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Whalers McManus Commits to Utica College

By Whaler Nation, 10/09/16, 8:30PM EDT

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#27 Vaden McManus

"Vaden McManus represents the most recent Hampton Roads Whaler to make his commitment to University at the prestigious Utica College", stated Whalers GM Patrick Cavanagh. "After a brief conversation with Head Coach Gary Heenan, he attended our hosted USPHL showcase, watched a couple of games and asked Vaden to become a Pioneer next season. Vaden's skill sets and compete levels are extraordinary, I expect he will rise to the top at Utica College as he continues his athletic & scholastic journey under the high expectations of Coach Heenan. This is certainly a great achievement, all of us at Whaler Nation share the excitement with the McManus family."

The Hampton Roads Jr. Whalers are proud to announce that 1996 defenseman Vaden McManus from Fayetteville, NC has committed to playing NCAA hockey next season for the Utica College Pioneers.

The 5’10, 170lbs veteran defenseman has tallied 12 points in his first 12 games on 2 goals and 10 assists this season for the Whalers, including 1 power play goal, 4 power play assists and 25 penalty minutes, good for 6th on the team and 1st among defenseman in scoring.  Vaden was named USPHL defensive player of the year for his week 1 performance against the Potomac Patriots with a 7 point weekend.

"Utica College is proud to announce that Hampton Roads defenseman Vaden McManus has committed to playing for the Pioneers next season”, stated UC head coach Gary Heenan. “After watching Vaden at the last two USPHL showcases it became clear that he was an elite player. Vaden skates very well and is a pure puck mover - we look forward to having him in Utica. We are very pleased with our prior Whaler commitments and look to continue this recruiting relationship for years to come."

"Vaden has made an immediate impact on the Whaler program", stated Whaler head coach Rod Taylor. "He is a very skilled, intense, and passionate player.  An offensive minded defenseman, I expect him to continue contributing offensively all year.  His speed and agility make him a force to be reckoned with.  He is a leader on and off the ice . I am certain Vaden will make a positive impact on Utica's program just as quickly as he has here.  He is a key player for us and I have high expectations of him, I am sure he won't disappoint".

"I decided to join the Whalers for my last year of junior hockey for a couple reasons", stated McManus. "The Whalers have a great history for moving players on to the next level and are a championship contender every year. So far my decision to join the Whalers has been amazing. We have started off the season 9-0-1 and I have achieved my goal of committing to Utica, my top school. I'd like to thank my family and the Whaler organization for their help and support. Even though my personal goal was achieved, the team goal has yet to be completed, win the elite championship".  

Utica College is located in Utica, NY and competes in the NCAA ECAC West division.

McManus becomes the Whalers 1st commit of the 2016-17 after a year in which the Whalers saw 13 college commitments.  He will join former Whalers Alex Brissette and Jacob Gerson on the Pioneers roster.