There is a rumor going around that Team Illinois Minor forward Michael Mersch and Team Illinois Majors defenseman Frankie Simonelli have committed to the University Of Wisconsin this week. On Chris Dilks Western College Hockey 2010 recruiting board, he has Mersch as the third best available forward recruit and Simonelli as the 8th best available defenseman. (Brandon Archibald from Detroit Honeybaked who has been to Madison for a visit is listed as the third best available defenseman) I'll do some checking around to see what I can find out on these two men.
Update: Here are a few tidbits floating around the net on these two prospects.
Michael Mersch:
This is what his head coach Jon Hull had to say about him: "Michael is big and strong, and his physical play opens up the ice for Nick and Danny," said Hull, who played six years of junior hockey in Canada before evolving into coaching and transplanting to the Chicago area.
Chris Dilks (Western College Hockey): "Power forward with good scoring ability."
He also had this to say about him after the USA Select 15 camp last summer: "Finished the week as the leading scorer. Very active player that always seems to be involved in the play. Showed the ability to hit, as well as score points."
Michael Mersch was also invited to the NTDP Tryout.
USHR had this to say about Mersch at the Beantown Fall Classic: "6’1” late ’92 forward Michael Mersch was excellent, a cut above the rest and a hard worker to boot."
Here is Mersch's Point Streak Page.
Frankie Simonelli:
Simonelli was also invited to the NTDP Tryout Camp.
Chris Dilks at the same link I just listed said this about him: "I saw him at the Elite League NIT, and he didn’t really stand out against older players, but everyone seems to agree that the talent is there."
He was drafted in the 15th round of the OHL draft by the Plymouth Whalers, 290th overall.
Cedar Rapids took Simonelli in the 8th round of the recent USHL draft, 114th overall. He was 1 of only 7 drafted with '92 birth years.
USHR liked Frankie at the Beantown Fall classic.
Here is Simonelli's Point Streak page.
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