Niagara University, N.Y.—Niagara hockey head coach Jason Lammers has announced the roster ahead of the 2023-24 season. Niagara returns 18 student-athletes from last season while welcoming 11 to the program.
Niagara welcomes six freshmen while five student-athletes will join the program as transfers.
Lammers who is entering his seventh season at the helm for Niagara spoke very highly of the incoming class. "We are excited to welcome the next generation of Purple Eagles to our NU Family. These men will add value to our UNCOMMON culture through their personalities and previous experiences! We are committed to investing in their development as people, students and players."
Freshmen
Aron Jessli | Forward | Lørenskog, NOR | Pickering Panthers (OJHL)
Jessli started his Junior 'A' career in 2021 as he joined the Pickering Panthers of the OJHL after playing 2021-22 in Finland with Lukko U18 of the U18 SM-Sarja league. In his first season in Pickering, he skated in 43 games while netting 11 goals and 16 assists. In 2022-23, he led Pickering with 25 goals and 43 assists in 52 games. He was ranked 117th for North American skaters in the mid-season NHL Central Scouting rankings.
Steven Kesslering | Forward |Viceroy, Sask. | Battlefords North Stars (SJHL)
Kesslering has spent the last four seasons with the Battlefords North Stars of the SJHL. The last two seasons he has scored 20 or more goals. In 2021 he scored 23 times while adding 23 assists in 58 games. 2022-23 was a breakout season as he scored 40 times and added 29 assists in 54 games. In the SJHL playoffs he was named Playoff MVP while also serving as assistant captain in his final season with the North Stars.
Cole Mickel | Defense | Broomfield, CO | Wisconsin Windigo (NAHL)
Mickel is a product of the NAHL as he spent the last three seasons in the NAHL. He started his Junior 'A' career with the Minot Minotauros from 2020-22 before finishing his junior career with the Wisconsin Windigo in 2022-23. In 20-21 he played in 46 games while scoring twice and adding 17 assists. While serving as captain with Minot in 21-22 he played 53 games while scoring 11 times and adding 19 assists from the blueline, he was top point getting defensemen on the team. He closed his junior career in 22-23 skating in 58 games while tallying two goals and 26 assists.
Jack Richard | Forward | Stoney Creek, Ont. | Burlington Cougars (OJHL)
Richard joins the Purple Eagles after playing three full seasons with the Burlington Cougars of the OJHL. He started his junior career in 2019-20 in which he skated in 50 games and notched seven goals and added 12 assists. His 2020-21 season was canceled due to COVID-19 but in 2021-22 he played in 46 games and had 61 points. He scored 35 times and dished out 26 assists. In his final season in 2022-23 he served as captain while scoring 53 goals in 52 games while also notching 35 assists. He led his team in scoring and in points.
Lukas Silvennoinen | Goalie | Turku, FIN | Jukurit U20 (U20 SM-Sarja)
The native of Finland comes to North America after competing for Jukurit U20 of the U20 SM-sarja league for the last three seasons. In the last three seasons for Jukurit U20 he has appeared in 20 or more games including a career-high 28 in 2022-23 in which he had a 16-7-0 record. Along with the 16 wins he had a 2.45 goals-against-average and a .906 save percentage. He has appeared on the international stage on two separate occasions for Finland once on the U17 team in 2018-19 and on the U18 team in 19-20.
Tyler Wallace | Forward | Calgary, AB / Blackfalds Bulldogs (AJHL)
Wallace joins Niagara following a four-year career in the AJHL, he spent three seasons with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons before closing out his career with the Blackfalds Bulldogs. In 21-22 with Fort McMurray, he served as assistant captain and tallied 23 goals and 35 assists in 58 games. This past season he also served as assistant captain with Blackfalds as he scored 42 goals and added 42 assists in 54 games.
Transfers
Jarrett Fiske | Goalie | Erie, Pa. | American International (Atlantic Hockey) | Graduate Student
Fiske joins Niagara after a four-year career at Atlantic Hockey rival AIC. Despite playing just four games from 2019-22, the Erie native had a breakout season in 2022-23 as he started in 24 games while having a .923 save percentage and a 2.38 goals against average. Following the regular season, Fiske was named the AHA goaltending champion as he had a 1.91 goals-against average in conference play and a .931 save percentage in AHA play. He was also named to the All-Atlantic Hockey Second Team by the league's coaches.
Jaedon Leslie | Forward | St. Alberta, AB | Ohio State (B1G) | Graduate Student
After playing four seasons with Ohio State, Leslie comes to Monteagle Ridge with 103 career collegiate games which included a career high 39 games in 2022-23. In his career he has 14 goals and nine assists along with 107 shots. He scored his first collegiate goal on Feb. 1, 2020, as the Buckeyes beat Michigan. As a junior and senior at Ohio State, the St. Alberta, AB native served as an assistant captain. He was a three time Academic All-Big Ten honoree while with the Buckeyes. Prior to joining OSU, he played with the Fort McMurray Oil Barons of the AJHL.
Alex Murray | Defense | Glennview, Ill. | Miami (OH) (NCHC) | Junior
Murray spent his first two seasons of collegiate hockey with Miami (OH) and suited up in 25 games for the Redhawks. The defensemen played in 19 games this past season while notching three assists. He blocked seven shots as a sophomore. Prior to joining Miami (OH), he played his final junior season with the Lone Star Brahmas of the NAHL in which he scored six goals and added 16 assists in 54 games.
Connor Mylymok | Forward | Wilcox, Sask. | Alaska-Fairbanks (NCAA) | Junior
C. Mylymok brings two years of collegiate experience to the Niagara program as he spent two seasons with Alaska-Fairbanks who plays an independent schedule. In his first season with the Nanooks, he skated in 18 games and had six points on three goals and three assists. As a sophomore he skated in 29 games while notching eight points with seven assists. He scored his collegiate goal against RPI on Dec. 14, 2021, which was the eventual game winning goal. He closed out his junior career in 2020-21 with the Austin Bruins of the NAHL while serving as captain.
Luke Mylymok | Forward | Wilcox, Sask. | Minnesota-Duluth (NCHC) | Senior
L. Mylymok joins his older brother with the Purple Eagles after playing three seasons with Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. Across three seasons with UMD he played in 53 games while notching 14 points. In 2022-23 he set career highs in games played (31), goals (three), assists (five), and points (eight). He netted his first goal of collegiate career on Jan. 8, 2021, against St. Cloud State. His biggest goal as a Bulldog came in the NCAA Tournament as he scored the game winner in the fifth overtime of the Fargo Regional Final to move the Bulldogs to the NCAA Frozen Four. The game is longest game in NCAA Tournament history. In his final season of junior hockey, he played a combined 40 games between the Green Bay Gamblers (USHL) and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL) and scored 14 goals and added nine assists.
Connor and Luke Mylymok become just the fifth set of brothers to suit up for the Purple Eagles and the first since Dylan and Zach Mills played together in the 2018-19 season.
Shane Ott is the top returning point getter for the Purple Eagles as had 28 (10G, 18A) points as a sophomore. Carter Randklev scored 13 goals last season and is the top goal scorer coming back from 2022-23. Glebs Prohorenkovs scored 12 goals and added six assists as a freshman. Josef Mysak returns for his senior season with the Purple Eagles and will anchor the blueline along with Noah Carlin who enters his junior season with the Purple Eagles. Ryan Ouellette is the lone goaltender returning for the Purple Eagles after appearing in two games last season.
Last week, Niagara announced the full 2023-24 schedule. The Purple Eagles open the regular season on Oct. 13 as they travel to Omaha for a two-game series. Niagara plays Mercyhurst on Oct. 21 for their home opener.
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