For Immediate Release: 

Troy, MI – (August 15, 2019) - The American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) has finalized its roster for their Men’s Division 2 Select Team that will be participating in the Student Hockey Challenge in Russia this fall.  Hosted by the Student Hockey League (Russia), this event will take place October 1-6, 2019 in Barnaul, Russia and is designed to bring teams from Russia, Europe, Asia and the USA together to promote high level ice hockey competition, cultural enrichment and international relations between students and staff from around the world.

The ACHA Select Team will be representing the USA with Men’s Division 2 players that were selected by an appointed coaching staff through a selection process that consisted of evaluations and recommendations by other coaches within the division. 

The coaching staff includes Head Coach Fred Carpenito (Northeastern University), and Assistant Coaches Sean Levin (Rider University) and Tyler Kangas (University of Cincinnati). The support staff will include Paul Hebert (ACHA President), Mo Stroemel (ACHA Director of Hockey Operations), and Armand “Rasty” McGibbon (Team Physician). 

Players will come together in Albany, NY for a mini-camp, Aug. 23-25. The team will play an exhibition game on September 28 against M1 Stony Brook before departing for Russia on the 29th and returning home on October 7.

As in past trips, cultural and educational enrichment activities will be planned. In the past teams have toured Red Square, toured architectural and historic sites in the area, visited Russian national parks, dined at restaurants offering traditional Russian fare and attended seminars presented by staff of participating teams regarding the relationship between academics and athletics in the various countries. Additionally, teams interact with each other off the ice, providing an opportunity to make international friends and gain a better understanding of the lives of their counterparts. The educational and cultural value of the trip is obvious and clearly valuable in a world that has many international challenges.

The 22-member Select Team roster represents 14 schools within the ACHA Men’s Division 2 and include goaltenders Alex Crone (Northeastern), Adam Partridge (Liberty), and Carlin Testa (Keene State). Defencemen Blaine Minatra (Metropolitan State), Daniel Whritenour (UNH), Jacob Hatten (Trine), Justin Boornazian (Penn State), Matthew Poulin (U of Massachusetts), Nicholas Ludeman (Trine) and Thomas Rama (FGCU). Forwards Brandon Armstrong (U of Cincinnati), Cameron Fisher (U of Massachusetts), Christian Wirth-Karbler (Trine), Daniel Mateja (U of Cincinnati), Joseph Laskero (Trine), Kyle Carignan (Keene State), Kyle Truax (Aquinas), Mitchell Bourgerie (Rensselaer), Nathan Cunningham (Northeastern), Nicholas Hart (Roger Williams), Ryan Gandy (U of Denver), and Zach Goberis (Metropolitan State). 

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