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Blue Jackets NCAA prospect update
Written by: Michael Simmons on 12/15/2003 
Several of the Blue Jackets NCAA prospects have started the season at a blistering pace. Through December 14th, four players are scoring better than a point per game and are among their respective teams’ scoring leaders. Unfortunately, there are also a few prospects who are struggling to play to expectations. The following is a summary of the Blue Jackets NCAA prospects start to the season.
Justin Aikens (Jr, New
Hampshire):
Coming into the season,
New Hampshire wanted Aikens to contribute more consistently to the
offense. Not
only is Aikens second on his team in scoring, he is currently fifth in
the
nation in assists and tied for 12th in overall scoring. Through 17
games,
Aikens is only one point shy of matching his offensive output from all
of last
year. Aikens is centering the second line and earning significant time
on the
power play. A potential sign of his offensive maturity is that two of
his five
goals this season have been game winners.
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
Pt/G |
|
New
Hampshire |
Hockey East |
17 |
5 |
16 |
21 |
1.27 |
Jeff Genovy (So,
Clarkson):
Expectations were high for Genovy when the Blue
Jackets selected him in the third round of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.
Last
season, Genovy led all Clarkson freshmen with 16 points, but this
season he has
essentially disappeared from the score sheet. He registered his first
point, an
assist, on an empty net goal November 29 at Harvard and scored his
first goal
of the season December 5th in a 3-4 loss to New Hampshire.
It was
first even strength goal of his collegiate career. To illustrate the
extent of
Genovy’s scoring woes, he is only two seasons removed from scoring 23
goals and
23 assists in his final year playing in the USHL. It is a testament to
Genovy’s
ability that even though he is not scoring, he is still a key
contributor for
Clarkson and is relied upon for his defensive prowess.
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
Pt/G |
|
Clarkson |
ECAC |
15 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
.13 |
Tyler Kolarik (Sr,
Harvard):
Kolarik
is currently leading the Crimson in scoring
with 13 points in twelve games. In 30 games a year ago he scored 28
points, so
he is slightly ahead of last year’s pace. Kolarik is anchoring the
second line
and seeing significant specials team duty. He has been very effective
using his
speed to create space to generate shots on goal, allowing Harvard’s big
forwards to bang for rebounds.
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
Pt/G |
|
Harvard |
ECAC |
12 |
4 |
9 |
13 |
1.08 |
Kevin Jarman (Fr, U Mass
– Amherst):
In Columbus, Rick Nash has earned the nickname Cy
Young for his gaudy goals to assists ratio. While Jarman is nowhere
close to
taking Nash’s title, he has four goals and no assists through 16 games,
and is
finding most of his success in the same money area around the net that
Nash is
starting to call home. Three of his four goals have come on the power
play and
Jarman has been throwing his weight around the net and capitalizing on
rebounds. It is a good sign for Jarman that he is seeing key power play
time on
a team that is returning 90 percent of its scoring from a year ago.
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
Pt/G |
|
U
Mass |
Hockey East |
14 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
.25 |
Greg Mauldin (Jr, U
Mass – Amherst):
Mauldin
didn’t get the start to the season that he
was looking for, but he is still averaging better than a point per
game.
He has had to overcome the season-ending injury to Matt Anderson,
his
center from a year ago, as well as a shoulder injury that kept him
sidelined
for four games. Mauldin is currently ranked
third on the team in scoring and keep in mind that he got off to a slow
start
last year and finished with over 40 points to lead the team.
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
Pt/G |
|
U
Mass |
Hockey East |
12 |
4 |
9 |
13 |
1.08 |
Andrew Murray
(Jr, Bemidji State):
Center
Andrew Murray is off to a great start to the
season even if he still isn’t scoring goals at the same pace as he did
during
his freshman season. Murray brings a lot of intangibles to the ice with
him
every night, which is why he is wearing the A for a second straight
year. To
illustrate his versatility, Murray centers the Beavers' first line,
plays in
all game situations, is a force on the forecheck and takes most of the
key
defensive zone faceoffs. His 11 points in 13 games ranks him fourth in
team
scoring. Unfortunately for Murray and the Beavers, he suffered a severe
ankle
injury during a game December 4th versus Wayne State. The injury required
surgery
and Murray is expected to miss 8-10 weeks.
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
Pt/G |
|
Bemidji
State |
CHA |
13 |
3 |
8 |
11 |
.9 |
Jekabs Redlihs
(So, Boston University):
After
beginning the season being suspended by Coach
Jack Adams for violating undisclosed team rules, Redlihs suffered a
broken
collarbone before playing any games. Initial reports indicate he should
return
by late December, leaving time to salvage the remainder of the season.
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
Pt/G |
|
Boston
University |
Hockey East |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Peter Zingoni (Sr,
Providence):
Providence graduated more than 50 percent of their scoring from last season and questions abounded about who would carry the load. Zingoni has responded this season by leading the team in scoring with 14 points in 13 games. He recorded a hat trick in the first game of the season against Sacred Heart and scored another two goals over the next three games. His scoring touch has since cooled, but he has continued to contribute including two assist games against Boston University and Boston College. Zingoni suffered a minor shoulder injury in the November 21st game against Boston College and missed the following game against Maine. He was back in the lineup several days later to face 15th ranked Brown. Zingoni is showing progress, and this should mark the fourth consecutive year of increased offensive production.
|
Team |
League |
GP |
G |
A |
P |
Pt/G |
|
Providence |
Hockey East |
13 |
7 |
7 |
14 |
1.1 |
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