Bowers named to ECHL all-star game

Former Tommie Justin Bowers is continuing to impress as he has just been named to the ECHL Amercian Conference All-Stars. Congratualtions Justin and keep up the good work. Photo Credit: ECHL

"There are 11 rookies on the American Conference and 18 of the 21 players are making their first appearance in an ECHL All-Star Game. There have been 46 players from the All-Star Game who have gone on to play in the National Hockey League, including 29 since 2002 when the lineups began having players who coaches felt were prospects to move up to a higher level." ECHL Story

CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

On behalf of stutommies.com we would like to wish our fellow Tommie fans, AUS hockey fans, players, and coaching staff a Merry Christmas. May the joy of the season be yours and we hope everyone has a prosperous 2009.

GO TOMMIES!

It's a Slow News Month

Came across this video from "CuriousGeorge03". We're not sure if Tommies hockey cards are available, as the video is described as "an example of what I can do for your sports team". If you'd like more information, you can contact George through this link. In the meantime, enjoy the presentation of Tommies game action photos, "Deliverance" soundtrack notwithstanding.

STU adds powerplay specialist

The re-tooling is underway, with a new defenseman joining the Green and Gold
(Photo Credit: Daily Gleaner)

From the Daily Gleaner:

Tommies head coach Mike Eagles thinks Andricopoulos, 21, can make a difference [on the powerplay].
"He's the type of guy we've been looking for," Eagles said. "He's a pretty good puck mover, he skates and moves well. From his background, he would certainly be in our top four and definitely help us on the power play."
That responsibility "is what I'm looking for," Andricopoulos said. "I've always been a power play guy. I'm definitely an offensive player but I'm very responsible defensively as well. I'm more of an all-around guy now as opposed to when I was 16 joining the Remparts for the first time."

Bowers excelling in ECHL

We didn't forget about you Justin but we were saving talking about you until Christmas break when there wasn't any hockey. If Tommie fans aren't aware, our big gun for the past two years is now lighting the lamp in the ECHL for the Dayton Bombers. Justin is leading his team in scoring, is second in rookie scoring for the league (1 point behind the rookie leader) and sits 10th overall in league scoring.

While Justin had high hopes of achieving these stats in the sunny State of Florida, somethings don't work out as originally planned. He was traded away to Dayton as "the player to be named later" from a transaction that took place last year between the Bombers and Florida. So I guess the lesson Justin learned was when you get dealt lemons, you do your best to make lemonade or else you will turn sour. He has done very well and is a valuable part of the Dayton team that is pursuing top spot in their division. At this pace it is only a matter of time before JB will get the call and head up to the AHL. As Tommie fans we all wish Justin could have stayed on with STU but we are certainly pleased to see him succeed. We hope his time spent with the Green and Gold was a valuable asset to his career. Good luck Justin. DG: Putting up big numbers NHL.com: Change of scenery works wonders for Bowers

"I grew up where St. Thomas is in Fredericton, New Brunswick, so I knew what to expect going to the CIS level," Bowers said. "From Junior A, it's a big step. It's a bigger, stronger, faster league. It's above the CHL, it's above the Quebec Major Junior League. I got off to a good start there, and I just kept building on it and kept trying to get better. I got a great opportunity to play a lot. It worked out for me."

Music for the Tommies

The first half went by so quickly and Tommies fans are anxiously waiting to find out if Coach Eagles will have another successful Christmas recruiting season. It will be a hard task to out do last year's job of Tremblay, Wynn, and Cassidy.

In the meantime, have you ever wondered what songs you were listening to during the Tommies' games at the LBR? Maybe you wanted to know who the artist was who sang that familiar tune? Well wonder no longer. Mike Sanderson the DJ of STU Hockey, or The Sandman, has kept track and has posted the play lists for all the St. Thomas men's and women's games dating back to the preseason. The Sandman even entertained our suggestions for the next STU vs. UNB game in January. Make sure you listen for our suggested tunes. (Trust us, you'll know our picks) The Sandman's play list 2008-09.

Dual job too demanding?

From today's Daily Gleaner:

Mike Eagles says it will be January or February before he decides on whether or not to continue in the dual role as hockey coach and athletic director at St. Thomas University.

Eagles took over the AD role on an interim basis in August after Jen Myers left to become director of sport and recreation at York University in Toronto. He said he is "not even close" to deciding his future.

Will the Tommies find any new recruits under the tree this Christmas? The answer is as vague as we would expect:

Eagles said the matter of additions to the team after Christmas "is an ongoing thing.

"When you look at our team you can't say 'Yeah, we're going to stand pat because we're happy with what we've got. Recruiting is a 12-month a year job. There's nothing firmed up, but it's an ongoing process."