The Bucks have added two more players to the roster, bolstering their forward ranks and adding a backstopper in between the pipes.
AJ Vasko, a forward, and Jacob Zacharewicz, a goaltender, have both committed to the team for next season, according to an announcement from the club on Monday.
Vasko, a 2002-born forward, played for the RINK Academy in Winnipeg while competing in the CSSHL last season where he scored 15 goals and collected 56 points in 31 games. He has played the last three seasons at the academy and captained his team this past year.
“Our staff is excited to add a player and person of AJ’s calibre to our hockey team for this season.” said Ryan Donald, the Head Coach and General Manager of the Cranbrook Bucks. “AJ represents a lot of the qualities that we look for in our players, enthusiastic, hard working and extremely competitive. This past season AJ was the captain of his team and it was obvious the more that we spoke with him that he would be a great fit for our team culture and the Cranbrook community.”
Zacharewicz played for Islanders Hockey Club of the NCDC — a U.S. collegiate development league on the East Coast — this past season, posting a .930 save percentage and 2.43 goals against average in 22 games. Hailing from Riverhead, NY, Zacharewicz, 19, is committed to Brown University’s NCAA Division 1 program for the 2022-23 season.
“Early in the roster building process it was important for us to identify a goaltender that was driven, highly competitive, and self motivated,” said Donald. “Jacob represents all of these things and more. With Jacob we are getting a goaltender that can step in and immediately give us a chance to win every night, while continuing to grow and evolved individually. He comes highly recommended from the coaching staff at Brown University where he is slated to enroll in the fall of 2022.”
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