Two games offer Bombers chances to impress coach
Friday, October 10, 2008
Dayton Bombers coach Bill McDonald won't be on the bench this weekend as the Bombers play a pair of preseason contests. The second-year coach has better things to do.
"I will be somewhere in the stands so I can get the best view possible," McDonald said. "That way I can really watch these guys and isolate on one guy the entire time if I need to."
With just eight days until opening night, McDonald is under a tight deadline. The current 25-man roster, which could increase if the right player or players become available, will have to be cut to 19 or 20 by the season opener or sooner.
McDonald wants to win, but the scoreboard will not be what he is focused on as the Bombers face off against the defending Kelly Cup champion Cincinnati Cyclones tonight, Oct. 10, in Cincinnati and Saturday in Kettering. With only four or five days of practice under their belts, the Bombers hopefuls have plenty to prove.
"I want them to play with passion and play physical hockey, but I also want them to stay within the system," McDonald said. "And, while we've only been together a few days, we are a team, so I want to see some team chemistry."
McDonald anticipated a learning curve when he targeted young players early on in the recruiting process. Those players now have two days to earn a spot on the roster.
"There will be a lot of movement in the minor leagues over the next few days so I'll also be looking to fill gaps," he said.
Bomber notes
Goalie trio: The Bombers added a third goalie to the roster as Mike Brown joined the team this week. Brown might be a familiar name to Bombers fans as the New York native played in Dayton for 18 games during the 2005-06 season, winning only four of those contests. More recently, the 5-foot-11 left-hander played for the Johnstown (Pa.) Chiefs and Alaska Aces of the ECHL and the AHL Providence Bruins, all last season.
McDonald has tapped Paul Drew to start today in Cincinnati. Dan McWhinney or Brown will likely see ice time Saturday.
AHL updates: Dayton defenseman Dominic D'Amour and forward Ryan Smyth are back with the Bombers after a stint in the Rochester Americans camp.
| Bombers training camp roster | |||||
| No. | Player | Pos. | HT | WT | Birthplace |
| 3 Britt Dougherty | LW | 6-2 | 215 | Swift Current, SK | |
| 4 Jim Henkemeyer | D | 5-11 | 195 | St. Cloud, MN | |
| 7 Jamie Dowhayko | D | 6-0 | 192 | Winnipeg, MB | |
| 8 Dan LaPointe | C | 6-1 | 198 | Victoria, BC | |
| 9 Nathan Schwartzbauer | D | 6-4 | 212 | Wasilla, AK | |
| 10 Matt Rogers | F | 5-11 | 180 | Manchester, NH | |
| 11 Nino Musitelli | F | 5-8 | 180 | Macomb, MI | |
| 15 Zach Pearson | RW | 5-10 | 185 | White Lake, MI | |
| 16 | Dan Riedel | RW | 5-9 | 177 | Rochester Hills, MI |
| 17 | Taylor Raszka | RW | 6-2 | 185 | Petersburg, MI |
| 18 | Tyler Woodissee | D | 6-0 | 200 | Brampton, ON |
| 19 Mike McLean | LW | 6-0 | 180 | Oshawa, ON | |
| 21 Justin McCutcheon | RW | 5-11 | 195 | Ithaca, NY | |
| 22 | Brett Connoll | C | 6-3 | 210 | Pickering, ON |
| 26 | Ryan Smyth | F | 6-2 | 200 | Clarence Creek, ON |
| 27 | Greg Labenski | D | 6-1 | 197 | Welland, ON |
| 28 Christian Gaudet | C | 6-1 | 191 | Memramcook, NB | |
| 32 | Jarret Lukin | C | 5-10 | 185 | Fort McMurray, AB |
| 33 | Joe Van Culin | D | 5-10 | 180 | Monticello, MN |
| 43 Marty Doyle | RW | 6-1 | 215 | King City, ON | |
| 44 Dominic D'Amour | D | 6-3 | 221 | LaSalle, PQ | |
| 47 | Mike Looby | D | 5-11 | 163 | Brampton, ON |
| 1 Dan McWhinney | G | 6-1 | 170 | Sault Ste. Marie, ON | |
| 31 Paul Drew | G | 5-10 | 190 | Merlin, ON | |
| 34 Mike Brown | G | 5-11 | 215 | Baldwinville, NY | |
| Bombers This Weekend | |||||
| Today — Dayton at Cincinnati, 7:30 p.m., Sports Plus Arena, 10765 Reading Road, Evendale. Cost $6. | |||||
| Saturday — Cincinnati at Dayton, 2 p.m., Kettering Recreation Complex, 2900 Glengarry Road, Kettering. Cost $10 adults, $5 fans 17 and younger. | |||||




Get latest headlines via RSS feeds