Hockey Inks Four More in Spring Signing Period

TEMPE, Ariz. – Sun Devil Hockey announced their 2018 spring signing class on Wednesday, which included four additional student-athletes along with the three from the fall signing day for a total of seven for 2017-18. 
 
The four new Sun Devils includes at least one at each position, including forward P.J. Marrocco, defensemen Jarrod Gourley and Connor Stuart, and goaltender Evan DeBrouwer.
 
"This class of eight players really helps us round out our roster from a skill-set standpoint and gives us tremendous depth up and down our lineup," said head coach Greg Powers. "I think what our fans will see particularly with this class is a level of skill that we haven't necessarily had.  What really excites me most about adding this group is it will allow us to play everyone on our roster to their strengths as hockey players.  All seven of these players complement our team very well and we are eagerly anticipating putting it all together this season."
 
Marrocco comes to Arizona State most recently from the Chilliwack Chiefs in the BCHL, where he played in 28 games with 11 goals and 12 assists. He tacked on another two goals and an assist in a seven-game opening round playoff series loss to the Prince George Spruce Kings, and currently owns an assist in two games of the RBC Cup (Canada's National Junior A Championships). He also started the season and finished the prior season with the Bonnyville Pontiacs in the AJHL, where he played with fellow 2017-18 Sun Devil signee Derek Brown. In 87 games with the Pontiacs, he netted 50 goals and 38 assists for just over a point-per-game average.

P.J. Marrocco, Forward ('97)

SEASON	TEAM	LEAGUE	GP	G	A	P
2017-18	Chilliwack Chiefs*	BCHL	7	2	1	3
	Chilliwack Chiefs	BCHL	28	11	12	23
	Bonnyville Pontiacs "A"	AJHL	28	22	19	41
2016-17	Bonnyville Pontiacs	AJHL	59	28	19	47

*BCHL Playoffs

"P.J. is one of the hardest working forwards in Western Canadian Jr. hockey," said Powers. "He has developed into a player that can really score, but I think it's important to note that he has great habits in all three zones, so he can project to play just about any role in college. Having a guy who we can move wherever we need him in our lineup will prove to be invaluable and is a luxury we haven't really had in the infant stages of our program."
 
Gourley, who stands at 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds, had a coming out year for the AJHL's Spruce Grove Saints with nine goals and 18 assists in 43 games. In the AJHL playoffs, he helped the Saints capture the AJHL Championship behind three goals and five assists in 13 games. He becomes the fourth former Saint to join the movement to Tempe, along with current Devils' Tyler Busch, Dylan Hollman and Riley Simpson.
 
Jarrod Gourley, Defenseman ('99)

SEASON	TEAM	LEAGUE	GP	G	A	P
2017-18	Spruce Grove Saints "A"*	AJHL	13	3	5	8
	Spruce Grove Saints "A"	AJHL	43	9	18	27
2016-17	Spruce Grove Saints	AJHL	56	1	9	10
2015-16	Brooks Bandits	AJHL	27	1	6	7

*AJHL Playoffs

"Jarrod has really developed nicely into a true two-way defenseman this season in Spruce Grove," said Powers. "I think for a long time he was looked at only as a big, physical, shut-down d-man, but he has expanded his game nicely by putting in a tremendous amount of work. His physicality will really help our back end immensely."

Like fall signee Demetrios Koumontzis, Stuart gets the opportunity to return home to play collegiate hockey. The Phoenix-native grew up playing for the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes U16 and U18 teams from 2013-15 before entering juniors in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). After netting six goals and seven assists in 48 regular season games for the Brahmas this season, he continued to tack on another goal and four assists in eight postseason appearances. 

Connor Stuart, Defenseman ('97)

SEASON	TEAM	LEAGUE	GP	G	A	P
2017-18	Lone Star Brahmas "A"*	NAHL	8	1	4	5
	Lone Star Brahmas "A"	NAHL	51	7	14	21
	Philadelphia Rebels	NAHL	1	0	0	0
2016-17	Odessa Jackalopes	NAHL	48	6	7	13

*NAHL Playoffs

"We are thrilled to add a player and person of Connor's caliber this late in the game as it pertains to recruiting," said Powers. "Connor has really developed nicely throughout his junior career and we still feel his best hockey is ahead of him. He defends very well and I think has a skill set offensively that will continue to get better and better. What really separated him from everyone else was how badly he wanted to be a Sun Devil. That is what we want and expect out of local kids here in Arizona."

Last but certainly not least for the spring signing period is DeBrouwer, who helped lead the Prince George Spruce Kings to the BCHL Championship finals behind the best goals against average (1.96) and second-best save percentage (.925) in the postseason (min. 10 games started) through 24 games played. He also tied for first among all goalies in the playoffs with two shutouts. During the regular season, he played the third-most games of all BCHL goaltenders with a 26-14-0-4 record, .920 save percentage, 2.24 goals against average and three shutouts. All stats rank in the top-five of all BCHL netminders.
 
Evan DeBrouwer, Goaltender ('97)

SEASON	TEAM	LEAGUE	GP	Record	GAA	SV%
2017-18	Prince George Spruce Kings*	BCHL	24	13-11-0-0	2.12	0.925
	Prince George Spruce Kings	BCHL	45	26-14-0-4	2.24	0.920
2016-17	Nanaimo Clippers	AJHL	39	15-23-0-0	3.15	0.894

*2018 BCHL Playoffs

"Evan is a 6-foot-3, athletic and smooth goaltender that can play the puck tremendously well," said Powers. "What he's done in Prince George this season is really impressive and we think we are getting a very high-end goaltender that projects to be a great college goaltender. He will instantly give us great depth at the most important position on our roster."
 
Fall Signing Class
 
Demetrios Koumontzis, Forward, ('00)

SEASON	TEAM	LEAGUE	GP	G	A	P
2017-18	Edina H.S. (Minnesota)	USHS	24	20	21	41
	Team Northeast	UMHSEHL	21	16	33*	49*
2016-17	Phoenix Jr. Coyotes U16	T1EHL U16	11	2	7	9
2015-16	Phoenix Jr. Coyotes U16	T1EHL U16	32	15	14	29

*Led Minnesota Elite League
 
Koumontzis enters the 2018 NHL Draft ranked No. 140 among North American skaters after ending his first Minnesota high school season with 20 goals and 21 assists, along with an additional two goals and two assists in three postseason games. He was also a finalist for the Minnesota Mr. Hockey award, which is annually given to the state's most outstanding senior high school player. The former Zoni brings an offensive prowess for the Sun Devils in 2018-19. 

Josh Maniscalco, Defenseman ('99)

SEASON	TEAM	LEAGUE	GP	G	A	P
2017-18	Dubuque Fighting Saints "C"	USHL	57	9	23	32
2016-17	USNTDP Juniors	USHL	27	4	2	6
	U.S. National U17 Team	USDP	15	2	0	2
	U.S. National U18 Team	USDP	42	2	10	12

 
Maniscalco wrapped up a phenomenal first year in Dubuque, finishing seventh in the USHL in scoring among defensemen. His nine goals ranked tied for 3rd, while his three power-play tallies also put him in a tie for the third-most. As the first U.S. National Development Program player to dawn the Maroon & Gold next season, coach Powers expects big things from the 6-foot-1, 200-pound two-way defenseman. 

Jordan Sandhu, Forward ('99)

SEASON	TEAM	LEAGUE	GP	G	A	P
2017-18	Vernon Vipers*	BCHL	10	2	6	8
	Vernon Vipers	BCHL	51	10	21	31
2016-17	Alberni Valley Bulldogs	BCHL	53	10	20	30
2015-16	Alberni Valley Bulldogs	BCHL	44	5	33	38

*2018 BCHL Playoffs

Sandhu tallied his second-straight multi-goal season in 2017-18 for the Vipers, while netting another two for a total of eight points in the postseason. At 5-foot-7 and 155 pounds, his added speed and goal-scoring ability stacks the firepower of the incoming class.