UNH Commits Update: 11-22-2019

Carsen Richels Signs UNH NLI

Alex Gagne Signs UNH NLI

News & Notes

National Letter of Intent:

The signing period of the National Letter of Intent (NLI) program began November 13th and ends August 1st. Some of the key provisions of the NLI are:
~ The NLI is a binding agreement between a prospective student-athlete and an NLI member institution.
~ The prospective student-athlete agrees to attend the institution full-time for one academic year.
~ The institution agrees to provide athletics financial aid to the student-athlete for one academic year, provided he/she is admitted to the institution and is eligible for financial aid under NCAA rules.
~ A recruiting prohibition is applied after a prospective student-athlete signs the NLI. This prohibition requires member institutions to cease recruitment of the prospective student-athlete once an NLI is signed with another institution.
~ If the student-athlete does not fulfill the NLI agreement, he/she has to serve one year in residence at the next NLI member institution and lose one season of competition in all sports.

In the last week, forward Carsen Richels and defenseman Alex Gagne signed an NLI with the University of New Hampshire. Richels and Gagne are seniors in high school so have the potential to enroll as "true freshmen" at UNH next Fall. Forward Will Margel, who graduated from South Kent Prep School last spring, signed an NLI with UNH in April.

British Columbia Hockey League:

~ 2020 UNH Commit Will Margel scored 45 goals and 55 assists in 64 games last season with the Selects Academy 18U - the team that won the 2019 USA Hockey Tier I National Championship. In May, the Madison Capitols selected him in the 1st Round (#7 overall) of the USHL Draft. Margel started at left wing in the Capitols' season opener and scored his first USHL goal in Game 5. However, that was the last point he registered for the Capitols and his playing time diminished. Madison currently has the worst record in the USHL.
The Coquitlam Express of the British Columbia Hockey League acquired Margel from the Madison Capitols on November 7th and put him on their top line with Massimo Rizzo (North Dakota commit, Carolina Hurricanes draftee) and Connor Gregga (Minnesota State commit). In his first 3 BCHL games, Margel has scored 2 power play assists. Coquitlam currently has the best record in the BCHL.

~ Over his last 7 games with the Wenatchee Wild, 2020 or '21 UNH Commit Nick Cafarelli has scored 3 goals and 7 assists. Overall, he has 12 goals, including 7 power play goals, and 14 assists in 24 games. Cafarelli is tied for 6th in BCHL goal-scoring and 12th in scoring.

United States Hockey League:

~ 2020 or '21 UNH Commit Alex Gagne signed a National Letter of Intent with UNH on November 17th. The 6'3", 196 lbs., left-shot defenseman has played in 10 of the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders' 16 games, has scored 4 assists, and has a +/- rating of +1.
Gagne is eligible for the 2020 NHL Draft. Although the NHL Central Scouting Service has not included him on their "Players to Watch" lists, former NHL defenseman Ian Morin, the Director of Neutral Zone's NHL Draft coverage, projected Gagne as a late third round selection in the NHL Draft next June. In addition, Steve Kournianos of the Draft Analyst and contributor for the Sporting News ranked Gagne #108 in his 2020 Preliminary Rankings.

Minnesota High School Hockey:

~ 2020 or '21 UNH Commit Carsen Richels signed a National Letter of Intent with UNH on November 13th. The 6'2", 201 lbs., left-shot winger recently completed his fall season in the Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League. He scored 8 goals and 11 assists in 19 games.
In the updated November "Players to Watch" list, the NHL Central Scouting Service continued to rate Carsen Richels a 'B' Prospect meaning he's a candidate to be selected in the 2nd or 3rd Round of the 2020 NHL Draft. Richels' first game of his senior season with Blaine (MN) High School is on November 27 against Hill-Murray HS. Last season, as a junior, he scored 42 goals and 41 assists in 29 games.

New England Prep School Hockey:

~ 2021 UNH Commit David Sacco recently completed his fall season with the the Cape Cod Whalers U18 split-season team. He scored 5 goals and 2 assists in 9 Eastern Hockey Federation Selects games and 2 assists in the 2019-20 18U Tier I National Bound Massachusetts Hockey State Championship. The Whalers were eliminated in the quarterfinals.
The NHL Central Scouting Service continued to rate David Sacco a 'C' Prospect in their updated November "Players to Watch" list. He is a candidate to be selected in the 4th, 5th or 6th Round of the 2020 NHL Draft. Sacco begins his junior season with the Lawrence Academy Spartans on December 6th. Last year, he repeated his sophomore academic year and was listed as a sophomore on the hockey roster. He scored 14 goals and 15 assists in 25 games.

~ 2021 or '22 UNH Commit JP Turner and the Neponset Valley River Rats U16 team won the 2019-20 16U Tier I National Bound Massachusetts Hockey State Championship. Turner scored a goal and 2 assists in the 3 tournament games.
JP Turner begins his junior season with Avon Old Farms on December 4th against Williston-Northampton. Last season, as a sophomore, he scored 5 goals and 8 assists in 25 games.

2019-20 Statistics

Player	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
2020 Commits
Will Margel* 3/16/01 (F)	Coquitlam Express	BCHL	3	0	2	2	0
	Madison Capitols	USHL	12	1	0	1	2
2020 or '21 Commits
Alex Gagne* 8/12/02 (D)	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	10	0	4	4	8
Carsen Richels* 10/3/01 (F)	Blaine High School	Minn HS	-	-	-	-	-
	MPLS ST PAUL	UMidwest HSELH	13	6	9	15	8
		Playoffs	3	2	0	2	0
	Elite League All-Star Team	International	3	0	2	2	0
Nicolas Ardanaz 5/30/02 (D)	West Kelowna Warriors	BCHL	26	1	5	6	2
Nicholas Cafarelli 12/31/01 (F)	Wenatchee Wild	BCHL	24	12	14	26	18
Aidan Curran 1/22/01 (F)	Bonnyville Pontiacs	AJHL	11	0	4	4	4
	Salmon Arm Silverbacks	BCHL	11	1	4	5	0
Connor Sweeney 5/5/00 (F)	Trail Smoke Eaters	BCHL	28	1	5	6	17
2021 Commits
Timo Bakos 7/28/00 (F)	Sioux Falls Stampede	USHL	12	2	1	3	0
Robert Cronin 8/15/00 (F)	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL	10	0	0	0	2
Liam Devlin 1/7/01 (F)	Chicago Steel	USHL	15	1	1	2	18
Cy LeClerc 8/17/02 (F)	Islanders Hockey Club	NCDC	21	4	12	16	2
Jack Ring 12/18/00 (F)	Northeast Generals	NAHL	24	2	11	13	4
David Sacco 1/3/02 (F)	Lawrence Academy	NE Prep	-	-	-	-	-
	Cape Cod Whalers U18	EHF Selects	9	5	2	7	18
		Mass Regionals	2	0	2	2	0
2021 or '22 Commits
JP Turner 1/31/03 (F)	Avon Old Farms	NE Prep	-	-	-	-	-
	NV River Rats 16U	Beast Series	7	3	7	10	34
		Playoffs	1	0	1	1	2
		Mass Regionals	3	1	2	3	0
Morgan Winters 12/8/01 (F)	Tabor Academy	NE Prep	-	-	-	-	-
	NV River Rats 18U	Beast Series	7	1	1	2	6
		Playoffs	1	0	1	1	2
2022 or '23 Commits
Nick Ring 10/26/03 (F)	Boston Advantage U18	ECEL	4	2	1	3	0
		Mass Regionals	2	1	0	1	0
* = Signed National Letter of Intent

NOTE
The statistics for the commits, presented in the above table, are categorized by the projected year they will enroll in UNH. For example, the "2020 Commits" are projected to begin playing for UNH in the Fall of 2020. I have based these projections on the following factors:
~ 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.

After Enduring Lengthy Ineligibility, Filip Engarås Set For UNH Debut

Filip Engarås
UNH Center - #16

"There's a lot of different thoughts that come to mind regarding Filip, his situation, and his penalty. To sum it up, I think its a tremendous show of his character as a young man." Mike Souza, UNH Head Coach, November 13, 2019

For 16 long months, Filip Engarås (pronounced En-gair-ROWss) has been waiting to don his UNH jersey in a regulation game. When he committed to play for the University of New Hampshire back in May, 2018, the 6-foot, 190-pound centerman from Stockholm, Sweden was planning to be the first Swedish player in the history of the UNH men's hockey program.

Players who want to participate in NCAA athletics are required to submit documentation to the NCAA Eligibility Center (formerly the NCAA Clearinghouse) verifying they've met both the academic requirements and amateurism standards. Filip had no difficulty meeting the academic standards but the NCAA did not grant him amateur status.

In European countries, junior hockey programs are often affiliated with and supported by professional hockey clubs. At the age of 16, Engarås moved nine hours north of Stockholm to play for the Skellefteå AIK hockey organization. He played for the Skellefteå Junior 18 and Junior 20 teams for three seasons. However, according to the website for the Skellefteå AIK team in the Swedish Hockey League - Sweden's top professional league, Engarås also played in 4 of their games in the 2016-17 season and 2 games in the 2017-18 season.

One could argue that Engarås's professional hockey experience in Sweden was extremely limited. His average time on the ice in the four 2016-17 games was 4 minutes and 21 seconds and for the two games in 2017-18, it was 3 minutes and 20 seconds. Across all six games, he registered a total of 2 shots on goal and no points. Regardless, the NCAA Eligibility Center ruled that Engarås did not meet amateurism status and did not allow him to play any games for UNH all of last season or for the first 9 games of this season.

The only real game experience Filip has had while at UNH was in the exhibition game against the University of Guelph this preseason. He registered 2 shots on goal and won 6 out of 11 faceoffs. However, as Head Coach Mike Souza described in the weekly press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Filip Engarås has made far more contributions to the UNH hockey program over the last 16 months. Fortunately for Filip, his teammates, and UNH hockey fans, he will make his official debut on Saturday night in the game against the University of Maine.

As for being the first Swedish player in UNH Men's Hockey history, it's a matter of interpretation. Freshman defenseman Kalle Eriksson from Leksand, Sweden has played in 7 out 8 games so far this season. My guess is Kalle and Filip wouldn't mind sharing the honor.

Here's the entirety of what Coach Souza had to say about Filip Engarås, how he's handled the many months of ineligibility, and what he means to the team:

"There's a lot of different thoughts that come to mind regarding Filip, his situation, and his penalty. To sum it up, I think its a tremendous show of his character as a young man because being someone from Sweden, when his penalty was handed down - whether it's too harsh or not, I guess is irrelevant now. He could have left. He could have gone back to Sweden and played but he had fallen in love with UNH and I think his heart was here. But, to be healthy, to sit out a whole year, plus an additional 9 games is a lot on a young person.

We presented him with - 'hey, this is completely up to you. We completely understand if you want to move on.' (We were) hoping all along that he would want to stay here and having a good feeling that he may, but understanding if he didn't.

There's been a roller coaster of emotions for him all along the way. I think it's hard, sometimes we talk all hockey here, but being a student athlete...I think hockey and sports is such a big part of these young people's lives. And to have that not be a part of their life can effect you in all sorts of areas. He was able to maintain his focus academically, and I know it wasn't easy for him. Give Joanne Maldari and our academic support people a lot of credit for that. Colin Shank and our support staff in general, continually making him feel welcome.

As I told the team often times last year, he was as much a part of the team as anyone. Often times, if we were preparing for a team and were working on the penalty kill, we would have him be the marquee guy on the power play. So he was as much a part of the team as anyone last year. But, to not be able to play is hard. I'm happy that's behind him and we're looking forward to seeing him play in live action.

100%, he'll be in the lineup Saturday night. He's a natural center. I'm not sure what he's going to bring (to the offense). I don't know yet who he will be playing with. I just know he's a solid two-way player. I was able to see him play in Europe and we've been able to watch him here for a year plus a couple months.

He's talented and cerebral. He's not going to bring people out of their seats but, if you understand the game, you'll have a real appreciation for the ways he plays both sides of the puck." Mike Souza, UNH Head Coach, November 13, 2019

For those fans who haven't seen Filip Engarås play or don't know about his background and accomplishments, here's a re-post of a Preview I prepared on him at the beginning of last season. It's called "UNH Freshman Filip Engarås: A Clever Two-Way Center":

"Filip is a two-way player that is excellent on faceoffs. He was the center on a talented line for his team and led them to success. He was a two-year team captain that will bring leadership qualities." Mike Souza, UNH Head Coach

“Filip Engarås is a clever two-way center who reads the game well." Carl Larsson, Swedish scout for Future Considerations

Filip Engarås (Pronounced En-gair-ROWss) UNH Jersey #16 Forward, 6'0", 190 lbs. Shoots Right Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden DOB: 5-16-1999 Turned 19 in May Last Team: Skellefteå AIK J20 (Swedish Super Elite League)                   ~ Captain and Starting Center Commits to UNH: May, 2018 at Age 19 years "Filip Engarås: UNH Hockey's First Swedish Player"

2017-18 Highlight Reel

Scouting Report

“He is a clever two-way center who reads the game well. Has really great skating abilities and good work ethic. Has improved his release and is now a good shooter, combined with the smartness which he uses to find unexpected passes. I am excited to see his future development as he is that kind of guy that really works hard, on and off ice. He is certainly determined to have a good hockey career.” Carl Larsson, Swedish scout for Future Considerations

Junior Hockey Statistics

Player	Season	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM
Filip Engarås  (F)	2017-18	Skellefteå AIK J20	Super Elite	42	22	23	45	34
		Playoffs	Super Elite	3	2	0	2	6
		Team Sweden U19	Intl	4	2	0	2	6
	2016-17	Skellefteå AIK J20	Super Elite	38	10	9	19	14
		Playoffs	Super Elite	2	0	0	0	0
		Skellefteå AIK J18	All-Swedish	1	1	0	1	0
		Playoffs	All-Swedish	3	3	1	4	0
		Skellefteå AIK J18	Elite	2	0	2	2	0
	2015-16	Skellefteå AIK J20	Super Elite	10	0	1	1	0
		Skellefteå AIK J18	All-Swedish	11	3	0	3	8
		Playoffs	All-Swedish	2	1	0	1	2
		Skellefteå AIK J18	Elite	16	7	12	19	14
		Team Sweden U17	Intl	6	1	1	2	6

UNH Power Play - #1 in the Nation

#1 Power Play

One fifth of the way into the 2019-20 regular season, the UNH Wildcats have the top-ranked power play in NCAA Division 1 hockey. In 7 games, UNH has had 31 power play opportunities and have scored 10 power play goals. That's a 32.3 scoring percentage on the power play. Rensselear Polytechnic Institute is second in the nation with 29.6 PowerPlay% and Michigan State is third with 29.2%. The Ivy League schools have only played 3 games so are excluded from this analysis.

Two UNH juniors, defenseman Max Gildon and winger Patrick Grasso, lead the team with 3 power play goals. Junior winger Charlie Kelleher has scored 2 power play goals, junior defenseman Benton Maass has one, and sophomore forward Angus Crookshank has one. Here are the video highlights of all 10 UNH power play goals:

Max Gildon
Max Gildon has scored 3 of UNH's 10 power play goals, two with a slap shot and one, an unassisted move to the net. He has also assisted on 5 others power play goals. Gildon leads all NCAA Division 1 defensemen in scoring (11 points). He's also tied for 1st in assists (8) and T-2nd in power play goals. Overall, he is tied for 5th in NCAA scoring.

Patrick Grasso
In the 2016-17 season, Patrick Grasso scored more power play goals (9) than any other NCAA freshman. He also tied for 2nd in game-winning goals (5) and T-3rd in goals (20). He missed most of the 2017-18 season with an injury that required surgery. Now, in his third year of eligibility, Grasso looks to be rounding back into scoring form, particularly on the power play. Like Gildon, he has scored three power play goals in 7 games and they are both tied for 3rd in the NCAA. Grasso has also distributed 2 power play assists.

Charlie Kelleher
Junior winger Charlie Kelleher, along with Patrick Grasso, are the Alternate Captains on the 2019-20 UNH squad. Kelleher has tallied 2 power play goals. The most dramatic came last Saturday night in overtime against Dartmouth. Max Gildon wristed a shot toward the goal that deflected off Angus Crookshank's skate. Kelleher, parked on the doorstep of the crease, banged the loose puck home. He has also contributed 3 power play assists. Kelleher scored another overtime, game-winning goal against Merrimack College two Saturdays ago. Here's a rinkside video of his OT GWG against Dartmouth:

Angus Crookshank
As a freshman last season, Angus Crookshank tied for second in goal-scoring on the team with 10 goals. In the second game this season, Crookshank scored his power play goal on a tip-in off a wrist shot by Max Gildon. In the last 2 games, Crookshank scored the thrilling, OT game-winning goal against Boston College and scored two more goals against Dartmouth. He was named Hockey East Co-Player of the Week.

Benton Maass
This season, junior defenseman Benton Maass has primarily played on UNH's second power play unit. Gildon is the only defenseman on the first PP unit along with forwards Kelleher, Grasso, Crookshank and sophomore Jackson Pierson. Maass began the season in dramatic fashion scoring the game-winning goal on a power play against Miami. Freshman forward Chase Stevenson tapped the puck into the top of the slot and Maass rocketed a shot past the Miami goalie. As a freshman, Maass scored 3 power play goals.

UNH's penalty kill units have been scored on 4 times in 24 opportunities - a Penalty Kill % of 83.3. Their special teams net of +6 is the best in Hockey East. The Wildcats return to action tomorrow afternoon at home against #2 ranked UMass-Amherst.