MAY 2010

May 10, 2010

USHL Muskegon Lumberjacks add defenseman in Jaycob Megna

By Ron Rop | Muskegon Chronicle

The Muskegon Lumberjacks are convinced they signed a top-notch offensive player last week with Matt Berry.

They are saying the same thing about defenseman Jaycob Megna, a 6-4, 190-pounder from Northbook, Ill.

“This guy has the potential to play in the National Hockey League,” Lumberjack owner Josh Mervis said. “No doubt about it.

Megna, 17, comes from strong bloodlines. His father, Jay, played defensive back four years in the National Football League with the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins. His mother, Jacqueline, was an All-American in water polo. His older brother, Jayson, played last season in the USHL with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders.

“Jaycob has grown a lot over the last year or so,” Lumberjacks’ coach Kevin Patrick said. “He’s coming into his size and what he will be physically.”

Patrick said Megna has grown 8 inches in the last 18 months.

He played 48 games for Team Illinois in the Midget Major U-18 division. He had one goal and 12 assists for 13 points and eight penalty minutes.

“Jaycob is a smooth skating, puck moving defenseman,” Patrick said. “He passes the puck very well. He sees the ice well. Skating as well as he does at that size is a real attribute.

“The biggest thing is he comes from a great program in Team Illinois run by Jim Marchi,” Patrick said. “They do a great job of developing and moving players and preparing them for the USHL.”

Megna is expected to play one or two seasons with the Lumberjacks. He has commited to playing at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. That is the alma mater of Jacks’ assistant coach David Noel-Bernier.

Megna also excels in the classroom. He scored a 31 on the ACT.

“Hockey runs my life now,” Megna said in a release from the Lumberjacks. “It’s important to allocate my time — manage my time so I can get it all done.”