THE UNH MEN'S HOCKEY BLOG: UNH Freshman Justin Fregona: A Proven Goal Scorer

Justin Fregona - UNH Forward #13

Background

For several years, Justin Fregona (DOB: 5-29-1997) has been a "point-per-game" forward. As a junior at St. Andrew's College - a Canadian prep school in Aurora, Ontario - Fregona scored 28 goals and 33 assists in 53 games and helped lead the Saints to the Conference of Independent Schools of Ontario Athletic Association (CISAA) 2014 Championship. Former UNH player Warren Foegele was Fregona's teammate that year. In his senior season, Fregona was the leading scorer for St. Andrew's with 34 goals and 43 assists in 57 games (1.43 points per game) and the Saints repeated as CISAA Champions.

In the Fall of 2015, Fregona made the jump from Canadian prep school hockey to Junior A hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League. As an 18-year-old rookie with the Langley Rivermen, Fregona scored 24 goals, including 7 power play and 2 game-winning goals, and distributed 27 assists. In the 2015-16 regular season, Fregona was tied for 5th in goal scoring and power play goals among all BCHL rookies and was the 7th leading scorer. The right-shot forward tied with Matthew Graham (Robert Morris commit) as the leading goal scorer on the Langley Rivermen squad.

In December, Justin Fregona and Team Canada West won the gold medal at the 2015 World Junior A Challenge. Canada West won all 4 games including the 2-1 victory over Russia in the gold medal game. In an exhibition game just prior to the tournament, Canada West downed Russia 6-1 and Justin Fregona scored a goal and an assist. In the opening round, Fregona scored a goal and added an assist in a 7-3 win over the Czech Republic.

Justin Fregona began the 2015-16 season at 5'7", 154 lbs. The speedster primarily played right wing for the Rivermen. Over the course of the season, he added 16 pounds to his frame. Justin turned 19 years old at the end of May.

Justin Fregona
Last Team: Langley Rivermen
British Columbia Hockey League
DOB: 5-29-1997 Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario
Forward, 5'7", 170 lbs. Shoots Right
Commit to UNH: 2-27-2014 at Age 16 years, 9 months.
Signed National Letter of Intent: 11-12-2015

Coach's Report

During his rookie season in the BCHL, Justin Fregona was coached by Bobby Henderson, Head Coach and General Manager of the Langley Rivermen. I recently had an opportunity to interview Coach Henderson regarding Fregona's strengths and readiness for NCAA hockey:

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): What are Justin's strengths and how did he develop during his season with the Rivermen?

Coach Bobby Henderson: Justin will be an exciting prospect for UNH fans. Justin is a proven goal scorer. He has the ability to create out of nothing and finish pucks. He is very exciting to watch and will have UNH fans on the edge of their seats.

Mike Lowry: What kind of adjustments will he need to make as he begins his NCAA career?

Coach Henderson: His biggest adjustment will be, being a reliable defender and getting pucks out of the defensive zone. He made good strides in this area over the course of the season and should be a consistent contributor to the program.

Scouting Report from Neutral Zone**

"Justin Fregona has had success at every level he's ever played. He played Minor Midget with the Greater Toronto Hockey League powerhouse Toronto Marlies where he played alongside first round NHL Draft pick Dylan Strome and second round NHL Draft pick Mitchell Stevens. He then went on to play at St. Andrews where he would eventually lead the team in scoring despite only being 5-7/150 at the time. We saw him at the St. Sebastian's tournament and Midwest Prep Hockey League Showcases and he was always a small, quick, highly intelligent playmaker who made everyone around him better.

This past season was the real test to see if his skills would translate at the junior level because up to that point he could get away with being the smartest or most skilled player on the ice, but at the junior level it's a different story. He quickly adjusted to the game at the junior level and went on to have a highly successful season. He's quick and shifty with the puck on his stick, can make plays at full speed and can stop and start on a dime. He's dangerous in the transition game and does a nice job picking off passes in the neutral zone. He's a pest on the forecheck, gets in on the puck quickly but doesn't have much of a physical dimension.

The UNH commit will be a perfect fit for the Olympic sheet where he can use the open ice to his advantage and it will hide some of the weaker points of his games along the wall and in small areas. We love the hockey sense, the soft, highly skilled hands and quickness and pace in which he plays but he'll need to get stronger and play a more complete game at the next level."

Rating - 4 out of 5 Stars.

National Ranking - Among the top 80, 1997-born forwards evaluated by Neutral Zone Scouts, Justin Fregona was ranked #26.

According to neutralzone.net, their national rankings break players down into birth years and ranks them against all other college hockey prospects throughout North America. Nationally ranked players have been seen by their Neutral Zone regional scout and then cross-referenced with a national Neutral Zone scout as well. Then the players are graded on over 20 different categories and put into the national database where they are tracked throughout the season. Every player on this list has been seen by multiple scouts in multiple viewings to arrive at their final rank.

** Reprinted by permission of Brendan Collins, Director of Scouting at Neutral Zone.

2015-16 Achievements

~ Received multiple coaches' votes for BCHL "Rookie of the Year".
~ Regular Season: Among all BCHL rookies, tied for 5th in goal scoring and power play goals and was the 7th leading scorer.
~ Won a gold medal for Team Canada West at the 2015 World Junior A Challenge.

2015-16 USHL/WJAC Highlight Reel

Junior & Prep School Statistics

Player	Season	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
Justin Fregona (F)	2015-16	Langley Rivermen	BCHL	51	24	25	49	45
		Playoffs	BCHL	1	0	0	0	0
	2014-15	St. Andrew's College	CISAA	24	13	19	32	18
		Playoffs	CISAA	4	2	1	3	2
		St. Andrew's College	CAHS	57	34	43	77	44
	2013-14	St. Andrew's College	CISAA	15	7	6	13	24
		Playoffs	CISAA	5	4	1	5	8
		St. Andrew's College	CAHS	53	28	33	61	64