The weather is starting to cool down with the start of fall approaching, but the Northern Cyclones are just starting to warm up for the upcoming 2022-23 season.
Speaking to General Manager Bill Weiand, he said the team is feeling pretty confident, as they have a strong group of returning players, and a lot of great new guys joining as well. They are going into the ‘22-23 campaign with more consistency and experience to charge toward the championship.
They certainly have several fine athletes well-versed in the hockey ways of the National Collegiate Development Conference.
Defensemen Charlie Ross and Alex German will be donning the Crimson, Black and White on the blue line. There is an even bigger veteran forward group including Michael Felsing, Paden Hicks, Anthony Dalessio, Hudson Nadasdi, Zach Vandale and Marko Giourof.
Ross, an ‘03 from St. Louis, Mo., will hit the ice for his third NCDC season and fourth USPHL season overall. German, an ‘04 out of Colorado Springs, Colo., split last year between the 18U and NCDC teams and will become an NCDC regular this time around.
Felsing and Nadasdi give the Cyclones their second-and third-leading scorers back, as the pair combined for 53 points last year. Felsing, an ‘03 had 27 points and Nadasdi (‘02) put up 26 points as NCDC rookies.
Paden Hicks (‘02) proved to be a valuable forward in many situations, posting 10 goals and 12 assists. Californian Marko Giourof (‘03) wasn’t far behind with 19 points of his own. Dalessio (‘03) will start his sixth USPHL season and second in the NCDC, while Vandale (‘02) was a huge tender pickup in 2021 out of Choate Rosemary Hall.
For the newer players, Weiand named Karl Fredriksson and Alex Bedenko as those who have really stood out from the rest of the crowd. The ‘03 Fredriksson is making his North American debut after putting up 17 points in 19 games at the U20 level in his native Sweden. A 2003-born Macomb, Mich., native, Bedenko makes the jump from the USPHL Premier’s Metro Jets (who played in the Premier final at Cyclones Arena last March) after a 37-point season in 40 Premier games.
As of now, the Northern Cyclones have not named captains or leaders, as they have a large group of talent and want to take their time to make the right decision.
The Cyclones hit the ice, however, in just one week. On Friday, Sept. 23, they take on the rival New Hampshire Jr Monarchs, then Saturday, Sept. 24, against the South Shore Kings.
