BROOKS, AB (September 19, 2015) – The Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) are proud to announce that 1996-born forward Jeff Malott (Waterdown, ON) has committed to attend and play for Cornell University.
Located in Ithaca, New York, the Cornell Big Red compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)’s Division I ECAC Hockey conference, under head coach Mike Schafer. Malott is the first Bandit in franchise history to commit to Cornell.
“Jeff is an incredible kid that plays the game with energy and passion,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Ryan Papaioannou. “His progress over the last year has been extremely impressive, and we have felt like his game has been dominant in the early part of this season.”
Malott, 19, is currently tied for eighth in the AJHL in scoring, with 3 goals and 2 assists in just 3 games played. Last year, in his first season of Junior A hockey, the 6’3”, 195lb winger scored 6 goals and 14 assists for 20 points in 53 regular season games, adding 88 penalty minutes. In the playoffs, he added a further 2 goals and 2 assists in 20 games.
“Jeff showed the ability last year to lead, and was rewarded this year as an alternate captain as he is very well respected by his teammates,” Papaioannou added. “He is a high academic and the opportunity at Cornell is a perfect fit for him and his family.”
Malott began his junior career with the Caledonia Corvairs of the Junior B Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL), playing a key role in the team’s Sutherland Cup league championship in 2013. Malott scored 18 points (7 goals, 11 assists) in 26 playoff games after scoring 34 points (15 goals, 19 assists) in 48 games in the regular season.
“I am extremely excited and honoured to be given the opportunity to play for as prestigious a school as Cornell,” said Malott. “I would like to thank the Brooks Bandits organization for the incredible opportunity to pursue a scholarship and continue my hockey career.”
“I would also like to thank my family and billet family for their support and encouragement.”
Malott is the eighth player on the 2015-16 Bandits roster committed to an NCAA Division I post-secondary institution, joining:
• Kyler Nachtigall (University of Massachusetts)
• Shane Bear (University of Massachusetts)
• Jared Cockrell (Air Force)
• Derek Lodermeier (Army)
• Austin Wright (Rochester Institute of Technology)
• Mike Falanga (Sacred Heart University)
• Cale Makar (University of Massachusetts)
The Bandits would like to congratulate Jeff and his family on securing a spectacular spot to continue his hockey career, and look forward to his continued improvement and contributions to the team in an already stellar year.