Former St. Marys Lincolns’ captain Josh Cornelissen (2009-11) is having an outstanding freshman season with Liberty University Flames, a Division 1 hockey team in Lynchburg, Virginia.
Cornelissen, 21, who was named Lincs’ best defenceman the last two seasons, is fifth in team scoring with Liberty. The Parkhill area native has four goals and 18 points and 30 penalty minutes in 22 games. He has led all Flames’ defencemen in points the entire 2011-12 season to date.
Liberty is a member of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA). Other teams the Flames play in regular-season action include: Atlanta Jr. Knights, Oakland University in Michigan, University of Delaware, Virginia Tech., Central Oklahoma and Penn State.
The 6 ft., 3 inch, 200 lb. Cornelissen is studying kinesiology at Liberty, a private Christian university which has an enrollment of about 72,000 students, 12,000 of whom are residential students and 60,000 studying through Liberty University online.
In addition to being Lincolns’ top blue-liner the last two years, Cornelissen was named best defenceman in the Western Conference in 2010-11. He was also selected a first-team all-star in the conference for the third straight season.

•Another player having an standout season is former Lincs’ goalie Bryan Hince (2005-07).
Hince (16-1) has a league-leading 16 wins for the first-place Knoxville Ice Bears (20-5), who top the nine-team Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) standings. Ice Bears are 12-0 at home.
The 25-year-old Kapuskasing native has the third-best goals-against average (2.43), along with a .919 save percentage. He also recently won a game in the East Coast League with Greenville.
Teammate Mark Van Vliet, another ex-Lincoln who now plays defence, sits third in Knoxville scoring. The Dorchester native has six goals, 30 points and 20 penalty minutes in 25 games. He’s a plus 27.

•Former Lincs’ defenceman Jon Rizzo has five assists and nine penalty minutes in 22 games with Drummondville Voltigeurs of the Quebec Major Jr. A League.
The 18-year-old from Ingersoll was in his first season with St. Marys when signed by Drummondville in mid-October. The offensive-minded Rizzo had 13 points, including three powerplay goals, in 14 games with the Lincolns.
Drummondville was 16-19-2-3, good for 37 points, going into the New Year. Voltigeurs sit in third place in the five-team West Division.
•Last Friday, coach Jamie Baker said Lincolns’ No. 1 puck-stopper Greg Dodds was still about a week away from returning to game action.
“He was hoping to be back going tonight (Dec. 30). He practiced (last) week leading into tonight, but the clinic just wants him to have another week of hard practising,” Baker explained.
“It’s a long season, and we didn’t want to take a chance. To have a kid come back too early for one game, then maybe it sets him back and he’s right back to where he was six weeks ago. So we’re better off following the doctor’s orders.”
Dodds, 19, has been sidelined with a groin injury since early December. He is 11-6-2.

•Former Lincs’ forward Brent Rae is second in team scoring with Mitchell Hawks of the Western Jr. C loop.
In 27 games, the 19-year-old SMMHA product has a team-leading 16 goals, 30 points and 30 penalty minutes.
Hawks, with six SMMHA products in their line-up, are 18-8-2 and in third place.

•Former Lincolns’ forward Mark Mancari was recently called up by the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks from the American League’s Chicago Wolves.
Mancari, a 26-year-old London native, currents sits in second place in Wolves’ team scoring with 12 goals and 24 points in 26 AHL games. The right winger appeared in three games for the Canucks last season.
Mancari, who was originally drafted by Buffalo Sabres, played one season (2000-2001) in St. Marys as a 15-year-old. He was then drafted by the OHL’s Ottawa 67s.

•Former Lincs’ defenceman Dave Chessell leads the Monkton Wildcats’ Senior ‘AA’ team in scoring.
The Mitchell native has six goals and 13 points in 15 games.