NIAGARA UNIV., N.Y. – The Niagara Purple Eagles hockey team announced the addition of seven players for the 2017-18 season on Monday. These seven recruits mark the first additions to the Purple Eagles under head coach Jason Lammers and assistant coaches Andy Boschetto and Matt Nicholson.
Freshmen Sam Fuss, Chris Harpur, Zach Mills, Nic Mucci, and Brian Wilson give the Purple Eagles two forwards, two defensemen, and one goaltender in the Class of 2021. Niagara also welcomes a pair of experienced defensemen via transfers. James Roll joins Niagara for his final year of collegiate eligibility after three seasons at Lake Superior State, and Jared Brandt comes to Monteagle Ridge after playing the 2016-17 season for the Miami (OH) RedHawks.
Read more about each of the seven recruits, along with comments from head coach Jason Lammers:
Jared Brandt | Defense | 6-foot | 197 lbs. | Left | St. Louis, MO | Miami (OH) University / Minot Minotauros (NAHL)
Last season, Brandt began his college hockey career playing for the Miami (OH) RedHawks for head coach Enrico Blasi, ending his freshman year with 10 points (3+7) and 28 blocked shots in 33 games played. He was named National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) Rookie of the Week on Feb. 27 after scoring two goals and one assist in a two-game series against 2017 national runner-up Minnesota Duluth.
Prior to spending last season at Miami, Brandt was a three-year defenseman in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) with the Minot Minotauros. In the 2015-16 campaign, Brandt was the team captain for Minot and earned the team’s Defenseman of the Year award after posting 27 points (5+22) and a plus-17 rating in 59 games. In 149 total games with Minot from 2013-16, Brandt posted eight goals and 38 assists.
Born in Bloomington, Illinois, Brandt will continue his studies in sport management at Niagara University. Brandt will sit out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA transfer rules, and he will begin playing for the Purple Eagles as a redshirt-sophomore in the 2018-19 campaign.
Lammers on Brandt: “After a year of college hockey at Miami, Jared is an experienced addition to our blue line. He had an impressive junior career and grew into a strong leader with Minot. We expect him to grow into a solid contributor at both ends of the ice.”
Sam Fuss | Defense | 5-foot-9 | 180 lbs. | Right | Edina, MN | Cedar Rapids Roughriders (USHL)
In the 2016-17 season, Fuss played in the United States Hockey League (USHL) with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders for head coach Mark Carlson, scoring three assists in 34 games. Fuss played alongside Brandt with the Minot Minotauros (NAHL) in the 2015-16 season. That year, he was named to the NAHL All-Central Division Rookie Team after compiling 18 points (3+15) in 54 games to go with a plus-17 rating.
Fuss comes from a long line of college hockey alumni. His father, Bryan, played college hockey at Lake Superior State, his grandfather, Lloyd “Max” Bentley, played for the University of Wisconsin, and his uncle, Kyle Anttila, played at the College of St. Scholastica.
Born in Madison, Wisconsin, Fuss will major in business at Niagara.
Lammers on Fuss: “The biggest things that stand out about Sam are his dedication and work ethic. He works hard in his own end as an adept shot blocker, and he makes a strong first pass to start the transition.”
Chris Harpur | Defense | 6-foot-3 | 200 lbs. | Left | Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON | Cowichan Capitals (BCHL)
Harpur arrives at Niagara after spending the past two seasons with the Cowichan Capitals in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) under head coach Bob Beatty. Harpur had a standout season in 2016-17, serving as the Capitals’ team captain and scoring 39 points (7+32) in 54 games played. He ranked fourth on Cowichan in scoring, and placed fifth among all BCHL blueliners in points. Harpur was an assistant captain for the Capitals in 2015-16, playing 58 games and scoring 20 points (3+17). His first BCHL campaign came with the Victoria Grizzlies in 2014-15 as he scored two goals and added 13 assists in 56 games.
Chris is the younger brother of Ben Harpur, a defenseman in the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Ottawa Senators organization who was drafted 108th overall (fourth round) in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft by Ottawa.
Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Harpur will enroll in the Academic Exploration Program at Niagara.
Lammers on Harpur: “Chris has a tremendous combination of size and athleticism for his position. We are excited about what he will bring to our blue line next year, and he has excellent potential to develop even further.”
Zach Mills | Forward | 5-foot-10 | 175 lbs. | Left | Cottage Grove, MN | Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL)
Mills arrives on Monteagle Ridge after playing the 2016-17 season with the NAHL’s Minnesota Wilderness, where he was coached by two Niagara hockey alumni in head coach Tim Madsen and assistant coach Michael Benedict. Mills tied for the Wilderness team scoring lead with 48 points in 58 games, tallying 22 goals to go with 26 assists. He went on to excel in the postseason during the team’s Robertson Cup run, ranking second among all NAHL scorers with 12 points (6+6) in 10 playoff games. Mills was also heavily involved in the local area, leading his team in community service hours last year.
In his first season of junior hockey, Mills played for the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL), posting 35 points (19+16) in 47 regular-season games and adding one assist in four playoff appearances.
Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Mills will be enrolling in the biology program at Niagara.
Lammers on Mills: “One of the top players in last year’s NAHL playoffs, Zach is a talented puck mover and playmaker. He is a very experienced skater and he gives us another skilled stick up front.”
Nic Mucci | Forward | 5-10 | 185 lbs. | Right | Mississauga, ON | Wellington Dukes (OJHL)
Mucci capped off his junior career with a standout season in the Ontario Junior Hockey League (OJHL) with the Wellington Dukes for head coach Marty Abrams. Serving as the team’s assistant captain for the 2016-17 season, Mucci ranked fourth in the OJHL in total scoring, racking up 76 points (29+47) in 50 regular-season games and adding 10 points (1+9) in 12 playoff games en route to OJHL Second All-Star Team honors. He excelled on special teams, tying for the OJHL regular-season lead with four shorthanded goals, and he added nine goals and 18 assists on the power play. Last season, Mucci also played for Team Canada East and helped the team to a silver medal at the World Junior ‘A’ Challenge, scoring one goal in four games.
After playing 11 games in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) with the Carleton Place Canadians to start the 2015-16 season, Mucci closed the year in the OJHL with Wellington, racking up 28 points (10+18) in 25 games to earn Most Improved Player honors from the Dukes. In the 2014-15 campaign, Mucci played 37 games with Carleton Place and scored 11 points (2+9) as the Canadians won the Bogart Cup and Fred Page Cup and advanced to the finals of the RBC Cup.
Born in Oakville, Ontario, Mucci will enroll in the Academic Exploration Program at Niagara.
Lammers on Mucci: “Nic is a local product that we are very excited about. He was one of the top players in his league and was recognized as such with a spot on the Team Canada East roster. He has great skill and is at his best in big games.”
James Roll | Defense | 6-foot-2 | 200 lbs. | Left | West Seneca, NY | Lake Superior State University / Carleton Place Canadians (CCHL)
After playing three seasons with the Lake Superior State Lakers for head coach Damon Whitten, Roll will spend his final season of collegiate eligibility on Monteagle Ridge. In 81 games with the Lakers from 2014-17, Roll collected 21 points (3+18). During his freshman campaign, Roll was twice named Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) Rookie of the Week as he tied for the team’s scoring lead among defensemen with 11 points (1+10) in 37 games.
Prior to Lake Superior State, Roll played the 2013-14 campaign with the Carleton Place Canadians of the CCHL alongside Niagara senior defenseman Larry Smith. Roll ranked third among Carleton Place defensemen in scoring with 35 points (8+27) in 40 games, helping the Canadians claim the CCHL title en route to winning the RBC Cup as Canada’s top Junior ‘A’ hockey team. In the 2012-13 season, Roll scored 12 points (4+8) in 55 games with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL, earning CCM USHL Defenseman of the Week honors once.
A native of nearby West Seneca, Roll compiled a 3.3 GPA at Lake Superior State, earning WCHA All-Academic honors during all three of his seasons with the Lakers in addition to Dean’s List honors in the spring of 2016. He graduated from Lake Superior State with a Bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing, and he will pursuing a Master of Business Administration degree at Niagara.
Lammers on Roll: “This year we are going to lean heavily on James for his experience. He gives us another strong presence at defense, and on top of that, he is a great teammate and a gifted leader off the ice as well.”
Brian Wilson | Goaltender | 6-foot-4 | 185 lbs. | Left | Pickering, ON | Powell River Kings (BCHL)
Wilson comes to Niagara after playing the 2016-17 season with the Powell River Kings of the BCHL under head coach Kent Lewis. In 38 games last season, Wilson posted a record of 22-11-1, ranking sixth in the BCHL with a 2.70 goals-against average, fifth with a .917 save percentage, and tied for third with three shutouts. Wilson stepped his game up in the postseason, leading all BCHL goaltenders in both goals-against average (1.99) and save percentage (.938), going 7-4 with two shutouts. Wilson earned the Kings’ Unsung Hero award for his contributions to the team.
In the 2015-16 season, Wilson went 9-8-1 in goal in 18 games with the Okotoks Oilers (AJHL) with a 2.96 goals-against average, .900 save percentage, and one shutout. He began his junior hockey career with 50 games for the Kanata Stallions in the Central Canada Hockey League (CCHL) from 2014 to 2016.
Born in Mississauga, Ontario, Wilson will major in sport management at Niagara.
Lammers on Wilson: “Goaltender is going to be the most important position on the ice for us. Brian has real good size and was one of the top players at his position to come out of the BCHL this year, so we expect him to help our team do something special in goal.”
