USHL: Omaha Deep in Talent

As the close of the 2007-08 USHL regular season approaches, the Omaha Lancers have proven that their performance at the CCM Challenge against Quebec Major Junior Hockey League teams in early September and at the USHL Fall Classic in late September was no fluke: they are first in the USHL West Division with less than 10 games remaining. Omaha's performance this season has come thanks to an exceptionally deep roster that regularly has a second round draft pick, one of the top first-year draft eligible forwards in the league, and a talented young 2009-eligible player on it's fourth line (Dakota Eveland-Nico Sacchetti-Seth Soley). The Lancers can boast NHL picks like Sacchetti, Drew Conboy, and Will O'Neill, and some impressive 2008-eligible prospects like Soley, Patrick Wiercioch, Matt Thurber, and Barry Almeida. McKeen's had the opportunity to catch the Lancers twice in February and enters notes on Sacchetti, Conboy, O'Neill, Soley, Wiercioch, Thurber, Almeida, and more.

Nico Sacchetti (Dal), C, Omaha Lancers

Transition to the USHL has been somewhat difficult and has not seen prime icetime on a deep Lancers team .. still has the hands he had in high school, as he is a smooth stickhandler who can handle it wide from his body or in close .. able to make slick stickhandling moves, but Omaha coaching staff is encouraging Sacchetti to avoid temptation to make one more move and instead, use his considerable shot sooner .. offensive awareness, stickhandling, and ability to protect the puck makes him a strong "cycler" of the puck .. smooth skater with decent speed, but not breakaway speed .. adding more physicality to his game, as he finishes his checks with some force and will shoulder into opponents to get the puck.

Andrew Conboy (Mtl), LW, Omaha Lancers

Anything that comes off his stick is hard .. makes very quick, crisp passes that should only become more and more useful, as he works his way up the ranks and the caliber of play rises at each level .. has a hard shot, be it wrist, snap, or slap, and can score from the perimeter, but many of his goals come from his efforts around the net .. is able to open up the play for his teammates with his play in front of the net and is difficult for opponents to handle .. a decent playmaker around and behind the net and from the corners and half walls .. has deceptive speed, as he kind of cruises around the ice .. does show good hustle when necessary to beat out icings, on the forecheck or the backcheck, but does not run around .. checking and fighting abilities are already well known .. takes draws on the powerplay .. additional lower-body strength will only make this power forward even more effective, ensure successful transition into college at Michigan State, and then further into the pro ranks.

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

Has made steady improvement after a difficult 2006-07 .. still nearly a "gaff a game" in handling the puck .. generally makes crisp passes, but could hone his accuracy a little more .. has a quick wristshot from the point .. 6-foot-1, 205-pound blueliner has some potential defensively .. does a good job angling his opponents to stand them up at the blueline and make a big hit, or even in the neutral zone along the boards .. however, sometimes he has his opponent lined-up perfectly in the high defensive zone and continues to back in when he could have rubbed them out or hip-checked them, which he has the size and mobility to do .. still has to watch that he does not allow too much of a gap in the neutral zone to allow opponents to build too much speed .. has good backward skating form one-on-one and can stop backwards quickly and smoothly .. could afford more power in his backwards acceleration to reduce initial crossovers.

Patrick Wiercioch (2008), D, Omaha Lancers

Talented puckmoving defenseman still filling into his body .. return to the lineup from a broken thumb that required a plate and pins has bolstered Omaha's powerplay .. a very accurate passer who can thread passes through traffic or long distances .. generally makes crisp passes, although they were somewhat weak when he initially returned from the hand injury .. has no problem connecting crisp saucer passes .. has a nice pointshot that he keeps low .. likes to pinch when he can, but has become more responsible in doing so since the Fall Classic .. has very good offensive awareness and always takes looks when skating back for the puck to assess the play .. appears to have eliminated the bad habits he showed at the Fall Classic, like following his own pass and taking himself out of the play and has adjusted to the structured USHL game .. has some speed already, but still has a thin lower body .. lateral movement is somewhat awkward due to lack of leg strength .. all-compass mobility has the potential to become very good if he can add the necessary muscle he needs to his lower body .. hands and wrists have good size to them naturally, hinting that he has the frame to put on significant muscle .. committed to the University of Wisconsin. Click on the link for a recent interview with Patrick Wiercioch

Seth Soley (2008), RW, Omaha Lancers

Joined Omaha in November and has put up some fair numbers despite being buried on a very deep Lancers team .. 6-foot-1, 190-pound forward has some size and can launch into opponents but also uses his size offensively .. does a good job protecting the puck when he skates the puck out of the corner or off the half boards .. able to fend off opposing sticks with one hand on his stick a la Jaromir Jagr or former USHLer Tomas Vanek .. effective in cycling the puck .. has excellent first-step speed, but it is based on power, not quick turnover .. his power-first few strides help him get up to speed quickly and smoothly, and he wins his fair number of races to the puck .. a smooth skater with good top speed, too .. his speed can be deceptive because his skating is smooth, but he covers a lot of ground .. has the ability to slow the game down, too, and be shifty in his gear selection .. has good offensive vision to make plays .. makes very quick, crisp, accurate passes .. a responsible defensive player who forechecks hard and finishes his checks .. is also first on the backcheck a lot of the time, even if he took the shot, and can strip opponents of the puck .. a talented all-around forward who would certainly be a first-line USHLer if he were to return in 2008-09. Click on the link for a recent interview with Seth Soley

Matt Thurber (2008), C, Omaha Lancers

Responsible two-way hockey player .. a regular on the penalty kill whose speed and hustle can make breaking the puck out difficult for opponents .. also an effective backchecker who will prevent teams from breaking into the zone .. finishes his checks .. smart in the faceoff circle .. offensively, has good speed with the puck and the agility to ditch opponents low in the offensive zone .. makes accurate passes and can make them while skating at speed .. even though he is small at 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, it is difficult to see Thurber not going somewhere in the draft with his all-around skill and hockey sense.

Barry Almeida (2008), RW, Omaha Lancers

One of the top offensive threats in the USHL in 2007-08 .. has breakaway speed with the puck .. also plays with some shiftiness and has good agility with the puck .. playmaker who makes crisp, accurate passes and who is especially dangerous making centering passes or finding teammates - back door .. has a quick shot, although he shoots high too often .. speed allows him to cover a lot of ground and direct the play on the forecheck .. backchecks hard, too .. finishes his checks, but they lack force .. strong odds of being drafted, despite his size, if he completes the season healthy and can lead Omaha to some playoff success.

Keir Ross (2008), D, Omaha Lancers

Leading USHL in plus/minus with about 10 games remaining in the season .. offensive awareness seems to be a work in progress, as he was seen hesitating to pinch or retreat and completely lost track of the blueline while handling the puck at the point in one viewing .. has some speed, but his stride could afford to be lengthened .. shows good mobility at the blueline with the puck and in anticipation of the puck and positioning himself to receive it .. has a quick wristshot from the point that he keeps low .. generally passes the puck crisply and accurately .. has already established himself as a defensive stalwart in the USHL, but does not have the size to be a defensive defenseman only at the higher pro ranks and will have to continue to develop his offensive game, although the underlying tools appear to be there.

Aaron Lewadniuk (2008), RW, Omaha Lancers

Overall, he has had a strong rookie season in the USHL coming out of the MJHL (Manitoba) and appears to have defined himself as an offensive player who can also hit, as opposed to a checker with some offense .. has good speed and can create offensive opportunities with his forechecking .. dangerous coming out of the corner or off the half boards .. has some shiftiness with the puck and does not always rely on his top gear .. also willing and able to fight through checks .. second-year, draft-eligible player still unlikely to be taken in 2008 draft, but certainly worth further monitoring throughout college at Bemidji State.

Jake Sloat (2008), D, Omaha Lancers

Finally getting some icetime after trades opened up opportunities for him .. makes accurate passes to break the puck out and moves the puck d-to-d crisply .. capable of connecting long-distance passes, too .. has decent speed and shows good hustle .. keeps his wristshot from the point low to create rebound opportunities .. not a threat to be drafted in 2008, but appears to have the tools and potential for a strong second season in the USHL.

Dakota Eveland (2009), LW, Omaha Lancers

Has successfully adjusted to the caliber of play of the USHL .. despite being such a small player, he cycles the puck very well and is dangerous coming out of the corner with the puck or with crisp, accurate passes .. demonstrates patience with the puck .. has exceptional agility with the puck, including at high speed .. is not afraid to engage physically and fights through checks .. finishes his checks defensively .. demonstrates strong offensive awareness and commitment to defense .. only major weakness is size.