The University at Niagara is bringing in a bunch of freshmen of all different shapes and sizes. Some players were leaders on their old teams, and some lit the lamp. All that matters now is how they perform for the program over the next few years. So let's look at the new faces that will be on campus
Coach Jason Lammers is heading into his 10th year with the program, but he still has yet to win the AHA. With a new crop of freshmen coming in, who are the new names, and how can they help the team as soon as next season?
All entry years are from CollegeHockeyNews and are subject to change. Players are listed alphabetically by last name.
Quinlan Clair –Defenseman, Coquitlam Express (BCHL)
Clair played for three teams this season across the BCHL and the OJHL. His two OJHL teams were the Collingwood Blues and the Aurora Tigers.
In a combined 60 games this season, he put up 28 points, with only nine games played with the Express.
Nicholas DiPaolo –Center, Blackfalds Bulldogs (BCHL)
DiPaolo played three seasons of junior hockey, with two of those being in the BCHL.
He played a total of 93 games in the BCHL, where he had 25 goals and 51 points. In his six playoff games last season, he had three goals and four points in those contests.
Adam Gionta –Left Winger, Rochester Jr. Americans (NAHL)
Adam Gionta is the son of former Buffalo Sabres and Montreal Canadiens captain Brian Gionta. Brian was a captain at the college level as well, but it wasn’t with Niagara; he was at Boston College.
Adam Gionta put up a lot of points in the NAHL. In 44 games, he had 42 points, but the season before that, he had 65 points in 58 games.
Dante Josefsson-Westling –Left Winger, Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
Josefsson-Westling tore it up in Sweden to the point where he even played a few games in the SHL.
He brought that to North America, where in his one season with the Fighting Saints, he had 17 goals and 36 points in 62 games.
Maximus McGuire –Center, Elmira Aviators (USHL)
McGuire brings a lot of size, standing at six-foot-four and 201 pounds. He played 31 games for Elmira last season, where he put up eight goals and 13 points.
He also added 77 penalty minutes in those games, which shows off what he does with his size, good or not.
Lucas Moore –Defenseman, Oshawa Generals (OHL)
Moore started last season on the very stacked Brantford Bulldogs, where he was eventually traded in a package that sent him to Oshawa and Ben Danford to Brantford.
In 68 games, Moore had 33 points and 11 goals. With the struggling Generals roster, he was still able to get 28 points in 52 games.
Camden Pier –Right Winger, Lone Star Brahmas (NAHL)
Pier didn’t play a lot of games this past season, but if you compare his previous season. His point production was an insane amount higher.
In 21 games, he had 15 points in Lone Star. The season prior, he played 43 games and only had 13 points.
James Richards –Defenseman, Spruce Grove Saints (BCHL)
Richards spent two seasons in the BCHL, where his playmaking was on full display. At six-foot-two and 172 pounds, he still has some room to fill out, but once he adds that size, he’s going to be a point producer on top of that.
In 52 games last season, he had 35 points and 38 points along with 61 penalty minutes.
Josh Van-Mulligen –Defenseman, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
Van-Mulligen is another big defenseman at six-foot-three and 209 pounds. He wore an A on his chest in his last two seasons, where he was also a part of two long playoff runs with the Tigers.
He played 33 playoff games across two years, where he had 13 points.
