The National Collegiate Development Conference held its 2018 draft on May 16, re-stocking their collection of talent in the top level of the U.S. Premier Hockey League. The NCDC is a tuition-free, junior-level conference that aims to prepare players for Division-I NCAA hockey.
Rochester selected a pair of PIHL & under-18 Penguins Elite standouts as North Hills forward Matt Berner and Thomas Jefferson’s Matt Krieger were chosen by the NCDC representatives “Flower City”. Berner led the Indians on the stat sheet, posting 21 goals and eight assists in 19 games, while appearing in 56 games for Penguins Elite and registering five goals. Krieger also split the season between the Jaguars and Elite, tallying 11 goals in 11 games for TJ while amassing 17 goals in 54 games in Tier 1.
The Armstrong Arrows are represented by three-year starter Greg Smith, a 6-foot-2, 183-pound goaltender who posted a 33-8-1 record in their most recent campaign. The 17-year-old was selected by the Boston Bandits.
Valencia native William Foley, most recently of the U16 Oakland Jr. Grizzlies, was selected by the defending Dineen Cup champion Islanders Hockey Club. The defender scored two goals and added nine assists in 2017-18.
Thomas Jarman, a native of Gibsonia, was selected by the New Jersey Rockets. The defender spent the past three years in the Omaha Jr. Lancers system.
The PAL Jr. Islanders selected a player with a name that every hockey fan should recognize: Cameron Recchi. The son of Penguins assistant coach, three-time Stanley Cup champion and Hockey Hall-of-Famer Mark was selected out of Cushing Academy, where he scored 26 points in 63 games.
