Schools around the country have been adding players from the NCAA transfer portal. Two local Atlantic Hockey programs, Sacred Heart and Bentley, recently have made their own splash.
Sacred Heart has added three forwards and two defensemen: Michigan left wing Dakota Raabe, Colorado College left wing Troy Conzo, Yale left wing Dante Palecco, Miami defenseman Rourke Russell and Quinnipiac defenseman Logan Britt.
Raabe will come to SHU after graduating from Michigan. The Capistrano Beach, Calif., native appeared in 115 career games for the Wolverines, posting 11 goals and 22 assists. He played his junior hockey for the BCHL’s Wenatchee Wild. He showed some flashes with Michigan, particularly during his sophomore season.
Conzo, from Nesconset, N.Y., played for seasons at CC. In 114 games, he had 23 goals and 26 assists. His two most productive seasons came as a freshman and sophomore, so perhaps a change of scenery will do him well. Prior to CC, he played junior hockey for the Wenatchee Wild in the BCHL. His youth hockey years were spent with the Long Island Gulls, P.A.L Islanders and New Jersey Rockets.
Palecco lost out on his senior season at Yale due to the coronavirus. In three seasons prior, he scored 15 goals and 11 assists in 91 games. The Whippany, N.J., native always was well-regarded in his birth year, coming up through the New Jersey Colonials. He spent three seasons in the USHL with Muskegon Lumberjacks and Green Bay Gamblers.
Russell, from Long Beach, Calif., comes to SHU from the NCHC. In 119 career games at Miami, the blueliner had five goals and 24 assists. He was a solid player in his birth year growing up, playing in the NAHL and USHL before going to Miami.
Britt played sparingly in two seasons at Quinnipiac. The Crystal Lake, Ill., native had three goals and four assists in 57 games for the Bobcats.
The Pioneers are also retaining the services of senior captain Alex Bates, a defenseman who will come back for a fifth season of eligibility. In 121 career games at SHU, Bates has nine goals and 27 assists. Perhaps more importantly, he’s shown the ability to be a steadying presence on the team’s blue line.
Falcons add four, keep three
Bentley has added four players out of the transfer portal: Arizona State goaltender Evan Debrouwer, New Hampshire forward Kohei Sato, Dartmouth forward Collin Rutherford and UConn right wing Eric Linell.
DeBrouwer, from Blenheim, Ontario, played three seasons for the Sun Devils. After getting in just one game as a freshman, he appeared in 34 as a sophomore, going 19-11-3 with a .919 save percentage. This past season, he struggled, as did the rest of the team, posting an .888 save percentage to go along with a 3-9-1 record. DeBrouwer will graduate from Arizona State this spring and have two years of eligibility at Bentley.
Sato will come to Bentley after graduating from UNH. The Nishitokyo, Japan, native had a breakout season with the Wildcats as a junior. He posted career highs in goals and assists with seven and 10, respectively. Sato, known for his speed, appeared in 104 games for UNH. Prior to heading to Durham, Sato played his final season of junior hockey with the Northeast Generals in the NAHL.
Rutherford had his senior season at Dartmouth wiped away due to the coronavirus. In his first three seasons with the Big Green, he collected 13 goals and 23 assists in 96 games. The Tonawanda, N.Y., native played for the Buffalo Junior Sabres before heading out play for three different teams in the USHL.
Linell spent two years at UConn, registering one assist in 28 career games. The Great Neck, N.Y., native played for Choate, Portledge and the P.A.L. Islanders before heading out to the USHL and concluding his junior career in the BCHL.
In addition, it was revealed that forwards Brendan Hamblett (Hopkinton, Mass.) and Michael Zuffante and defenseman Matt Lombardozzi (Leominster, Mass.) will return to Bentley for a fifth season of eligibility.
Hockey East getting in on the action
After most hockey insiders had UMass Lowell sophomore Matt Brown pegged to BC, he eventually chose the crosstown rival of the Eagles. The Wood Ridge, N.J., native will transfer to Boston University, as first reported by NEHJ contributor Mark Divver. In 52 games, Brown had 14 goals and 23 assists.
Denver captain Kohen Olischefski will be a grad transfer at Providence College this fall, according to Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald. Olischefski, from Abbotsford, British Columbia, is a right wing who played 134 games for the Pioneers. In that time, he scored 22 goals and 31 assists. He’ll provide experience, leadership and an ability to fit into a myriad of roles for the Friars.
UMass Lowell has losts its fair share of players to the NCAA transfer portal, but the River Hawks have gained two in return. Per Barry Scanlon of the Lowell Sun, Colgate defenseman Nick Austin and Nebraska-Omaha sophomore forward Ryan Brushett will transfer to UMass Lowell. Austin, from St. Louis Park, Minn., should fill a void as an offensive defenseman. In 110 games for the Red Raiders, he scored nine goals and 37 assists. Brushett had a solid freshman season, scoring two goals and 16 assists at UNO. His production dropped to just seven points as a sophomore. The Verdun, Quebec, native will have three years of eligibility remaining with UML.
