Cochrane’s Braedan Cross secures NCAA commitment; Armbruster to attend school in Alberta

COCHRANE CRUNCH JR. A HOCKEY CLUB

Media Update

Release date: Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Cochrane’s Braedan Cross secures NCAA commitment; Armbruster to attend school in Alberta

COCHRANE, Ont. – Cochrane Crunch standout forward and the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League’s leading point producer during the 2016-17 season has secured an NCAA commitment to attend Manhattanville College and play for the Valiants men’s program starting in the fall.

The NOJHL’s Jimmy Connors Memorial Trophy recipient this past season as league scoring champion, Cross topped all skaters in offensive production with 82 points after scoring 37 times and doling out 45 assists.

The Sechelt, B.C., product, who wrapped up his junior career, was also named a NOJHL CCM Hockey second team all-star at left wing.

Cross earlier participated at the Eastern Canada Challenge Cup in Cornwall, Ont., this past November as a member of Team NOJHL.

Manhattanville competes out of the eight-school ECAC West Conference where they finished second overall last season.

Meanwhile another member of the Crunch program, in defenceman Taylor Armbruster, will be heading west to continue both his education and play hockey at the University of Alberta-Augustana in Camrose, Alta.

There the Vikings are members of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference where they ended up fourth among eight schools in 2016-17 with an 18-9-1 record.

Veteran D-man Armbruster played 95 NOJHL contests over the past two years for Cochrane picking up 42 points along the way on seven tallies and 22 assists.

“With over a third of their 2016-17 roster having already earned commitments to continue both their scholastic and hockey careers and 13 to date in two years, it is a testament to the tremendous job Ryan Leonard has accomplished with the Cochrane Crunch program,” offered NOJHL Commissioner Robert Mazzuca.

“The entire organization in Cochrane is to be commended for their impressive efforts in promoting their team and the NOJHL,” added Mazzuca.

The pair of commitments raises the club’s total to seven from the 2016-17 squad.

Konnar Dechaine – Wisconsin-Stout Univ. NCAA III
Brandon McReynolds – Wisconsin-Stevens Point NCAA III
Bailey Shaver – Northland College NCAA III
Joe Thielen – Curry College NCAA III
Nate Viberg – UMass-Boston NCAA III
Braedan Cross – Manhattanville College NCAA III
Taylor Armbruster – Alberta-Augustana ACAC

The Crunch will also host the 2nd Annual Polar Bear Classic Sept. 1-3 at both the Tim Horton Event Centre and Jus Jordan Arena in Iroquois Falls.

In the Jr. A division, Cochrane will compete against fellow NOJHL clubs Espanola Express and Kirkland Lake Gold Miners along with the Kingston Voyageurs of the Ontario Junior Hockey League.

Meanwhile the AAA midget division will feature the Timmins Majors, Kapuskasing Flyers, Soo Thunderbirds and the Rouyn Noranda Citadelle taking part.

For more information on the Cochrane Crunch, visit the team website at www.ifstormjra.com or on social media at twitter.com/CochraneCrunch or facebook.com/CochraneCrunch.