The United States Hockey League held its annual draft this past week and four Junior Titans found themselves on the draft board. The USHL draft is held in two phases; phase I consisted of 8 rounds and teams were only able to draft ’98 birth year players. Phase II was held the next day and all age eligible junior players were able to be drafted. In round 5 of Phase I, former U16 National Forward Shaun Bily was selected by the Cedar Rapids Rough Riders. Bily was recently in Titans news as he was also drafted by the Erie Otters in the OHL. In round 6 of Phase II, recent Union College commit Ryan Walker was selected 102nd overall by the Sioux City Musketeers. Next up was EHL Titans forward Cameron Klein who was selected 189th overall by the Chicago Steel. The 12th round not only saw our big powerful skating forward Klein selected but also our newest Titans member Zach Berzolla. Berzolla a 6’2 defenseman was selected 190th overall by the Muskegan Lumberjacks.
The USHL is currently the only Tier I Junior league in the nation. In just this season alone the USHL has over 300 NCAA Division I commitments and currently has 239 alumni playing in the NHL. The New Jersey Junior Titans organization is extremely proud to have four players drafted by the USHL this season. There is no doubt that if these players are signed by their respective clubs they will be missed here at home. In any case these players are proof that the Titans continue to improve their reputation as a training center for elite hockey players. Fans stayed tuned for the upcoming EHL home schedule as single game tickets and season ticket packages go on sale soon.