CC scores NAHL defenseman for next season, roster at 26
Colorado College has added what’s probably the final piece to its defensive corps for next season, recently landing Russell Finch, who may not show much style but will bring lots of experience to the Tigers, with more than 100 games under his belt at the junior ranks.
Finch, 20, of Middletown, Md., comes to CC from the North American Hockey League, where he has recorded five goals, 23 assists and 70 penalty minutes in 119 games the past two seasons with Fairbanks and St. Louis. At 6-foot, 205 pounds, he’s big enough to hold his own in one-on-one battles, he assumes a simple approach and he can make the initial pass to spark a rush. Plus, he’s a smooth skater, and he has displayed sound stick control.
Joining Finch in the fall are center Cody Bradley and right wing Jared Hanson from the U.S. Hockey League, defenseman Michael King from the Alberta Junior Hockey League and left wing Hunter Fejes from a Minnesota high school. There are 26 players on CC’s roster, with 15 forwards, eight defensemen and three goaltenders, but left wing Dakota Eveland is out for the season following neck surgery, meaning CC could sign another forward.
This week, returning players are undergoing fitness tests and meetings with Tigers coach Scott Owens, as NCAA rules limit the contact Owens can have with his players during the summer. So captain William Rapuzzi and alternates Joe Marciano, Eamonn McDermott and Rylan Schwartz will guide CC toward its final season in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, coming off an 18-16-2 finish without an NCAA Tournament appearance.
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