Keene, NH- The American Collegiate Hockey Association announced on Thursday that Kyle Carignan and Carlin Testa from the Keene State College Owls Men's Hockey Club have been selected to particpate in the Student Hockey Challenge in Russia next month, representing Team USA.  Carignan (a forward from Rochester, NH) and Testa (a goaltender from Cranston, RI) are both seniors for Keene State.

The 22 players on the ACHA Select Team have been selected by Head Coach Fred Carpenito (Northeastern University) and his staff from more than 250 ACHA Men's Division 2 teams nationally after nominations, evaluations and a showcase tournament in April.  Carignan and Testa will participate in a pre-tournament camp with the team in Albany, NY next weekend before departing for Russia at the end of September.

Keene State Head Coach Bobby Rodrigue mentioned that he thinks Coach Carpenito has made the right call, tabbing Carignan and Testa for this honor. "We're very proud of both Kyle and Chico for being selected and I think that Freddy [Carpenito] will be very pleased with the way they represent the ACHA internationally.  We're fortunate to have such a strong team here and both boys are keys pieces of our success."  Rodrigue continued, "As great as they are for us on the ice, they both might actually be stronger for us off-ice.  The are great leaders, terrific students and big contributers to our community service efforts.  The ACHA is getting the total package with these two."

Rodrigue says the team will soon announce a fundraising effort to help defray the costs of participating in the Student Hockey Exchange.  "It's a once in a lifetime opportunity for these guys but it is quite an expensive undertaking; we'd like to do what we can, from a team standpoint, to support them."

More information about the Student Hockey Exchange, including the complete roster for Team USA can be found HERE. 

Keene State expects to release its 2019-2020 season schedule next week.