Blizzard hockey: Alexandria players help Central take tournament title at Top Prospects

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The Central Division team, with the help of four Alexandria Blizzard players and head coach Doc DelCastillo, came home winners of the 2012 Top Prospects Tournament held last week in front of hundreds of NCAA and NHL scouts in Troy, Michigan.

A total of 120 players took part in the tournament. It’s an opportunity for those players to showcase their skills and for scouts to get a better feel for the talent throughout the league.

“I think it was the best NAHL Top Prospects event we have had in five years,” NAHL Commissioner Mark Frankenfeld told NAHL.com. “Which is saying a lot becase we have had so many great events and so many players move onto the next level from competing in previous tournaments.

“The response from the scouts who came out to the event was incredible and nothing but positive...it provided a great opportunity for all our players.”

The Central team was the only one to finish with a perfect 3-0 record at the event. The Blizzard’s Charlie Aus, Vadim Gyesbreghs, Tucker Coborn and Nick D’Avolio had a lot to do with that.

Aus scored the third goal of the second period for his team in the championship game against the North. That helped the Central overcome an early 1-0 lead in a game they went on to win 5-2. Gyesbreghs added an assist in the championship game as well.

“I think it was a great showcase event for our players and that’s what it is all about,” DelCastillo told NAHL.com. “I think the league does a great job of running the event and they make it easy for the scouts to come watch and evaluate the players.”

They saw a couple nice games from D’Avolio. The forward from North Riverside, Illinois is tied with Reid Sturos as Alexandria’s leading scorer with 43 points this season. He led all Blizzard players at the Top Prospects Tournament with four points after finishing with a goal and an assist in each of the first two games.

Aus finished with a goal and an assist, while Gyesbreghs and Coborn both added an assist at the tournament. Gage Torell also played in the event as a member of the 18U Selects team but was held scoreless as his team went 1-2 through the week.

“It’s a good opportunity for them,” DelCastillo said of his players. “I feel bad for the players that are good enough to be here, but that’s just part of the gig. It’s a good opportunity for these guys, and it’s kind of fun when they’re out here representing Alexandria.”

Tags: alexandria sports, sports, blizzard, hockey, nahl