Mighty Ducks Add 8 Players to Training Camp Roster

The Mighty Ducks acquired the rights to defenseman Darren Van Impe from the New York Islanders, then signed him Friday. Van Impe was one of eight players added to the team’s training camp roster.

The Ducks gave up a conditional 1995 draft pick for Van Impe, who played for the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League last season. He scored 154 points in two seasons with the Rebels.

Van Impe, 21, was a seventh-round draft pick, 170th overall, in the 1993 draft.

The Ducks also signed Jeremy Stevenson and Brian Sullivan.

Stevenson, a 20-year old left wing, was the team’s 11th round selection in the 1994 entry draft. He scored 43 points in 57 games with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League this past season. He was originally a third-round pick of the Winnipeg Jets in 1992.

Sullivan, a right wing, was a free agent and a third-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 1987. He scored 61 points while playing for the Albany River Rats of the American Hockey League last season.

The Ducks invited five free agents--goalie Sandy Allan, right wing David Matso, goalie Byron Penstock, left wing Kevin Sawyer and defenseman Mark Yannettti--to training camp, which begins Sunday.

*

Five coaches from Orange County are among 115 high school coaches nationwide who have been selected for the 1994 Coaches Care Honor Roll sponsored by The Gatorade Company.

Woodbridge’s Eric Bangs (girls’ basketball), Sunny Hills’ Ron Kasser (girls’ volleyball), Marina’s David McLeish (boys’ soccer), Santa Margarita’s Cindy Schaaf (girls’ cross-country) and Heritage Christian’s John Shirey (football) were honored by Coaches Care for dedicating their professional lives to teaching young people the fundamentals required to succeed in life.

Coaches were nominated by their principals, athletic directors, peers, teachers, parents and student-athletes. Nomination forms may be obtained by writing: Coaches Care, P.O. Box 194, Hinsdale, Ill., 60522-0194.

*

The Southern Section and the Rams will honor successful high school athletic programs at the third “Cavalcade of Champions” awards before the Rams’ season opener against the Arizona Cardinals at 1 p.m. Sunday at Anaheim Stadium.

Awards will be presented to the top 10 section member schools in both boys’ and girls’ athletics for overall excellence in team sports playoff competition during the 1993-94 school year.

Winners were determined by a point system that rewarded five points for a division championship, three points for runner-up, two points for reaching the semifinals or finishing third in a team place-finish sport, and one point for finishing fourth. In cases where ties occurred for 10th place, total team-sport playoff appearances were used to determine the top 10 schools.

The boys’ winners: Calvary Chapel, Mater Dei, Sunny Hills and Riverside Poly tied for first place with 13 points. Santa Margarita scored 12 points to tie L.A. Brentwood, L.A. Loyola and Manhattan Beach Mira Costa for second. Bell Gardens and Santa Barbara each had 11 points for third.

In the girls’ competition: Newport Harbor, Palos Verdes Peninsula and Cerritos Valley Christian tied for first with 14 points. Corona del Mar scored 13 for second place. Ventura Buena and Pasadena Poly tied with 12 points, and Marina and North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake tied with 10. Edison and Esperanza rounded out the top 10 with nine points each.