Nine Players to Join Hockey's 2017-18 Freshman Class

2017-18 Roster

BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Bowling Green State University hockey head coach Chris Bergeron announces nine incoming players for the 2017-18 season. The freshman class consists of five forwards, two defensemen and two goaltenders.

The incoming class of nine will join the Falcons 19 returning players in 12 forwards, six defensemen and one goaltender. Bowling Green will open the 2017-18 campaign on Oct. 1 in a 3 p.m. exhibition matchup at home against Wilfrid Laurier.

Forwards

Sam Craggs – Elmhurst, Ill. – Waterloo Black Hawks (USHL)
A 6-foot-2, 195-pound native of Elmhurst, Ill., Craggs played one season with Team Illinois U16 team prior to the 2014-15 season with Team Illinois U18 team. The forward posted 15 goals and eight assists for 23 points in 26 games played with Team Illinois U18, prior to starting his junior hockey career with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders of the USHL, where he marked one goal in three games played. Craggs then played the 2015-16 season with the Springfield Jr. Blues of the NAHL, where he marked 17 goals and 11 assists for 28 points in 47 games played. Most recently, Craggs played 15 games with the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL before completing the 2016-17 season by 23 games with the Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL, where he registered a total of three goals and 11 assists in USHL play, in addition to his 28 points of NAHL competition. Sam Craggs is the younger brother of Bowling Green sophomore forward Lukas Craggs.

Connor Ford – Pittsburgh, Pa. – Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
A 6-foot-0, 185-pound native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Ford played two years of varsity hockey at Shattuck St. Mary's from 2014-16, where he tallied 27 goals and 37 assists for 64 points in 95 games played with the Sabres. Ford then played junior hockey with the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL, where he marked nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points with the Musketeers, in addition to completing the season with a plus-20 rating on ice. Additionally, Ford played with the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite U16 and U18 teams from 2013-14, prior to enrolling at Shattuck St. Mary's.

Max Johnson – Lakeville, Minn. – Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
A 5-foot-10, 183-pound native of Lakeville, Minn., Johnson was a two-year hockey letterwinner at Lakeville North High School. Johnson played three years of varsity hockey at Lakeville North under head coach Trent Eigner, where the Panthers posted a 31-0-0 record to win the State Championship in 2015. The forward served as team captain for the 2015-16 season and totaled 138 points with 62 goals and 76 assists throughout three seasons on the varsity team. After graduation, Johnson played junior hockey with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL, where he tallied 12 goals and eight assists for 20 points.

Brandon Kruse – Saline, Mich. – Brookings Blizzard (NAHL)
A 5-foot-9, 155-pound native of Saline, Mich., Kruse played junior hockey with the Brookings Blizzard of the NAHL, where he registered 16 goals and 30 assists for 46 points through 59 games played. Prior to juniors, Kruse played with the Belle Tire U16 program from 2014-16, where he tallied 18 goals and 30 assists. Additionally, Kruse won the state championship with the Belle Tire Bantam Major AAA team in 2014, a season in which he marked nine goals and 17 assists for 26 points in 27 games played.

Cameron Wright – Newmarket, Ontario – St. Michael's Buzzers (OJHL)
A 6-foot-1, 200-pound native of Newmarket, Ontario, Wright played junior hockey with the St. Michael's Buzzers of the OJHL, where he tallied 63 goals and 67 assists for a total of 130 points through 136 games played with the Buzzers. Prior to juniors, Wright played with the South Central Coyotes AAA team for the 2013-14 season, in which he tallied 40 points by 21 goals and 19 assists through 33 games played. In addition, Wright joined the Richmond Hill Coyotes Midget AAA for seven games in 2014-15 and notched seven points, and was named Grade 10 Athlete of the Year at Sir William Mulock Secondary School.

Defensemen

Carson Musser – Grand Rapids, Mich. – Fargo Force (USHL)
A 6-foot-1, 200-pound native of Grand Rapids, Mich., Musser played four years with the Michigan Nationals program, beginning with the Michigan Nationals U16 team where he posted two goals and three assists in 19 games played. Musser then tallied four assists in eight games played with the Michigan Nationals U18 team. At Northview High School, Musser served as team captain for the lacrosse team and was a member of the National Honor Society. The defenseman played junior hockey with the Fargo Force of the USHL, where he tallied 19 points with two goals and 17 assists through two seasons with the Force, in addition to a +17 rating on ice.

Justin Wells – North Canton, Ohio – Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)
A 6-foot-4, 200-pound native of North Canton, Ohio, Wells played junior hockey with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL, where he totaled three goals and 17 assists for 20 points through 102 games played with the Stampede from 2015-17. Wells most recently finished the 2016-17 season with the Stampede with a plus-6 rating on ice, after playing two seasons with the Cleveland Barons U16 team, where he registered 30 points in 68 games. Wells also previously played Cleveland Barons Bantam Major from 2011-13. Justin Wells is the son of Jeff Wells, a defenseman for the Bowling Green Hockey program from 1990-94.

Goaltenders

Eric Dop – Lewis Center, Ohio – Tri-City Storm (USHL)
A 6-foot-0, 170-pound native of Lewis Center, Ohio, Dop played junior hockey with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL, where he marked a 2.92 goals against average and .906 save percentage through 30 games played. Dop marked a total of six games played with the Minot Minotauros of the NAHL, in which he posted a 1.00 GAA and .968 save percentage in the 2015-16 season, and a 1.80 GAA and .945 save percentage in the 2016-17 season. Prior to playing juniors, Dop previously played two seasons with the Ohio Blue Jackets U16 team, where he marked a 1.47 GAA and .952 save percentage through 18 games played with the Ohio Blue Jackets U18 team in the 2015-16 season. A member of the National Honor Society and a multi-sport athlete, Dop also played golf at Olentangy High School.

Brett Rich – Bowling Green, Ohio – Bowling Green High School
A 6-foot-3, 190-pound native of Bowling Green, Ohio, Rich was a three-year letterwinner at Bowling Green High School as a goaltender. Most recently in the 2016-17 season, Rich was named First Team All-League and First Team All-State in addition to Team MVP. In his junior campaign, Rich earned All-League Honorable Mention for the 2015-16 season. In Rich's senior season, he posted a goals against average of 1.87, paired with a .937 save percentage through 29 games played. A multi-sport athlete, Rich also lettered in Golf, Baseball and Track and Field and was named First Team All-League and Second Team All-District for golf in the 2016-17 season. Rich was also a member of the National Honors Society from 2015-17 at Bowling Green High School.

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Players Mentioned

Lukas Craggs

Sam Craggs

Eric Dop

Connor Ford

Max Johnson

Brandon Kruse

Carson Musser

Brett Rich

Justin Wells

Cameron Wright

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