UNH Recruit Michael McNicholas to Play for Vernon Vipers

Michael McNicholas
Vernon Vipers

So far, 2013 has been a year of challenges and opportunities for UNH recruit Michael McNicholas. Following a year playing for the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL, McNicholas joined the Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Hockey League for the 2012-13 season. He had a strong first half posting 10 goals and 22 assists in 35 games. He was the third leading scorer on the Clippers. His assists total put him in 8th place among all BCHL players.

Then, on January 7th in a game against Prince George, McNicholas broke a bone in his lower leg. The injury required surgery and Michael was out of the Clippers' lineup for nearly 9 weeks. He was able to rejoin Nanaimo in mid-March for the first round of the BCHL playoffs against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Nanaimo won Game 1 and McNicholas assisted on the game-winning goal. After winning the first two games, the Clippers lost three in a row and were eliminated from the BCHL playoffs. McNicholas played in 4 games.

In the first week in May, McNicholas had one last opportunity to end the season on a positive note. The Nanaimo Clippers hosted the inaugural Western Canada Cup. The Champions of the British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba Junior Hockey Leagues plus the Clippers competed in the round-robin tournament. The top two teams received berths in the Royal Bank Cup Tournament for the Junior A Championship of Canada.

In the WBC, the Nanaimo Clippers won two games defeating the Brooks Bandits (AJHL) 7-2 and the Steinbach Pistons (MJHL) 4-1. McNicholas posted 2 assists in the victory over Brooks. The Clippers lost to the Surrey Eagles (BCHL) 0-4 and the Yorkton Terriers (SJHL) 3-4. Surrey won the Western Canada Cup and Brooks finished second. The Brooks Bandits went on to win the RBC.

When I interviewed Michael last July, I asked him about his plans for enrolling at UNH and joining the Wildcat's hockey team:

C-H-C: Are you and UNH targeting the fall of 2013 or fall 2014 for you to come to Durham?
McNicholas: I am hopeful that I will have an extremely productive season in Nanaimo. I realize that the only way that I will be attending UNH in 2013 is if I fulfill the expectations that Coach Vandekamp and I have for this season. My offensive play must be solid, my defensive game needs to continue to develop as it did in Muskegon, and I need to be instrumental in bringing the RBC Cup to Nanaimo.

Early last month, the decision was made that Michael would defer his enrollment to UNH until the Fall of 2014. Presumably, having his leg broken mid-season and missing 9 weeks of development were factors in this decision. A similar scenario probably effected the decision to defer Andrew Poturalski's arrival at UNH for a year. Poturalski also broke his leg and missed a substantial portion of the season with the Cedar Rapids Rough Rider.

On May 9th, the Nanaimo Clippers traded McNicholas to the Vernon Vipers of the BCHL. In the meantime, the Lincoln Stars of the USHL invited Michael to their Tryout Camp which took place from June 6-9. Tim, a devoted fan of the Stars who runs Black and Blue: The Unofficial Lincoln Stars Blog provided extensive coverage of the tryout camp. Michael scored several goals during the scrimmages, made one of the All-Star teams, and scored a goal in the All-Star game. In a tweet, Tim offered this assessment of McNicholas:
"He had a very good camp. Very impressed with his play. One of the top free agents (undrafted) there. Hope to see him in LNK!"

Chris Dilks, who runs the Western College Hockey Blog, also attended a couple sessions of Lincoln's tryout camp. Dilks' impressions were:
"UNH commit Michael McNicholas had a strong camp as well, scoring a lot of goals."

An informed source has told me that Lincoln offered McNicholas a spot on the team and assured him that he would have a good role. However, Michael has chosen to go play for the Vernon Vipers and compete for the RBC Cup. As the host of the 2014 Royal Bank Cup, the Vipers receive an automatic berth. The Vipers, who are coached by Jason Williamson, have won the Cup six times. Interestingly, the goalie coach for the Vipers is former UNH standout Sean Matile.

UNH Recruits Selected in USHL Draft

UNH Recruit Liam Darcy Drafted by
Green Bay Gamblers (Photo: Berwick Academy)

Earlier this month, the United States Hockey League conducted their annual draft. The 15 USHL teams selected young players born in 1993 through 1997 not currently playing in the USHL. Each team identified players who will compete for vacant roster spots next season and in years to come. Once a player is drafted by a particular USHL team, he can not play for any other USHL team. However, he is free to play in any other junior hockey league.

Five UNH recruits were drafted by USHL teams on May 6th and 7th:

Liam Darcy drafted by Green Bay Gamblers
Charlie Kelleher - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Danny Tirone - Cedar Rapids RoughRiders
Brendan van Riemsdyk - Sioux City Musketeers
Dylan Chanter - Dubuque Fighting Saints

2013 USHL Draft - Phase I

In Phase I of the draft (formerly called the "Futures Draft"), the USHL teams selected players born in 1997 in a series of eight rounds. Team USA, the 16th member of the USHL, has its on method of selecting players for their Under-17 and Under-18 National Team Development Programs. The 16 and 17-year-old players chosen in Phase I currently play for high school, prep school, and/or midget teams. According to the USHL, these youngsters:

"Are traditionally not ready to play in the USHL the following season, but will continue to develop at lower levels of hockey in preparation for USHL play in future seasons. While not yet USHL full-timers, a number of those players will see game action in the coming season."

Two of UNH's youngest recruits - Liam Darcy and Charlie Kelleher - were selected in Phase I.

Liam Darcy - Defenseman

Liam Darcy (DOB: 2-26-1997) recently completed his sophomore season at Berwick Academy, just up the road from UNH. The 5'11", 170 lbs., left-shot defenseman scored 7 goals and 15 assists in 27 games. In his freshman year, Darcy scored 5 goals and 17 assists and was named the MVP on the Berwick squad. Liam was drafted by the Green Bay Gamblers in the 6th round of the Phase I Draft. He was the 85th overall pick.

I had an opportunity to interview Liam, via email, on his selection by the Gamblers:

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): What is your reaction to being selected in the USHL draft earlier this month?
Liam Darcy: I was both really excited and surprised about it. It will be a great option for me in the future.

Mike Lowry: Do you plan on participating in the team's tryout camp in June?
Liam Darcy: I do plan on participating in the tryout camp. It will be a good experience to see where I stand, and to learn more about the program they have there.

Charlie Kelleher - Forward

Charlie Kelleher Drafted by
Cedar Rapids (Photo: masslive.com)

Charlie Kelleher (DOB: 2/4/97), a right-shot forward, was the 35th overall pick in the USHL Phase I Draft. He was selected by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders in the second round.

In March, Kelleher and the Boston Junior Bruins U18 team won the Championship of the United States Elite Hockey League. Kelleher finished the USEHL Tournament with a goal and 2 assists in 5 games. He tied for 5th in scoring. During the regular season, Charlie scored 11 goals and 14 asists in 54 games.

Charlie Kelleher was one the top 52 players, born in 1997, invited to the USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Evaluation Camp. To date, Charlie has not been on the list of forwards selected for the Under-17 team. Charlie's older brother Tyler, was the leading scorer for both the Under-17 and Under-18 NTDP teams. Tyler will suit up for UNH next Fall.

Here are Charlie's thoughts on being selected by the RoughRiders:

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): What is your reaction to being selected in the USHL draft earlier this month?
Charlie Kelleher: Well, it is obviously an honor to be selected in the draft because the USHL is such a great league.

Mike Lowry: Do you plan on participating in the team's tryout camp in June?
Charlie Kelleher: At this time (mid-May), I am unsure if I will be attending the camp.

2013 USHL Draft - Phase II

The USHL held Phase II of the draft (formerly called the "Entry Draft") on May 7th . Players with birth years from 1993 to 1996 were eligible. The 15 USHL teams used over 26 rounds to select players who could compete for spots on the 2013-14 roster. The players came from a wide variety of teams including high school, prep, and junior teams from both the United States and Canada. Three UNH recruits - Danny Tirone, Brendan van Riemsdyk, and Dylan Chanter - were selected in Phase II.

Danny Tirone - Goalie

Danny Tirone Drafted by
Cedar Rapids (Photo: loomischaffee.org)

Danny Tirone (DOB: 6/3/1994), the 2013 Prep School Player of the Year was the 34th overall pick in the USHL Draft. The Cedar Rapid RoughRiders selected Tirone in the 3rd Round. The 5'11", 180 lbs. netminder and co-captain for the Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut, recently completed an award-winning season. Tirone (Pronounced Ti-row-knee) was in goal for 24 of Loomis' 25 games and played nearly every minute for the Pelicans (1253 out of 1340 total minutes). He posted an impressive .933 save percentage which was 3rd-best among all New England Prep School goalies. He allowed only 1 goal in 9 games and 2 or fewer goals in 12.

In addition to being named Prep School Player of the Year Award by U.S. Hockey Report, Tirone was selected to the First Team of the All-New England team by the NE Prep School Ice Hockey Coaches.

Here's my interview with Danny:

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): What is your reaction to being selected in the USHL draft earlier this month?
Danny Tirone: After being drafted by the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, I feel very thankful, excited, and relieved. I’m thankful that the Cedar Rapids coaching staff believed in me enough to select me. I know that they have high expectations for me and I’m excited to keep working over the summer to develop my game before the season starts.
I really like the coaches and feel that Cedar Rapids will be a great place for me to mature as an individual and develop as a hockey player. Lastly, I’m just relieved to know where I’ll be. I'm happy to know that I have a definite home for next year.

Mike Lowry: Do you plan on participating in the team's tryout camp in June?
Danny Tirone: Yes, I plan on attending the Cedar Rapids RoughRider’s main camp that takes place from May 30th to June 2nd. I’m looking forward to meeting the coaches in person and starting to develop relationships with my future teammates. Also, I’m just excited to get on the ice with everyone and start pushing each other to improve right from the first practice. The hard part is going to be leaving the camp knowing that we’ll all have to wait a couple of months before the season starts!

Brendan van Riemsdyk - Forward

Brendan van Riemsdyk Drafted by Sioux City (Photo: nj.com)

Brendan van Riemsdyk (DOB: 1/28/1996), the youngest of the three van Riemsdyk brothers, was the 51st overall selection in the USHL draft. The 6'3", 189 lbs, left-shot forward was selected in Round 4 by the Sioux City Musketeers.

van Riemsdyk recently completed his junior season at the Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft, NJ. CBA finished the regular season ranked #2 in New Jersey High School hockey. BvR scored 16 goals and 30 assists in 23 games. He was the third leading scorer on the CBA team and had the second most assists.

The highlight of BvR's season came in the Gordon Conference Tournament. He scored the game-winning goal as CBA defeated Don Bosco Prep 3-2 in the Gordon Cup semifinals. In the championship game against archrival Delbarton, van Riemsdyk scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal. In the New Jersey Non-Public School Tournament, CBA advanced to the semifinals but lost to Don Bosco. In the three playoff games, BvR scored 5 goals and added an assist.

In early April, Brendan announced, via twitter, his intention to play for the Jersey Hitmen U18 team next season.

Dylan Chanter - Defenseman

Dylan Chanter Drafted by
Dubuque (Photo: Merritt Cents)

Dylan Chanter (DOB: 9-17-1995) recently completed his second season with the Merritt Centennials of the British Columbia Hockey League. The 6'3", 203 lbs., right-shot defenseman scored 9 goals - including 3 power play goals - and 11 assists in 56 games. Chanter was drafted by the Dubuque Fight Saints in the 5th round of the USHL Draft. He was the 75th overall pick.

UNH Recruit Michael McNicholas Ready for Western Canada Cup

UNH Recruit Michael McNicholas
 of the Nanaimo Clippers

Starting this weekend, Nanaimo, British Columbia, which sits on the shore of Vancouver Island, will be the hub of Junior A hockey in all of Western Canada. The Champions of the British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba Junior Hockey Leagues have travelled to Nanaimo to compete in the inaugural Western Canada Cup, sponsored by Crescent Point Energy. The teams will be battling for two berths in the Royal Bank Cup Tournament for the Junior A Championship of Canada.

The round-robin phase of the Western Canada Cup begins tomorrow and runs until May 2nd. The Nanaimo Clippers, host team of the tournament, the Surrey Eagles (BCHL), Brooks Bandits (AJHL), Yorkton Terriers (SJHL) and Steinbach Pistons (MJHL) will play each other once. The 4 teams with the most points at the end of the round-robin will advance to the Championship Round. The #1 and #2 teams will play on May 4th and the winner automatically earns one of the berths in the RBC. The #3 and #4 teams play each other for the right to play the loser of the #1-#2 game. The winner of this consolation game will earn the second berth in the RBC.

Michael McNicholas Draws Penalty

For UNH recruit Michael McNicholas (DOB: 3/23/1994), who turned 19 last month, the WCC is a fresh opportunity to end the 2012-13 season on a high note. Prior to breaking a bone in his lower leg on January 7th, McNicholas was the third leading scorer on the Nanaimo Clippers. In 35 games, he had posted 32 points including 10 goals. His 22 assists put him in 8th place among all BCHL players.

Nearly 9 weeks after breaking his leg, McNicholas returned to the Clippers' lineup for the first game of the BCHL playoffs against the Alberni Valley Bulldogs. Nanaimo won Game 1 and McNicholas assisted on the game-winning goal. After winning the first two games, the Clippers lost three in a row and were eliminated from the playoffs by Alberni Valley. McNicholas played in 4 games.

I had an opportunity to interview Michael McNicholas, via email, about his preparation for the Western Canada Cup:

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): After missing 9 weeks of the regular season due to a broken leg, you returned to play in 4 out of the Clippers' 5 playoff games. How close are you to your pre-injury condition (e.g., speed, endurance, etc.)?
Michael McNicholas: I was able to go home for about 2 ½ weeks in between playoffs and the WCC training camp. At home, I made sure to eat healthy and worked out twice each day. I trained with my summer trainer, Chad Moreau. I also received on-ice training from a local youth hockey coach, Jack Bowkus and was able to use the skating treadmill at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo.
I also was able to brush up on skills with several scrimmages. As a result, I felt 100% by the time I returned to Nanaimo to begin practicing with my team in preparation for the WCC where we played camp-style games. My game has improved with each skate.
I feel really good about where I am right now. I am looking forward to the competition at this tournament and, hopefully, the RBC for the national championship.

Mike Lowry: In a preseason interview with The UNH Men's Hockey Blog, you said you hoped to be a reliable, point-producing center for the Clippers and to continue to improve your defensive game. Have you attained these goals?
Michael McNicholas: I believe I have proven to be a reliable player for Coach Vandekamp. The first thing Coach Vandekamp did was move me to the wing where I played on a great line with Greg Fraser and Kyle Kramer. I played wing for most of the season. Prior to my injury I was third on my team in scoring and in the top 15-20 scorers in the BCHL, producing about a point per game. Since WCC camp, I have been centering Matt Grant and Reid Sturos. I feel very comfortable in that role.

Lowry: Nanaimo is hosting the inaugural Western Canada Cup and competing against the champions from the British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba Junior Hockey Leagues. Can you describe what this tournament means for the Clippers' organization and the city of Nanaimo?
McNicholas: This is a huge event for both Nanaimo and the Clippers. The Clippers have a long tradition of excellence (40 years). The WCC tournament is providing the organization with an opportunity to showcase how great the Clippers are. We expect many college and professional scouts to be in attendance.
The tournament will hopefully bring local Nanaimo residents out who don’t normally attend the Clippers’ games to see the Clippers and other hockey teams from Western Canada. I think this will be great for both the city and the Clippers to showcase the high level of hockey available to the local residents. I am very proud and happy to be a part of this inaugural event.

Lowry: The Surrey Eagles are the BCHL Champions and will compete in the WCC. Last December, the Clippers defeated Surrey 5-2 and you scored a goal and an assist. What type of game do you expect from the Eagles?
McNicholas: Since last December there have been many trades for both our team and the Eagles. I wouldn’t assume that they are the same team as last December. Therefore, I believe the Eagles will bring to Nanaimo what they brought against Penticton in the league championship.
They are skilled and fast and have one of the best goaltenders in junior hockey. However, we have not played a game with the existing Clippers’ roster healthy. The fans will be very happy with our level of play. I have confidence that we can defeat Surrey as long as we play to our potential.

Lowry: You graduated from high school last spring. Did you take any post-graduate courses this year? Have you met the entrance requirements of the NCAA Clearinghouse and the UNH Admissions Office?
McNicholas: I have met all of the entrance requirements imposed by UNH admissions. Last fall I took a psychology course at Vancouver Island University after being approved by UNH. I will get credit for this course. I have submitted everything to the NCAA Clearinghouse (eligibility center) and have no reason to believe I won’t be approved. I had previously been told that as long as my grades and ACT score were satisfactory, I should get through the admissions process at UNH.

Forward Collin Bourque Commits to UNH for Fall 2013

Collin Bourque Commits to UNH
(Photo: pointstreaksites.com)

20-year-old Collin Bourque (DOB: 1/11/1993), a 5'7", 160 lbs, right-shot forward for the American Hockey Institute/New England Wolves, has committed to play for UNH beginning in the Fall of 2013. The American Hockey Institute (AHI), based in Waterville Valley, NH, is a post-high school facility which prepares student athletes for college hockey. Bourque is a native of Goffstown, NH.

The AHI's hockey team, the New England Wolves, played 59 games in the 2012-13 season. They played a wide variety of junior hockey clubs including teams from the Eastern Junior Hockey League, EJHL-South, and the Empire Junior Hockey League. In addition, the Wolves joined four other post-high school academies in the inaugural season of the Academy East Hockey League. The other teams are Ulysse Prep (Quebec), College Sainte-Foy (Quebec), Bridgeton Academy (Maine), and National Sports Academy (Lake Placid, NY).

Collin Bourque Scored 114 Points in 58 games for
the New England Wolves (Photo: pointstreaksites.com)

Collin Bourque was the leading scorer for the New England Wolves scoring 36 goals and 78 assists in 58 games. The Wolves won the Academy East Hockey League regular season title with a record of 13-3-0. In the AEHL playoffs, Stanstead College (Quebec) joined the five regular season teams. The AHI NE Wolves won the AEHL Championship and Bourque scored a goal and 6 assists in 3 games. The league's coaches named Collin Bourque as the Player of the Year. He was also a first-team all star.

In the American Hockey Institute's announcement of Bourque's commitment to UNH, Wolves' Head Coach Steve Jacobs provided this assessment of his leading scorer:

“Collin is a dynamic and versatile hockey player who excels in multiple roles including 5 on 5, power play and penalty killing. He is a special player who creates so much offense with his speed, agility and elusiveness. He understands the game, has a keen sense of awareness in all situations and is a great teammate. He competes hard on the puck and away from it, blocks shots and will do whatever he needs to do to help his team win. He was the best player on the ice in most of our games and we all believe UNH is a great fit and that Collin will have an outstanding career there.”

One of Bourque's assistant coaches with the Wolves is Jon Fontas, captain of the 1978 UNH Wildcats and member of the UNH Hockey Hall of Fame.

Prior to playing at the American Hockey Institute, Collin Bourque played four years with Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, MA. Bourque scored 13 points (6g, 7a) in his freshman year at Cushing, 22 (5g, 17a) as a sophomore, 11 (3g, 8a, missed 13 games) as a junior, and 21 points (6g, 15a) as a senior. In the 2011-12 season, Bourque played with 2014 UNH recruit Shane Eiserman. In the summer of 2008, when Bourque was 15 years old, he earned an invitation to the USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp. In 5 games, he scored 2 assists. Other notable players at that camp included Cason Hohmann (BU), Rocco Grimaldi (North Dakota), and Tyler Biggs (Miami/Toronto).

Casey DeSmith UNH MVP, Eric Knodel Named Captain

UNH MVP Casey DeSmith (Photo: UNHWildcats.com)

UNH Captain Eric Knodel (Photo: UNHWildcats.com)

At the UNH Men's Hockey Banquet this evening, sophomore goalie Casey DeSmith was awarded the Roger A. LeClerc Trophy as the 2012-13 Most Valuable Player. Junior defenseman Eric Knodel was named the Captain of the 2013-14 team. Junior goalie Jeff Wyer and sophomore defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk were named as Alternate Captains.

Full details of other award recipients are available on unhwildcats.com.

Here's a list of the UNH players who won awards:

Kevin Goumas:
Frank "The Fan" Halbert Fan Favorite Award
Guy Smith Award for Best Offensive Forward

Grayson Downing:
Guy Smith Award for Best Offensive Forward

Matt Willows:
Most Improved Player Award

Scott Pavelski:
Warren R. Brown Memorial Award for Best Defensive Forward

Trevor van Riemsdyk:
Rod Langway Best Defenseman Award

Connor Hardowa:
Charles E. Holt Coaches Award

Brett Kostolansky:
Robert A. Kullen Unsung Hero Award

Justin Agosta:
Snively Citizenship and Service Award

Jeff Silengo:
SCO Nate Hardy Ironman Award

Harry Quast:
Sid Knight Award for Best Grade Point Average

Congratulations to all the recipients and Many Thanks to the Seniors.

UNH Recruits Kelleher & Eiserman with Team USA at World U18 Championship

Tomorrow, April 18th, Team USA will begin its defense of the International Ice Hockey Federation World Under 18 Championship. This year, the tournament is being held in Sochi, Russia, site of the 2014 Winter Olympics. Team USA has won the gold medal four years in a row and 7 out of the last 11 years.

The World U18 will be of particular interest to UNH fans as two future Wildcats are on the Team USA roster - Tyler Kelleher and Shane Eiserman. Kelleher, a 5'6", 164 lbs. center for Team USA, has signed his National Letter of Intent to come to UNH next Fall. Eiserman, a 6'2", 196 lbs. left winger, is on target to enroll at UNH in the Fall of 2014.

In a preview of the tournament posted on "The United States of Hockey", Chris Peters - hockey writer, broadcaster and former Public Relations representative for the U.S. National Team Development Program - offered these summaries of their seasons:

"Tyler Kelleher — The NTDP’s leading scorer this year is going to be a key part of Team USA’s scoring attack in Sochi. At 5-6, 154, the size may seem like a concern, but once he gets going, it’s pretty clear 5-6, 154 are just numbers. No, he won’t push anyone around, but he’s going to be tough to catch and even tougher to hit. With good speed and creativity, Kelleher combines both to generate a lot offense and get to where he needs to be to score. His 26 goals and 52 points are both team highs for the U18s this year. He can be awfully exciting to watch with the puck on his stick. 59 GP, 26-26–52, 32 PIM."

"Shane Eiserman — Eiserman has good speed and skill to bring to the table to go along with a solid frame. At 6-2, 196, he’s tough to push around and has shown flashes of strong skills to create offense and get pucks to the net. At his best, Eiserman is tough to contain in the offensive zone and he can get to the middle of the ice well. Consistency is the key for Eiserman. His point totals weren’t overwhelming this year, but he should be able to create a little better within his own age group. He’ll be an intriguing guy to watch. 49 GP, 10-10–20, 37 PIM. Draft eligible in 2014."

Team USA will face the U18 team from Russia on Thursday in the first game of the round-robin phase of the tournament. Team USA is in Group A along with Russia, Latvia, Finland, and the Czech Republic. Group B includes teams from Canada, Germany, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland. Team USA will play one game against each team in its group. The four teams in each group with the most points at the end of the round-robin will advance to the playoff round.

Earlier this week, Team USA defeated Canada 4-1 in an exhibition game. Tyler Kelleher assisted on Team USA's first goal of the game.

UNH Recruit Andrew Poturalski Coming Fall 2014

Poturalski Coming to UNH
Fall 2014 (Photo: ridertownusa.com)

Friday was a day of big goals and big decisions for UNH recruit and Cedar Rapids' center Andrew Poturalski. In the RoughRiders' 2-1 victory over the U.S. NTDP U17 team last night, Poturalski scored the game winning goal on a power play early in the second period. He posted 4 shots on goal and earned the #1 Star of the Game. On the scoring play (which I watched online), Cedar Rapids had a 4-on-3 advantage. Poturalski carried the puck diagonally from the top of the faceoff circle to the left of the Team USA goalie, to the bottom of the opposite faceoff circle. He spun around and fired a sharp-angle wrist shot which beat the goalie over the blocker.

After the game, Poturalski announced that he will play one more season with Cedar Rapids next year and come to UNH in the Fall of 2014.

“We’ve got a lot of guys coming back. That’s the big thing that Coach (Carlson) said to me, was that we have a lot of good players coming back. We’re going to be a good team next year … I think we’re going to be a really strong team.”

Poturalski will finish his first full season in the USHL tonight in Cedar Rapids' season finale.

Poturalski played 2 games with the RoughRiders in the 2011-12 season as an affiliate player. He scored 2 goals and an assist in his first ever USHL game. Last July, Poturalski broke his leg during an informal practice session in a rink near his home outside of Buffalo, NY. He went through rehabilitation and training at the RoughRiders' facilities at RidertownUSA. Andrew missed the first 5 games of the season. In mid-October, in his first two games, Poturalski scored 3 goals and 2 assists and was named the CCM Forward of the Week in the USHL.

In 52 games this season, Poturalski has scored 12 goals and 21 assists. Four of the goals and 6 of the assists came on the power play. Three of the goals were game-winners. Poturalski is the third leading scorer on the RoughRiders' squad.

Poturalski (DOB: 1/14/1994) had originally targeted the Fall of 2013 to come to UNH. Next season will be his second in the USHL. When he enrolls at UNH in the Fall of 2014, he will be 20 years old.