UMass received a commitment from St. Andrew’s College center Harrison Ballard, it was announced Wednesday. Ballard, a dual-citizen, played for York Simcoe Express and St. Andrew’s College 16-U last season. Ballard scored 16 goals and 23 assists in 36 games with York Simcoe. He’ll be joining the prep team at St. Andrew’s College in Aurora,...
UMass received a commitment from St. Andrew’s College center Harrison Ballard, it was announced Wednesday.
Ballard, a dual-citizen, played for York Simcoe Express and St. Andrew’s College 16-U last season. Ballard scored 16 goals and 23 assists in 36 games with York Simcoe. He’ll be joining the prep team at St. Andrew’s College in Aurora, Ont., this season.
Ballard was born in Scottsdale, Ariz., but has grown up in Stouffville, Ont. The ’04 is a two-way center with skating, hockey sense and size. St. Andrew’s College, coached by David Manning, has produced quite a bit of Division 1 talent over the past decade. Players on last year’s team were committed to Harvard, Merrimack, Bentley, Cornell, Miami and St. Lawrence.
First recruit for new Dartmouth staff
Dartmouth received a commitment from ’02 defenseman Dylan Witzke, the player announced on his social media pages.
Witzke, from Calgary, played for the Canmore Eagles in the Alberta Junior Hockey League last season. In 61 games, he scored five goals and added 40 assists. Prior to making the jump to the AJHL, Witzke played Midget hockey for the Calgary Buffaloes and Calgary Bison.
Witzke represents the first commitment for Dartmouth’s new staff, led by head coach Reid Cashman and assistant coaches Stavros Paskaris and Jason Tapp.
NCAA recruiting dead period extended
The NCAA announced on Wednesday that it was extending the recruiting dead period until Jan. 1, 2021. This means that college hockey coaches can’t leave campus to recruit prospective players at practices or games. In addition, recruits can’t come to campus on official visits.
College coaches have been watching showcases and tournaments on Hockey TV or LiveBarn, but it obviously isn’t the same as being in the rink. Coaches can still communicate with recruits and prospective recruits via telephone, text message, social media direct messaging and Zoom.
