BROOKS, AB — The Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) are proud to announce that four-year Bandit veteran goaltender Michael Fredrick (Lethbridge, AB) has committed to attend and play for Utica College for the 2015-16 NCAA season.
Fredrick, 21, completed his time in Junior A as the Bandits’ all-time leader in career regular season games played (139), wins (105), shutouts (13), and goals against average (2.13). The 5’10”, 162lb goalie also holds the Bandits single-season records for goals against average (1.91), shutouts (7), and wins (42).
“Michael is very deserving of an opportunity at such a great hockey school,” said Bandits head coach and general manager Ryan Papaioannou. “He back-stopped us to many big wins over the last 4 years and will do the same at Utica.”
“This was the right fit for him and will allow him the chance to play as a freshman,” Papaioannou added. “Michael holds every goaltending record for our organization and we are excited to see him move on “
The Utica College Pioneers play in the NCAA’s Division III ECAC West conference, under 14-year head coach Gary Heenan. The Pioneers lead all Division III teams in attendance at more than 3,500 fans per game, and have won three ECAC West regular season championships in Heenan’s tenure.
“Utica College is excited to welcome Mike to the Pioneer family,” said Heenan. “Mike has proven to be winner throughout his junior career and we will lean on him to bring the leadership he exhibited in Brooks to Utica.”
Fredrick’s career featured two AJHL championships in 2012 and 2013, winning the AJHL Top Team Goaltenders Award in 2013, and the franchise’s first-ever RBC Cup national championship in 2013.
His name is etched in the AJHL record book as the goaltender with the second-longest winning streak in league history (19 games), the third-most shutouts in a regular season (7), and the ninth-lowest single-season goals against average (1.90), all set in the 2012-13 national championship season.
Fredrick completed his Bandit tenure with a regular season record of 105-20-11, with a 2.13 goals against average and .913 save percentage. In the AJHL post season, he went 22-11 with a 2.40 GAA and .913 save percentage, and added twelve more games at the 2013 Western Canada Cup (going 4-2) and RBC Cup (going 5-1), for a total of 185 games played in a Bandits uniform, and a record of 136-34-11.
“I am extremely honored and proud to have committed to Uitca College,” said Fredrick. “This has given me the chance to continue to play the sport I love as well as obtain a top end education. I would like to thank the community of Brooks for making the past four years of my life so memorable and the entire Brooks Bandits organization for making it possible for me to achieve my goal and move onto the next level.”
“I am looking forward to the new opportunities that await me but will never forget the memories that I have made in Brooks.”
Fredrick is the thirteenth player from the Bandits’ 2014-15 roster committed to a post-secondary institution, joining:
• Shane Bear (University of Massachusetts)
• Kyler Nachtigall (University of Massachusetts)
• Adam Baughman (Harvard University)
• Austin Plevy (University of Massachusetts)
• Mark Logan (Rochester Institute of Technology)
• Anthony Paskaruk (Northern Michigan University)
• Derek Lodermeier (Army)
• Alex Roberts (Rochester Institute of Technology)
• Jared Cockrell (Air Force)
• Chase Clayton (University of British Columbia)
• Linden Springer (Lakehead University)