Two Force players, one Force affiliate goaltender on NHL CSS List

Fargo Force players Eamonn McDermott and Alex Lippincott were ranked 107th and 172nd respectively on the NHL Central Scouting midterm rankings for North American draft-eligible players for 2010.  Fargo Force affiliate Zane Gothberg (Thief River Falls) is ranked as the 5th best North American goaltender eligible for the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

From USHL.com:  NHL Central Scouting released its midterm rankings of draft-eligible players in advance of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.  Among the rankings are 35 players currently competing in the USHL.

All 14 USHL teams had at least one player listed on the midterm rankings.  A total of 18 forwards, 13 defenseman, and four goaltenders made up the 35 USHL players on the list.

Eleven of the players from the Under-18 squad of Team USA were listed in the midterm rankings of top North American skaters, including defenseman Derek Forbort who was the highest ranked among USHL players at 11th.  In 13 USHL games this season, the 6-4, 195-pound Forbort has posted five points (2g, 3a) and a plus-one rating.  Defenseman Jon Merrill was ranked as 20th and eight other players competing in the USHL this season were listed in the top 50. 

Four USHL goaltenders also made the midterm rankings of North American goaltenders led by Jack Campbell (Team USA) who is listed as 2th.  He has appeared in five USHL contests this season posting a 2-2-1 record with a 1.97 GAA and .921 SV%.  Campbell recently helped the U.S. National Junior Team capture gold at the IIHF World Junior Championship.

USHL Players on NHL Central Scouting Midterm Rankings

North American Skaters

#11 – Derek Forbort (D), Team USA

#20 – Jon Merrill (D), Team USA

#28 – Stephen Johns (D), Team USA

#30 – Bill Arnold (F), Team USA

#32 – Kevin Lind (D), Chicago Steel

#40 – Justin Faulk (D), Team USA

#41 – Jaden Schwartz (F), Tri-City Storm

#42 – Jarred Tinordi (D), Team USA

#49 – Connor Brickley (F), Des Moines Buccaneers

#50 – Jacob Fallon (F), Team USA

#52 – Brendan Woods (F), Chicago Steel

#55 – Jason Zucker (F), Team USA

#60 – Kevin Gravel (D), Sioux City Musketeers

#71 – Michael Parks (F), Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

#75 – Luke Moffatt (F), Team USA

#76 – Bryan Rust (F), Team USA

#83 – Yasin Cisse (F), Des Moines Buccaneers

#86 – Aaron Harstad (D), Green Bay Gamblers

#95 – Nick Mattson (D), Indiana Ice

#107 – Eamonn McDermott (D), Fargo Force

#122 – Brian Ferlin (F), Indiana Ice

#126 – Ryan Daugherty (F), Omaha Lancers

#130 – Nick Sorkin (F), Waterloo Black Hawks

#132 – Kevin Clare (D), Team USA

#170 – Derek DeBlois (F), Cedar Rapids RoughRiders

#172 – Alex Lippincott (F), Fargo Force

#174 – Scott Wamsganz (F), Waterloo Black Hawks

#177 – Mathieu Brisson (D), Omaha Lancers

#196 – Chris Crane (F), Green Bay Gamblers

#207 – Nick Czinder (F), Youngstown Phantoms

#210 – Andrej Sustr (D), Youngstown Phantoms

North American Goaltenders

#2 – Jack Campbell, Team USA

#5 – Zane Gothberg, Thief River Falls, Fargo Force Affiliate

#12 – Willie Yanakeff, Sioux City Musketeers

#15 – Jared Coreau, Lincoln Stars

#19 – Clay Witt, Sioux Falls Stampede