AWHL hockey hopefuls flood Civic Center

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- New Ulm has long been known as the hotbed of baseball in Minnesota, but this past weekend, New Ulm became the mecca of hockey for over 100 hopefuls from four states and Canada.

The Lone Star Cavalry of the America West Hockey League held a try-out at the New Ulm Civic Center with over 100 players from four states and Canada participating.

Based out of Forth Worth, Texas, the Lone Star Calvary is a new franchise in the AWHL.

"We are looking for players to put a team together for our first year," said Greg Converse, the Lone Star Cavalry chief scout. "And we are looking for players here who can play at this level and players who have that heart and soul that it takes.

"We like players who have that offensive touch on the ice," he said. "But the most important thing that we look for is their heart and character."

Most of the players in the camp are high school players with a few midget AAA players thrown in.

"We have a few players at this camp who were offered college hockey scholarships and were drafted last year," Converse said.

Converse said that the New Ulm Civic Center "is the nicest facility that we have seen in a long time. Usually when we have a camp like this, we are skating in a building resembling a pole barn."

Converse was so impressed by the facility that he will be back next year again for another camp.

New Ulm High School hockey coach Tom Macho, who coordinated the camp with the Calvary, said that most of the players from Minnesota were from the Twin Cities with four players from New Ulm: Tyson Anderson, Adam Macho, Jay Geisthardt, Kyle Marti and Brett Burgau.

He said there were also a couple of kids from Fairmont.

Macho said that when the players and parents came to the New Ulm Civic Center "they were very impressed. I spent most of the time after the sign-up just giving people tours of the entire facility. They were amazed at it -- most have a facility but for a town of New Ulm's size to have one like this -- they were impressed. They could not believe that a city would think so much of their kids to build something like this for them."

Macbo said that in talking with Converse, they both felt that high school hockey players in New Ulm "are now at the point where we can play with anybody right now. These are kids who are trying to take that step that Jamie Hoffmann did. The coach of the Calvary was impressed that our kids, despite being off of ice most of the spring, could stay with other kids on the ice."

CIVIC CENTER WILL BE BUSY: Macho said that the New Ulm Civic Center will be a busy facility with the Minnesota State PeeWee Tournament here next year.

"This summer, we have a lot of high school hockey coaches who can now work with their kids in the off-season. Fairmont and Waseca have ice times scheduled here this summer. I heard today that there are other high schools who want to rent ice time here," he said. "Plus we have a goalie camp coming up for a week -- that will start in July. Between now and the end of August ... we have two high schools, plus camp for our high school kids. Our youth program will have a week of ice time, plus we have some other camps here."

WELLMANN, STOLT MAKE COLLEGE CHOICES: Both Bob Wellmann and Andy Stolt of New Ulm, both pitchers, have made decisions on their college baseball future. Wellmann, a senior at New Ulm High School, will sign a Letter of Intent to play for Dean Bowyer at Minnesota State-Mankato next spring while Stolt, who pitched at Bethany Lutheran College this year, will sign with the University of North Dakota. Both are expected to sign this week.

Wellmann has a 26-5 career mark at New Ulm.

WYCZAWSKI, PALMER ON KYSM: Carl "Red" Wyczawski and Gordy Palmer of New Ulm will be on KYSM Radio (1230 AM) 7 p.m. Wednesday promoting the 2003 Central Plains Tournament and talking about New Ulm baseball.

ALL-JOURNAL BASEBALL NOMINATIONS: Area high school baseball coaches are reminded to get in their nominations for the All-Journal Area Baseball team as soon as possible. Nominations should include season and career stats along with awards won, college attending, coaches comments, etc. You can fax them to The Journal at 507-359-7362.