INDIANAPOLIS, IN- The Indiana Ice took a giant leap towards continuing their winning tradition when the team made 16 picks in today’s 2010 USHL Entry Draft.

The Ice had to make their first pick count as the team owned just one selection in the first four rounds of the draft. With their first round pick (10th overall), Indy selected veteran defenseman Sam Rendle. The talented blueliner is coming off a championship season as a member of the Bismarck Bobcats of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). He led all defensemen in playoff scoring with 17 points (6G, 11A) which coincided with his league-best 47 points (10 goals, 37 assists) during regular season play.

After the lone early pick, the Ice did not participate in the draft until a pair of selections in the middle of the fifth round. The team took forward Dan Cesarz from the successful Honeybaked program in metro Detroit and defenseman Ryan Obuchowski from Detroit Catholic Central, the reining high school champions from the state of Michigan.

Later in the draft, Indiana grabbed a trio of skilled forwards in Gunnar Hughes (Salisbury Prep-MA), Christian Hilbrich (Wenatchee-NAHL) and Michael DiPuma (Wenatchee-NAHL) and some physical presence in forwards Will Aide (Fairbanks-NAHL) and Andrew Mayer (Honeybaked). Aide led the NAHL in penalty minutes last season with 232.

In addition, the Ice fused some youth into their line-up with the selections of two of the youngest players in the draft in forward Adam Erne and goaltender Eric Comrie. The two 1995-born players are two of the most dynamic players in the nation and were teammates last season for the LA Selects program in Los Angeles, CA.

“As a whole we’re very excited with the players we added,” commented Ice VP of Player Personnel and Assistant Coach Brad Lutsch. “Everybody on the scouting staff did an excellent job in finding new players especially in the mid to late rounds that will fill in nicely with our core of returning players from last year. It should make for an exciting Main Camp and 2010-11 season.”

2010 Ice Selections
Sam Rendle- D, Bismarck (NAHL) Will Aide- F, Fairbanks (NAHL)
Dan Cesarz- F, Honeybaked Andrew Mayer- F, Honeybaked
Ryan Obuchowski- D, Detroit Catholic Central (MI) Derek Milosek-G, Victory Honda
Gunnar Hughes-F, Salisbury (CT) Robbie Baillargeon-F, Cushing (MA)
Christian Hilbrich-F, Wenatchee (NAHL) Adam Erne-F, LA Selects
Michael DiPuma-F, Wenatchee (NAHL) Tim Smith-D, Owatonna
Patrick McNally-D, Milton (MA) Derek Schultz-F, Chicago Mission
Kevin Killian-D, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (MI) Eric Comrie-G, LA Selects


The Indiana Ice is a member of the United States Hockey League, America’s only Tier One League.