Niagara University, New York —Niagara's Head Hockey Coach Jason Lammers The Purple Eagles have announced the addition of 13 student-athletes for the 2024-25 season. Seven of the 13 student-athletes are freshmen and the remaining six are transfer students.
Coach Lammers believes this group of rookies will add a lot to a squad that has 15 players returning from last season: “We are very excited to add this group of rookies to our team this summer. This group brings a great balance of speed, size, skill and grit that will make this a fun team for our fans to watch.”
“Equally important, this group will continue to raise our high standards and set great examples on campus and in the community. We are pleased that this group will unite with a determined returning core of members who will make immediate contributions to our program.”
Lammers, who is in his eighth season behind the Purple Eagles bench, is associate head coach Mark Fallon Assistant Coach Nate Skidmore That's great for a freshman class that has characteristics that coaching alone can't address. “Mark and Nate have done a great job of finding players with the right mix of chemistry, character, determination, leadership and postseason game experience,” Lammers added.
Freshman
Rainers Dalzis | Forward | Tukums, Latvia | Skelleftea AIK J20 (Sweden)
Dargins joins the Purple Eagles after playing the majority of the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons with Skellefteå AIK J20 in Sweden. Over the past two seasons, he has appeared in 57 games, scored nine goals and recorded 10 assists. The Latvian native has represented his country at the U-16, U-17, U-18 and U-20 levels on the international stage. He has represented Latvia at the IIHF World Junior Championships the past three seasons, appearing in 16 games across the three tournaments.
Trevor Hoskin | Forward | Belleville, Ontario | Cobourg Cougars (OJHL)
Hoskin comes to Niagara after being named MVP of the CJHL and OJHL as a member of the Cobourg Cougars. In the 2023-24 season, he played in 52 games, scoring 42 goals and adding 58 assists. The Belleville, Ontario native played three seasons with Cobourg, appearing in 159 games, scoring 69 goals and adding 121 assists. In December 2023, he suited up for Canada East in the World Junior A Challenge, leading the tournament with 12 points in six games. He served as an assistant captain in his final season with Cobourg.
Ray Murakami | Defenseman | Tomakomai, Japan | Lone Star Brammers (NAHL)
Murakami is fresh off a Robertson Cup championship as captain of the Lone Star Brammers. He played three seasons with Lone Star, appearing in 137 games and scoring 15 goals and recording 44 assists from the blue line. During those three seasons, he appeared in 25 playoff games, recording two goals and five assists. The Tomakomai, Japan native played as part of the Japan team at the U20 World Championship Division 2 level in the 2019-20 season.
Nathan Oikle | Defenceman | Peterborough, Ontario | Surrey Eagles (BCHL)
Oikle joins Niagara after three successful seasons of Junior A hockey after winning the Fred Page Cup in the BCHL in 2023-24. His first full season in Junior A was with the Trenton Golden Hawks in 2021-22, where he scored 10 goals in 54 games and added 28 assists from the blue line. In 2022-23, he appeared in 47 games, scoring seven times and adding a career-best 34 assists. In 2023-24, he joins the Surrey Eagles of the BCHL, where he scored nine goals and added 22 assists in 48 games. Prior to beginning his Junior A career, he played for the Peterborough Petes at the U15-18U level.
Andy Leist | Forward | Waterloo, Ontario | Cobourg Cougars (OJHL)
Resist joined the Purple Eagles after three seasons with the Cobourg Cougars of the OJHL. In his three seasons with Cobourg, he played in 149 games, scored 90 goals and recorded 103 assists. In the 2021-22 season, he played in 49 games, scored 17 goals and had 12 assists to start his career in the OJHL. In the 2022-23 season, he scored 38 goals and recorded 31 assists in 48 games. In the 2023-24 season, he finished his Junior A career as Cobourg's captain, scoring 35 goals and recording 60 assists in 52 games. He competed in the World Junior A Challenge in both 2022 and 2023. In 2022, he played in six games for Canada East, earning a total of two points. In 2023, he served as Canada East's captain, scoring four goals and recording three assists in six games.
David Roelofs | Goalkeeper | Riga, Latvia | Lone Star Brahmas (NAHL)
Roelofs joins Niagara after a season in which he played in 34 games with Lone Star to a Robertson Cup championship and a season in which he played for Latvia in the IIHF World Junior Championship. In his first season in North America in 2023-24, he played in 34 games with Lone Star with 22 wins, seven losses and two draws, a 1.83 goals against average and a .919 save percentage. A native of Riga, Latvia, Roelofs represented his country for the second time in his career, appearing in four games at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship. He also played in four games at the 2022 IIHF U-18 World Junior Championship with Latvia.
Spencer Young | Forward | Elmira, Ontario | Collingwood Blues (OJHL)
Young rounds out the freshman class after playing three seasons with the Collingwood Blues of the OJHL. In 2021-22, his first season with Collingwood, he appeared in 34 games, scoring three goals and adding eight assists. In 2022-23, he appeared in 52 games, scoring 21 goals and recording 17 assists. In 2023-24, he served as an assistant captain and appeared in 56 games, scoring a career-high 39 goals and helping Collingwood win the Centennial Cup. During his Junior A career, he has appeared in 37 playoff games, recording 15 goals and 22 assists.
transfer
Pierce Charleson | Goalkeeper | Aurora, Ontario | Fairbanks, Alaska (NCAA) DI Independent)
Charleson comes to Niagara in his final year of college hockey after three seasons at Michigan State University (B1G) and one season at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (NCAA DI Independent). In his first season of college hockey, he appeared in seven games with the Spartans, posting a .938 save percentage and a 2.57 goals against percentage. As a sophomore in the 2021-22 season, he appeared in 12 games with a .904 save percentage and a 3.65 goals against percentage. After appearing in three games with Michigan State in the 2022-23 season, the Aurora, Ontario native appeared in 29 games with the University of Alaska Fairbanks. With Fairbanks, he posted 13 wins, 12 losses and three draws with a .900 save percentage and a 2.56 goals against percentage. Prior to making his collegiate debut, he played two seasons with the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL. In two seasons under Coach Brooks, he appeared in 92 games and compiled a record of 78 wins, 12 losses and two draws with a .901 save percentage and a 2.42 goals against average.
Grayson Dietrich | Forward | Calgary, Alberta | AIC (AHA)
Dietrich joined the Purple Eagles after two seasons with AIC. As a freshman in 2022-23, he made his NCAA debut against Alaska Fairbanks and appeared in four games. In 2023-24, he appeared in 19 games for the Yellow Jackets, recording two goals and one assist. He scored his first career goal against the Purple Eagles on February 9. Prior to college, he played three full seasons with the Drumheller Dragons of the AJHL. In those three seasons, he appeared in 113 games and totaled 77 points. In his final season in Junior A, he appeared in 52 games, recording 17 goals and 28 assists.
Braden Doyle | Defense | Lynnfield, Massachusetts | Northeastern (HEA)
Doyle comes to Niagara after spending two seasons at Northeastern from 2022-24. He began his collegiate career at Boston University in 2021-22 and finished with the Penticton Bees of the BCHL. He played in eight games and recorded one assist while at Boston University. In 2022-23, his first season at Northeastern, he played in 23 games and recorded one goal and seven assists. In 2023-24, he will play in 14 games for the Huskies, scoring a goal against No. 1 ranked Boston College on Dec. 1. Doyle was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the sixth round of the NHL Entry Draft before playing in 51 games with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in 2019-20.
Kyler Kleven | Forward | Moorhead, Minnesota | Minnesota Duluth (NCHC)
Kleven spent the past three seasons as a member of the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs of the NCHC. As a freshman in 2021-22, he appeared in 27 games and scored two goals. He scored his first collegiate goal on November 5, 2021 against Western Michigan. He did not play in a game in 2022-23, but appeared in 25 games in 2023-24, scoring one goal and two assists. Prior to college, he played for the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHL in the 2020-21 season. With Waterloo, he appeared in 53 games, scoring 13 goals and 12 assists.
Brett Roloson | Forward | Tampa, Florida | Lake Superior State University (CCHA)
B. Roloson joined Niagara as a senior after playing three seasons at Lake Superior State University from 2021-2024. Over the past three seasons, he has appeared in 74 games, scoring two goals and recording 10 assists. He made his collegiate debut with the Lakers in 2021-22, scoring his first career goal against No. 3 Michigan on October 9, 2021. In 2022-23, he played in a career-high 30 games, totaling three points. In his final season with the Lakers, he recorded a career-high six points in 15 games. Prior to joining the Lakers, he played three full seasons in Junior A and his final season with the Minot Minotaurs of the NAHL. With Minot, he recorded seven goals and 15 assists in seven games.
Ross Roloson | Defense | Woodbury, Minnesota | Lake Superior State University (CCHA)
R. Roloson will begin his collegiate career at Lake Superior State University in 2023-24, joining the Purple Eagles alongside his brother Brett. Last season, he played in 37 games for the Lakers, recording four goals and 10 assists from the defensive line. Prior to enrolling in college, he played in the NAHL, USHL and BCHL from 2021-23. He will finish his junior career with the Surry Eagles in 2022-23, appearing in 51 games and recording three goals and 23 assists. During his three-year junior career, he played in 141 games and recorded three goals and 31 assists.
The Roloson brothers are the sons of former NHL goaltender Dwayne Roloson, who played more than 600 games in a 16-year NHL career with the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning. The Roloson brothers are the sixth set of brothers to play together for the Purple Eagles, joining the Millimocks (2023-24), Mills (2018-19), Edwards (2014-16), Zanettos (2009-11) and Bozoians (2001-02).
Tyler Wallace returns as Niagara's leading scorer with 30 points in his first season with the Purple Eagles. Niagara returns five players who scored 20 or more points last season and 13 players who scored five or more points. Mitchell Day is the lone returning goalie after appearing in six games as a freshman, recording one win, one loss and 113 saves in just 222 minutes.
The Purple Eagles enter the 2024-25 season after finishing above .500 for the second straight season. Niagara will open the season with an exhibition game against Ohio State on October 6. The regular season will open with an away game at Clarkson on October 11. To see the complete schedule, click here.
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