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Serville headed to Michigan AAA confusion for Clippers BY MICHAEL HAYAKAWA mhayakawa@yrmg.com For Brennan Serville, Canisius College did not seem like a good fit. After turning down a scholar- ship offer earlier this year from Canisius in Buffalo, the 17â€"year- old Stouffville Spirit defenceman verbally accepted a full ride last week from Michigan starting in the fall of201 l. Michigan officials can’t comâ€" ment on his signing until it becomes official in April, but head coach Red Berenson took in the Spirit’s 4-3 win over Markham last weekend. Serville also entertained offers from Michigan State, New Hamp- shire, Miami of Ohio and RP]. “It was a tough decision," said the smooth-skating Pickering resident. “But I knew Michigan would be the best decision. It’s the great place to play hockey and get an education. “It’s one of the most respected hockey programs in developing players. It has great academics and is recognized as one of the top schools in the world. It has great coaches including the leg- But the University of Michigan sure does. SPORTS: Coach Red Berenson checks out Wolverine recruit endary coach Red Berenson and the coaches are caring guys who really made me feel comfortable. The students and town support hockey where they get over 6,500 fans at their home games. “The_ campus is beautiful and Ann Arbor is a great city," he said. Spirit head coach Craig Dono- van, who also played NCAA divi- sion 1 hockey at Cornell, was happy for his star blueliner. BRENNAN SERVILLE: Stouffville Spirit defenceman rejected Sud- bury Wolves and Canisius College. “The University of Michigan He's not the first player from Stouffville to play at Michigan. Stoufivifle pool builder Doug 'Ibdd played for the Wolverines from 1976-80. He was selected by the Atlanta (nowCalgary) Flames, 148th overall in the 1978 NHL draft. Compiling one goal and nine assists in 19 games with the Spirit this season, Serville also took part in the World Junior A Challenge in Penticton, B.C., in November and the Canadian Junior Hockey League's Prospects Game earlier this month in Dauphin, Man. is a great school and has a great hockey program. We’re happy for him. It was well deserved. He's playing good hockey for us right now," he said. Serville is projected to be draft- ed between the third and fifth round of the 2011 NHL draft June 24 and 25 in St. Paul, Minn. Drafted by Sudbury of the Ontan'o Hockey League in 2009, Serville spurned the Wolves last summer to return to Stouffville this season. Michigan has a solid his- tory with York Region prospects, including Richmond Hill’s Mike Cammalleri (Montreal Cana- diens) and Woodbridge’s, Andrew Cogliano (Edmonton Oilers). The motion added tryouts for AA or A level teams â€" Whitchurch- Stouffville is an A centre - can start upon completion of AAA tryouts or if the divisions are working togethâ€" er in joint tryouts. Such auditions cannot take place prior to the con- clusion of the 14â€"day period. “On the surface, this would seem to be welcome news," Easter What the Whitchurch-Stoufl’ville Minor Hockey Association presi- dent did not like, though, was the clarification he received from the OHF when he asked how the 14- dayAAA tryout period would actu- ally work. In the motion passed, AAA- level tryouts, with the exception of midget-aged players, must be completed within 14 days follow- ing the OHF championships annu- ally staged during the weekend of the second Saturday in April. The new rule is to take effect immediately and applies to tryouts for the 2011-2012 season. In fact, Easter felt it was “much ado about nothing". BY MICHAEL HAYAKAWA mhayakawa@yrmg.com Don Easter was delighted when the Ontario Hockey Federation Minor Council passed a motion pertaining to AAA level tryouts. 7 “Most likely they will run two AAA tryouts for each age group after which they will make most of their cuts," Easter said. Stouffville minor hockey is working with the Markham Wax- ers minor organization to try and ensure there are no scheduling conflicts between their AAA tryouts and their rep tryouts for the same age groups. “They will then start their AA tryoutsandwewillstartourrep team tryouts The Waxers will then run another series of AAA tryouts to finalize their teams and we will again try to avoid any scheduling conflicts by age group in case any Stoufi’ville residentsarestillinthehuntfora spot on aWaxerAAA team." said. “We have tried in the past to allow the AAA teams a reasonable period of time to complete their tryouts before we started ours." But when Easter sought further clarification from the OHF as to how the 14-day AAA tryout period would actually work, he said there is no plan in place. “This certainly doesn't help AA and A teams in terms of know- ing what players may be available to them when they start their try- outs," he said. In effect, AAA teams can con- tinue tryouts indefinitely.