Atlantic Hockey Association’s annual board of directors meetings ended in Waltham, Mass., this week with changes to league policies that begin taking effect in the 2014-15 season. The addition of two scholarships and one game to the conference schedule for each school headlined those changes.
Teams will play 28 conference games – 14 at home and 14 on the road – one more than they played this past season. Schools also will be allowed 13 scholarships – one more than in past seasons – starting in the 2014-15 season and a 14th scholarship in the 2015-16 season. The directors also determined that any supplemental discipline of two games or fewer cannot be appealed to the executive committee.
They also received AHA commissioner Bob DeGregorio’s proposal regarding the conference’s potential expansion following Connecticut’s move to Hockey East Association following the 2013-14 season. Two unnamed schools have expressed interest in replacing the Huskies.

Girard native Jen Schoullis and Mercyhurst alumnus Kelley Steadman will join 39 other players attending the United States Women’s National Team camp June 16-23 at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid, N.Y. The camp will determine the players that will train together and play in various events in preparation for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, which will be held Feb. 7-23 in Sochi, Russia. That roster will be announced June 24.
The final 21-player Olympic team will be unveiled in late December. Schoullis, 24, and Steadman, 22, led the Boston Blades to the Canadian Women’s Hockey League championship this past March before winning gold with the U.S. at the IIHF Women’s World Championship in Ottawa, Ontario, last month.

The Mercyhurst men’s hockey team will open the 2013-14 season by playing in the prestigious Ice Breaker Tournament for the first time. The 17-year-old event, which will be held Oct. 11-12 at Mariucci Arena in Minneapolis, also will include Clarkson and New Hampshire and the host Gophers. The four teams in the field have reached a combined 89 NCAA Division I tournaments. Minnesota and New Hampshire made the national playoffs this past season.

Erie native Ryan Zapolski has signed a professional tryout agreement with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals, The Post and Courier of Charleston (S.C.) reported Monday.
Zapolski, 26, a Cathedral Prep and Mercyhurst University alumnus, earned the opportunity with the Nashville Predators’ AHL affiliate after completing a record-setting season with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays last week.
Zapolski was the second player in league history to capture top rookie, top goaltender and most valuable player honors in the same season, as well as the third goaltender to ever claim the MVP award. He also set the league record with a 1.64 goals-against average, tied the mark for shutouts (8) and tied for the second-best save percentage (.942). He led the league in all three categories this season and finished tied for second with 27 wins.
Zapolski had a week-long stint with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ affiliate, this past December. But he didn’t play in any games. He joins an Admirals club that includes former Erie Otters winger Michael Liambas. They are tied for ninth with the Chicago Wolves in the Western Conference, two points behind the Rockford IceHogs for the final playoff spot with four games left in the regular season. The Admirals play Chicago tonight.
In other Lakers’ news, fifth-year senior goaltender Max Strang signed an amateur tryout contract with the ECHL’s Reading Royals last Friday. Strang, who completed his Mercyhurst career last month, said he has replaced an injured goaltender on the Royals’ roster.

Erie native Bo Ruef had a goal and assist and Millcreek Township’s Miles Gates added two assists. But the United States fell to Finland 6-4 Saturday in the bronze-medal game at the World Deaf Hockey Championship in Vantaa, Finland. The U.S. finished 1-4 in the five-team tournament.
Ruef, 21, finished tied for the team lead and tied for fifth in the tournament with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in five games. Gates, 23, had no goals and five assists in five games. Both were on the U.S. team that captured bronze at the inaugural event in Winnipeg, Manitoba, four years ago.

Erie native Ryan Zapolski continues to garner honors from the ECHL.
Zapolski, a former Mercyhurst University goaltender who plays for the South Carolina Stingrays, was named the league’s most valuable player Friday, a few days after being named the league’s top rookie. He also was named recently to the ECHL’s all-rookie and first teams. Zapolski, 26, set the league’s single-season record with a 1.64 goals-against average and tied the record of eight shutouts. He also led with a .942 save percentage, which was tied for the second-best mark in league history. Zapolski finished tied for second with 27 wins and fifth with 2,378 minutes played.

Have something to say about Sherry Bassin’s draft class or about the Erie Otters?
Share your thoughts with Victor Fernandes by visiting the Shootout hockey blog at GoErie.com/blogs/shootout. The live 90-minute chat begins Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Also head to the Shootout hockey blog and Twitter at www.twitter.com/goeriehockey updates throughout draft day.

- Victor Fernandes

Erie native Bo Ruef and Millcreek Township’s Miles Gates have a chance to to capture bronze medals at the World Deaf Hockey Championship for the second time. They are representing the United States, which finished the preliminary round with a 1-3 record but will play for third place in the five-team tournament against Finland (3-1) Saturday in Vantaa, Finland. The U.S. lost to the host nation 5-3 this past Sunday. The Americans began the tournament with a 4-2 loss to Canada this past Saturday. They beat Sweden 9-4 Monday but fell 9-4 to Russia Wednesday.
Ruef, 21, leads the team and ranks third among all players with nine points (four goals, five assists) in four games. Gates, 23, has no goals and three points in four games. They won bronze medals at the inaugural international event in Winnipeg, Manitoba, four years ago.

Mercyhurst junior forward Christine Bestland was named to the All-USCHO third team for totaling 28 goals and 72 points this season. She reached 50-goal, 100-assist and 150-point marks this season. Lindenwood freshman goaltender Nicole Hensley was the only other player from a College Hockey America school to earn USCHO honors. She was named to the all-rookie team.

Former Mercyhurst men’s hockey player Derek Elliott was named to the Southern Professional Hockey League’s all-rookie team. He totaled 17 goals, 42 points and a plus-25 rating in helping the Fayetteville FireAntz to the league’s regular-season championship. Elliott had 25 goals and 64 points in 137 games with the Lakers from 2008-12.