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This is the first "UNH Commits Update" of the 2018-19 season - a series which began in October, 2011. In that first update, I highlighted Andrew Poturalski and provided the scoring statistics for all the players committed to play for UNH. At the time, Poturalski was 17 years old and playing for the Buffalo Junior Sabres in the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He went on to play two seasons with UNH and was a Hobey Baker Finalist as a sophomore. Poturalski then signed a free agent contract with the Carolina Hurricanes organization. To date, he has played two games in the NHL and has scored 116 points in 173 games with the AHL Charlotte Checkers. Is there another Andrew Poturalski caliber player in the current crop of UNH commits? Stay tuned.
Player Spotlight - Tim Stützle
Last season, Tim Stützle was the fifth leading scorer in the regular season of the Under 19 German Development League (DNL). As a 15/16-year-old forward, he tallied 18 goals and 29 assists for the Mannheim Young Eagles (Jungadler Mannheim U19) in 25 games and 4 goals and 4 assists in 5 playoff games.
Early in the 2018-19 season, Stützle has picked up right where he left off. Over the first 14 games of the DNL U20 season, he has scored 12 goals and 22 assists and is the league's leading scorer.
This highlight video shows Stützle's 7th and 8th goals of the season - he is #8 in the Young Eagles' white jersey. In the first clip, he steals the puck behind the opponent's net, carries it through the neutral zone and passes. He then steals the puck again in the offensive zone, wheels down the slot, and wrists it between the goalie's pads. The final clip shows Stützle get tripped up in the neutral zone, then receive the puck in the offensive zone. After setting up his teammate for a shot on goal, another teammate centers a pass to him in the low slot, and he buries it:
Player Spotlight - Will Margel
Earlier this week, I posted this profile of UNH's newest commit Will Margel. Over the weekend, Margel and the Selects Hockey Academy at South Kent School U18 team competed in the playoffs of the Beast Tournament Series. The competition featured some of the top midget hockey programs on the East Coast.
In the overall Beast Tournament Series, Will Margel totaled 9 goals and 5 assists in 10 games. Although he played in 2 or 3 fewer games than many of the other players, he finished as the second-leading goal-scorer and the leading scorer. Overall, Margel has scored 17 goals and 13 assists in 26 games with the Selects Academy U18 team. He is the team's leading goal-scorer and scorer.
Player Spotlight - Chase Stevenson
2019 UNH Commit Chase Stevenson is off to a fast start in his third season in the British Columbia Hockey League. The 19-year-old, 5'11", 170 lbs., left-shot forward has scored 8 goals and 9 assists over the Surrey Eagles' first 19 games. He leads the team in goal-scoring and is tied for 6th in the BCHL. Last season, Stevenson tallied 12 goals and 11 assists in 40 games. He missed games in December and January due to a lower body injury suffered at the World Junior A Challenge selection camp.
As the Alternate Captain of the Eagles, Stevenson has been playing center and left wing. He is the center for their first power play unit. Last Sunday, Stevenson earned the #1 Star in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Victoria Grizzlies on the strength of 2 goals and 3 assists. He set up the game-tying goal late in the third period. These video highlights show both goals and the key assist:
2018-19 Statistics
NOTEThe statistics for the commits, presented in the following table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, the "2019 Commits" are projected to begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2019. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Commits | |||||||
| Lucas Bahn 9/11/99 (D) | West Kelowna Warriors | BCHL | 16 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 2 |
| Nolan McElhaney 4/22/99 (D) | Omaha Lancers | USHL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Chase Stevenson 1/13/99 (F) | Surrey Eagles | BCHL | 18 | 8 | 9 | 17 | 31 |
| 2019 or '20 Commits | |||||||
| Will Margel 3/16/01 (F) | Selects Academy 18U | Overall | 26 | 17 | 13 | 30 | 12 |
| USPHL 18U | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| BEAST Series | 10 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 8 | ||
| Connor Sweeney 5/5/00 (F) | Lawrence Academy | NE Prep | - | - | - | - | - |
| Islanders Hockey Club | NCDC | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Marek Wazny 2/21/00 (F) | Maryland Black Bears | NAHL | 14 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 6 |
| 2020 Commits | |||||||
| Aidan Curran 1/22/01 (F) | NH Jr Monarchs | NCDC | 14 | 2 | 10 | 12 | 12 |
| Liam Devlin 1/7/01 (F) | St. Sebastian's | NE Prep | - | - | - | - | - |
| Boston Jr. Eagles | EHF Selects | 10 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 8 | |
| Zack Jones 3/31/01 (F) | Boston Bandits | NCDC | 14 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 |
| Tim Stützle 1/15/02 (F) | Mannheim Young Eagles | DNL U20 | 14 | 12 | 22 | 34 | 24 | Team Germany U17 | Intnl | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2021 or '22 Commits | |||||||
| David Sacco 1/3/02 (F) | Lawrence Academy | NE Prep | - | - | - | - | - |
| * = Signed National Letter of Intent | |||||||
News & Notes
United States Hockey League:~ 2019 Commit Nolan McElhaney experienced a lower body injury in the Omaha Lancers' game against the Fargo Force on October 12th. He was placed on the injured reserve list and is out of the lineup indefinitely.
New England Prep School Hockey:
~ Three UNH Commits are planning to play New England Prep School hockey this season. Connor Sweeney and David Sacco are at Lawrence Academy and Liam Devlin is at St. Sebastion's School. Their season begins in late November.
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