Seattle Ironmen Ready To Defend U.S. Junior Title

As with any champion seeking to repeat, the Seattle Ironmen know the challenge will be great this weekend.

But from the Ironmen's general manager and coach to several veteran players, there's confidence that the Lynnwood-based hockey team can bring home another national championship.

The Ironmen - composed primarily of 15-19 year-olds from Snohomish County - are in Toledo, Ohio, to vie for the U.S. National Tier I junior hockey championship. They are seeking to become the first team to repeat as national titlists since Manchester, N.H., won in 1985 and 1986.

Coach Howie Hughes' team is fresh off winning a third consecutive western U.S. title. The Ironmen are 35-16-4 heading into the national tournament.

Hughes is a little surprised this season's team has earned the chance to defend its title. The team began the year with only seven returnees. The remainder of the lineup was composed of 13 rookies. General Manager Bert Vandergrift says this year's team is one of the youngest since the team was founded in 1973.

``Having seven veterans back put a smile on my face and I found out we had some pretty good young players,'' Hughes said. ``But it wasn't until a Christmas tourney in Canada that we started to click pretty well.

``I think the kids got to know the coaches, the other kids, and what we expect. We're very strict with a high code of discipline. And we work them hard.''

Players Mike Hatch, Scott Maesner, and John Kooy knew the Ironmen system. They are veterans. They have seen the Ironmen evolve this season into a team they believe can compete at the national tournament, possibly even earn a second straight national title.

Hatch, a 1987 Woodway High School graduate, is in his last year of eligibility with the Ironmen. He has been to four national tournaments in his five seasons with the team and been part of both a third place and last year's championship club.

``The last couple of weeks we've come together,'' Hatch said. ``But we've got to win as a team, not as individuals. We've got to give 100 percent as a team.

``If we put our minds together, we can do it (win the championship). But time will tell when we get there.''

Defenseman Maesner, who joined the team four years ago after moving here from Alaska, said last year's team was one of a kind. But the 1989 Lynnwood High School graduate said this year's team is starting to approach the caliber of the national title team, despite the large number of young players.

``I think we could repeat,'' Maesner said. ``We have the ability. If the vets can pull the rookies together, we can do well. I'll tell you this, the veterans want so bad to defend the title.''

Right winger Kooy, a senior at Mariner High School, has come up through the area youth hockey ranks. Kooy is playing his third season with the Ironmen.

Kooy knows this year's team isn't as good overall as last year's club, mostly because of the inexperience factor. ``And we're not as strong defensively.

``But we're better at goal scoring. We've got more people who can put the puck in the back of the nets.''

``The competition at nationals last year was good,'' he said. ``If it's that way again, we could repeat. It will just depend on how the younger guys hold up.''

One younger player is goaltender Byron Danel, a sophomore at Mountlake Terrace High School who joined the team this year after moving from Portland. Danel generally starts in goal.

``It's something for some people to make it to the nationals just once,'' he said. ``I've got the chance to go twice in two years.

``I've got a pretty good team in front of me and if we all help each other, I think we can take nationals. That's exciting.''