Pecknold Announces Men's Ice Hockey Newcomers

HAMDEN, Conn. – Quinnipiac men's ice hockey head coach Rand Pecknold has announced the incoming class for the 2020-21 season as the Bobcats added six newcomers to the program.

The Bobcats newcomers include Nick Bochen, Joey Cipollone, Corey Clifton, Tyler Ghirardosi, Iivari Räsänen and Ty Smilanic.

Quinnipiac's incoming first years include three forwards and two defenseman hailing from the United States, Canada and Finland. The Bobcats Class of 2024 features one player from the United States National Development Team Program, two players from the BCHL, one from the USHL and one from the NAHL. Quinnipiac also adds a transfer forward, Cipollone, from the University of Vermont.

The Bobcats graduated an impressive trio of players in 2020 in Karlis Cukste, Nick Jermain and Alex Whelan, a class which was Co-Cleary Cup Champions in 2018-19 and helped bring the Bobcats back to the NCAA Tournament in 2019 and reached the Midwest Regional Finals against the eventual 2019 national champion Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs.

All three signed professional contracts, the second straight year an entire Quinnipiac class signed a professional hockey contract.

Quinnipiac's newcomers come to Hamden and look to bolster a team that includes 21 returners from a team that finished the 2019-20 season with a 21-11-2 record in the regular season before the playoffs were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

#2 Iivari Räsänen Iivari Rasanen Skates with Finland U-18 National Team

Iivari Rasanen Skates with Finland U-18 National Team

Defenseman
Tampere, Finland
Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)

Played 45 games for the Muskegon Lumberjacks in 2019-20 where he registered four goals and 14 assists for 18 points
Started off the season with five assists in nine games for Tappara U20 in Finland
Also suited up for two games with the Finland U20 National Team
Captained Finland's U18 National Team at the 2018 IIHF U18 World Championships where he registered an assist in five games
Played 30 total games in 2018-19 with Finland's U18 National Team
Suited up the majority of the season for Tappara U20 where he totaled 31 points on six goals and 25 assists in 49 games
Played 50 games with Tappara U20 in 2017-18 where he tallied four goals 14 assists for 18 points before adding another assist in nine playoff games
Saw action in 22 games with Finland's national teams at the U17 and U18 level
Previously spent two seasons with Tappara U18 in 2015-16 and 2016-17, where he was an assistant captain
Recorded 33 points on 11 goals and 22 assists in 83 regular season games between the two season

#8 Nick Bochen Nick Bochen Passes Puck for Prince George Spruce Kings

Defenseman
North Vancouver, British Columbia
Prince George Spruce Kings (BCHL)

Spent two full seasons with the Prince George Spruce Kings and part of a third from 2018-20
Scored six goals and added 27 assists for 33 points in 44 games in 2019-20 before adding a goal and assist in four playoff games
Won the 2018-19 Fred Page Cup as BCHL Champions and defeated the AJHL-Champion Brooks Bandits in the Doyle Cup
Prince George was also the runner-up at the 2019 National Junior-A Championship where he had a goal and two assists in six games
Named to the 2018-19 BCHL All-Rookie Team after tallying eight goals and 30 assists for 38 points in 57 regular season games
Scored a goal in five games with Prince George in 2017-18 after nine goals and 20 assists in 32 games with Burnaby Winter Club Prep in the CSSHL

#17 Joey Cipollone Joey Cipollone Skates for Vermont

Forward
Purchase, New York
Vermont (HEA) / Tri-City Storm (USHL)

Scored five goals and added an assist for six points with the Tri-City Storm after transferring out of Vermont where he had three goals and an assist in 13 games
Cipollone was tied for the team-lead with three goals through the first half of the 2019-20 season with the Catamounts
Led Vermont in goals with nine and was tied for fourth on the team in points with 16 as a first year in 2018-19
Scored five goals and had eight assists for 13 points in 60 games during his first stint with Tri-City in 2017-18
Named to the USHS Second Team All-New England in 2016-17 in his second season at The Loomis Chaffee School
Led Loomis Chafee in scoring in both 2015-16 and 2016-17 with 39 points and 32 points, respectively where he had 17 goals and 22 assists in his first season and 16 goals and 16 assists in his second year with the team

#18 Corey Clifton Corey Clifton Skating for Austin Bruins

Forward
Matawan, New Jersey
Austin Bruins (NAHL)

Finished the 2019-20 season with the Austin Bruins in the NAHL where he recorded an assist in 13 games
Also spent time with the NAHL's Corpus Christi IceRays and BCHL's Trail Smoke Easters in 2019-20
Scored four goals and tallied five assists in 19 games with Trail
Played the 2018-19 season with the Surrey Eagles in 2018-19, registering 25 points on seven goals and 18 assists
Spent two seasons with the North Jersey Avalanche U18 from 2016-18 and three seasons with Christian Brothers Academy from 2014-17
Won back-to-back AYHL Championships with the Avalanche
Saw time in five games with the USHL's Muskegon Lumberjacks to close out the 2017-18 season where he had two assists.

#25 Tyler Ghirardosi Tyler Ghirardosi Skates for Trail Smoke Eaters

Forward
Trail, British Columbia
Trail Smoke Eaters (BCHL)

Played parts of five seasons with the Trail Smoke Eaters, including three full seasons from 2017-20
Served as the assistant captain of the Smoke Eaters in 2019-20
Registered a total of 51 goals and 60 assists for 111 points in 157 career games with the Smoke Eaters
Scored 18 goals and chipped in 14 assists for 32 points in 38 games in 2019-20
Had a career-high 23 assists with 14 goals for 37 points in 55 regular season games before totaling two goals and nine assists in 12 playoff games in 2018-19
Posted one of his best seasons with Trail as a rookie in 2017-18 as he scored a career-high 19 goals to go with 20 assists for 40 points in 57 games played
Scored eight goals and added two assists in 12 playoff games In his rookie season as Trail reached the semifinals of the Fred Page Cup playoffs
Won the 2016-17 KIJHL Championship with the Beaver Valley NiteHawks
Totaled 69 points on 32 goals and 37 assists in two seasons with the NiteHawks in the KIJHL from 2015-17

#96 Ty Smilanic Ty Smilanic Skates with Puck for USA

Forward
Denver, Colorado
United States National Team Development Program

Spent the last two seasons with the USNTDP
Skated in 34 games in 2019-20 with the US U18 National Team where he recorded seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points
Added two goals and six assists in 14 games against NCAA opponents and had a goal and four assists in seven international contests
Played in 54 games in 2018-19 with the US U17 National Team where he scored 20 goals and added 18 assists for 38 points
Scored a goal in his only game with the U18 squad in 2018-19
Also recorded two goals and an assist in five games at the World U17 Hockey Challenge
Prior to his time with the USNTDP, Smilanic played two seasons with the Colorado Thunderbirds U16 team
Scored 90 points on 35 goals and 55 points in 69 games from 2016-18, including career-highs of 25 goals, 35 assists and 60 points in 2017-18 where he led the T1EHL in assists and points
Won the T1EHL Championship in 2016-17 with the Thunderbirds

Schedule

Players Mentioned

Karlis Cukste

Nick Jermain

Alex Whelan

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Quinnipiac University Athletics

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