Welcome back for another recap of off-season signings and commitments. This month we have a Syracuse University player signing a professional contract, a few Syracuse area players moving on to college hockey, and some Jr. Comets players who have announced their college commitments.
Professional
Savannah Rennie – ECDC Memmingen Indians (DFEL)
After previously being drafted by the Connecticut Whale of the National Women’s Hockey League, Rennie elected to play professional overseas instead. The Indians play in the German Women’s Ice Hockey Bundesliga (DFEL) which consists of seven teams. Memmingen was tied for first in the league last season before the season was cut short due to COVID-19 pandemic. They have claimed the DFEL title three times including back to back championships in 2018 and 2019.
“I think Memmingen is the best fit for me and will make me the most happy,” Rennie said. “The Whale are a great organization and so is the NWHL, and all of those programs are run extremely well, but at the end of the day it came down to the experience. I wanted to go somewhere new and unknown and experience new cultures and new things that aren’t similar to the U.S. or Canada so I can see the world in a way I haven’t before. I love the game so much and I’m not ready to give it up, especially if it’s able to take me to new cities and new places. I’m extremely excited for this opportunity and can’t wait to get out to Germany.”
Rennie’s 23 points in 2019-20 was tied for second on the team. Her seven multi-point games was a team high. In 120 career games, the East St. Paul, Manitoba native scored 26 goals and added 39 assists.
NCAA Division III
Jenna Ellis – Elmira College (W) (UCHC)
Ellis is an 18 year old defenseman from Brewerton. Ellis attended the Ontario Hockey Academy and was there for past two seasons. She recorded 22 points in a total of 69 games.
Elmira is always one of the top teams in the nation and finished the 2019-20 season with a 22-4-2 record. They were 14-2-0 in the UCHC. They won the UCHC Championship with a 5-3 win over Manhattanville and were slated to host #9 Adrian in an NCAA Quarterfinal game when the season was cancelled.
Bryce Grennan – UMass Dartmouth (MASCAC)
The 21 year old Chicago, Illinois native spent three years in the Syracuse/Utica USPHL organization. He started out in 2017-18 as a member of the Elite team where he scored 20 points in 23 games. Grennan would finish the season on the Premier roster scoring 3 points in 10 games. After a full 2018-19 season and half of the 2019-20 season with the Premier team, he was promoted to the NCDC team. He picked up 7 points in 23 NCDC games. Grennan finishes his USPHL career with a total of 73 points over the course of 119 games.
The UMass Dartmouth Corsairs finished last season with a 13-12-3 overall and 10-6-2 conference record. After defeating Worcester State and Fitchburg State by a combined 10-0 to reach the MASCAC Championship their season came to an end following a 6-2 loss to Plymouth State.
Mathieu Gervais – Elmira College (UCHC)
After spending the 2019-20 season at the University of New England, the Kingston, Ontario native is transferring to Elmira College this season. Gervais scored a goal in the only game he played for the Nor’easters. That game was against Morrisville State.
Gervais played for the Syracuse Jr. Stars in 2018-19. He recorded 42 points in 50 regulars season games before adding a goal and an assist in two playoff games.
Trent Grimshaw – SUNY Oswego (SUNYAC)
Honored to announce my commitment to @OswegoMHockey. Thank you to everyone who supported me along the way! #Golakers pic.twitter.com/AA4htNou6U
— Trent Grimshaw (@tgrim19) May 24, 2020
Trent was born and raised in Oswego, NY before moving to Saline, Michigan seven years ago. This is not his first return to New York as Grimshaw spent the 2017-18 season playing for the Rochester Monarchs of the USPHL NCDC. While there he scored 21 points in 46 games. In the 2018-19 season he played 5 games for Brookings of the NAHL before joining the Cochrane Crunch of the NOJHL. He played 43 games for the Crunch and recorded 37 points. Grimshaw returned to the NAHL as an assistant captain for the Maine Nordiques in 2019-20. He put up 31 points in 49 games.
Oswego finished the season with a 16-10-1 record. They lost in the SUNYAC championship game to SUNY Geneseo which ended their season.
Tyler Knicley – New England College (NEHC)
Knicley is a Rochester native who spent time with both the Jr. Comets Premier and NCDC teams this past season. He put up an astounding 31 goals and 28 assists in 32 Premier games. He finishes his USPHL career with a total of 103 points in 71 games. He picked up 2 points in 17 NCDC games as well. Prior to the USPHL, Knicley played four years for Fairport High School recording 73 points in 79 games.
New England College had a solid season finishing with a 17-9-1 overall record. The Pilgrims were 12-6-0 in conference play and lost to #3 nationally ranked Hobart College in NEHC semi-finals ending their season.
Jeff Kopek – Utica College (UCHC)
Excited to have the opportunity to continue playing hockey collegiately at Utica College. Thank you to all my family, friends, and coaches who have helped me along the way. pic.twitter.com/ZhUpkiamwT
— Jeff Kopek (@jkopek10) May 20, 2020
Kopek spent the last two seasons at The Gunnery where he picked up 30 points in 64 games. Prior to that he played for the Northern Cyclones NCDC in the USPHL scoring 8 points in 41 games. He also played for West Genesee High School and Nichols School.
Zach Matyasik – Northland College (WIAC)
Matyasik is a Cicero native who spent the last three seasons playing in Canada. He spent the last two seasons playing for the Espanola Express in the NOJHL. The 20 year old scored 59 points in 110 games through two seasons. Matyasik played for CNS from 2013 through 2017.
Northland College is based on Ashland, Wisconsin. They finished last season with a 4-22-1 record. They were 1-14-0 in the WIAC.
College Club
Stephen Matro – SUNY Oswego (ACHA)
Matro will be attending SUNY Oswego beginning in the fall where he will play on their ACHA Division I Club Team. Matro was named a Section III Division I First Team All-Star last season.
Juniors
Matt Cramer – Islanders Hockey Club (USPHL)
Cramer is an 18 year old who spent the last four seasons playing for Cicero-North Syracuse High School. Cramer was an honorable mention for Section III Division All-Star team last season. The Islanders Hockey Club are a member of the USPHL and located in Tyngsborough, Massachusetts.
Max Techel – Wichita Falls Warriors (NAHL)
Techel is a Wisconsin native who will be taking his talents to Wichita Falls, Texas this season. The Warriors are a first year program in the NAHL. Techel played 43 games with the Jr. Comets NCDC last season and scored 4 goals and 9 assists. He has a little NAHL experience having played 2 games for the Janesville Jets at the beginning of the 2018-19 season.
Carter Wisely – Islanders Hockey Club (USPHL)
Wisely will be joining his CNS teammate, Cramer, this season with the Islanders Hockey Club. He was also a four year member of the CNS Northstars.
Prep School
Stephen Mallaro – Albany Academy (Head Coach)
Mallaro is a 33 year old Syracuse, NY native who played at West Genesee before playing four years at SUNY Oswego. Following his college career he played for five different teams in 2011-12. During that year he spent time with the Danbury Whalers of the FPHL as well as Elmira, Trenton, Cincinnati, and Gwinnett of the ECHL.
Mallaro jumped right into coaching following his playing career joining the staff at Manhattanville College as an assistant coach. After two seasons he joined SUNY Brockport in the same role. Mallaro was the first head coach in King’s College history and spent four seasons there. He will now be moving on to Albany Academy where he will be the head coach of their prep program.
