1. Lincoln Stars - No doubt the land of Lincoln has high expectations for the Stars again this season. And there should be no reason why they won’t produce what is expected of them and that is why I’m picking them for a 1st place finish in the West. They are also my team to win the Anderson Cup. Lincoln brings the heat on offense, simply put. Returning are major offensive forces from last year in the names of Preston Callender, Chris Fournier and Brandon Bochenski. This offense is charged like an energizer battery and they don’t seem to lose power as time goes on. Their opponents will chase them around the rink all season long no doubt. On defense the man among boys Lee Marvin returns with plenty of firepower behind him on the blue line. Also returning are Nick Fouts and Nick Fuher. They were one of the toughest defenses last season and unfortunately for the rest of the league are better this year. In net the Stars have a couple of goaltenders fighting for the top spot. Beau Fritz and Jake Brandt both have the Lincoln fans excited although it will be hard to replace the amazing Wayne Russell. As the season goes on he will be forgotten by this new wave of goaltending stars. Lincoln will be tough to beat; the only team that will beat them is themselves. If Lincoln brings it like they can, they will take the West this year.
2. Sioux Falls Stampede - In Sioux Falls, the Stampede looks to build on their accomplishments of last season. The Stampede last season had one of the most fundamentally sound teams and will have just the same this year. On offense the Stampede will return many important cogs to their offensive machine. J.B. Bittner, Chad LaRose and Dave Iannazzo will lead the way and they have plenty to reload with. The defense will be strong again. Sioux Falls won’t be the most physical team but they will be tough to beat. On the defensive front the Stampede will look to Eric Werner and Jamie Mattie to be some of the leaders. The Stampede will without a doubt be tough to beat, as they are always aware of what is going on. In net the Stampede will have a hard time replacing David Bowen but Zach Sikich should do the trick. The Stampede will be one of the few teams to have a shot at knocking off Lincoln. But they will have to do it in the postseason as I’m picking them to finish 2nd.
3. Des Moines Buccaneers - At the Madhouse on Hickman the Bucs are looking to rebound from what they may consider an off year last season. Des Moines received a 5th seed in the playoffs last year and they are accustomed to placing higher than that. They will look to return to the form that is expected of them and they have a chance to do it. Wade Chiodo, Paul Baumgardner and Ryan Bennett look to lead an offense that lost all of the offensive punch from last season. Offense should not be a problem although they don’t have the forwards they did last season, the returning experience and infusion of new talent knows what to do and will get it done. On defense will be where they will struggle the most. The Mighty Bucs defense had its troubles last year and they hope to improve on that. Tony Tomaino will try to lead a group of defensive youngsters with little USHL experience. They will be the key to how far they can go. In the pipes returns Mike Mantua. Mantua is without a doubt one of the most exciting goalies in the league. He brings the leadership and electricity the Bucs need to return to their glory days. In the end the Bucs will be much better than last season but will finish 3rd in the West.
4. Omaha Lancers - In Omaha the Lancers should carry on the tradition of having good hockey teams but this season there is just too much talent in the West for them to win. Leading the way for the Lancers on offense will be returning forwards Dan Welch and Ryan Ronkowski. The Omaha offense lost much of its punch from last season and that could be an area of concern for them with several newcomers on the frontline. On defense however, Omaha will be strong. Keith Ballard who played with the U.S. Nationals 18 and under squad for the last couple of seasons will be one of the best defensemen in the league. He can score and defend and will be a key element to the defensive stand. Behind Ballard will be Jason Krischuk and Jeremy Downs, two players with USHL experience. In this league returning veterans are key and the Lancers have some but not as many as in years past and they could struggle at times. In net Ray Fraser will take the bulk of the goaltending duties. He will not be as great as Dan Ellis but will turn out to be a very good goaltender no doubt. They have fallen a bit from the days when they were at the top of the totem pole. That won’t change, unless they do, Omaha will finish a disappointing 4th this year and will fight for a playoff bid. They will be my sleeper of the Western Division though because the potential is there for a monster year but that is the key word, potential.
5. Tri-City Storm - Tri-City is new this season although it’s history is one of the richest in the league. Formerly known as the Twin Cities Vulcans they captured the Junior A National Championship last year. On that note, many players from that squad moved on to bigger and better things leaving only a few returnees from last seasons amazing group. Matt Froehlich and Jon Hart will lead the way offensively with Brad Thompson giving them a nice compliment. Their offense will not be what it was last season when they seemed to have an endless supply of forwards who could beat you at any time. On defense Greg Zemple and Bryan Schmidt will try to hold the fort down for a depleted group of defenders. Bill Zaniboni and Josh Hooyer will rotate between the pipes but will not be very successful in replacing the unforgettable Adam Berkhoel. All in all the Storm will experience some success but will not return to glory a second year in a row. They just don’t have enough to return to the top.
6. Sioux City Musketeers - This season looks to be a rebuilding year for the Musketeers. Gone are some of the best players they have ever had there including the defensive player of the year and North Dakota freshman David Hale. Sioux City just doesn’t have a lot coming back this season. Scott Polaski is one of the very few returning offensive players, Polaski will play well but does not have much support behind him besides Trent Mozak and their offense will struggle. On the defensive end the Musketeers will definitely have their share of bruisers on their team. Art Femenella will be a bull without a question and along with him will be Tim Judy and Brendan McCartin but having only a couple scorers and a handful of physical defensemen does not spell success. Losing Michael Betz in goal may hurt the most. Casey Beauvais will try to fill his shoes but as mentioned without much in the cupboard the goaltender can’t win all the games himself. Sioux City will be a proud bunch and will not go down without a fight but unfortunately in this very talented division someone has to finish last and the Musketeers will be the ones.
