2014-15 WIAA state hockey: Adam Parsells, Ty Pelton-Byce headline tournament

It's that time of year where the WIAA state hockey tournament takes over Madison for a few days. This year's tournament starts on Thursday and runs through Saturday, with the state title game slated for approximately 2:15 p.m Saturday afternoon.

Looking at Thursday's quarterfinal games, the late session appears to feature the two must-see games of the day.

Eau Claire Memorial enters the tournament ranked No. 3 in the latest Wisconsin Prep Hockey poll. The Old Abes will take on ninth-ranked Madison Memorial, who is back at the state tournament for the first time since Vic Levine retired as head coach. That game is scheduled for a 5:00 p.m. puck drop.

The late game features top-ranked Appleton, who defeated a very good Bay Port team in sectionals, against No. 4 Wausau West. This could be the game of the tournament, with a scheduled start time just after 7 p.m. on Thursday night.

The other two games of the day include No. 5 Cedarburg vs. No. 8 Reedsburg Co-op at 11 a.m., and Superior vs. Janesville Parker/Craig at approximately 1:15.

Unfortunately, there were quite a few upsets in sectionals, so many of the state's top players didn't advance to Madison. With that said, there are still a few key players to watch this weekend as eight teams from around the state battle for the championship.

Adam Parsells

	Class	Position	Shoots	Height	Weight
	Senior	Defense	Left	6'5.5	192
	College Commitment		Current Team		DOB
	Wisconsin		Wausau West		1/3/1997

The Badgers will have one committed recruit on the ice this week as Adam Parsells, a defenseman for Wausau West high school, helped his team advance to the state tournament with a 7-2 blowout win over Antigo last weekend in the section finals.

Ranked as the No. 101 North American skater by NHL Central Scouting, Parsells is an intriguing NHL Draft prospect with his size and skill package. In 26 games this season for West, Parsells, who stands at almost 6'6, has seven goals and 24 points to go along with 28 penalty minutes.

Parsells committed to Wisconsin back in April, and told us it was an easy decision after the Badgers made an offer.

"I grew up going to Badger games and seeing them progress as a dominant figure in college hockey," Parsells told Bucky's 5th Quarter after he committed. "I've grown up watching them, always wanted to be a Badger. It's kind of special playing for your home state team.

"With the campus, all the facilities...it can't get any better. It was an easy decision."

Parsells was recently named a finalist for the Mr. Hockey award, given to the top senior boys' hockey player in the state of Wisconsin. Fellow Wisconsin recruit Tony Stillwell from Notre Dame Academy is also a finalist.

Ty Pelton-Byce

	Class	Position	Shoots	Height	Weight
	Senior	Forward	Left	6'3	196
	College Commitment		Team		DOB
	UMass-Amherst		Madison Memorial		4/14/1997

Ty Pelton-Byce enters the tournament with arguably the biggest name, as the Byce family has been a staple of hockey in Madison for decades. Many will specifically remember his father, John, who won a national championship with the Badgers in 1990, scoring a hat trick in the title game against Colgate.

While his father played at Wisconsin, Ty chose to go out East, where he will suit up for UMass in the future.

The top forward in the state this season, Pelton-Byce enters the state tournament with 39 goals and 82 points in just 27 games.

Like Parsells, Pelton-Byce is also a Mr. Hockey finalist.

Ty Emberson

	Class	Position	Shoots	Height	Weight
	Freshman	Defense	Right	6'1	180
	College Commitment		Team		DOB
	None		Eau Claire Memorial		2000

It's rare that we talk about freshmen coming into the state tournament, but Ty Emberson is worth the praise. A poised, two-way defenseman in the mold of Jake McCabe, Emberson has four goals and 21 points in 27 games as a rookie.

Even before he wore the Memorial sweater for the first time, Emberson was already drawing college activity. A breakout campaign with the Team Wisconsin U14 squad in the fall drew interest from Wisconsin and Minnesota. Those two schools are believed to be the front runner for his services, although it doesn't sound like he's in a rush to make a decision anytime soon.

While Wisconsin has an advantage over most schools for in-state players, Emberson's grandfather, Dennis Zacho, was a star hockey and baseball player for the Gophers.

Trenton Bliss

	Class	Position	Shoots	Height	Weight
	Junior	Forward	Left	6'2	183
	College Commitment		Team		DOB
	None		Appleton Co-op		3/16/1998

Trenton Bliss enters the state tournament as one of the top juniors in the state of Wisconsin. The lanky forward is starting to grow into his frame and the results are showing on the ice.

The top forward on the No. 1 ranked team, Bliss leads Appleton United in scoring with 28 goals and 59 points in 25 games this season. Bliss was one of the top forwards for Team Wisconsin U16 in the fall, and carried that over to the high school season.

A prospect of the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL, Bliss will certainly be a player to keep an eye on as Appleton takes a run at its first state championship this weekend.

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