While Dartmouth isn’t playing any games this winter due to the Ivy League canceling winter sports as a result of the coronavirus, the new Big Green coaching staff continues to build momentum on the recruiting trail.
First-year head coach Reid Cashman and his staff — assistants Stavros Paskaris and Jason Tapp — received two commitments from players over the weekend. Dubuque Fighting Saints defenseman Ian Pierce and Brooks Bandits forward Sean Chisholm both gave verbal commitments to play college hockey at Dartmouth.
For Pierce, it is his second time committing to Dartmouth. He previously had been committed to the Big Green under the old staff, but decommitted. Now, he’s again slated to head to Hanover, N.H., for college.
Pierce is a mobile, puck moving defenseman from New York, N.Y. The ’01 is in his second full season with Dubuque in the USHL. During the 2019-20 season, Pierce had seven assists in 35 games.
Pierce’s commitment is most likely for the 2021-22 season. There are a lot of moving pieces with the one-time transfer rule and other deferments related to the coronavirus, so that could change. Pierce was being pursued by a few other ECAC Hockey schools.
Before Dubuque, Pierce spent two seasons on the prep school circuit with Kent. In 2018-19, he had three goals and 16 assists in 26 games. He was the top blueliner for Kent as the Lions won the NEPSAC Large School Championship. Pierce played Bantam and Midget hockey with the North Jersey Avalanche.
Chisholm also is an ’01 who has played center and left wing during his development. The Halifax, Nova Scotia, native is in his second season with Brooks in the Alberta Hockey Junior Hockey League. Through two games this season, he has three goals and two assists. Chisholm had 18 goals and 21 assists for 39 points in 56 games last season. Prior to his stint with Brooks, he spent time at Stanstead College and before that with the Hamilton Junior Bulldogs for Midget hockey.
Harvard lands Russian forward
Aydar Sunyiev, a well-traveled ’04 from Moscow, Russia, has committed to playing college hockey at Harvard.
The left wing spent time in New England last season playing for the Yale Junior Bulldogs before joining Hill Academy in Vaughan, Ontario. He put up monster numbers at both stops in 2019-20. For the Junior Bulldogs, he posted 22 goals and 17 assists for 39 points in 18 games. At Hill Academy, he posted nine points in eight games with the school’s 16-U team and four points in three games with the 18-U.
Suniyev is the fifth ’04 to commit to the Crimson, joining Boston Advantage defenseman Ryan Healey, St. Sebastian’s right wing Michael Callow, St. Andrew’s College defenseman Matthew Morden, Langley Rivermen center Cameron Johnson, and Dexter Southfield center Bobby Landry.
