BELOW ARE THE LIST OF SILVERBACKS WHO HAVE COMMITTED TO NCAA DIV. I PROGRAMS THIS SEASON:
ETHAN ULLRICK – AIR FORCE ACADEMY FALCONS
Committing to play Division I hockey has been a dream of mine since childhood, so I couldn’t be more excited to have it finally come true”, said Ullrick. “My visit to the academy was an incredible experience. I learned so much and got to see so many cool things. It was a no-brainer for me to commit after going on the visit”, said Ullrick. “The Air Force is such a good fit for me because the main things I was looking for in my college search were a great education and a coaching staff that believed in me. And that’s what I’ve found with Air Force. The education is one of the best in the entire country, and the coaching staff there really believes that I will be a big part of their team in the future,” added Ullrick.
“The Silverbacks organization is very happy for Ethan,” said Head Coach Tyler Shattock. “Ricky is a high character kid, a great teammate, and has come in and done everything the right way, and we are happy for him and his family that he has committed to play Division I hockey at Airforce,” added Shattock.
Click here for the news release on Ullrick’s commitment to Air Force.
LUCAS MATTA – Western Michigan University
“The coaching staff at WMU is outstanding and will give me the tools I need to achieve my goal of playing pro hockey at the highest level. They truly care about their players and know how to build winning teams as well,” said Matta.
“Salmon Arm has and will continue to be huge for my development in preparation for college hockey and beyond. The coaching staff here is committed to helping you get better, and with that, I know I will be ready to take that next step,” said Matta.
“We’re happy for the whole Matta family as this commitment comes close to home where they should be able to watch a lot of games. Matta has put a ton of work into his game the past year and a half. He’s become a very good all-around defenceman for us, and we look forward to his continued development with Western Michigan and us,” said Shattock.
Click here for the news release on Matta’s commitment to WMU.
OWEN SAY – MERCYHURST UNIVERSITY
“Salmon Arm has helped me prepare for the next step by giving me every opportunity to prove myself and giving me every tool I need to make myself better each day,” said Say. “I can’t thank my teammates and coaching staff enough for their help and support through my time being here,” added Say.
“The biggest thing that attracted me to Mercyhurst was that they consistently do well with their goaltending. They have great support from Assistant Coach Greg Gardner and Goaltending Coach Ryan Zapolski and showed great interest in me and the way I play,” explained Say.
“We are incredibly excited for Owen. Mercyhurst is getting a great goaltender and person. We look forward to what he does in goal for us the rest of the year, and we wish him the best as he takes the next step in his career,” said Shattock.
Click here for the news release on Say’s commitment to Mercyhurst.
HUNTER SANSBURY – SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY
“Ever since I was five-years-old and started picking up a stick and started playing, my dream was to play Division-I hockey, so this was really surreal. I’ve been talking to Sacred Heart for a couple years now and I felt like it was somewhere I could call home for four years. The program has only been going up and I see them still building, so it was definitely something that I wanted to be part of. I want to thank my mom and dad — they’ve been my rock and my heroes growing up and they’ve always been there for me and they’ve always believed in me. Also all the coaches I’ve ever played for and my friends and family who have supported me along the way. Definitely want to thank the coaching staff here because they truly believed in me and have really helped develop my game.” – Hunter Sansbury
“We are super proud and super happy for Sansbury and his family. His demeanour and overall character is outstanding. He’s a guy that always wants to be on the ice and wants to learn. He’s just a top-tier kid. I think Sacred Heart is getting a guy that is going to be a real impactful guy on and off the ice.” – Silverbacks head coach Tyler Shattock
Click here for the news release on Sansbury’s commitment to SHU. To hear him talk about the decision, click here.
DANNY CICCARELLO – RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE (RPI)
“I am obviously very excited for reaching this milestone in my journey. It’s nice to see that the hard work and sacrifice of myself, my parents, my friends, family — everyone around me — has paid off and I’m thrilled that it’s going to be with RPI. Coach [David] Smith has done a great job with the program, making it competitive every year that he’s been there. For me the biggest thing was having a coaching staff that believed in me, that understands the time and effort I’ve put into hockey and have seen my constant progress.” – Danny Ciccarello
“The Salmon Arm Silverbacks would like to congratulate Danny on his commitment to RPI. Danny has a high energy motor and you’d be hard pressed to find a guy with a better shot than him. He’s got a real ability to score goals when he gets to the right areas. Overall, they’re going to get a guy who is willing to work his tail off and has a real offensive touch when he gets the opportunity.” — Silverbacks head coach Tyler Shattock
Click here for the news release on Ciccarello’s commitment to RPI. To hear him talk about the decision, click here.
NATHAN MORGAN – DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
“I’m extremely proud to announce my commitment to further both my hockey and education career at Dartmouth College. A big thank you goes out to my past coaches, friends, teammates and especially my family, who have sacrificed ample amounts of time to make a dream like this come true.” – Nathan Morgan
“The Salmon Arm Silverbacks would like to congratulate Nathan on his commitment to Dartmouth — I know it’s an exciting time for him. He’s got an offensive ability to his game but you also see the 200-foot ability. His game will translate to the college level just with how hard he plays and how good he is on the wall. He’s not just an offensive guy.” – Silverbacks Head Coach Tyler Shattock
Click here for the news release on Morgan’s commitment to Dartmouth. To hear him talk about the decision, click here.
TUCKER HARTMANN – YALE UNIVERSITY
“It’s an honour to earn this commitment from Yale. I’d like to give a huge thanks to my family, coaches, advisor and friends who have helped me along the way!” – Tucker Hartmann
“The Salmon Arm Silverbacks would like to congratulate Tucker on his commitment to Yale University. Tucker’s work ethic and willingness to get better are what set him apart. Yale will be getting a player their fans will be excited to watch for years to come. Tucker is a character kid who will reflect well on their program.” – Silverbacks head coach Tyler Shattock
Click here for the news release on Hartmann’s commitment to Yale. To hear him talk about the decision, click here.
