Niagara suffered a huge loss when coach Dave Burkholder announced that the team’s second leading scorer, freshman forward Jeremy Hall, has left the school to return to his old junior team, the Danville Wings of the USHL.
Burkholder did not reveal the reason for Hall’s departure, merely citing “personal reasons.”
But his new junior coach, Tom “Chico” Adrahtas indicated that Hall was not really comfortable in Niagara.
“Jeremy had made it clear that he wasn’t happy with his experience in Niagara. It was not the right fit for him and for what he wanted to get out of his Division I experience,” he said. “He knew that he had a limited time of junior eligibility left, so he had to make a decision to find a situation that was a little better fit for him.”
Hall, a native of Mays Landing, N.J., had earned wide acclaim as a future star, with 18 points on 11 goals and seven assists thus far this year. He had six multiple-point games and scored two goals in a game three times.
“Jeremy is a very coachable young man, and who’s very effective both physically andwith his skill,” Adrahtas said. “He learned last year in Danville the outer reaches of his ability that he can be an impact player at whatever level he will play at. Jeremy has aspirations beyond college.”
This move indicates Hall has professional aspirations. He will attend a local junior college, taking advantage of the “4-2-4” rule.
“The move just kind of happened,” Adrahtas said. “It’s not like we initiated any contact and said that hey you have to play for us. He was certainly scoring and producing for Niagara.”
His production is one of the major reasons that the Purple Eagles are currently in first place in the CHA, especially because last year’s leading scorer, senior forward Joe Tallari, has struggled with only eight points this season.
Niagara is 9-7-1 and a perfect 6-0-0 in the CHA
