New Faces Joining Maxwell and Skye on Team USA [2/2]

[scoop 3,447]

New Faces Joining Maxwell and Skye on Team USA

Back in the Season 48 World Cup, Team USA did not win a single game. For a team with a history of success, this was a massive disappointment (as it really should be for any team). Having not won a medal in Season 46, this marked the only time in VHL history that Team USA went medal-less in back-to-back tournaments. The team at that point in time certainly did not have high aspirations; their roster was obviously outmatched going into the games. The Season 50 tournament brought some promising new names to the roster, including Diana Maxwell and Apollo Skye, the first overall picks in the Season 50 and Season 51 drafts, respectively (though Skye had not yet been drafted to the VHL). Exceeding initial expectations, Team USA ended their medal drought, finishing in third place. They followed up that bronze with consecutive silver medals in the next two tournaments.

 

While Maxwell and Skye were not the only mainstays on Team USA during this current run, they are the only players from the Season 50 team who will be returning for the upcoming tournament. Gone are William Covington, Titan Kronos, and Travis Gowecny. Along with Maxwell and Skye, others returning to the team (each making their second appearance) are Daryl Dortch, Pablo, John Locke, and Gabriel McAllister. This leaves the roster with six new faces. Despite this inexperience, Team USA looks like a solid contender for the gold medal.

 

Bo Boeser and Peter Quill are taking over for Covington and Gowecny as the team's two centers. Neither of these players are yet a quality first line center, which could be problematic for the team. Boeser was the top rookie in Season 55 and has had two 40+ goal seasons to start his career. Quill just capped off a relatively tame rookie season with a team-leading 21 post-season points for the runner-up Davos Dynamo. However, neither of these two are great a face-offs, and they don't bring much other than a scoring touch to a team that already has plenty of players who can score.

 

Bo Boeser has given Toronto fans hope during their rebuild.

 

The inexperience of the roster really shows in the defense. Pablo, a Season 54 player, is the most veteran of the crew. Dexter Lane, Casey Jones, and Michael Kinkaid all look to make good first impressions as new members of the Team USA defense. There will undoubtedly be some struggles, with neither Jones nor Kinkaid having yet played a VHL game. This would be a much bigger liability for the team if not for the phenomenal goaltender they have behind them. Thanks to Skye, these defenders do not have to be incredible for Team USA to be a good defensive team.

 

The last new player to the team is Vernon von Axelberry, who be be backing up Skye in this tournament. V2A should get a few starts in the tournament, but with the team looking to compete, Skye will be in net for most games. If this young group of players is going to be successful in a post-Skye era, Axelberry may get his chance to shine in the future.

 

Team USA looks to continue their upward trend, seeking a gold medal in the Season 56 World Cup. With Maxwell and Skye leading the way, they certainly have the potential to win it all. While they don't have any other elite players on the squad, Gabriel McAllister is someone who could potentially do a lot of damage. With several good offensive players and a top tier goalie, they will be a team to watch.

 

 

for Maxwell

Edited October 9, 2017 by Strtlght

[CowboyinAmerica 2,911]

S43 World Cup was Wingate's coming out party, hoping for the same with McAllister here 

Edited October 9, 2017 by CowboyinAmerica

[BluObieZ 1,125]

RIP SWC3 ERA

[scoop 3,447]

1 hour ago, BluObieZ said:

RIP SWC3 ERA

Shame we could never win that gold

[BluObieZ 1,125]

32 minutes ago, Strtlght said:

Shame we could never win that gold

Yeah that was the one thing missing from his great career

[hedgehog337 3,483]

REVIEW:

 

The Team World never was so close to medals since my experiment with Holik and now USA ruined our chances in the recent event. So fuck USA team.

 

Locke performed very well in playoffs btw, he already was warming up before doing damage in Riga. And these ''not a quality first line centers'' also did well so I guess this team will be even better by the next World Cup. But still, fuck Team USA.

 

@Strtlght

Edited November 11, 2017 by hedgehog337

[TheLastOlympian07 2,388]

Review:

@Strtlght great work once again. Team USA looks to be in good hands with Bo Boeser and Casey Jones joining the ranks however the team might need a new goalie as V2A is getting older. Good stuff, hope you come back to activity soon because you are one of the most underrated members in the history of the VHL.