calendar year having won 9 of their last 14 games.
The biggest turnaround for the Jr. Devils has come in their tournament performances. After failing to reach the knockout stages of either of their first two tournaments in Anaheim and Chicago, the Jr. Devils went to Las Vegas over Thanksgiving weekend and put together an impressive effort. Against some of the better teams in the region, the U16s reached the Silver Stick regional championship game, a run that including a 3-2 semi-final win in which Andrew Tanner scored the winner in the last minute of regulation.
The Jr. Devils would lose the Silver Stick Regional Final in overtime, but gained experience through the adversity they faced during it. With a depleted bench in the championship, the Jr. Sun Devils found themselves down 2-0 in the 3rd, but were far from being out of the game.
“The boys battled hard, tied the game [in the 3rd period], and almost won it,” said head coach Sean Whyte, referencing his team’s comeback and eventually overtime loss. “It showed great character by every player.”
Playing four games against in-state opponents, the Jr. Devils have gone 3-1-0 since returning from Las Vegas, and have solidified their place as one of the favorites for the U16 state championship. The Midgets have registered wins over each of their other in-state U16 opponents, save the CAHA Jr. Coyotes.
Moving into the second half of their season, the U16 Jr. Sun Devils have worked hard and overcome adversity to experience success, and have the sort of momentum needed for what will be a grind to the finish line.
“There is some good competition here in the valley,” Whyte said. “We hope to stay on a successful and focused path.”
U16 AA Combo (Collins)
Record: 6-16-3
Best Tournament Result: Consolation (Icebreaker/Thanksgiving Shootout)
Despite a challenging start to the season, the U16 AA Combo team has taken their own adversity in stride.
The young U16s have played at a much higher level than their 6-16-3 record indicates, and have shown some true character over the first half of their season. In their two tournaments, the Arizona Icebreaker and Thanksgiving Shootout, the Jr. Sun Devils battled through their group stage games, taking two points in the round robin stage of the Icebreaker, and one point in the Thanksgiving Shootout. Some close losses kept the Jr. Devils from advancing to the semi-finals and beyond, but their consolation game performances have been a testament to their resolve. Despite the early disappointments in both tournaments, the Combos battled back in the final game of both, winning their consolation matches by a combined 10-6 score.
The U16s have also found battles in their regular season games as well. Heated and competitive contests have come against the Flagstaff Northstars, and the DYHA U16 AA-Whyte teams. The Jr. Devils took an 8-1 win against Flagstaff in their season opener, and then scuffled in the encore to a 3-3 tie later in September. Against their fellow DYHA U16 team meanwhile, the Combos earned an impressive 1-1 tie in the opening month of the year, followed up by a commendable 3-0 loss that was closer than the score line indicated.
The Jr. Devils also ended their first half on a high note, ending a 4 game losing streak by beating the CAHA-Chandler Jr. Coyotes 2-1 on December 18th. It was the second time in two tries the Jr. Devils defeated the CAHA-Chandler side, and gave them a boost of confidence heading into their next tournament, the Colorado Cup over New Year’s weekend.
U14 AA (Damyanovich)
Record: 23-8-1
Best Tournament Result: Champions (Boise Fall Faceoff Tournament)
The U14 AA Jr. Sun Devils have found plenty of success in the 1st half of their season, and have put themselves in position to win medals almost every chance they’ve had.
John Damyanovich’s team started their season on the right foot in a tournament in Anaheim, where they won three of their four games, headlined by an 11-1 win over the Venture Mariners and a 4-0 win over the Nevada Storm.
From the 3rd game of that Anaheim tournament on however, the Jr. Sun Devils have played at a different level. From September 4th to October 16th, the Bantams won 11 of their 13 games, capped off by a championship game win at the Fall Faceoff Tournament in Boise over the hosts Idaho Jr. Steelheads. During that stretch the Jr. Devils outscored their opponents 65-18, and recorded an astonishing 6 shutouts in 13 games.
The good play didn’t stop there however, as the U14s put in another good performance in the Thanksgiving Shootout, going unbeaten in their first 4 games of the tournament to reach the championship. Despite a 4-1 loss to the CAHA Jr. Coyotes U13 team in a game marred by trips to the penalty box, the Jr. Sun Devils recovered, and came within a game of reaching another championship final in Dallas in early December, settling for a 4th-place finish.
The biggest test so far this season however, has come from games against in-state rivals CAHA-Scottsdale Jr. Coyotes 02. In the four matches between the two, the Jr. Sun Devils are 1-2-1, including the most recent 2-2 tie on December 17th. Little separates the two, who will continue to battle into the new year with an eye on a state championship.
“The boys have improved on working as a team and being responsible for their job,” said Damyanovich. “Looking forward, we want to continue to work as a team, and grow [each player] into their own game.”
U14 AA 03 (Fryer)
Record: 16-7-1
Best Tournament Result: Champions (San Diego Fun in the Sun, Mad City Veterans Cup)
The other Jr. Sun Devils U14 AA team has also taken care of business in the first half of their season, and have added two banners to the Oceanside rafters.
The 03s got off to a fast start back in September, when they breezed through the Fun in the Sun Tournament in San Diego, winning all five of their games and outscoring the competition 36-2. Adding to the impressive results was the fact that the Jr. Sun Devils kept their opponents out of the net in four of the five games, with the CAHA-Chandler Jr. Coyotes being the only side to avoid being shut out by DYHA that weekend.
The Jr. Sun Devils found similar success two months later when traveling to Madison, Wisconsin for the Mad City Veterans Cup. Facing stiffer competition, the U14s complied an undefeated 3-0-1 record in the round robin stage, before knocking off the Naperville Sabres in the championship game 2-1.
Since returning, the 03s have faced older opponents, battling to a 3-3-0 record over their last six games, where the majority of the teams they faced trumped them in age, but not talent. The recent challenges set-up well for the Jr. Sun Devils, who play their first in-state tournament over New Year’s weekend in the Coyote Cup, giving Zac Fryer’s bunch a chance to make three tournament wins in three tries.
U14 Combo (Collins)
Record: 16-5-2
Best Tournament Result: Champions (Thanksgiving Shootout)
While other DYHA teams are best known for their offensive abilities, the Jr. Sun Devil’s U14 Combo team find wins through a more old-school approach.
Todd Collins’ squad is one of the best in the state defensively, and have used it to reach success over the 2016 calendar year. The Jr. Devils have recorded a shutout in nearly half their games so far this season, keeping their opponents off the board 11 times out of their 23 games played.
The peak of their defensive prowess came during late November and early December. After splitting the opening two games of their Thanksgiving Shootout campaign, the Jr. Sun Devils reeled off three straight shutout performance en route to a tournament championship. The defensively-inspired title run was epitomized on the stat sheet; in the final three game, the Jr. Sun Devils scored 18 goals, and allowed their opponents to record just 13 shots. Goalies Zoe Manriquez and Steven Noffke combined to stop all 13 of them, capping their impressive display with a 5-0 win over AHU Black in the final.
The shutout streak did not stop there however, as in the U14s first game after the Thanksgiving Shootout, they again held their opponents scoreless. However, the 4th straight shutout was the only one to not result in a victory, as the Jr. Devils tied the Arizona Lady Coyotes 0-0.
The Combos will head to Colorado Springs over New Year’s weekend coming off the back of another shutout performance, a 12-0 victory over AHU Purple, looking again to their stifling defense to lead them to another banner.
U12 04 (Smith)
Record: 10-14-1
Best Tournament Result: Sun Praire Tournament
If you go looking for them, you can find some talented AAA teams in the state of Arizona. In the 1st half of the 2016-17 season, that is exactly what the Jr. Sun Devil U12 04 did.
In their 25 games so far this season, Jarred Smith’s squad has played 9 games against AAA opponents, growing to competitiveness against the high-class opposition over the course of the year.
After early struggles against the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes 04 AAA and Arizona Bobcats 04 AAA teams, the Jr. Sun Devils have won four of their last five games against AAA-caliber teams, including a perfect 3-0-0 record against the Arizona Bobcats 05 AAA side.
Smith knows the value of these tough games, noting “[Our] team had a ton of skill and with a hard work, dedication, and teamwork the sky is the limit.”
In addition to the quality of schedule, the Peewees have had to handle the emotional consequences of a roller-coaster season.
After losing 6 of their first 7 games this season, the Jr. Devils quickly had their backs up against the wall. However, in the tightest of circumstances, the 04s pieced together one of the best runs of their season. From October 8th to November 5th, DYHA won 5 of their 6 games, including wins in each of their first three games in their Sun Prairie, Wisconsin tournament.
However, the good results were reversed in the final of that event, when the Jr. Sun Devils failed to file back to back wins against the Affton Americans, losing their 2nd meeting of the weekend 3-0. The tournament disappointment lead to poor results back West, as the Jr. Devils went 1-6-1 in their next 8 games following the Wisconsin trip.
However, amid another dismal spell, the Peewees righted the ship once more, using a massive 2-0 win against the Bobcats 05 AAA team to spark a 3-game winning streak they currently ride into the New Year. The Jr. Devils will be hoping to continue this run of positive results through their next two tournaments and into their State Playoffs in March.
“We feel like we are just now hitting our stride,” Smith said of his team’s midseason form. “Some of our best hockey is still yet to come.”
U12 05 (Smith)
Record: 8-19-0
Best Tournament Result: Las Vegas Tournament
Jarred Smith’s other Peewee team has also challenged themselves in 2016, but with more than just local AAA teams.
The U12 05 Jr. Sun Devils have racked up some miles in the 1st half of the season, having played eight games outside of the Phoenix area. The good news for the Peewees is that success has followed them on the road.
In the eight out-of-Phoenix games they’ve played, the Jr. Devils have put together an impressive 6-2 record, and their best tournament result. That came back in October in Las Vegas, when the Jr. Devils bounced back from a tournament-opening loss to Mission Red by winning their next two games. Those two victories were enough to book a rematch with Mission, but again the Jr. Devils fell, and ended as runners-up.
“Traveling to Las Vegas for [that] tournament and taking 2nd place,” said Smith, “was a highlight so far.”
The happy travels started well before that October trek however, as the Peewees actually began their season in Flagstaff with a double header against the Northstars. Those two September games were good omens for the rest of the Jr. Devils road tests, as they swept the opening weekend series with 5-4 and 4-2 wins.
Talking about the Jr. Sun Devil’s road successes, Smith said, “I can say this team is truly a group of brother.”
A double-header back in Las Vegas in November brought another weekend sweep, this time over the Nevada Storm. 4-1 and 5-1 wins were more than enough to register wins #6 and #7 on the season. Yet, the hunt for #8 took a little longer.
Back on home soil, the 05s could not recreate their same road success. After a winless Thanksgiving Shootout, the Jr. Devils dropped three straight to begin the month of December. However, their 7-game skid was halted just in time, as a 4-2 triumph over the AHU-Purple Knights sent the Peewees into their holiday break on a high note.
“[We] have worked really hard on developing individual skills and grasping team concepts,” said Smith. “The biggest improvement to this point has been the players coming together as a group.”
U12 Combo (Sehring)
Record: 11-16-1
Best Tournament Result: Champions (Valencia Labor Day Tournament)
It is never an easy job to get a team to come together during hard times. For Chris Sehring’s U12 Combo team, the 1st half of this season had provided them with plenty of learning, and growing experiences.
After a dream start to the season saw the Jr. Sun Devils reach the championship game of their Labor Day tournament in Valencia, the Jr. Devils’ season hit a bit of a snag. Starting with their Labor Day final loss, the U12s spiraled into a 6 game losing streak, and over the next 13 games, the Combos won just once.
“The team struggled with teamwork, effort, and consistency,” said Sehring. “The players and coaches [had to work] together…and we’ve seen a much stronger team emerge. One that tries to work together, play as a team, and is competing in every game. We have asked the players to replace the word ‘I’ with the word ‘We’, and while it had been an adjustment, the players are starting to truly understand what that means.”
The team-first approach payed off, as the month of November brought better results. Since a 10-1 win over Tucson on November 12th, the Jr. Devils have won 7 of their 11 games played, including the highlight win of the season. On December 10th, the U12s faced a tall task when facing the older U14 Tucson Wildcats team.
“We got behind early and the coaches could hear the players commenting [Tucson U14] were, ‘too big’ and ‘it’s not fair’,” Sehring recalls. “Earlier in the season we would have given up and the game would have been lost. Instead our leaders on the ice and on the bench stepped up and we began to work as a team.”
The coming-together moment paid off, as the Peewees turned around their early deficit and captured a signature 8-6 win over the older Tucson team. Sehring will hope his team’s together-first approach will continue to develop over the course of 2017, and that the results of the last two months can continue for the rest of the year.
Squirts
Record: 14-16-3
Best Tournament Result: Runners Up (San Diego Labor Day Tournament, Red White & Blue Invitational, Thanksgiving Shootout)
It had been a season of close calls so far for the Jr. Sun Devils Squirt team. Three times the Squirts have reached the championship game of a tournament, but all three times they have been denied a banner.
Starting over Labor Day weekend in San Diego, the Squirts rolled to the championship game, winning their first four games of the tournament by a combined 35-4 score. However, in the final, they met hosts SDIA Oilers, and found themselves tied 3-3 after regulation. A heartbreaking overtime loss saw the Oilers capture the early-season title, and it would not be the last time the Squirts finished as runners up.
In early November, the Jr. Devils headed up to Flagstaff for the Red, White, and Blue Invitational. Two dominant round robin stage wins clinched a championship game berth for the Jr. Devils, who faced off against rivals Mission-Red in the final. Mission, having already defeated the Squirts earlier in the weekend, repeated another triumph over DYHA in a 9-2 win, again leaving the Squirts as silver medalists.
Thanksgiving weekend saw the Jr. Devils travel a tougher path to the final, including a de facto semi-final game against AHU Black. In a close affair, the Jr. Devils held on for a 5-3 win, and booked a ticket to a third tournament championship game. Again though, the Squirts were stumped, this time by AHU’s other U10 team, in a 10-3 loss.
Despite the tournament disappointments however, the runners-up finishes have exemplified the quality the Squirts have, and their ability to progress through difficult circumstances.
“[Our team] has grown nicely, with a diverse group of players,” said coach Sean Whyte. “They have come together very well and have had some success.”
