Meet the Tritons
Introducing the 2008-09 UMSL Division I team...
GPCIHL October 31st, 2008 at 11:30PM April 17th, 2009 6:54PM#6 JASON HOLZUM (Forward/4th year)
Last season, in his UMSL debut, the gritty, focused lefty contributed at some of the biggest moments.
With the Tritons trailing Long Beach State 5-3 in the third period of a playoff game at Nationals, Holzum finished a pass from Andy Meade and cut the deficit in half, setting the stage for PJ Tallo's natural hat trick and a 7-5 comeback victory. Against Lindenwood in the GPCIHL championship game, Holzum was on the floor in the final minute as the Tritons hung on to a one-goal advantage and closed out their historic upset.
Now paired with star newcomer Marty Gwozdz, the underrated Holzum will have an elite linemate, and has been given a well-earned chance to shine like never before.
#8 JAKE SHEPARD (Forward/5th year)
Is this the year Shepard returns to his 65-goal form? After having two seasons derailed by injuries and heavy academic demands, UMSL's all-time single-season goalscoring record holder returns for one more try.
While not quite as speedy as he was back in '05-06, Shepard can still fly, and his finishing skill is steadily reemerging. Coach Jaime Schulz is a strong believer in chemistry, so pairing Shepard with good friend Jeremy Scott is part of a recipe for success.
#11 BLAKE PROPP (Forward/5th year)
After arriving at midseason last year, Propp was the Tritons top forward for the remaining 21 games. The tough, fiery Propp (rhymes with hope) plays a stellar all-around game. He can skate, pass, score, defend, and is an outstanding leader who has been named an alternate captain for '08-09. In addition to his well-timed, positive vocal leadership, Propp's nasty competitiveness rubs off on the rest of the team. The former captain of St. Charles CC's powerful squad will wear the A as an alternate captain of the Tritons.
#13 DAMION MATTESON (Forward-Defense/1st year)
Damion, the oldest son of MSG Triplex owners Rick and Tina Matteson, shows a fearless, gritty confidence and a high level of hockey sense that makes it obvious that he’s grown up with inline hockey. Matteson is a great (yes, great) man-on-man defender and an excellent skater who has a deep set of skills. He’ll start his college career playing for his dad on UMSL’s B team, but it’s difficult to imagine Damion not becoming a heavy contributor to the DI squad in the future.
#14 CODY BAUGH (Forward/1st year)
Baugh is sickness personified. He might have the quickest set of hands on the UMSL roster, and the true freshman is on the cusp of a DI callup. As his two-way game continues to develop (so far, so good), he figures to become a star in college.
#17 AARON SCHULZ (Forward/3rd year)
Schulz’s steady production was an underrated ingredient to the Tritons’ success last season. Who was it that flipped the breakaway pass to PJ Tallo for the game-winner against Lindenwood? Schulz, of course, who had also banged home a Tallo rebound to give UMSL a lead during the final minute of the first period of the Tritons' GPCIHL championship-clinching victory. At Nationals, against rival Stony Brook, Schulz scored the game-winner in UMSL's 3-2 win.
"Dutch" will pair with Blake Propp on a forward line that also found success over the summer, when they competed together for Team Missouri at the State Wars tournament in Cincinnati.
#18 JEREMY SCOTT (Forward/5th year)
This might be the season Snipin’ Scott reaches a goal he set when he came to UMSL three seasons ago: to pair on a forward line with good friend Jake Shepard. A highly talented offensive player, Scott’s overall game has developed over the course of his career, and he is now a steady presence as one of four fifth-year players on the UMSL DI roster.
#22 MARTY GWOZDZ (Forward/1st year)
Gwozdz (pronounced gwohtz) is a speedy newcomer from Fort Worth, Texas, who can play forward or defense and will be one of UMSL’s top offensive threats this season. The last player to wear No. 22 for UMSL was Zach Stacy; Gwozdz has many of the same attributes. He's lightning-quick and quietly confident, and like "Crunchy Zach," his speed sets him apart.
#23 DANNY DWYER (Defense/1st year)
The only true freshman skater on the opening-day DI roster, the big, strong freshman from Francis Howell is a former AAA ice hockey star who should make an immediate impact at both ends of the floor. Dwyer plays a smart, disciplined game and is one of the best natural goalscorers on the team. And physically, he's a beast -- in the words of B team coach Rick Matteson, Dwyer is "a frickin' stud."
#29 ERIC THOMPSON (Defense/4th year)
So far in his UMSL career, Thompson has proven to be a role player supreme.
In 2006-07, his first season at UMSL, he needed to be a scoring threat -- so Thompson scored 23 goals in 25 games, good for third on the team. Last year, he was a defensive stopper who scored just four goals but contributed defensively in key situations such as a long four-on-two disadvantage during the third period of UMSL’s playoff game against Long Beach State.
#31 MATT ENDOM (Goaltender/1st year)
After losing Thomas Ames and James Cash last season, the Tritons weren’t sure they would have the goaltending to compete for a national championship. Enter Matt Endom. Over the summer, he competed at the highest level of inline hockey, NARCh Pro. Expectations are through the roof.
#33 JIMMY STEGER (Goaltender/1st year)
Steger is a confident, enthusiastic freshman who is well-liked by his teammates for his competitive drive and fearless nature. The Francis Howell graduate will get a fairly significant chunk of the starts on the Division I team this season.
#38 PJ TALLO (Defense/2nd year)
Tallo more than lived up to the hype as a freshman, leading the team in goals, assists, and points and winning IRC first-team All-America honors. Ho hum, yawn, move on.
#47 ADAM CLARKE (Defense/5th year)
The captain will graduate in December and hopes to close out his illustrious college career with a national title in April. Clarke was named first-team NCRHA All-America last season, and continues to be a constant, well-rounded force at both ends of the floor.
#57 TYLER CHAPMAN (Forward/1st year)
UMSL’s first recruit in the high school class of 2008, Chapman was targeted during his junior year based on raw talent, and was expected to become a solid DI player by his second or third year in college. Instead, the CBC grad has leaped over all the projections and at times has been a dominant force during DI practices. The sky is the limit for Chapman. He will be one of the top players in the GPCIHL B Division – at least for this weekend.
#90 ANDY MEADE (Defense/4th year)
Meade and defense partner Adam Clarke are a study in contrasting styles. There are some, like Clarke, who play hockey with cool, calm efficiency. There are others, like Meade, who seem ready to burst at the seams from the primal competitive energy running through their bodies. (Hence the nickname “Andy the Animal.â€)
Meade was one of UMSL’s top players last season and has been awarded an alternate captain’s A for 2008-09.
