HOUGHTON, Mich. – Michigan Tech head hockey coach Joe Shawhan announces 11 incoming players for the 2018-19 season. The class consists of goaltender Matt Jurusik, defensemen Tyrell Buckley, Eric Gotz, and Colin Swoyer, forwards Andrew Bellant, Trenton Bliss, Alec Broetzman, Brian Halonen, Zach Noble, Tommy Parrottino, and Tanner Polglaze.
“It is with great excitement that we introduce our incoming class for 2018-19,” Coach Joe Shawhan said. “I feel we addressed all of our needs with a group of young men that have both talent and character. We all look forward to working with them and are confident that this year’s group will add to the great tradition and culture of being a student-athlete at Michigan Tech.”
The Huskies return 18 players from last year’s squad, including forward Dylan Steman and goaltender Devin Kero who are coming back for a fifth season. The 2018-19 season begins on October 12-13 against defending National Champion Minnesota Duluth at the John MacInnes Student Ice Arena.
GOALTENDER
Matt Jurusik [Jah-ru-sick] • La Grange, Illinois • Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
Jurusik played 49 games for the Sioux City Musketeers last season with a 2.89 goals against average and a .906 save percentage. He played 50 games for the University of Wisconsin in two seasons from 2015-17. Jurusik was named to the NAHL All-Rookie First Team in 2014-15 with the Janesville Jets, leading the NAHL in goals against average (1.57) and save percentage (.939).
DEFENSEMEN
Tyrell Buckley • Penticton, British Columbia • Merritt Centennials (BCHL)
Buckley played four seasons and 211 games for Merritt from 2014-18. Last year as the team captain he had a career-high 39 points on 11 goals and 28 assists in 55 games. Buckley was an alternate captain in 2016-17 and appeared in 50 games each of his four seasons.
Eric Gotz • Hermantown, Minnesota • Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL)
Gotz was the NAHL Defenseman of the Year in 2017-18, leading the league in points by a defenseman (47) and assists by a blueliner (39). He was the captain of the Minnesota Wilderness and was also named to the All-NAHL First Team. He played two seasons and 117 games with the Wilderness after three seasons of high school hockey with Hermantown.
Colin Swoyer • Hinsdale, Illinois • Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
Swoyer played 114 games over the last two seasons for the Sioux Falls Stampede. As an alternate captain in 2017-18 he finished fourth in the USHL in defensemen scoring with 36 points. He scored seven goals and racked up 29 assists to finish fourth on the team in scoring. He also played four games for the Chicago Steel in 2015-16, getting coached by current Tech assistant Dallas Steward. Swoyer played three seasons with the Chicago Fury before his time in the USHL.
FORWARDS
Andrew Bellant [Bah-lant]• Linden, Michigan • Bismarck Bobcats (NAHL)
Bellant has played 165 games over the past three seasons in the NAHL. He split time in 2017-18 between the Philadelphia Rebels and the Bismarck Bobcats. He had 27 points on 11 goals and 16 assists in 38 games for the Rebels and 14 points on five goals and nine assists in 18 games for the Bobcats. Bellant played 106 games for the Aston Rebels during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. His best offensive season was during 2016-17 when he tallied 55 points in 56 games, scoring 27 goals and adding 28 assists.
Trenton Bliss • Dallas, Texas • Green Bay Gamblers (USHL)
Bliss was an alternate captain for the Green Bay Gamblers in 2017-18, finishing tenth in the USHL with 55 points. He scored 21 goals and added 34 assists in 60 games to lead the Gamblers who are coached by former Husky player and assistant coach Pat Mikesch. Bliss played 24 games for the Gamblers in 2016-17 and also nine for the Coulee Region Chill in the NAHL. He spent four seasons with the Appleton United from 2012-16, serving as an alternate captain in 2015-16.
Alec Broetzman • Hudson, Wisconsin • Madison Capitols (USHL)
Broetzman was the captain of the Madison Capitols in 2017-18, tallying 50 points in 59 games to finish 18th in the USHL. He scored 25 goals and added 25 points in his third season with Madison. In total, Broetzman appeared in 159 games for the Capitols from 2015-18, finishing with 78 points. Former Husky Blake Hietala (2010-15) was an assistant coach with the Capitols last season. Broetzman played three seasons of high school for St. Thomas Academy before joining the Capitols.
Brian Halonen • Delano, Minnesota • Des Moines (USHL)
Halonen played 59 games for the Des Moines Buccaneers in 2017-18, tallying 35 points on 16 goals and 19 assists. He also played eight games for the Buccaneers in 2016-17 after finish a three-year career with Delano High School. Halonen racked up 167 points in 96 games in high school, serving as the team captain in 2016-17 when he had 81 points in 25 games.
Zach Noble • Tom Rivers, New Jersey • Aberdeen Wings (NAHL)
Noble spent two years in the NAHL playing for the Aberdeen Wings. He had a breakout offensive season in 2017-18 with 42 points in 54 games, scoring 18 goals and adding 24 assists. Noble had 10 points in 54 games in 2016-17 after playing four seasons for the New Jersey Jr. Titans program.
Tommy Parrottino • Rochester Hills, Michigan • Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
Parrottino played the last two seasons in the USHL. Last year he appeared in 56 games for the Youngstown Phantoms and was coached by former Husky Brad Patterson (1998-2002). Parrottino tallied 30 points on 14 goals and 16 assists. He had 20 points in 45 games for the Des Moines Buccaneers in 2016-17.
Tanner (TJ) Polglaze [Pole-glaze] • Beloit, Wisconsin • Janesville Jets (NAHL)
Polglaze played the last two seasons for the Janesville Jets, including the 2017-18 season under former Tech assistant coach Gary Shuchuk. Polglaze had 43 points in 60 games last season with 15 goals and 28 assists. He also had five assists in the playoffs. In 2016-17, Polglaze tallied 12 points in 35 games. He also played six games for the Minnesota Wilderness before joining the Jets and played AAA for the Omaha Lancers.
Photo: Michigan Tech athletics