Sports Writer

WHEELING – Three local hockey players are getting a great opportunity to showcase their skills on one of the game’s biggest stages.

Carter Remp of Linsly, Logan Pielech of Wheeling Central and eighth grader Luke Simonetti of Wheeling Middle School traveled to Kalamazoo, Mi., Thursday with the Allegheny Badgers for the Midam National Hockey Tournament.

The squad fell 4-2 on Thursday in the first game of the opening round robin tournament but has high hopes after a stellar 43-9-11 season.

Pielech has been outstanding throughout the campaign with 40 goals and 26 assists, despite taking on the opposition’s best players.

“Logan is a special talent,” Badgers’ coach Chris LaPiana said. “He sees the ice really well, he is physical and he is one of our captains. He has a presence on the ice and other teams will zone in on him or double team him because they know who he is.”

Simonetti, despite being in middle school, is among the team’s best players with 39 goals and 32 assists this year.

“Luke is younger but he does everything right,” LaPiana said. “He has a lot of heart. He has fast hands and he is a good goal scorer. He is also a really nice kid and is always positive. He gets everybody going.”

Remp has amassed 10 goals and 12 assists this year, while focusing on his defensive position.

“Carter is also a captain for us,” LaPiana said. “He plays defense and is probably one of the most focused and serious players we have. He is all business but he is always smiling. Don’t take his quietness as a weakness. He is insanely fast, big and strong and he can fly with the puck. He has a hard shot and he never has a negative thing to say. He is also a nice kid who lets his play dedicate where he belongs.”

All three of the Friendly City friends are a key reason for the success of the Badgers this year.

“They all have a lot of heart,” LiPiana said. “I wish I had 15 more just like them. They’ve all been with us for two years.”

There are four divisions of four teams who will compete in three round robin games. The top two teams in each division will advance to the playoff with the championship game being played on Monday.

“We had to win our state and we did that,” LiPiana said. “We are in the highest bracket up here now and we are the No. 4 seed so we’re the No. 4 team in the country out of the teams that made it.”