April 25, 2008
FAIRBANKS, AK -Alaska Nanooks interim head coach Dallas Ferguson announced the signing of three more hockey recruits to National Letters of Intent Friday. The student-athletes are as follows:
Aaron Gens is a 6-foot-1, 210-pound right-handed defenseman from Baudette, Minnesota, who is skates for the Topeka Roadrunners of the North American Hockey League. The 21-year old led the NAHL blueliners in scoring this season with 58 points (12 goals) and a plus-41 rating in 53 games.
A four-year NAHL veteran, Gens has been honored twice this season as the South Division Player of the Week, was named to the NAHL's All-South Division Team and is a finalist for the Dave Tyler Junior Player of the Year award: two things he has in common with his future teammate, Wichita Falls center Adam Cardwell.
Prior to joining Topeka, Gens played three seasons with the Santa Fe Roadrunners. After scoring three points in six games as a rookie, Gens proved offensively potent by doubling his offensive output from the year before with each new season. In 2004-05 he notched 10 points in 52 games and improved to 20 points in 60 contests in his final stint with Santa Fe.
"When recruiting Aaron there was a theme from everyone we spoke to: intelligent and poised," Ferguson said. "He has the ability to run a power play from up top and we are very proud to be adding a player of Aaron's ability and character to our program."
An intended business major, he will enroll at the university this fall with four years of NCAA eligibility remaining.
Joe Sova is a 6-foot-3, 190-pound, left-handed defenseman from Berwyn, Illinois. He spent the last three seasons playing in the United States Hockey League, spending his most recent stint with the West Division league champion Omaha Lancers. Sova led the Lancer defenseman in goals (seven) and was second-best for the blueliners with a plus-23 rating through 59 games.
He spent 2006-07 with Sioux City, scoring 23 points (four goals, 19 assists) and a plus-16 rating in 58 games, and notched seven points (two goals, five assists) in 40 games with the Waterloo Black Hawks as a rookie, when he was teammates with current Nanook defenseman Dustin Molle.
Prior to his junior hockey playing days, Sova was a member of the Chicago Mission team that captured the 2004 Illinois Regional and State Championships. With 14 goals and 48 assists for 62 points, he was named the Best Defenseman and honored as the midget minor league's Rookie of the Year.
"Joe is a defenseman that has the knack to make good decision with the puck," said Ferguson. "He anticipates the play well and is able to find the best option when advancing the puck. He is an experienced junior hockey player and will add maturity to the back end."
The 19-year-old Sova will study computer engineering at the UAF.
Justin Brossman is a 5-10, 185-pouand, right wing from West Linn, Oregon. He scored 27 points in 55 games as a rookie in the USHL this season with the Sioux City Musketeers, who rosters future Nanook defenseman Cody Butcher. Like Butcher, Brossman played the 2006-2007 season in the British Columbia Hockey League, totaling eleven goals and 20 points in 45 regular season games for the Vernon Vipers.
The 19-year-old prepped at Shattuck St. Mary's in Faribault, Minnesota, where prior to graduating in 2006, he had a career-best 70 points (35 goals, 35 assists) in 73 games. As a junior, he was a member of the Sabres team that captured the National Championship with a 52-13-7 mark. Additionally, he was a member of the Sabres varsity golf team during his junior and senior seasons and twice made the school's honor roll.
"Justin is a solid two-way player that is not afraid to work," said Ferguson. "For example, when I first saw him play, he caught my eye with his tenacious forechecking. However, he won me over when he was on the ice with a minute left in a one-goal game, when he blocked two shots and won a race to a loose puck to run the clock out. He contributes to a game in areas that are important to any team's success."
Brossman will pursue a degree in business administration at UAF.
Gens, Sova and Brossman are the three newest additions to the Nanooks recruiting class of 2008, which includes: forwards Ron Meyers (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan), Jarret Granberg (Foremost, Alberta), Jordan VanGilder (Lino Lakes, Minnesota), Erik Slemp (Red Deer, Alberta), Carlo Finucci (Burnaby, British Columbia), and Adam Cardwell (Long Beach, California) and defensemen Scott Enders (Edmonton, Alberta) and Kaare Odegard (Red Deer, Alberta) and Cody Butcher (Anchorage, Alaska).
