Fairbanks forward Wilcox makes NCAA DI commitment
December 2, 2014
By Tim O'Donnell, Fairbanks News Miner
Another member of the NAHL's Fairbanks Ice Dogs will play in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association next season.
Forward Adam Wilcox has verbally committed to play NCAA Division I hockey for Alabama-Huntsville, giving the Ice Dogs four future WCHA skaters on the roster this season. Wilcox joins Chandler Madry (Minnesota State), Ethan Somoza (Bemidji State) and Hans Gorowsky (Lake Superior State) as Ice Dogs who have committed to WHCA teams.
“He definitely has a good frame and work ethic,” Ice Dogs head coach Trevor Stewart said of Wilcox. “He does the things that go unnoticed. He does stuff away from the puck well.”
In his first season with the Ice Dogs, the Alpharetta, Georgia, native has scored one goal with three assists for four points in 13 games this season. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound forward scored once and added an assist in the Ice Dogs’ 7-2 win over the Minnesota Magicians on Nov. 21 at the Big Dipper Ice Arena.
“We expected him to play the hard minutes that a lot of people don’t get credit for,” Stewart said.
Wilcox also has 32 penalty minutes on the season.
Wilcox is the fifth member of the Ice Dogs to commit to a NCAA Division I school. Todd Burgess is the other the Ice Dog who has committed. Burgess committed to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the ECAC last season.
Stewart expects Wilcox’s skills to translate to the college game.
“He’s going to play a similar role in college,” Stewart said. “He’s a smart player who plays away from the puck well.”
Before the Ice Dogs, Wilcox spent two seasons playing in the North American Prospects Hockey League (NAPHL) during the league's first two seasons in 2009-10 and again in 2010-11 for the TPH Thunder. While in the NAPHL, he recorded 38 points in 39 career regular season games.