USHL: Lancers Jousting for Draft Spots

Much like Nick Petrecki and Matt Carle before him, Patrick Wiercioch will continue to the trend of Omaha Lancer defenseman to go high in their respective NHL drafts. Joining Wiercioch as a promising 2008 eligible prospect is right-winger Seth Soley. Along with Wiercioch and Soley, McKeen's has notes on several Lancers that are making an impact this season.

Patrick Wiercioch (2008), D, Omaha Lancers

Deceptively skilled two-way defenseman with good size and great hockey sense .. skinny legged, Wiercioch's footwork is technically fine and any skating deficiencies he has will be corrected with added strength .. owns an understated skill set with the ability to protect the puck well and escape out of traffic areas with possession .. astute and poised with the puck, Wiercioch sees the entire ice well and makes a great first pass .. creativity while working the point is beginning to blossom, as he is capable of sending crisp passes cross-ice, right through the opposition's defenses .. pinches into open seams and jumps into the offensive attack when appropriate .. suffocating one-on-one defender that gives his man zero breathing room thanks to his superb gap control and exceptional use of his long reach .. reliable defender that has zero panic to his game and is always the last man back ready to defend the odd-man rush .. effectively angles his man to the outside and is strong along the boards .. always in position and a step ahead of the play, Wiercioch anticipates and thinks the game exceptionally well .. will make a wise early round selection.

Seth Soley (2008), RW, Omaha Lancers

Combative and skilled winger with the ability to create offense in tight quarters .. with strong edge work and brisk acceleration, Soley is a flourishing skater with the puck that is dangerous in one-on-one situations thanks to his splendid in-close puck control .. a fearless in-close goal scorer with a nose for the net, quick release, and a great sense of timing near the goal .. strong on his feet, Soley is an instinctive player that does most of his offensive work in tight spaces with the ability to generate offense off the cycle .. playing bigger than his listed size, Soley is a strong wall-to-net-type-of player .. a gritty and energetic player that throws his weight around with reckless abandonment both on the forecheck and backcheck .. competes well in his own end, although he still does leave the zone early at times, looking to transition to the offensive attack .. a 6-foot-1, 185-pound power forward with deft skill and a combative spirit, Soley's ability to score both pretty and hardnosed goals will surely be a quality NHL teams will covet come draft day.

Andrew Conboy (Mtl), LW, Omaha Lancers

Blossoming power winger that plays a pro-style game .. owns good feet for a big man with the ability to swallow up a lot of ice when he keeps his feet moving .. acceleration out of his crossovers continues to improve .. his soft hands married with his long reach make him effective at holding off checkers while attacking the net .. while he does have the finesse skills to excel in the open ice, Conboy's bread and butter is his simple but effective attacks to the net .. his overall play from the puck is much more consistent now and his work ethic no longer waivers shift to shift .. a powerful hitter with a big frame that still could withstand and additional 10-15 pounds .. the type of player that plays his best when in a foul mood, with continued development at Michigan State, Conboy could prove to be a real find in the fifth round of the 2007 draft.

Nico Sacchetti (Dal), C, Omaha Lancers

Heady and quick two-way center with no flash but plenty of substance .. fluent skater with good dot-to-dot quickness and agility .. lacks the finish to be a dynamic offensive threat, although he does display the composure and vision with the puck to create through the passing game while receiving time on the point during the powerplay .. makes nice short-distance passes while skating the puck up ice .. committed and aware two-way player that comes deep in his own end to aide in defensive coverage .. not shy about venturing into traffic, Sacchetti is able to withstand checks while competing one-on-one for loose pucks thanks to his deceptive strength on his feet .. benefits his team by doing the little things such as being quick in the faceoff circles .. Sacchetti does not appear to be a top-six forward in the making, but he could possibly project as an effective checking-line center after his time with the Minnesota Gophers.

Will O'Neill (Atl), D, Omaha Lancers

Physically aggressive defender that would be more effective if he was only bigger .. an okay skater that just lacks a dynamic burst of speed in all directions ..skates the puck with his head on a swivel and makes a decent first pass .. does an adequate job working the point on the powerplay where his ability to effectively get his quick wristshot on net generates most of his points .. without going overboard and taking careless penalties, O'Neill plays with a nasty edge defensively and finishes every check with a little extra vigor .. abrasive player that gets under the opponents skin with his tenacious play around his own net .. positions himself properly in his own end and effectively defends his man one-on-one off the rush .. after a horrible 2006-07 season, O'Neill has developed well this season and projects as a physical stay-at-home NCAA defenseman for Maine.

Dakota Eveland (2009), LW, Omaha Lancers

Diminutive winger with decent skill that is committed to Colorado College .. fluent skater with decent quickness, although he lacks the ability to separate from the opposition's defenders in the open ice .. sees the ice fairly well and is an adequate playmaker from the left wing .. despite his small stature, Eveland is often the first man in on the forecheck while trying to get everything out of his tiny body he can while finishing his checks .. still very young, Eveland is a raw defensive player that makes youthful mistakes such as taking too long of shifts .. will need to add some size or become more dynamic offensively next season to receive consideration for the NHL draft.