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By: Alex Reed, Jacksonville Icemen JACKSONVILLE, FL – The Jacksonville Icemen signed Sam Sternschein for the 2022-2023 season. The Icemen, the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s New York Rangers and the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, signed the 24-year0old forward to a one-year deal. Sternschein joined the Icemen this past March and posted eight points (4g, 4a) in 11 games.  In addition, he also made three postseason appearances with the Icemen. Before Jacksonville, Sternschein (pronounced Stern-Shine) concluded his senior season at Boston College, where he posted three assists in 24 games.  The 6-2, 205-pound rookie forward also played four seasons at Penn State University from 2017-2021, totaling 42 points (28g, 14a) and winning a Big-10 Regular Season Championship in 2020. From 2015-2017 Sternschein played for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm, Cedar Rapids RoughRiders, and Lincoln Stars totaling 47 points (27g, 20a). Sternschein joins fellow forwards Jake Hamacher, Luke Keenan, Mike Szmatula, Matt Salhany, Brendan Harris, defensemen Jacob Panetta, Victor Hadfield, and Tim Theocharidis, as well as goaltender Charles Williams as players who have agreed to terms with the Icemen for the 2022-2023 season. The Icemen open the 2022-2023 season at home on October 22 against the Orlando Solar Bears.  Full and partial season ticket packages are currently available! Contact the Icemen office at 904-602-7825, or visit jacksonvilleicemen.com for more information. JACKSONVILLE ICEMEN HOME Read the full article

Nick Master Re-Signs With Mariners BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners PORTLAND, ME – July 27, 2020 – The Mariners added another forward to the mix for 2020-21, announcing the re-signing of Nick Master on Monday. Master originally became a Mariner at the end of the 2018-19 season, but missed the majority of 2019-20 with a wrist injury. “I’m really excited to get back on the ice with the guys considering last year was cut short for me,” said Master. “Seeing both sides of the game from being on the ice and watching last year really made me appreciate not only the game, but the city of Portland and their fan base.” Out of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, Master joined the Mariners in late March of 2019, after finishing his collegiate career. He found immediate success, registering seven points (three goals, four assists) in eight games with the Mariners down the stretch. The native of Broomall, PA then re-signed in the summer of 2019. On October 26th, 2019, while playing in his sixth game of 2019-20, Master suffered a wrist injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. He had scored one goal in six games. “Being injured last season gave me the opportunity to see what it takes at the pro level and what things I need to be prepared for this upcoming season, said Master. “I can’t stress enough how excited I am to play again and put on that Maine sweater.” Master, Read the full article

Speedy forward looks to bounce back after injury-plagued 2019-20 season BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners PORTLAND, ME – July 27, 2020 – The Mariners added another forward to the mix for 2020-21, announcing the re-signing of Nick Master on Monday. Master originally became a Mariner at the end of the 2018-19 season but missed the majority of 2019-20 with a wrist injury. “I’m really excited to get back on the ice with the guys considering last year was cut short for me,” said Master. “Seeing both sides of the game from being on the ice and watching last year really made me appreciate not only the game but the city of Portland and their fan base.” Out of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, Master joined the Mariners in late March of 2019, after finishing his collegiate career. He found immediate success, registering seven points (three goals, four assists) in eight games with the Mariners down the stretch. The native of Broomall, PA then re-signed in the summer of 2019. On October 26th, 2019, while playing in his sixth game of 2019-20, Master suffered a wrist injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. He had scored one goal in six games. “Being injured last season gave me the opportunity to see what it takes at the pro level and what things I need to be prepared for this upcoming season, said Master. “I can’t stress enough how excited I am to play again and put on that Maine sweater.” Master, Read the full article

Get Social: Follow the Swamp Rabbits and get behind-the-scenes coverage like never before on the team’s official Facebook and Twitter pages! Contact a Swamp Rabbits Account Executive at 864.674.PUCK (7825) for information on 2019–20 ticket plans, special group rates, and hospitality opportunities and secure your seats today! Get the latest Swamp Rabbits gear by visiting the “Hop Shop” online at Shop.SwampRabbits.com to browse the full collection of fan wear and novelties! Read the full article

UMass-Lowell product had seven points in eight games PORTLAND, ME – June 26, 2019 – Forward Nick Master has re-signed with the Mariners for 2019-20, the team announced Wednesday. The former UMass-Lowell River Hawk had a strong showing in Maine at the end of the 2018-19 season, registering seven points in eight games. The 24-year-old Master is a native of Broomall, PA and played for the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers program for parts of three seasons, where he was a teammate of Dwyer Tschantz. After a 50 point season (in 40 games) with the U18 squad in 2012-13, Master moved onto to the United States Hockey League and played for the Cedar Rapids Roughriders and Tri-City Storm. With the Storm in 2014-15, Master finished 2nd on the team in goals with 23 and later averaged a point-per-game in Tri City’s playoff run. He began his collegiate career at UMass-Lowell the following season. Master enjoyed the best offensive season of his college career as a freshman in 2015-16, when he posted 24 points (8 goals and 16 assists) in 39 games, finishing in the top 10 of all Hockey East freshmen. He was also named the team’s Rookie of the Year. Over his final three seasons at Lowell, Master remained a mainstay in the lineup, playing a total of 150 career college games. The River Hawks won a Hockey East Championship in his sophomore season. On March 21st, 2019 after finishing his senior year, Master signed with the Mariners. On March 24th, 2019, Master made his professional debut and had an assist in a 6-2 home loss to the Manchester Monarchs. It was the first of a four-game point streak to kick of Master’s pro career. On March 31st at Adirondack, Master opened the scoring with his first goal, coming on the power play. He would score another the following afternoon at home against Adirondack, also adding an assist for his first multi-point game. In eight games with the Mariners, Master scored three goals, with four assists. “I’d like to thank the Mariners for giving me the opportunity to play during their playoff push last season,” Master said. “It’s a great organization with a great atmosphere and I can only imagine it’s going to be better this year.” Master is the fifth forward and the seventh player re-signed to an SPC for 2019-20. View the current roster here. The second season of Maine Mariners ECHL hockey kicks off October 11th at home when the Adirondack Thunder visit the Cross Insurance Arena for a 7:15 PM faceoff. Full and half season plans along with 12-game mini-plans and group tickets are on sale now by calling 833-GO-MAINE or visiting the Mariners front office at 94 Free St. in Portland. Single game tickets will go on sale on September 16th. Read the full article

The Four Year River Hawk Joins Mariners BY: Michael Keeley, Maine Mariners  PORTLAND, ME – March 21, 2019 – The Mariners added a forward to the roster on Thursday, signing 24-year-old forward Nick Master to an SPC. Master just finished up a four-year college career at UMass-Lowell Master was born in Broomall, PA and played three years in the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers program, where he was a teammate of Mariners forward Dwyer Tschantz. Master played two seasons in the USHL with the Cedar Rapids Roughriders and Tri-City Storm. With the Storm in 2013-14, Master finished second on the team with 23 goals and third in scoring with 42 points in 56 games. He then averaged a point per game in a seven-game playoff run. In his freshman season at UMass-Lowell, Master posted 24 points in 39 games, tying him for 10th among all Hockey East rookie scorers. He was named team Rookie of the Year. In his sophomore season (2016-16), the River Hawks captured the Hockey East Title. Master remained a steady fixture in the River Hawks lineup throughout his college career, but his freshman season remained his best, statistically. This season, he put up 16 points (6 goals, 10 assists) in 37 games, with the team holding a 9-0-3 record when he registered a point. Last weekend, Lowell’s season ended at the hands of Boston University in three games of the Hockey East Quarterfinals. Master had a goal and an assist in the series. The Mariners will visit Worcester tomorrow at 7:05 before hosting Manchester at 3:00 PM on Sunday. They currently hold a one-point advantage over the Monarchs for third place in the North Division, and two over Worcester. Sunday is Country Night presented by 99.9 The Wolf. The first 500 fans will get a bandanna and concert giveaways will be held during the game including Luke Bryan, Florida Georgia Line, and Old Dominion. Tickets can be purchased at MarinersOfMaine.com or by calling the Trusted Choice Box Office at 207-775-3458. Read the full article

Assistant coach accepts an offer to return to Midwest, joining the Dubuque Fighting Saints. BY: Brian Tosti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits Greenville, SC – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits announced, in conjunction with the Dubuque Fighting Saints, that assistant coach Phil Axtell has accepted a coaching offer in Dubuque with the USHL program. The Swamp Rabbits will immediately begin the search for a new assistant coach. Axtell had previously coached the Quad City Mallards for three seasons before accepting an offer with Greenville. He has either coached or played the game of hockey in the Midwest for multiple seasons since 2004. Those stints included opportunities with the Quad City Mallards, Quad City Jr. Flames, and Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. “Phil was fully committed to the Swamp Rabbits for this season and was definitely torn by this decision,” said Donner. “At the end of the day, we wanted Phil to be comfortable in his decision. He felt this was the best opportunity for him but was fully aware of his commitment to this team. We gave him the ability to make his own choice and we wish him the best of luck.” The Fighting Saints play in the United States Hockey League, the top junior hockey league in America. Axtell played two seasons in the league from 2004 to 2006 with Cedar Rapids. He captured the Clark Cup Championship in 2005 and ended his time with 48 points (28G, 20A) in 73 games. After joining the NCAA ranks in Michigan, he returned back to the Midwest to join the Mallards in the CHL. “I want to thank the Swamp Rabbits for the opportunity. This was one of the hardest decisions I’ve had to make. Greenville is a first-class organization and I was very excited for the upcoming season,” said Axtell. “I want to thank Steve and Kevin for the opportunity and their understanding in this matter.” The Swamp Rabbits will search for a new assistant coach and announce the decision in the coming months before opening the season on Friday, Oct. 12. The 7 p.m. game against the Toledo Walleye will officially open the 2018-19 ECHL season. Read the full article