LANCERS TAB FIVE PLAYERS IN 2012 USHL FUTURES DRAFT
Tuesday, May 1, 2012 - Submitted by Dan Fremuth
OMAHA, Neb. – The Omaha Lancers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) are pleased to announce they have selected five players today in the 2012 USHL Futures Draft. The five skaters chosen by the Lancers were among 78 total players tabbed by USHL teams from the 1996 birth year age group.
Omaha controlled the first overall selection by virtue of winning the Futures Draft lottery and with that pick selected forward Shane Gersich out of Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria, Minnesota. A 5’11”, 174-pound forward from Chasta, Minnesota, Gersich tallied 30 goals, 30 assists and 60 points in 21 games at Holy Family Catholic last season. His 30 goals paced all Holy Family skaters while his 60 points were good for second-best. As a freshman, Gersich averaged 2.86 points per game while recording 17 multi-point games and 10 multi-goal outings.
“We’re very happy to have the opportunity to select Shane,” Lancers Head Coach Mike Aikens said. “He’s a great hockey player and an even better young man. He’s a dynamic, great skating forward who can put up points. He’s one of the best 1996-born forwards in the country who turned down an offer from the National Team Development Program to stay at Holy Family Catholic with the idea of furthering his development. We expect him to be an impact player in the USHL down the road.”
Shane’s father Frank played at the University of Minnesota while his uncle, Neal Broten, was a standout for the Golden Gophers, a member of the gold-medal winning 1980 men’s Olympic hockey team and is one of the best American born skaters to ever play in the National Hockey League.
After forfeiting its second round pick as a result of tending forward Ryan Tait, Omaha made its second selection of the night with the first pick of the third round and 31st selection overall by taking forward Scott Eansor out of Culver Academy. In 31 games for Culver’s Under-16 team last season, Eansor registered 22 goals, 18 assists and 40 points while posting a team-leading +31 rating.
With back-to-back picks to close out the fourth round and kick off round five, the Lancers grabbed forward Brian Williams with the 60th overall selection and followed that by tabbing defenseman Jake Cass with the 61st overall pick. Williams, a 5’10”, 170-pound forward from San Diego, Californa, tallied 18 goals, 25 assists and 43 points in 40 games last season for the LA Selects Under-16 team. In two seasons with the Selects, Williams has averaged better than a point-per-game notching 77 points (33 goals, 44 assists) in 74 total games. Meanwhile, Cass, a 5’11”, 170-pound blueliner from Stillwater, Minnesota, recorded five goals, 13 assists and 18 points in 27 games at Stillwater High School.
Finally, with the 90th overall selection and final pick in the 2012 USHL Futures Draft, Omaha chose forward Ryan Donato from the Dexter School out of Brookline, Massachusetts. Ryan is the son of 13-year NHL veteran Ted Donato.
All of Omaha’s selections will immediately be placed on the team’s affiliate list.
