Cleveland, OH   – Saturday April 24^th – For Immediate Release

The new and improved 2010-2011 99 Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks will take their act on the road as they head to Detroit next weekend to compete in the annual Showdown in Motown AAA spring hockey tournament.  The 99 Jr. Jacks will play preliminary round games against the Chicago Young Americans, Pittsburgh Jr. Pens and Victory Honda to determine their seeding for the playoff rounds.  The boys have been practicing since March and are excited to hit the ice.

“In practice, I can tell we’ve upped our talent level and now I’m looking forward to seeing the guys compete under game and tournament conditions, “commented Head Coach Bill Menges.  “This will be a little appetizer before next season.  I expect the boys to work hard and put in a strong showing.”

The 99 Jr. Jacks, sporting players from the greater Cleveland area, Pittsburgh and now Erie, hope to build on their successful 2009-2010 season and the building blocks appear to be in place.  In addition to the top 99 Jr. Jacks players from last season, five former Cleveland Barons have joined the team in hopes of forming an elite squad that can compete at the higher AAA levels across the US and Canada.

2010 – The Year of the Jacks!  – Let’s Go Jacks!

Cleveland, OH   – Saturday April 24^th – For Immediate Release

The ’99 Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks have officially announced that Grant Williams will take over Team Manager duties for the upcoming 2010-2011 season.  Tim Kucharski, outgoing Team Manager, made the announcement at team headquarters this morning.  Kucharski will stay on in an advisory capacity as Assistant Manager along with former Barons manager, Paul Clemens, who will be assistant to the Team Manager.

“I’ve been the manager since the beginning of the ’99 Jr. Jacks and I just felt like it was time to take a break”, said Kucharski, a criminal defense attorney in the offseason.

New manager Grant Williams was reached for comment on the back nine and replied, “We all owe Tim a great deal of thanks since he was one of the major keys in getting the ’99 Jr. Jacks started.  I’m sure the transition will be smooth especially since we’ll have Tim, Paul, Karen Warmuth, Mimi Whitney and Deb Williams all providing help in their areas of expertise.  The important thing is the development of the boys and I can’t wait to see them out on that ice!

2010 – The Year of the Jacks!  – Let’s Go Jacks!

Cleveland Tier 1 AAA Hockey – Saturday April 24^th – For Immediate Release

The ’99 Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks have officially announced their coaching staff for the 2010-2011 season and it will come as no surprise that the boys will be in very capable hands heading into what should prove to be an exciting spring and regular season.

Longtime ’99 Jr. Jacks assistant Rob Krueger will once again return for another campaign overseeing the defense and goaltending.  Coach “Sunshine” is well-loved by the players and anyone who knows Coach Krueger knows the feeling is mutual.

Assistant Coach Phil Ryder is a new addition to the ’99 Jr. Jacks staff but not new to the hockey circles around Cleveland.  Phil has played and coached for over 30 years and brings a wealth of experience to the table.  Phil has coached for the Barons for many years and was also head coach at St. Ignatius for several seasons.  Phil’s four older sons have all played high school, junior and college hockey.

“It’s great to have Rob back and I am excited that Phil has agreed to join the staff”, commented Head Coach Bill Menges.  “Phil’s boys are older and he was interested in getting back to coaching the young guys and helping them develop into better hockey players.  Welcome aboard, Phil.”

2010 – The Year of the Jacks!  – Let’s Go Jacks!