California 18U duo of Bortolotto and Somoza sign NAHL tenders
November 18, 2014
The California Titans, proud members of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) are pleased to announce the two players from the 18U team have signed tenders to play in the North American Hockey League (NAHL).
18U Forward Nicholas Bortolotto has signed a tender to play for the Corpus Christi IceRays and forward Evan Somoza has signed a tender to play for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs.
Bortolotto, 17, is in his first season with the California Titans organization. The 5’9/165 lbs. forward from San Mateo, California currently leads the Titans 18U team in scoring with 15 points in 14 games played. His breakout event so far came during the NAPHL event in Romeoville when he recorded 10 points in the five wins. During the last event in Omaha, Bortolotto had two points in four games as the Titans finished with a 1-2-1 record.
This isn’t Bortolotto’s first experience in the NAPHL. During the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons he played in the league in the Bantam Division. He played for the San Jose Jr. Sharks and then the Phoenix Firebirds, who later become the Arizona Bobcats. Nicholas’ brother Mattia Bortolotto is also played in the NAPHL and the NAHL during his hockey career.
Somoza, 17, has also a considerable amount of time in the NAPHL. He ranks right behind Bortolotto in points with 14 this season, which includes five goals and nine assists. Somoza was named as the Apex Peak Performer for 18U forwards from the Romeoville as the native of Simi Valley, CA, registered 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) in the five wins. Somoza (5’11/160) recorded at least a point in all five of the wins. He recorded two points during the most recent event in Omaha.
This is Somoza’s third season in the NAPHL. For the past two years, he has played for the Titans 16U team. Last season was his best to date as he recorded 31 points in 20 games played and had eight points in five playoff games. He was also named to the NAPHL 16U All-Academic Team.
Somoza’s brother Ethan Somoza is also a NAPHL graduate and currently plays in the NAHL for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. He his committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Bemidji State University and is currently 2nd in team scoring with 30 points, which also ranks 2nd in the NAHL.
A tender is a contract, of sorts, a player signs announcing his intentions to play for that particular NAHL team and that NAHL team only. Once a player signs a tender with an NAHL team, his playing rights belong to that team within the NAHL and he may not be recruited by any other NAHL team. Each team is granted ten (10) tenders, which include two (2) tenders exclusively used on players from the NAPHL - plus or minus any trades - which became active on Nov. 1. Tendered players are not eligible for the NAHL draft, which will be held in June of 2015.
