California 16U forward Somoza signs NAHL tender
December 4, 2013
The California Titans of the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) are pleased to announce that 16U forward Evan Somoza, 16, has signed an NAHL tender with the Austin Bruins. The Bruins currently compete in the NAHL’s Central Division.
Somoza (5’9/145) is in his second season with that California Titans 16U team in the NAPHL. The native of Simi Valley, California is tied for 2nd in team scoring so far this season with 15 points (8 goals, 7 assists) in 10 games played.
Somoza started the season on a seven-game point streak, which included four multi-point games. He also has one game-winning goal, which came in a 7-2 win over Texas on Sept. 22nd.
Last season, Somoza appeared in 16 regular season games for the Titans 16U club and totaled eight points. He also had a goal in four games at the 2013 NAPHL Championship Series.
For his NAPHL career, Somoza has played in 26 career games and has 23 points. Evan’s brother Ethan Somoza played for the California Titans 16U team last season where he signed a tender to play in the NAHL for the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, where he currently is playing this season.
Somoza is the third player from the California Titans 16U team to sign an NAHL tender this season. Earlier, teammates Cody Key and Jared Turcotte signed with the NAHL’s Bismarck Bobcats.
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 become active on Nov. 1. Tendered players are not eligible for the NAHL draft, which will be held on June 3, 2014.
