UNH Recruit Brett Pesce Joins U.S. National U-18 Team

One of UNH's top defensive recruits, Brett Pesce has been added to the roster of Team USA for two upcoming college games. The U.S. Under-18 National Team Development Program team will be playing Minnesota State University-Mankato on Dec. 30th and the University of Wisconsin on New Year's Eve. Pesce is substituting for Jacob Trouba who is playing for the U.S. National Junior Team at the 2012 World Junior Championships in Edmonton, Alberta.

Last summer, Brett Pesce participated in USA Hockey's Select 17 Player Development Camp and finished second in scoring among defensemen with a goal and 4 assists in 5 games. He was chosen for the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that competed in the 2011 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The highlight for Pesce was assisting on the overtime, game-winning goal against the Russian team. Fellow UNH Recruit Jordan Masters was one of the leading scorers for the U.S. Team with 4 goals and 3 assists.

This season, Brett Pesce has primarily played for the Jersey Hitmen of the EJHL while he completes his senior year at Irvington High School in Westchester County, NY. Pesce missed the first 13 games of the Hitmen's season with an upper body injury. Since his return to the Hitmen lineup, Pesce has scored a goal and 5 assists in 17 games. Pesce has also played a few games for his high school team, the Sleepy Hollow/Irvington Legends.

When Brett Pesce committed to UNH last January, the plan was to graduate from high school in the spring of 2012 then play the 2012-13 season for the Omaha Lancers in the United States Hockey League. However, given his strong performance with Team USA last summer and the Jersey Hitmen this season, Pesce may be under consideration for admission to UNH in the Fall of 2012. UNH will lose senior defenseman Damon Kipp to graduation this spring and former freshman Eric Chevrier recently left UNH to play in the BCHL. UNH's newest recruit, defenseman Harry Quast of the Bay State Breakers, will be given an oppportunity to make the 2012-13 UNH squad. Don't be surprised to see Brett Pesce playing for the UNH Wildcats in the 2012-13 season.