In just the third year of this unique event, the EHL All-Stars were able to claim their first-ever point on Thursday against Fitchburg State, and then the team secured their first-ever win on Friday against Salem State. Despite falling to UMass Boston last night, the EHL All-Stars drew the attention of numerous scouts with their performance throughout the week.
"I am beyond proud of this team," said Neil Ravin, the EHL's Director of Communications. "It was a true honor to work with this year's coaching staff to put this group together, and then watch them perform the way they did. From the campus tours, to the team dinners and events, it was truly incredible to watch the chemistry grow amongst this year's team. I am forever grateful for the memories that the 2019 EHL All-Star Team created this past week."
The EHL All-Star Weekend has transformed into a week-long event as the years have progressed. From one game in 2017, to two games in 2018, and now three games this year, the event has grown tremendously over time. This opportunity is something that no other USA Hockey junior league offers, and it garners the attention of colleges across the country, each and every year.
"This event is special for the scouts, because they are able to see where our players stack up against their level of play," said Team EHL head coach Chris Cerrella. "Of course this year's group still has over five months left to continue to develop throughout the season, but this was an unbelievable test for them to see where they are at in October. Now, when you add in the success that we enjoyed this year, the challenge will be to simply keep climbing every season."
As Cerrella mentioned, the NCAA coaches and scouts embrace this event, because it puts the EHL players up against the next level of play, and it all takes place early in the year. It will now be fun to watch and see where each of this year's All-Stars choose for their next step in their respective hockey careers.
It's also worth noting that in the first two years of the event, a total of five EHL All-Stars (3 UMass Boston, 2 Plymouth State) went on to commit to a school that they faced-off against as part of Team EHL.
To conclude, the EHL would like to thank all of this year's opponents as well as Curry College, for welcoming us onto their respective campuses. The event is only possible because of the strong relationships that the league has with these NCAA programs. With that, the planning process can now begin for next fall, and the 2020 EHL All-Star Team.
Photo Credit - Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
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