Replenishing its graduation-depleted roster, the Spartan hockey team expects to add three more players to its recruiting class today, bringing the class total to seven.
Left wings Kevin Estrada and Mike Lalonde and center Ash Goldie have given verbal commitments to sign National Letters of Intent with head coach Ron Mason’s program today.
Mason is out of town and NCAA rules prohibit him from talking about recruits until they have signed National Letters of Intent.
Estrada, a 5-foot-11, 185-pound left wing, plays for the Chilliwack Chiefs of the British Columbia Junior Hockey League - the same team that produced former MSU center Jeremy Jackson, who was dismissed from the Spartan squad in February.
Estrada led the Chiefs with 118 points (34 goals, 84 assists) in 59 games this season.
Lalonde, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound left wing, plays for the Prince George Spruce Kings of the BCJHL. He was second on the team in goal-scoring with 27 tallies and added 27 assists in 29 games.
Goldie, a 5-foot-11, 165-pound center, tallied 68 points (39 goals and 29 assists) in 50 games for the London Nationals of the Western Ontario Junior Hockey League.
The trio joins wing Brock Radunske, defenseman Duncan Keith and centers Jim Slater and Lee Falardeau, all of whom signed with MSU in November.
Keith and Slater are prize recruits who are expected to help fill the void left by six seniors leaving this year’s Frozen Four squad. Gone will be wings Rustyn Dolyny, Damon Whitten, John Nail and Sean Patchell, center Andrew Bogle and goaltender Joe Blackburn.
“Jim is a really solid all-around player,” Mason said in a released statement in November. “He understands the game very well and brings with him an outstanding work ethic.
“Duncan is a gifted skater and puck handler. He is one of the top recruits in North America.”
Spartans dole out team awards
As expected, sophomore goaltender Ryan Miller was named the team’s Most Valuable Player at the 2001 Spartan Hockey Awards Banquet on Monday night.
Other awards went to Nail as the team’s Outstanding Offensive Player and junior defenseman Jon Insana as the Outstanding Defensive Player.
Freshman defenseman Joe Markusen took home two trophies - Most Improved Player and Outstanding Rookie.
And Whitten also won two - the Amo Bessone Award for athletic, scholastic and community participation, and the Blue Line Club President’s Award for the top senior scholar-athlete.
