UNH Commits Update 1-31-18: Spotlight on Angus Crookshank

Angus Crookshank
"Goal Scorer"

Player Spotlight - Angus Crookshank

During the 2016-17 regular season, UNH's top forwards provided ample goal-scoring. In 32 regular season games, All-American Tyler Kelleher scored 22 goals, Jason Salvaggio tallied 21 goals and Patrick Grasso had 17. Over the first 26 games this season, the top UNH goal-scorers are defenseman Max Gildon, and forwards Salvaggio and Ara Nazarian, each with 7 goals. The future success of the UNH hockey program will depend, in part, on the addition of forwards who have a knack for scoring goals. 2018 Commit Angus Crookshank is just such a player.

Last Friday night, Crookshank scored an unassisted goal which could easily qualify for "goal of the season" in the British Columbia Hockey League. With less than 3 minutes remaining, Crookshank picked up the puck at the redline, rushed into the Prince George Spruce Kings' zone, slid between two defensemen in the slot, and snapped a wrist shot. He picked up the rebound below the goal line, swooped around the faceoff circle, dragged the puck between two more opponents, and lifted a backhander into the top corner. It was Crookshank's 17th goal in 31 Langley Rivermen games.



After missing the first 8 games of the season with an upper body injury, Crookshank has scored at a "point a game" clip. The 5'11", 181 lbs., 18-year-old forward has played both center and left wing for the Rivermen. He is the team's leading goal-scorer and has also distributed 17 assists. At the 2017 World Junior A Challenge (WJAC) in mid-December, Angus helped Team Canada West win the Gold Medal by scoring 2 game-winning goals and adding 3 assists. He was the second-leading scorer in the tournament.

A week ago, Crookshank participated in the Canadian Junior Hockey League Prospects Game in Mississauga, Ontario. The CJHL and NHL Central Scouting Service selected the top 40 players from all the Canadian Junior A hockey leagues who are eligible for the 2018 NHL Draft in June. Team West won 5-2 and Crookshank assisted on their second goal. In the first clip in these highlights, he dishes a tape-to-tape, centering pass to Corey Andonovski, a Princeton commit who plays for the Chilliwack Chiefs:



The final two clips show Crookshank's 15th and 16th goals of the season. The 15th was the game-winner against the Victoria Grizzlies and came on the Langley power play. The 16th was also a power play goal against Prince George. Crookshank has 7 power play goals, tied for 5th most in the BCHL. He is also tied for 2nd in game-winning goals with 5. A goal scorer for sure.

The NHL Central Scouting Service released the midterm rankings on January 20th. Angus Crookshank is ranked #139 among North American skaters. The CSS has rated him a "C" prospect with potential to be drafted in the 4th, 5th, or 6th round of the 2018 NHL Draft.

2017-18 Statistics

NOTE
The statistics for the commits, presented in the following table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, the "2018 Commits" are projected to begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2018. I have based these projections on a number of factors including:
~ If a National Letter of Intent has been signed.
~ The year the commit and UNH coaches originally targeted for enrollment in UNH.
~ How old the commit would be upon admission.
~ Number of years in junior hockey prior to admission.
~ The commit's performance in recent seasons as well as injuries.
~ Anticipated date of high school graduation.
~ Number of UNH players leaving the team at the end of the previous season and the position they played.

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2018 Commits
Joey Cipollone* 3/29/97 (F)	Junior Bruins	NCDC	37	17	26	43	22
Angus Crookshank* 10/2/99 (F)	Langley Rivermen	BCHL	32	17	17	34	24
	Team Canada West	WJAC	5	2	3	5	2
	Team West Prospects	CJHL	1	0	1	1	0
Eric Esposito* 8/24/98 (F)	Youngstown Phantoms	USHL	35	9	5	14	83
Corson Green 3/4/99 (D)	Central Illinois Flying Aces	USHL	12	1	0	1	42
	Sioux Falls Stampede	USHL	19	1	3	4	39
2018 or '19 Commits
Ryan Verrier* 11/19/98 (D)	Green Bay Gamblers	USHL	30	3	6	9	24
2019 Commits
Lucas Bahn 9/11/99 (D)	Sioux City Musketeers	USHL	30	1	5	6	17
Nolan McElhaney 4/22/99 (D)	Cushing Academy	NE Prep	23	11	23	34	22
Chase Stevenson 1/13/99 (F)	West Kelowna Warriors	BCHL	30	7	11	18	23
2019 or '20 Commits
Jackson Pierson* 9/10/99 (F)	Culver Academy	Prep	29	23	37	60	-
	Green Bay Gamblers	USHL	2	0	0	0	0
Connor Sweeney 5/5/00 (F)	Lawrence Academy	NE Prep	19	6	8	14	6
Marek Wazny 2/21/00 (F)	Burlington Cougars	OJHL	27	6	17	23	8
	Brookings Blizzard	NAHL	7	0	0	0	0
2020 Commits
Tim Stützle 1/15/02 (F)	Mannheim Young Eagles	DNL U19	21	16	24	40	8
		MacPhr	2	1	3	4	0
	Team Germany U18	Intl	2	2	0	2	4
	Team Germany U16	Intl	6	4	3	7	-
* = Signed National Letter of Intent

News & Notes

International:

~ 2020 UNH Commit Tim Stützle and the Mannheim Junior Eagles U19 (Jungadler Mannheim) travelled to St. Andrews College in Ontario last weekend for the annual MacPherson Tournament. In their first game on Friday, Mannheim defeated the Edge School (Calgary Alberta) 7-2 and Stützle posted a goal and 3 assists. He did not score in Game 2, a 1-3 loss to St. Andrews. Stützle missed the final two days of the tourney with the flu. The depleted Mannheim team advanced to the Championship Game but lost to the Edge School.

Prep School:

~ 2019 UNH Commit Nolan McElhaney has tallied a goal and 7 assists over the last 6 Cushing Academy games. He has the most assists and second highest goals among all New England Prep School defensemen (23GP 11G 23A). In the recently released NHL Central Scouting Service midterm rankings, McIlhaney is ranked #213 among North American skaters.

~ Over a 4-game stretch beginning on January 19th, 2019 or '20 Commit Connor Sweeney scored 4 goals and 3 assists for Lawrence Academy. He is ranked #217 among North American skaters on the NHL Central Scouting Service midterm rankings.

~ 2019 or '20 Commit Jackson Pierson and the Culver Academy Eagles (30-2-0) maintained the #1 ranking in USA Midget 18U Tier 1 hockey. Pierson has scored 23 goals and 37 assists and is tied for the lead in scoring on the Culver team.

National Collegiate Development Conference:

~ 2018 Commit Joey Cipollone is on a 6-game scoring streak including 2 goals and 6 assists. He moved up to a tie for 5th in NCDC scoring.

Charlie Kelleher Steps Up For UNH

Charlie Kelleher
Hockey East Top Performer

Freshman UNH winger Charlie Kelleher stepped up in an important weekend series at the University of Maine. The Wildcats, who were ranked #9 in the nation on November 6th, had been struggling with a 0-6-1 record since December 9th. Meanwhile, Maine was headed in a positive direction with a 7-2-2 record since December 1st. With the Hockey East Playoffs just a month away, UNH urgently needed to improve its play and Kelleher sparked a pair of come-from-behind ties in the unfriendly confines of Alfond Arena.

As the younger brother of All-American and Hobey Baker Finalist Tyler Kelleher, Charlie faced high expectations long before he donned a Wildcat uniform. Last season, he was tied for 8th in scoring in the United States Hockey League (17G, 34A, 51Pts) and the Neutral Zone scouting service made this prediction:

"The 1997 is an excellent prospect. He is a smart, well-rounded player who understands how to make plays all over the ice. He never takes a shift off and is both instinctive and smart. He gets to good spots and makes plays when he gets there. He will add some strength before he arrives at UNH where he will be a very good Division I player."

Like his brother before him, Charlie began his freshman season as the starting right winger. UNH won the first 5 games this season and Kelleher, playing with seniors Jason Salvaggio (left wing) and Michael McNicholas (right wing), tallied a goal and 6 assists.

In early November, Charlie sustained an upper body injury during practice and missed two key games against UMass-Lowell and Boston University. When he returned to the lineup, he played several games on a line with Brendan van Riemsdyk and Liam Blackburn then moved to a line with Kohei Sato and Frankie Cefalu. During that 12-game stretch, Kelleher's point production dropped to 3 assists.

Entering the back-to-back games at Maine last weekend, both the Wildcats and Kelleher were looking for a change in momentum. He was moved back up to the first line but this time with juniors Ara Nazarian at left wing and Marcus Vela at center. In the 2-2 tie on Friday night, they combined for 9 shots on goal, Kelleher had 3 SOG, and Vela controlled the faceoff and assisted on UNH's first goal by Salvaggio.

After trailing 2-0, then 2-1, UNH tied the game 1 minute into the final period on a Eric MacAdams' goal. With 3:47 remaining in overtime, Kelleher showed his knack for being in the correct position to make a big play. Mitchell Fossier stole the puck deep in the UNH zone and snapped a shot. Danny Tirone deflected the puck with his blocker but it dropped behind him. Kelleher swooped in and tapped the puck back to Tirone preserving the tie:



On Saturday night, Charlie Kelleher assisted on UNH's first 2 goals, scored the game-tying goal, and earned the #1 Star as UNH tied Maine 3-3. On their second shift in the opening stanza, Kelleher lead Nazarian and Vela into the Maine zone. Kelleher cut to the right and dumped a backhanded pass to Nazarian who slid it past Maine goalie Jeremy Swayman.



Midway through the second period, UNH went on its second power play with the game tied 1-1. In the closing moments of the man-advantage, Kelleher corralled the loose puck along the half-wall and feathered a pass out to senior defenseman Rich Boyd at the point. Boyd wristed a shot low to the ice beating Swayman.



Maine grabbed a 3-2 lead at the 8:47 mark of the third period. Two shifts later, Charlie Kelleher tied the game. Senior defenseman Cam Marks sent an outlet pass from the UNH zone to Kelleher at the redline. Kelleher skated down the right side and fired a wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circle to Swayman's left. The puck deflected off a Maine defender's shin pad and over Swayman's shoulder. The timely goal was Kelleher's second of the season:



Kelleher's accomplishments were recognized by Hockey East as he was named a "Weekly Top Performer". Kelleher bumped his scoring totals up to 2 goals and 11 assists. He is currently the 5th leading scorer on the UNH squad. McNicholas (5G, 17A) leads with 22 points, Max Gildon (7G, 11A) has 18, Blackburn (6G, 9A) has 15, and Salvaggio (7G, 7A), Nazarian (7G, 7A), and Benton Maass (3G, 11A) all have 14 points.

UNH returns to the Whittemore Center Friday night on the front end of a home-and-home series with UConn. The Huskies have accumulated 13 points in 18 Hockey East games and are in 8th place. UNH has 11 points in 14 HE games and is tied with UMass for 9th place.

UNH Commits Update 1-13-18: Spotlight on Tim Stützle, Jackson Pierson

Tim Stützle 2020 UNH Commit

Jackson Pierson 2018 UNH Commit

Player Spotlight - Tim Stützle

Rising German star Tim Stützle, who turns 16 on January 15th, continues to rack up points against older players in the U19 German Development League (DNL). The 2020 UNH Commit plays for the first-place Mannheim Junior Eagles U19 (Jungadler Mannheim). In Stützle's first 16 games of the 2017-18 DNL season, the 5'9", 159 lbs. left-shot, left-winger has scored 13 goals and 18 assists. He is the third leading scorer in the DNL, has the third most assists, and is tied for third in goals.

In the first of these video clips from two Mannheim victories last weekend, Stützle, who wears #8, starts the scoring play with a nifty backhand pass from below the goal line. He then dishes a soft, backhand pass for his 16th assist of the DNL season. In the second clip, he hops over the boards, cruises below the faceoff circle, and lifts a one-timer into the top corner for his 13th goal of the season.



In the last week of December, Tim Stützle made his debut with Team Germany U18 at the 5-Nations Tournament in Zuchwil, Switzerland. In the opening game against Switzerland, Stützle scored 2 goals, including the game-winner. He also played in Game 2, the 4-3 win over the Czech Republic but missed the final two games with the flu. Team Germany also defeated Slovakia but lost the final game to Finland 3-4.

At the end of January, Stützle and the Mannheim Young Eagles will travel to St. Andrews College in Ontario for the annual MacPherson Tournament. They will compete against prep school teams from Canada and the United States. Live streaming of the games will be available on the St. Andrews College website.

Player Spotlight - Jackson Pierson

2019 or '20 Commit Jackson Pierson (DOB: 9/10/1999) and the Culver Academy Eagles just completed a stretch of 10 away games which included two tournaments and a showcase. In competition against top New England Prep School teams, they finished runnerup in the Groton/Lawrence Tourney and won the 2017 Edward G. Watkins Invitational Tournament at Cushing Academy. Last weekend, they won all three games in the Alliance Showcase at St. Andrews College in Ontario. Culver Academy improved its record to 23-1-0. They moved back to #1 in the national rankings for USA Midget 18U Tier 1 hockey.

Pierson, who is the starting center for Culver, scored a total of 7 goals and 15 assists in these 10 games. In addition, he was named the Most Valuable Player in the Watkins/Cushing Tournament. Overall, Pierson has tallied 24 goals and 31 assists in 24 games this season. Here are video highlights of two assists he distributed at the St. Andrews Showcase:

2017-18 Statistics

NOTE
The statistics for the commits, presented in the following table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, the "2018 Commits" are projected to begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2018. I have based these projections on a number of factors including:
~ If a National Letter of Intent has been signed.
~ The year the commit and UNH coaches originally targeted for enrollment in UNH.
~ How old the commit would be upon admission.
~ Number of years in junior hockey prior to admission.
~ The commit's performance in recent seasons as well as injuries.
~ Anticipated date of high school graduation.
~ Number of UNH players leaving the team at the end of the previous season and the position they played.

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2018 Commits
Joey Cipollone*  (F)	Junior Bruins	NCDC	32	15	21	36	16
Angus Crookshank*  (F)	Langley Rivermen	BCHL	28	14	16	30	20
	Team Canada West	WJAC	5	2	3	5	2
Eric Esposito*  (F)	Youngstown Phantoms	USHL	28	7	4	11	83
Corson Green  (D)	Central Illinois Flying Aces	USHL	7	1	0	1	24
	Sioux Falls Stampede	USHL	19	1	3	4	39
2018 or '19 Commits
Ryan Verrier*  (D)	Green Bay Gamblers	USHL	25	3	6	9	20
2019 Commits
Lucas Bahn  (D)	Sioux City Musketeers	USHL	27	1	5	6	17
Nolan McElhaney  (D)	Cushing Academy	NE Prep	17	10	16	26	16
Chase Stevenson  (F)	West Kelowna Warriors	BCHL	30	7	11	18	23
2019 or '20 Commits
Jackson Pierson*  (F)	Culver Academy	Prep	24	21	31	52	-
	Green Bay Gamblers	USHL	2	0	0	0	0
Connor Sweeney  (F)	Lawrence Academy	NE Prep	13	2	5	7	6
Marek Wazny  (F)	Burlington Cougars	OJHL	21	5	13	18	8
	Brookings Blizzard	NAHL	7	0	0	0	0
2020 Commits
Tim Stützle  (F)	Mannheim Young Eagles	DNL U19	16	13	18	31	8
	Team Germany U18	Intl	2	2	0	2	4
	Team Germany U16	Intl	6	4	3	7	-
* = Signed National Letter of Intent

News & Notes

British Columbia Hockey League:

~ 2019 Commit Chase Stevenson sustained a lower body injury during the Canada West tryout camp for the World Junior A Challenge. He hopes to return to the West Kelowna Warriors' lineup in about 3 weeks.

National Collegiate Development Conference:

~ 2018 Commit Joey Cipollone was named to the NCDC All-Star Game which takes place this Monday at Merrimack College. Cipollone (32GP 15G 21A) is tied for 6th in NCDC scoring.

~ Liam Darcy will not be playing hockey for UNH in the future. It's highly likely the NCDC All-Star will play for some NCAA team. I wish him the best of luck!

Prep School:

~ 2019 UNH Commit Nolan McElhaney, scored his 10th goal of the season in a 3-6 loss to Salisbury earlier this week. The Cushing Academy senior leads all New England Prep School defensemen in scoring (1.53 Points Per Game).

Nolan McElhaney: Cushing Academy Defenseman Commits to UNH

Nolan McElhaney
2019 UNH Commit

"Long reach, soft hands, and a swift first pass. Is a high-ceiling prospect." Neutral Zone

"He (Nolan McElhaney) skates well for his size, with great long strides." U.S. Hockey Report

"He is a strong skater with great acceleration who has the offensive instincts to jump into the rush, and he continues to show a rapidly developing offensive game." Steve Jacobs, Head Coach, Cushing Academy

Since Mike Souza returned to his alma mater in July, 2015 as the "head coach in waiting", he has helped recruit several big, mobile defensemen who can thrive in UNH's transition style of play. These include sophomore Anthony Wyse (6'3", 225 lbs.), freshmen Max Gildon (6'3", 191 lbs.), Benton Maass (6'2", 195 lbs.), and James Miller (6'2", 190 lbs.) and 2018 commit Corson Green (6'1", 210 lbs.). A couple weeks ago, another defenseman in that mold committed to UNH. Nolan McElhaney, a 6'3", 190 lbs., right-shot defenseman from Yorba Linda, California, by way of Cushing Academy, is projected to matriculate in the fall of 2019.

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2017-'18
Nolan McElhaney  (D)	Cushing Academy	NE Prep	14	9	15	24	14
	EMass Senators	MHSL U18	18	7	6	13	24
2016-'17
	Cushing Academy	NE Prep	32	5	10	15	-
	EMass Senators	MHSL U18	14	1	8	19	15
2015-'16
	Cushing Academy	NE Prep	31	3	4	7	-
	Junior Bruins	MHSL U16	11	4	2	6	10

Scouts who have followed McElhaney since he came to Massachusetts as a freshman at Cushing Academy have identified his high-end potential. In December, 2015, U.S. Hockey Report said he "could get a lot of attention in the years to come". Soon after the Neutral Zone scouting service launched, they observed McElhaney at the Massachusetts Tier 1 Labor Day Showcase in September, 2016 and wrote:

"Nolan has a lot of tools. He is 6’3”, handled the puck very well and takes passing lanes away with his long reach. He looked poised on the power play and scored a very nice goal. The 1999 from CA is an elite talent who has a ton of upside."

McElhaney began last season as a 170 lbs. junior at Cushing. He scored 5 goals and 8 assists in 29 regular season games. Cushing Academy qualified for the New England Prep Small School playoffs. In 3 games, McElhaney tallied 2 assists but the Penguins lost in the finals 2-3 to Pomfret. Neutral Zone's review of the Championship Game served as a marker on McElhaney's progress:

"McElhaney is a tall, thin, raw but mobile defenseman. He doesn’t have the strength to play the game the way he wants to play it but is able to defend with his long stick and body positioning. He’s got a decent shot from the point and did a nice job here in keeping pucks in the offensive zone. He made a few nice breakout passes and broke up a few passes in his own end but overall it was a quiet game for Nolan. We still believe he has great upside as he fills into his body and plays a more shutdown game, but he’s got a long way to go."

The 2017-18 New England Prep regular season is less than half over and Nolan McElhaney has already demonstrated gains in several areas. He has added 20 lbs. to his 6'3" frame. Over the first 14 games, he has already doubled his scoring totals from last season. Among all New England Prep defensemen, McElhaney has tallied the most goals (9), assists (15) and points (24). His 1.71 points per game average is the highest among all defensemen and 10th among all New England Prep players.

Groton/Lawrence Holiday Hockey Tournament

At the Groton/Lawrence tourney in mid-December, McElhaney won the Most Valuable Player award and Cushing won the championship. He tallied a goal and the overtime, game-winning assist against Lawrence Academy, which includes UNH commit Connor Sweeney. He posted 4 assists, including the game-winning assist, in the 5-0 shutout of Pomfret and added another goal in the 4-1 defeat of Holderness. In the championship game, Cushing defeated Culver Academy, which features UNH commit Jackson Pierson. McElhaney scored his 3rd goal of the tournament in the 3-1 victory. Here's Neutral Zone's review of McElhaney's performance at the Groton/Lawrence Tourney:

"Nolan had a big weekend. He committed to UNH shortly after the tournament. He is still a little raw but has started to piece everything together. He is very long and still has room to fill out. He moves well for a bigger body and has the speed to recover on defense. He was impressive offensively on the weekend, consistently activating into the play to create scoring opportunities. On the back-end he uses a long reach to keep forwards to the outside. He is not overly physical, but doesn’t shy away from contact. Should only get better."

Overall Player Rating - 3 3/4 out 5 Stars.

E.G. Watkins/Cushing New Years Tournament

Following a 12-day break for the Christmas holiday, Nolan McElhaney and the Cushing Academy Penguins returned to action in the 27th Annual E.G. Watkins New Years Invitational Tournament at Iorio Arena on the Cushing campus. The day before the tourney began, Cushing Head Coach Steve Jacobs provided me with this assessment of McElhaney's strengths:

"Nolan is a highly competitive character player with a strong "all around" game. He has length at 6'3 and is hockey smart. He is a strong skater with great acceleration who has the offensive instincts to jump into the rush, and he continues to show a rapidly developing offensive game. He is a crisp and accurate passer who plays with poise and he makes high end plays. His battle level is always high in both practice and games, and he leads by example with his day to day preparation. He contributes at both ends of the ice and on both special teams. He is a dominant player at the prep school level."

In Cushing's opening game against Northfield-Mount Hermon, McElhaney's offensive blitz continued with an assist and the overtime, game-winning goal. He picked up another goal and 2 assists in the 5-0 win over Governor's Academy. Finally, McElhaney distributed 2 assists in the 3-2 overtime victory over Dexter in the 3rd-Place game. The second assist was critical as it came on the game-tying goal in the final minute of regulation. Both of McElhaney's goals and this game-tying assist in the Watkins Tournament are shown in this highlight video. Note how these goals come from the faceoff circles:

Interview

I had an opportunity to interview Nolan McElhaney, via email, about his hockey career and commitment to UNH:

Mike Lowry ("C-H-C"): Congratulations on your commitment to play for the University of New Hampshire. What are the main reasons you chose UNH?

Nolan McElhaney: I chose UNH because I loved the campus and its the best place for me for school. I also really like what the coaching staff is trying to do within the next couple years and I want to be a part of what they are trying to accomplish. I am a huge fan of the big ice sheet as it compliments my style of play very well, so I believe that I would be able to take over during games. Practicing and playing every day on that ice will get me more ready for the next level. The positive atmosphere of the games is a thrill, furthermore I have always wanted to be a part of those games.



Mike Lowry: Have you and the UNH coaches agreed on a target date for you to enroll as a freshman at UNH and join the team?

Nolan McElhaney: We have a target date for the fall of 2019 but Coach Souza might want me to come in during the summer before to take some courses.



Lowry: What other college programs were you considering? Which schools did you visit and which ones made an offer to you?

McElhaney: Other schools I was considering were Providence College, Umass Lowell, UConn, and Boston University. I went to Providence over the summer and I wasn’t offered anywhere else at the time when I took UNH’s offer.



Lowry: At this stage in your hockey development, what are the strengths of your game? What areas are you trying to improve?

McElhaney: My strengths of my game include my shot, my first pass up ice, my ability to jump in the play and create offense, and how I can be a shut down guy if I need to be. I'm trying to improve my defensive zone positioning and finishing off plays before jumping in the play. I need to focus more on becoming a better skater before I come into UNH. I am also trying to add weight and strength to my body.



Lowry: Last year, in your junior season at Cushing Academy, you scored 5 goals and 10 assists in 32 games. So far this season, in only 10 games, you've scored 7 goals and 10 assists. What factors have lead to this big jump in performance?

McElhaney: I was in the weight room all summer only focusing on getting better and stronger. I worked on the areas I needed to work on, on the ice, to bring my game to the next level. I also have gained a lot of confidence from the NCAA and junior interest and it keeps my confidence up. Our team has a goal and I just want to be the best I can be for them in accomplishing that goal. Coach Jacobs has also really helped me this year in becoming more calm and a more consistent player. My D-partner, Cam Berube, has also been pushing me to become the best I could be the past three years and I try to match his intensity every game, practice and day.



Lowry: Last June, you participated in the Sioux Falls Stampede's tryout camp. Do you plan to play in either the United States Hockey League or British Columbia Hockey League before you come to UNH?

McElhaney: I plan on playing in the USHL next year before I come to UNH in 2019. Not sure where I will end up in the USHL but wherever I do, I know I will love the atmosphere of playing in that league and love the style of juniors.



Lowry: You grew up in Yorba Linda, Orange County, California. When did you first start skating and playing hockey? Who helped spur your interest in the sport?

McElhaney: I started skating around 2 years old and started hockey around 3. My dad went to prep school at Lawrence Academy and played in college at Clarkson, so he was always a fan of hockey. My mom says that she pushed me more to play hockey, so my mom is the one who really introduced me to the sport. My dad just had the background in hockey.



Lowry: In your freshman and sophomore years at Orange Lutheran High School, the team advanced to the USA Hockey National Championships. Why did you decide to come east to Cushing Academy?

McElhaney: It was fun playing in California, but it wasn't as competitive as I would like. As being the only kid wanting to play Division I college hockey, I knew I had to go out east where every game is competitive and every kid has the dream of playing college hockey. My dad went to Lawrence Academy but that wasn't on my list of schools. Once I visited Cushing, it felt like home for me and I was pleased with what Coach Gagnon told me about the program at Cushing and the future. Coming to Cushing was the best choice I could have made. I have had the best time here and a lot of fun playing for such a prestigious program that there is at Cushing. I knew as soon as I toured that this place would get me to the next level while being a great fit for me.



Lowry: What are your academic strengths and interests? Have you thought about what you might major in when you enroll at UNH?

McElhaney: I really like Math and Science, those are my top two classes in school. I will probably study Business and Finance.