(Apologies to former Cents Zach Metsa, Tyler Ward and Michael Regush who were left out of the original article)
The field is set for the 2019 NCAA Div. I men’s hockey tournament and plenty of BCHL grads will be participating.
Merritt will have 7 alum’s competing for the Championship spread across four different teams.
Defender Jake Clifford was with the Centennials from 2013-15 and has been a huge story on and off the ice for the Arizona State Sun Devils. This season he’s put up 3 goals and 4 assists in 33 games while being a +7.
Nick Jermain moved on from the Centennials after the 2015-16 season to the Quinnipiac Bobcats. Jermain has put up 5 goals and 5 assists with the Bobcats this season while being a +12.
Brandon Duhaime spent time with the Centennials in the 2014-15 season, and is now playing for the Providence Friars where he has 10 goals and 19 assists in 39 games while being a +16 on the year. Duhaime was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the 4th round of 2016.
The most recent Centennials player to find himself in the tournament is former goaltender Jacob Berger who is now with the Minnesota State Mavericks.
Michael Regush had two seasons with the Centennials from 2014-16, but was plucked by the Youngstown Phantoms in the USHL draft before heading to Cornell University. With Cornell, Regush has potted 11 goals and 3 assists while sporting a +1.
Zach Metsa played with the team from 2016-17 before moving onto the USHL, and now finds himself with Quinnipiac University as well. This season the defender has 2 goals and 2 assists over 30 games with the Bobcats.
Tyler Ward spent two seasons (2015-17) with the Centennials before getting plucked by the USHL draft, but has since found a solid spot with the Denver Pioneers. In his freshman year, he’s put up 5 goals and 9 assists while being +5 in 35 games played.
Of the 16 teams competing, 15 have at least one BCHL grad in the lineup and eight schools boast five or more, the most being Quinnipiac with 11.
In all there will be 66 BCHL alumni competing in the tournament.
Here is a list of the opening-round matchups that will feature former Centennials.
No. 3 Minnesota State Mavericks vs. Providence Friars – Saturday, Mar. 30, 10 a.m. PST, East Providence, R.I.
Mavericks: Zak Galambos (Wenatchee Wild), Edwin Hookenson (Nanaimo Clippers), Jacob Berger (Merritt Centennials)
Friars: Vincent Desharnais (Chilliwack Chiefs/Edmonton Oilers), Brandon Duhaime (Merritt Centennials/Minnesota Wild), Scott Conway (Penticton Vees), Kyle Koopman (West Kelowna Warriors), Vimal Sukumaran (Chilliwack Chiefs)
Arizona State Sun Devils vs. Quinnipiac Bobcats – Saturday, Mar. 30, 4:30 p.m. PST, Allentown, Pa.
Sun Devils: Gage Mackie (Surrey Eagles), Jordan Sandhu (Vernon Vipers), Jake Clifford (Merritt Centennials), P.J. Marrocco (Chilliwack Chiefs), Brett Gruber (Victoria Grizzlies), Evan DeBrouwer (Prince George Spruce Kings)
Bobcats: Michael Lombardi (West Kelowna Warriors), Ethan de Jong (Prince George Spruce Kings), Chase Priskie (Salmon Arm Silverbacks/Washington Capitals), Luke Shiplo (Vernon Vipers), Nick Jermain (Merritt Centennials), T.J. Friedmann (Victoria Grizzlies), Craig Martin (Trail Smoke Eaters), Scott Davidson (Chilliwack Chiefs), Desi Burgart (Surrey Eagles), Odeen Tufto (Vernon Vipers), Andrew Shortridge (Vernon Vipers)
