Scali Signs with Laredo
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The Laredo Bucks of the Central Hockey League announced Tuesday that they have signed rookie forward Joe Scali for the 2010-11 season. Scali spent the last four seasons at Cornell helping lead the Big Red to the 2010 ECAC Hockey Championship.
Last season the 24-year-old Scali was a finalist for the League's Best Defensive Forward as he picked up six points (3-3=6) and 32 PIM's in 34 games helping lead Cornell to the League Championship. Scali set career highs in goals (3) and points (6) last season.
"Joe is a very smart player and was one of the best defensive forwards in the country the last four seasons," said Bucks President/General Manager and Head Coach Terry Ruskowski. "He has a great knowledge of the game and is an extremely hard worker. He could fill a couple of different roles for us this season."
In the 2008-09 season the Coquitlam, British Columbia native set a career high with four assists (0-4=4) in 30 games for Cornell as the Big Red reached the ECAC Hockey championship game. Scali picked up his first career multi-point game that season in a win over Dartmouth.
"Joe is an exceptional penalty killer," Ruskowski said. "He was one of the anchors for Cornell's penalty killing unit that consistently ranked at the top of the NCAA. That is one of his main duties."
During the 2007-08 season Scali, 6'0'', 190 pounds picked up four points (2-2=4) and a career high 33 PIM's in 34 games.
In Scali's freshman season in 2006-07 he played in 10 games picking up 10 PIM's as he battled in juries that season for the Big Red.
Prior to his four years at Cornell, Scali played three seasons of junior hockey for the Alberni Valley Bulldogs (BCHL) where was a two-time All-Star and team MVP. In 161 career junior contests Scali had 100 points (38-62=100) and 158 PIM's for the Bulldogs. Scali was named team MVP in the 2005-06 season when he put up 47 points (21-26=47) and 56 PIM's.
