UNH Commits Update 3-24-20: Final 2019-20 Statistics

The UNH Men's Hockey Blog

Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic

At the time of this writing, Johns Hopkins University reports 600 people in the United States have died from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak. The death toll worldwide is 18,227 people. The number of confirmed cases in the USA (currently 49,768) and throughout the world (398,107) is rapidly increasing every day. Given the devastation the coronavirus is causing to the physical and emotional health of so many, to say nothing of the associated financial crisis, I have been reluctant to report on the University of New Hampshire hockey program and the young players committed to join it in the coming years. I hope this "UNH Commits Update" provides a welcome diversion for UNH fans.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, Hockey East cancelled the remainder of the 2019-20 season on March 12th, the day before the Quarterfinal Playoff Series was set to begin. On the final day of the regular season, the UNH squad had not qualified for the playoffs so were spared the disappointment endured by the top 8 Hockey East teams and their fans.

9 UNH Commits - Finished 2019-20 Season

The table below shows the final 2019-20 statistics for the 22 recruits committed to pursue a college education at UNH and play hockey for the Wildcats. Nine of the UNH Commits were able to finish their season before Covid-19 forced a cancellation of youth and junior hockey leagues. These players have a green "F" next to their name.

The 5 UNH commits playing high school hockey - Carsen Richels (Blaine, MN HS) and New England Prep School players David Sacco (Lawrence Academy), JP Turner (Avon Old Farms), Damien Carfagna (Lawrence Academy), and Morgan Winters (Tabor Academy) - completed the season.

Nicolas Ardanaz (West Kelowna Warriors) and Nicholas Cafarelli (Wenatchee Wild) played on teams eliminated in the first round of British Columbia Hockey League Playoffs. Jack Ring and the South Shore Kings did not qualify for the National Collegiate Development Conference Playoffs while his younger brother Nick Ring (Boston Advantage U18) completed his season.

13 UNH Commits - End of 2019-20 Season Cancelled

On March 12th, the junior hockey leagues in North America suspended play, until further notice, because of the coronavirus pandemic. The 2019-20 season ended prematurely for thirteen UNH Commits. These players have a purple "X" next to their name on the statistics table.

On March 18th, the United States Hockey League officially cancelled the remainder of the 2019-20 season. The USHL teams still had 10-13 remaining games in the regular season. The season ended for UNH Commits Luke Reid (Chicago Steel), Alex Gagne (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders), Nikolai Jenson (Youngstown Phantoms), Timo Bakos (Sioux Falls Stampede), Robert Cronin (Dubuque Fighting Saints), and Liam Devlin. Reid and Devlin's team, the Chicago Steel, had the best record in the USHL (41-7-1) and was the only team to have clinched a playoff berth.

The North American Hockey League was in a similar situation when they cancelled the season on March 17th. Their regular season had 6-10 games remaining. No doubt, this was disappointing news for three of UNH's newest commits. Cam Gendron, Joe Nagle, and Cade Penney were playing for the New Jersey Titans (31-13-1), the NAHL's top team.

The British Columbia Hockey League had just completed the first round of their playoffs when they cancelled the remainder of the season on March 13th. Will Margel was one UNH Commit still playing. His team, the Coquitlam Express (37-17-4), had the third best regular season record in the BCHL and had just swept the Langley Rivermen in the quarterfinal series. Connor Sweeney and the Trail Smoke Eaters (36-17-2) were also still playing. They swept the Prince George Spruce Kings in the quarterfinals.

The National Collegiate Development Conference cancelled their season on March 13th, the day before the NCDC Playoffs were set to begin. Cy LeClerc and the Islanders Hockey Club (29-17-4) and Aidan Curran and the New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs had qualified for the NCDC Playoffs.

2019-20 Final Statistics

Player	NZ Stars**	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM	+/-
2020 Commits
Luke Reid X 9/26/01 (D)	4.75	Chicago Steel	USHL	60	2	17	19	36	+15
		Team USA	WJAC	6	0	1	1	0
Carsen Richels* F 10/3/01 (F)	4.0	Blaine High School	Minn HS	25	27	25	52	12
			Playoffs	3	0	1	1	0
		MPLS ST PAUL	UMidwest HSELH	13	6	9	15	8
			Playoffs	3	2	0	2	0
		Elite League All-Star Team	Internat	3	0	2	2	0
Cam Gendron X 2/5/99 (F)	3.75	New Jersey Titans	NAHL	50	16	18	34	48	+11
			Prospects	2	1	0	1	0	-1
Joe Nagle X 5/17/99 (D)	3.75	New Jersey Titans	NAHL	13	0	2	2	6	-2
		Northeast Generals	NAHL	38	3	19	22	22	-2
			Prospects	2	0	1	1	0	+3
Will Margel* X 3/16/01 (F)	3.75	Coquitlam Express	BCHL	30	6	17	23	8
			Playoffs	4	2	5	7	2
		Madison Capitols	USHL	12	1	0	1	2	-10
2020 or '21 Commits
Alex Gagne* X 8/12/02 (D)	4.25	Cedar Rapids RoughRiders	USHL	38	2	6	8	26	-8
Nicolas Ardanaz F 5/30/02 (D)	3.75	West Kelowna Warriors	BCHL	58	4	28	32	14
			Playoffs	5	0	1	1	0
Nikolai Jenson X 7/28/00 (D)	3.75	Youngstown Phantoms	USHL	39	3	2	5	36	-14
Nicholas Cafarelli F 12/31/01 (F)	3.75	Wenatchee Wild	BCHL	42	17	23	40	27
			Playoffs	5	2	0	2	2
Connor Sweeney X 5/5/00 (F)	3.5	Trail Smoke Eaters	BCHL	58	2	12	14	37
			Playoffs	4	0	1	1	2
2021 Commits
Timo Bakos X 7/28/00 (F)	4.0	Sioux Falls Stampede	USHL	41	7	8	15	8	-1
Cade Penney X 3/23/01 (D)	4.0	New Jersey Titans	NAHL	51	6	24	30	24	+30
			Prospects	2	0	0	0	0	-2
David Sacco F 1/3/02 (F)	3.75	Lawrence Academy	NE Prep	23	17	23	40	-
			Playoffs	1	0	0	0	-
		Cape Cod Whalers U18	EHF Selects	9	5	2	7	18
			Mass Regionals	2	0	2	2	0
Cy LeClerc X 8/17/02 (F)	3.75	Islanders Hockey Club	NCDC	50	22	33	55	8
Robert Cronin X 8/15/00 (F)	3.75	Dubuque Fighting Saints	USHL	44	2	6	8	20	+4
Liam Devlin X 1/7/01 (F)	3.75	Chicago Steel	USHL	36	6	2	8	22	+5
Aidan Curran X 1/22/01 (F)	3.5	NH Jr Monarchs	NCDC	22	4	21	25	2
		Bonnyville Pontiacs	AJHL	13	0	4	4	4
		Salmon Arm Silverbacks	BCHL	11	1	4	5	0
Jack Ring F 12/18/00 (F)	3.5	South Shore Kings	NCDC	15	3	4	7	4
		Northeast Generals	NAHL	35	3	12	15	8	+1
2021 or '22 Commits
JP Turner F 1/31/03 (F)	4.25	Avon Old Farms	NE Prep	25	14	14	28	-
			Playoffs	2	4	2	6	-
		NV River Rats 16U	Beast Series	7	3	7	10	34
			Playoffs	1	0	1	1	2
			Mass Regionals	3	1	2	3	0
Damien Carfagna F 12/12/02 (D)	3.75	Lawrence Academy	NE Prep	26	7	22	29	-
			Playoffs	1	0	0	0	-
		NV River Rats 18U	Beast Series	8	2	1	3	2
			Playoffs	1	0	0	0	0
			Mass Regionals	2	0	0	0	0
Morgan Winters F 12/8/01 (F)	3.75	Tabor Academy	NE Prep	23	8	20	28	-
		NV River Rats 18U	Beast Series	7	1	1	2	6
			Playoffs	1	0	1	1	2
2022 or '23 Commits
Nick Ring F 10/26/03 (F)	3.75	Boston Advantage U18	ECEL	11	4	3	7	-
			Playoffs	4	0	3	3	-
			Mass Regionals	2	1	0	1	0
* = Signed National Letter of Intent
** = Neutral Zone 5-Star Rating
F = Finished the season
X = End of season Cancelled

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.

UNH Commit Cade Penney: An Agile, Offensive-Minded Defenseman

Cade Penney
2021 UNH Commit

"Cade is becoming the player that we hoped for at 16U. He is a very good skater with good hands who sees the ice very well. His outlets were very strong today as he can buy himself time and spot the opening." Neutral Zone

Cade Penney Defenseman, 6'0", 165 lbs. Shoots Right Birthplace: Vancouver, British Columbia Hometown: West Chester, Pennsylvania DOB: 3-23-2001 Turns 19 in March Current Team: New Jersey Titans (NAHL)                        ~ Right Defenseman Neutral Zone Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars Committed to UNH: February, 2020 at Age 18 years, 11 months. Projected enrollment: Fall, 2021

2019-20 Highlight Reel

Interview

I had an opportunity to interview Cade Penney, 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?

Cade Penney: I was looking for a top school with a top hockey program and UNH definitely has both.

Mike Lowry: What other college programs did you consider during the recruiting process? Which schools did you visit and which ones made an offer to you?

Cade Penney: I was in discussions with various colleges throughout the process. There were schools in MN, PA, NY, MA and NH. The best fit for me was definitely UNH.

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?

Penney: I am focused on my current team's stretch drive to the playoffs and will be discussing the next steps for my UNH career at the end of the season.

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

Penney: I am told by my coaches that my key strengths are my skating and hockey IQ. I feel I have improved my defensive game and continue to work on this part of my game.

Lowry: In your first season in the North American Hockey League last year, you scored 2 assists in 31 games with the New Jersey Titans. So far this season, you've scored 6 goals and 24 assists in 51 games and have a +/- rating of +30. What factors have lead to your increased scoring and improved play in the defensive zone?

Penney: Last year, when I made the New Jersey Titans, I was only 17 years old and was coming from the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers U16 program. Last season was a year of transition for me personally. I was learning to play with many older/larger players. I worked very hard to improve all parts of my game and when the opportunity was there, work hard in the games. This season, I came into camp with confidence and the focus to be a key part of defense. A big focus was to improve my defensive game.

Lowry: When you were 12 years old back in February, 2014, you competed in the prestigious Quebec International Pee-Wee Tournament as a member of the Lac St. Louis Lions Pee-Wee team. The tourney is known as hockey's version of the Little League World Series and has featured many future Hall of Famers. What are your memories of playing in your first international tournament? You played much of your youth hockey with the Philadelphia Junior Flyers organization. How did you become a member of the Pee-Wee team from Quebec?

Penney: I am Canadian and was born in White Rock, British Columbia then moved to Montreal when I was 2 years old. I started my hockey in Montreal and lived there for 12 years. We moved to the Philadelphia area in 2015 and I have dual citizenship. The Quebec Tournament was a lot of fun. Playing hockey in Canada gave me the love for the game and helped me as I moved to the US hockey system.

Lowry: Last May, you were drafted by the Des Moines Buccaneers in the 6th round of the USHL Entry Draft. Do you plan to try out for the Buccaneers or any other USHL team this summer?

Penney: It was great to get drafted by Des Moines and be part of their tryouts last season. I will wait until the end of the current season before I decide who I will try out for.

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

Penney: I am very interested in business and sports management.

Neutral Zone Scouting Reports

Motor City Cup U16: Top 35 Rankings, September, 2017

"Cade is a smaller defenseman who can rush the puck up ice and is very efficient on the power play. He has smooth, patient hands, and the vision to create scoring chances. He makes a lot of high pace, skilled plays and looks to be an agile, offensive-minded defenseman at the next level. He was passed over at the USHL Draft, but we don’t see that happening again after this season."

Liberty Bell Games Top 80, July, 2017

"Penny was, as a whole, solid on defense. We didn’t see much on the attack from him which is odd. However, he is a smart player that does the little things well. He is very mobile and positions himself well, keeping forwards to the outside and cutting off the passing lanes on defense. His vision is good, he reads the play, goes through his progressions well and is a very poised player in general. We like that he knows when to join the rush and when not to do it. He has real upside."

Youth & Junior Hockey Statistics

Player	Season	Team	League	GP	Goals	Asst	Pts	PIM	+/-
Cade Penney  (D)	2019-20	New Jersey Titans	NAHL	51	6	24	30	24	+30
		Team East	NAHL Prospects	2	0	0	0	0	-2
	2018-19	New Jersey Titans	NAHL	31	0	2	2	26	-8
			Playoffs	5	0	0	0	2	-2
		New Jersey 87's	EHL	4	0	1	1	0
	2017-18	Philadelphia Jr Flyers 16U	AYHL 16U	20	4	7	11	10
			T1EHL U16	28	0	8	8	24
	2016-17	Philadelphia Jr Flyers 15U	AYHL 15U	28	7	15	22	20
			Playoffs	2	0	0	0	8
			T1EHL U15	16	4	8	12	10
			Playoffs	4	1	1	2	4