BROOKS, AB (March 25, 2019) – Eight alumni of the Brooks Bandits will compete for a national collegiate championship in the upcoming NCAA Division I Men’s Ice Hockey Tournament, beginning this Friday.
When the University of Massachusetts kicks off against Harvard on Friday at 1 PM, the game will feature three former Brooks players; stalwart defenceman and #4 overall NHL draft pick Cale Makar (2015 – 2017) and former AJHL Rookie of the Year Oliver Chau (2016 – 2017) for the Minutemen, and former Bandit defenceman Adam Baughman, who played for the 2014-15 Bandit squad that reached the AJHL final.
Two Bandit alumni and former 2014-15 teammates will appear on Saturday at 2:30 PM when Cornell takes on Northeastern, with Big Red forward Jeff Malott (2014 – 2016) lining up opposite former AJHL scoring champion Austin Plevy (2014 – 2015).
The final Bandit-heavy matchup will occur Saturday night at 5:30 PM when Arizona State takes on Quinnipiac. The Sun Devils feature former Bandit defenceman Jarrod Gourley (2015 – 2016), while the Bobcats’ roster includes both two-time AJHL champion defenceman Joe O’Connor (2015 – 2017) and recent Brooks alumnus forward Matt Cassidy (2017 – 2018).
The Bandits, featuring an AJHL-high 15 NCAA Division I committed players, will be opening their eighth consecutive South Division Final playoff series this weekend with games against the Okotoks Oilers on Friday and Saturday night at home. Tickets are available online at tickets.brooksbandits.ca.