Austin goalie McClellan makes NCAA DI commitment
February 12, 2019
Ladder of Development: Prior to playing in the NAHL this year for the Austin Bruins, goaltender Kyle McClellan spent four seasons playing in the NAPHL for the CarShield AAA organization.
The Austin Bruins of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are proud to announce that goaltender Kyle McClellan have committed to play NCAA Division I hockey for Mercyhurst University in Atlantic Hockey.
McClellan, 19, is amidst a strong rookie season for the Bruins, backstopping the black and gold to a record 14-9-4 through 28 games. The 6’1/170 lbs. native of Manchester, Missouri, also boasts the league’s fifth-lowest goals-against average at 2.03 and a save percentage of .925, which is tied for 10th in the NAHL.
McClellan is another great example of the Ladder of Development success between the NAHL and the NAPHL. Before playing with the Bruins, McClellan honed his skills in the NAPHL playing for CarShield AAA near his hometown in Missouri.
During the 2017-18 season, McClellan was named to the All-NAPHL 18U 2nd Team and also played in the 2018 NAPHL 18U All-Star Game. During the 2017-18 regular season, he posted a perfect 8-0 record with a 1.11 goals against average and a .958 save percentage.
“I felt that Mercyhurst was the school that gave me the best opportunity to develop as a player. Throughout the whole process, they showed a really strong commitment to me,” said McClellan.
With the commitment, the netminder becomes the eighth rostered Bruins’ player to have secured a future at the collegiate level. In addition, McClellan will join fellow Bruin Garrett Dahm at Mercyhurst University in northwestern Pennsylvania and he becomes the second goalie to commit this season following R.P.I.-bound, Brett Miller. Other Bruins with college commitments include Ben Almquist (University of Wisconsin), Dylan Davies (R.P.I), Arvid Henrikson (Lake Superior State), Carson Riddle (Western Michigan) and Levi Stauber (Michigan Tech).
