The Canisius College hockey team rounded out its recruiting class with the addition of seven players on Wednesday. Forwards Casey Jerry (River Falls, Wis.) and Jesse Pereira (Fort Erie, Ontario), defensemen Dan Fritz (Annapolis, Md.) and Matt Stief (Weston, Fla.) and goaltenders Daniel Urbani (Coquitlam, British Columbia), Blake Weyrick (Los Angeles, Calif.) and Charles Williams (Canton, Mich.) join two early signees from November to form a nine-member freshman class in 2016-17.
“We are excited to complete the class with these seven players,” said Canisius head coach Dave Smith. “We are bringing in nine players in total from competitive junior leagues who will fit in will with our environment and who can help our team win immediately. Each of them has the values and characteristics that will allow them to be successful on and off the ice as student-athletes at Canisius College and the Division I level. We look forward to seeing them in the Blue and Gold next season and working toward our goal of an Atlantic Hockey Championship.”
In one season with the Minnesota Magicians of the NAHL, Jerry registered 48 points, 16 goals and 32 assists during the 2015-16 campaign. The team’s leading scorer, Jerry was named to the 2016 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament. Before joining the Magicians roster, he also played one season with both the Austin Bruins of the NAHL and the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL – helping the Bruins to a runner-up finish during the 2013-14 campaign.
Pereira totaled 46 points, 24 goals and 22 assists with the Brooks Bandits during the 2015-16 campaign, helping lead the team to the AJHL Championship and semifinal finish at the RBC Cup. The team’s Most Improved Player this past season, he also spent the 2014-15 campaign with the Bandits, recording 12 points, seven goals and five assists. Prior to his two-year stint in the AJHL, Pereira played two years with the Fort Erie Meteors, where he was a two-time GOJHL Under-19 All-Star.
Fritz earned Defensive MVP honors in his final season of junior hockey with the Coquitlam Express of the BCHL. He led all defenders on the team with 38 points during the 2014-15 campaign, scoring eight goals to go along with 30 assists. Fritz, who was a member of the Quinnipiac program that advanced to the NCAA Championship last season, also played three years of hockey at Canterbury Prep, earning MVP and All-New England Prep Team accolades in 2013.
A two-year member of the Prince George Spruce Kings of the BCHL, Stief became the first defenseman in the team’s history to lead the Spruce Kings in scoring with 43 points (5g, 38a) this season. Overall, the team’s assistant captain ranked fourth in the BCHL among defenders with his 43 points and earned the Spruce Kings’ Best Defenseman honor. Stief totaled 76 points, eight goals and 68 assists in his two seasons in the BCHL and was named the team’s Rookie of the Year following the 2014-15 season.
One of the most decorated players in the OJHL this past season, Urbani helped lead the Trenton Golden Hawks to the 2016 OJHL Championship and Dudley Hewitt Cup. Urbani led the league and posted the fourth-lowest goals against average in OJHL history en route to earning Top Goaltender and first-team all-star accolades. He then collected the Brent Ladds Trophy as playoff MVP after posting a 16-2 record in the postseason with a 1.54 goals against average and .944 save percentage. Urbani finished the campaign by leading Trenton to a semifinal finish at the 2016 RBC Cup and was selected as the Top Goaltender at Canada’s Junior A National Championship.
Weyrick spent the last two seasons with the Janesville Jets of the NAHL, posting a 2.46 goals against average and .910 save percentage in 37 career appearances. Prior to his time with the Jets, Weyrick spent two years each with the United States National Team Development Program and the famed Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Minnesota. With the USNTDP, Weyrick was part of the gold-medal 2014 IIHF U18 World Championship Team and the silver-medal winning team in 2013.
A transfer from Ferris State University, Williams spent the last four seasons in goal with the Bulldogs with a 5-8-1 record, 3.00 goals against average and .899 save percentage. He received the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar Award in 2016 and was twice recognized on the WCHA All-Academic Team. Prior to his time at Ferris State, Williams spent one season with the Lincoln Stars of the USHL, tying for the league lead with 20 wins and posting the longest winning streak during the 2011-12 season.
The seven players are set to join early signees in forwards Matt Hoover and Nick Hutchison to form a nine-member class next season. The Griffs finished the 2015-16 campaign with a 12-22-5 record, including a 10-13-5 mark in Atlantic Hockey play to place sixth in the final league standings.
