"Ryan was a huge part of the Whalers Championship team", stated Owner/GM Patrick Cavanagh.  "His work ethic was only trumped by his commitment to our team and our objectives.  He will be an outstanding addition to coach Krogal's program at Morrisville State".

The Hampton Roads Jr. Whalers are proud to announce that 5'8, 170lb, 1995 forward Ryan Bochert has committed to play NCAA college hockey for Morrisville State in the fall. 

Bochert, a Thornton, CO native, is in his 1st full season with the Whalers after appearing in 4 games last season as an affiliate player with the Johnstown Tomahawks in the NAHL.  Ryan notched 22 goals and 26 assists for 48 points in 42 games for the USPHL Elite Champion Whalers, ranking him 5th on the team in scoring.  Bochert add 4 power play goals, 5 power play assists, 1 shorthanded goal, and 4 game winning goals on the campaign.

In the postseason, Bochert rose to the occasion, leading the Whalers in scoring with 10 points on 5 goals and 5 assists, including a 2 goal performance in the championship game against the Florida Eels.   6 of Ryan’s 10 points in the post season came on the man advantage, as Ryan tallied 2 power play goals and 4 power play assists, while adding 1 game winning goal which came March 9th in a 3-1 win over Syracuse.  In total, Ryan competed in 52 games for the blue and green, tallying 61 points on 29 goals and 32 assists, including 7 power play goals, 10 power play assists, and 6 game winning goals.

“My time with the Whalers started last season when I played a showcase with them”, stated Bochert. “After the showcase I knew that the Whalers were a very professional program by the way it was ran by coach Rod Taylor and Patrick Cavanagh.  During the season Mr. Cavanagh and Coach Taylor did such a fantastic job creating a family environment on the team. We all put the team before ourselves and that is why I think we had such a successful season. The coaching staff has a lot of experience and really helped me and others prepare to play at the next level. I have learned so much and have improved my game exponentially from listening to coach Rod. I am very excited to start a new chapter in my life with Morrisville State”.

“Ryan plays a very physical, hard hitting game”, stated Elite Head Coach Rod Taylor.  “He is fearless, and plays with a strong passion for the game with a never say quit attitude.  He has a high hockey IQ and is a great team mate on and off the ice.  He was one of the most clutch players down the stretch as swept our way to the championship title, including scoring 2 of the 3 goals in the championship game.  His intensity and drive was apparent on every shift.  I am very happy to have had the opportunity to coach Ryan and I know that he will be a big asset to the Mustangs program for the next 4 years”.

Morrisville State is located in Morrisville, NY.  The Mustangs compete in the prestigious NCAA D3 SUNYAC conference.

Bochert becomes the Whalers 9th commitment from the 2015-16 season, joining Jacob Lainesse (Stevenson), Jacob Gerson (Utica), Dustin White (Bryn Athyn), Radek Sawicki (Polish National Team), Brendan Stengel (Slippery Rock), Christian Johansen (Mercyhurst), Jared Gale (Slippery Rock), and Nick Gimbel (George Mason).  The Whalers will be announcing more commitments in the coming days; stay tuned to www.whalernation.com for more commitment announcements.