Recent OJL Junior Varsity News
Omaha, NE | The Omaha Junior Lancers High School program are pleased to announce the registration for the 2021-2022 season. This past season our JV team was one of two top teams in the Midwest High School League and our varsity squad claimed the 2021 USA Hockey National title for the high school division.
Tryouts this summer will be held July 9-11 (Friday through Sunday) and upon the end of that weekend the players for the program will be selected. All players must be present at the main tryout for consideration for a possible JV B / 16u B squad.
Date: July 9-11
Where: Ralston Arena
Cost: $95 per player includes jersey, min 4 hours of ice (practice and 3 games)
Omaha, NE | It was a proud week for MHSHL hockey at the USA Hockey High School National Championships in Omaha. Both the Omaha Jr. Lancers, representing Nebraska, and the Dubuque Saints, representing Iowa, sailed through the first three games of pool play undefeated.
In the Sunday morning quarterfinals, Omaha topped Sun Valley, Idaho, 7-4, and Dubuque defeated Dayton, Ohio, 4-1.
Both teams then advanced to a Sunday afternoon semifinal showdown against each other. Omaha earned a hard fought, 3-2 victory, when Will Volenec scored the game winning goal with only 2:34 left in the game.
Playing their sixth game in five days, Omaha faced off Monday morning against the Capistrano Coyotes of California in the title game. After falling behind 3-0 at the end of the first, the Jr. Lancers clawed back to tie the game in the third and force overtime. Omaha’s Trey Carlson then scored the game winner at 2:25 into overtime to clinch the championship title.
Omaha's win marks the second championship in the past three national tournaments for MHSHL teams. The Sioux City Metros won the title in 2018. The 2020 event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Congratulations to the Omaha Jr. Lancers, USA Hockey High School Division 2 National Champions, and to the semifinalist Dubuque Saints.
High School Hockey League Launches Full Season
The Midwest High School Hockey League will challenge COVID-19 and begin the 2020-21 season Friday, October 30, with a full 32-game regular-season schedule, ending with the Varsity and Jr. Varsity year-end tournaments in Ames, March 4-7, 2021.
The League faced an early challenge creating the regular-season schedule. Several of the high school teams skate in arenas that host a USHL team which has priority in choosing ice times. The USHL did not finalize its schedule until early October. In addition, two high school teams, Des Moines Capitals and Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, had their home rinks damaged during the August derecho storm. Buccaneer arena in Des Moines is being repaired and will be ready at the start of the season. The Cedar Rapids arena was severely damaged and is closed for the season. With persistent effort, the High School RoughRiders will remain in the League by playing all their home games on the road.
The League is now comprised of 12 teams. The Boji Mammoths, skating out of Spirit Lake, and the Fremont, Nebraska, Flyers have exited the League due to low player numbers and hope to return for the 2021-22 season.
The Midwest High School Hockey League season opens Friday, October 30, when Omaha visits Mason City. Mason City hosts Omaha again on Saturday while the other 10 teams begin two-game sets on Saturday and Sunday. The Des Moines Capitals are at Sioux City, Dubuque at Lincoln, Kansas City at Waterloo, Ames at Quad City, and Cedar Rapids visits the Des Moines Oak Leafs.
The regular season ends Sunday, February 28, 2021, followed by Championship Weekend, March 4-7, in Ames, where the top-eight regular-season Varsity and Junior Varsity finishers battle for a tournament title.
The Waterloo Warriors, defending regular-season Varsity champions, and the Kansas City Jets, last year’s tournament champions, will meet the first weekend of the season. The Lincoln Jr. Stars will defend their Junior Varsity 2019-20 regular-season title while Waterloo looks to retain the Junior Varsity tournament championship.
Waterloo’s Kole Latusick set a new mark for Varsity career assists last season with 130 during four seasons of high school hockey. The old record of 125 assists was held by Mason City’s Cole Despenas from 2000 to 2004.
Dubuque has made the transition from Devils to Saints. The high school team operates under the Dubuque Youth Hockey Association, which is affiliated with the USHL Dubuque Fighting Saints. In an effort to further unite the organizations, the high school team has been renamed the Saints and is emblazoned with an earlier Fighting Saints logo.
In late January of 2021, the Des Moines Oak Leafs will make the move from the Metro Ice Sports Facility in Urbandale to the newly constructed MidAmerican RecPlex in West Des Moines. The 300,000 square foot facility provides year-round access for growing youth sports programs of hockey, soccer and basketball. The 66-acre project will include three outdoor turf fields and on-site parking for 1,000 vehicles.
For the second time, the Omaha Junior Lancers will host the USA Hockey High School National Tournament, March 18-22. The Junior Lancers hosted the event in 2014.
Participating high school teams from across the country will be divided into two divisions. High school teams made up of players attending the same school will compete in Division I and teams with high school-age players from multiple schools will compete for the Division II title. There will also be a Girls division.
Teams from the MHSHL will compete in Division II. The Midwest High School Hockey League has the option of sending the highest finishing team during the regular season from Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas. The Sioux City Metros captured the Division II championship in 2018 when the event was held in Plymouth, Minnesota.
The National Tournament is a great opportunity for Omaha and the MHSHL to showcase the hockey spirit of its players, coaches, volunteers and fans who have sustained the League for 45 years. The MHSHL motto is:
“Competitive high school hockey scoring big on family and academic values!”