Before their game on Saturday, the Maine Nordiques announced goaltender Connor Androlewicz had been called up to the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League for the remainder of the season.

The United States Hockey League is the nation’s lone Tier I junior hockey league under the USA Hockey umbrella.

Androlewciz was 8-10 with the Nordiques, with a 3.72 goals-against-average and .891 save percentage.

“I couldn’t be happier for him, the North American Hockey League (Tier II) is the league of opportunity,” Nolan Howe said after Saturday’s game with the Northeast Generals. “He did a great job for us, he was a good leader and a great teammate and was a great person. We are happy with his advancement.”

Androlewicz, 19, a University of Maine recruit who was the Nordiques’ first tender back in March, will be making his second stint with Sioux City, as he recently spent Dec. 7-13 with the Musketeers while the Musketeers’ normal starter Ethan Haider — a 2019 Nashville Predators fifth-round draft pick and Clarkson University commit — was with Team USA at the World Junior “A” Challenge.

In his first stint with Sioux City, Androlewicz played in three games and recorded a 0-1-1 record with a 3.19 goals-against-average and .881 save percentage.

In a corresponding move on Saturday, the Nordiques called up Gorham native Brogan McDonald from the L/A Nordiques to be the team’s backup in the 6-5 win over the Generals. McDonald has been a well-traveled goalie this season, as he was in Maine Nordiques and Twin City Thunder training camps before landing with the Potomac Patriots of the USPHL Premier League, where he went 2-2-1 with a 3.89 GAA and .877 save-percentage.

He joined the L/A Nordiques when goalie Nick Beck left the organization for an opportunity with the Pembroke Lumber Kings of the Central Canada Hockey League, one of the 10 Junior “A” leagues under the Hockey Canada umbrella. McDonald has gone 2-1 with a 2.44 GAA and .914 save percentage with L/A.

Howe said all options are on the table when it comes to the goaltending position. Avery Sturtz, who earned a call-up with Sioux City earlier this year, has been the Maine Nordiques’ normal backup. Marco Duronio of the Maine Nordiques Development Program has also seen time with the NAHL club.

“We are going to evaluate our entire roster during the break, we are at the halfway point of the season for us,” Howe said. “There’s evaluations going on every day, we are going to put out the best team that we can on the ice. We got a lot of faith in our guys, but if there’s an opportunity to make our team better, we are going to explore every option we can.”

THUNDER PLAYERS REPRESENT THEIR HOME COUNTRIES

This month, the Twin City Thunder have had four players represent their home countries at various international events.

17-year-old forward Levente Keresztes was second in team scoring with five goals and four assists in five games for Team Hungary, which captured gold at the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Under-20 Division IB World Junior Championships. Hungary has been promoted to the Division IA tournament for next season.

At the same tournament, 19-year-old goaltender Artur Ogandzhanyan represented Ukraine, which won bronze. In five games, Ogandzhanyan went 3-2 with a 2.37 goals-against-average and a .910 save percentage.

Defenseman Gonzalo Hagerman was a part of the Mexican National Team that took part in a 2022 Olympic qualifying tournament in Spain. The 19-year old Bowdoin College commit appeared in one game, recording no points. He will join the Mexican U20 team for the IIHF Division III U-20 World Junior Championships in the middle of January.

Daniels Murnieks, a 17-year-old forward, represented the Latvian U18 team at a recent Four Nations tournament. In three games he had two goals.

WAHLSTROM TO LEAD TEAM USA AT WORLD JUNIORS

Oliver Wahlstrom, who grew up in Yarmouth, will be on the American team for the second straight year for the IIHF Under-20 World Junior Championships that start on Dec. 26 in the Czech Republic.

Wahlstrom, who went viral as a youngster with his shootout moves during the Bruins mini 1-on-1’s, was drafted by the New York Islanders in the first round back in 2018 and played at Boston College last season. He signed with the Islanders after his season with Boston College ended.

He made his NHL debut earlier this season, where he appeared in nine games while recording no points. With the Islanders’ AHL affiliate this season — the Bridgeport Sound Tigers — he has three goals and six assists in 20 games.

Last year with Team USA, he had two goals and two assists in seven games.

The Boston Bruins will have three prospects competing for spots in this year’s World Juniors. John Beecher (University of Michigan), the Bruins’ first-round pick in 2019, and Curtis Hall (Yale), a 2018 fourth-round pick, are also trying out for Team USA. Jakub Lauko, a 2018 third-round pick and currently with the Bruins’ AHL team — the Providence Bruins — will be leading the Czech Republic.

FORMER HEBRON STANDOUT NAMED TO TEAM CCHL FOR GAME AGAINST UMASS-LOWELL

Former Hebron Academy standout Luke Grainger, who committed to Western Michigan last month, will be on the Central Canadian Hockey League’s All-Star team that will take on University of Massachusetts-Lowell of Hockey East in an exhibition game on Dec. 28.

The 20-year-old of Montreal, Quebec native is the CCHL’s leading scorer this season, as he has 23 goals and 33 assists in 32 games with the Hawkesbury Hawks.

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