The 99 Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks today released their 2010-2011 season schedule and it looks to be a very exciting year for Cleveland’s top 1999 birth year program.

The 99 Jr. Jacks will participate in five tournaments including the prestigious AAA International Silver Stick in Whitby, ON as well as the Nike Bauer Invite in Chicago, the Warrior Invite in Detroit and the Warrior Winter Classic in Buffalo.  The boys will kick off the season Labor Day weekend as they make their annual trek to Rochester, NY for the Rochester Alliance Preseason Tournament.  Last season, the boys took the Silver Division title and this year will look to go one level higher and win the Gold Division.

This season will also feature a number of games against opponents that the 99 Jr. Jacks have never faced or have only played on a limited basis.  Coming into Cleveland will be the likes of the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers, San Jose Jr. Sharks, St. Louis Amateur Blues, Milwaukee Admirals, Team Illinois, TPH Thunder from Nashville, TN and last year’s No. 1 ranked Chicago Mission.

The 99 Jr. Jacks road schedule will include the tournaments as noted above plus the Chicago Fury showcase at the end of September as well as day trips to Detroit to face Victory Honda and Compuware.  The boys will also play their regular Empire West League schedule against Syracuse, Rochester and Buffalo.

The 99 Jr. Jacks started training camp on August 14^th and are rounding into shape and chomping at the bit to get some game action under their belts.

Stay tuned to 99Jr.Jacks to track the boy’s progress during the upcoming 2010-2011 campaign!

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

The 99 Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks will head up to Rochester, NY this weekend looking to strike gold in the annual Rochester Alliance Preseason Tournament being held September 3^rd through 5^th at the ESL Sports Arena.

Last season, the 99 Jr. Jacks captured the Silver Bracket Championship defeating the likes of the Pittsburgh Hornets, Springfield Blades, Buffalo Regals and Assabet Valley before defeating the Regals again in the championship game.  This early success helped to jump-start the 99 Jr. Jacks 2009-2010 season.

This year should be no different as the boys set their sights on the Gold Bracket Championship to kick-start their 2010-2011 campaign.  The 99 Jr. Jacks will square off against Empire West rival West Seneca Wings and the Seaway Valley Rapids from Cornwall, ON in round robin play on Friday September 3^rd.  On Saturday, the boys will face the Toronto Titans and Springfield Blades to close our preliminary round play.  All division winners and a fourth wildcard team will earn a spot in the Gold Bracket with a chance to win the overall tournament championship.

The 99 Jr. Jacks could likely face a number of good teams in the playoff round including the host Rochester Alliance, Buffalo Regals, Long Island Royals, and Cambridge, ON Hawks.

Keep track of the 99 Jr. Jacks progress at the Rochester Alliance Preseason Tournament!  Log on to 99 Alliance Invitational Website to check scores, stats and final tournament results.

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

For Immediate Release – The 99 Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks kicked off their 2010-2011 season with two solid wins over the new and improved Pittsburgh Hornets Saturday at Gilmour Academy before a near capacity crowd anxious to see the new-look 99 Jr. Jacks take the ice after a spirited training camp.  The 99 Jr. Jacks did not disappoint as they controlled the tempo of both games with their superior skating and solid team defense.

In game one, the 99 Jr. Jacks jumped out to a 2-0 lead after one period and took a 3-0 lead early in the 2^nd period before Pittsburgh was able to get on the board with a deflection goal off of a Jack’s skate.  The boys quickly scored a 4^th goal to remain firmly in command and then the teams exchanged goals the rest of the way ending in a 6-3 final.

In game two, the 99 Jr. Jacks spotted the Hornets an early 1-0 lead thanks to another fluky deflection goal but Pittsburgh would need more than that as the 99 Jr. Jacks turned up the forechecking pressure and created numerous Hornet turnovers.  The boy’s sweat and effort would lead to four goals in eight minutes making the score 4-1 after one period.  The second period saw the 99 Jr. Jacks wear down Pittsburgh and then notch a shorthanded goal with only four seconds left to take 5-1 lead into the final frame.  The third period saw much of the same back and forth play until Pittsburgh was able to put on a brief but futile rally by scoring two quick goals at the 4:39 and 4:27 mark of the period.  The 99 Jr. Jacks, however, had the last laugh and the last goal at the 4:10 mark to dash any comeback hopes by the Hornets.  The final score of game two was 6-3 as well.

“I thought for the first games of the season, the boys played pretty well”, commented Coach Bill Menges.  “We definitely knocked some rust off and it’s always good to get a few games in after having so many practices.  I like the way we controlled the tempo and I also liked the balanced scoring across our lineup.  As usual, we played strong defense and our goaltending was very sharp.”

“We have a few areas to work on but we’ve got two practices this week to narrow our focus.”

The 99 Jr. Jacks will head to Rochester, NY this weekend to compete in the annual Rochester Preseason Tournament September 3^rd through September 5^th.  The boys will look to capture the Gold Division Championship.

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

The 99 Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks are sponsoring a Spring 50/50 raffle and tickets are on sale right now!  There will be three cash prizes of up to $700 each and tickets can be purchased from any 99 Jr. Jacks family thru May 31^st.

Ticket prices are 1 for $5, 3 for $10, and 7 for $20.

The drawings will be held June 3^rd and the winners will be contacted by phone.

Thanks for supporting your 99 Jr. Jacks!

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

The transition from Squirt to Pee Wee hockey, especially with the introduction of body checking, can really, as the old saying goes, “separate the men from the boys”.  Well, if this past weekend’s performance at the Showdown in Motown is any indication, the new 99 Jr. Jacks have passed the test and can be counted as young men with great character and courage.  Displaying their trademark “never-say-die” attitude, the 99 Jr. Jacks reached the semi-finals of this annual event in the Detroit, marking the first time in the tournament’s history that a team outside of the Detroit Midwest Elite League teams made it to the semi-finals in the 99 birth year division.

The first two preliminary round games saw the 99 Jr. Jacks thoroughly dominate the Chicago Young Americans and the Pittsburgh Jr. Penguins by scores of 10-1 and 9-0 respectively.  The 99 Jr. Jacks held a major territorial and shot advantage throughout both games and the outcomes were never in any doubt.

The final preliminary round game against Victory Honda (Detroit) is where the boys (ahem, Men!) showed their mettle.  The game would prove to be the most physical game the 99 Jr. Jacks would see so far in their brief Pee Wee careers and despite some early adversity, they rose up to meet the challenge.  The 99 Jr. Jacks fell behind early in this contest and were trailing by scores of 2-0 and 3-1 and were also being outhit and outhustled by Victory Honda throughout the first period.  Facing a stand up or back down scenario, the 99 Jr. Jacks chose to stand up and so the comeback began as they tied the score at 3-3 behind some inspired play and some hard hitting of their own which put Victory Honda in the unfamiliar spot of being back on their heels and having difficulty with the 99 Jr. Jacks fore-check and also gaining entry into the Jacks zone.  As play leveled-out, Victory Honda jumped ahead 4-3 only to have the 99 Jr. Jacks quickly tie the game back up.  Victory scored another goal to make it 5-4 but the Jacks would not give up and quickly tied the game again at 5-5.  After killing off two successive penalties, the 99 Jr. Jacks were able to get the go-ahead goal late in the third period and were also able to add an empty-netter to ice the game with a final score of 7-5.

The reward for the thrilling win was a date with Honeybaked (Detroit) in the semi-finals and this game would also prove to be a thriller as the 99 Jr. Jacks went toe to toe and slugged it out against the 13^th ranked team in the USA and winners of the 2009 Showdown in Motown.  Honeybaked came out strong early in the game and held the territorial and shot advantage through the first period but the 99 Jr. Jacks held them off the scoreboard and the game was tied 0-0 after one period.  The Jacks got their bearings and it was the Jacks who scored first to make it 1-0 on a power play goal early in the second period.  Honeybaked was able to tie the game off of a net-front scrum but it was the 99 Jr. Jacks who rebounded to take the lead again at 2-1 heading into the third period.  Honeybaked, however, came out smoking in the third period and were able to tie the game, grab some momentum and eventually take the lead and the game after some unfortunate penalty calls against the 99 Jr. Jacks, who just couldn’t hold off Honeybaked’s sharp power play.  In all, a great effort by the 99 Jr. Jacks in these unchartered waters.

“I told the guys in the room that I was very proud of them and that I could see them maturing before my eyes”, beamed Coach Bill Menges.  “We’re coming back up to play in a few weeks to play Compuware, Belle Tire and Honeybaked so we’ll have some motivation now.  I can’t wait for practice on Tuesday”.

Coach Rob Krueger added, “After the first period against Victory Honda, I knew we were going to win that game.  The boys gathered themselves and really turned the tables, which is a good sign for next season when we’ll get a few more cracks at these teams.”

The 99 Jr. Jacks will continue to practice for the next few weeks before heading back to Detroit the weekend of May 22^nd and 23^rd to play against 7^th ranked Belle Tire, 13^th ranked Honeybaked and 15^th ranked Compuware.

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

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!

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!

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!

Some seven months ago when the 2009/2010 version of the 99 Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks gathered to start training camp, there were many questions about the upcoming season.  Would this year’s edition have the offense, defense, goaltending and team play to take their game and season to another level?  Well the answer to all these questions was a resounding YES!  While every season is indeed a marathon featuring plenty of “ups” and fraught with some “downs”, the “ups” clearly won the day for the “Never-Say-Die” 99 Jr. Jacks as they exceeded all expectations both on and off the ice.

Facts and Stats:

Games Played: 58                         Record: 36 Wins – 20 Losses – 2 Ties

Goals Scored: 230 Goals Allowed: 162           Differential: +68

Rank:  23^rd (My Hockey Rankings) 15^th (Youth Hockey Report)

Tournaments:

Rochester Pre-Season Invitational – Silver Bracket Champions

Little Caesar’s RBK Invitational – Consolation Bracket Semi-Finalist

Nike Bauer Invitational – Quarter-Finalist

Valley Jr. Warriors Thanksgiving Invitational – Semi-Finalist

Team Illinois Golden Stick Invitational – Semi-Finalist

Overall Tournament Record:  18 Wins – 8 Losses

Notable Wins:

Mississauga Rebels, Madison Capitals (2x), Buffalo Regals (3x), Cleveland Barons, St. Catharine’s Jr. Falcons (3x), Washington Little Caps, LA Jr. Kings, Chicago Fury, Chicago Young Americans, New Hampshire Avalanche, and Assabet Valley Patriots (2x)

Congratulations to such a fine group of young men for a great season!  Most importantly, your display of courage, character, fortitude and selflessness was clearly evident both on and off the ice.  The best is yet to come!

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

The 99 Cleveland Jr. Lumberjacks have announced their tryout schedule for the upcoming 2010/2011 season.  Tryout cost is $60 and is open to any and all 1999 birth year players interested in AAA hockey.

Monday, March 22^nd – 7pm @Iceland – Strongsville, OH

Tuesday, March 23^rd – 7pm @Gilmour Academy – Gates Mills, OH

Thursday, March 25^th – 7pm @Gilmour Academy – Gates Mills, OH

Friday, March 26^th – 6pm @Iceland – Strongsville, OH

Please note there will be a parent meeting on Monday, March 22^nd after the tryout session.

The 99 Jr. Jacks have also announced a series of pre-tryout skates to be held on the following dates:

Monday, March 8^th – 7pm @Iceland – Strongsville, OH

Thursday, March 11^th – 6:40pm @Gilmour Academy – Gates Mills, OH

Monday, March 15^th – 7pm @Iceland – Strongsville, OH

Thursday, March 18^th – 6:40pm @Gilmour Academy – Gates Mills, OH

These skates designed to provide an opportunity to tune up for tryouts and familiarize the players with the various drills and systems used by the 99 Jr. Jacks.  Cost is $15 per player per session.