PRINCE GEORGE, BC – The Prince George Spruce Kings Junior A Hockey Club of the British Columbia Hockey League is thrilled to announce that second year forward Sam Muchalla has accepted a four year scholarship to Northern Michigan University in Marquette, Michigan.
Playing in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA), Northern Michigan University is a NCAA Division I school offering over 180 graduate, associate, certificate and diploma programs for nearly 10,000 students.
Currently playing in his second season with the Prince George Spruce Kings, Sam Muchalla is the team’s leading scorer and tied for sixth in the league, with 15 goals and 26 assists in 28 games with 22 minutes in penalties. Four of those goals were game winning goals with two of them being scored in overtime. Sam has already matched his point production from last year and is consistently on the score sheet after every game.
A Prince George minor hockey product, Muchalla is a fan favourite on the hometown team because of his hard work ethic and never-give-up approach to the game. Deferring for one year to play for the Wildcats, Prince George hockey fans will have another season to enjoy watching Sam Muchalla skate in a Spruce Kings jersey.
“This is the realization of a goal that I set for myself at the beginning of the season,” said Muchalla. “I wanted to prove myself in this league and earn a scholarship. To catch the eye of Northern Michigan is an honour. Securing the scholarship will allow me to go out there and play to my abilities without worrying about who might be watching me. I’m going to keep doing what I have been doing and work on improving my game for 2010.”
“We couldn’t be happier for Sam,” said Ed Dempsey, Spruce Kings Head Coach and General Manager. “Sam has a ton of skill and even more desire to win. He is one of the league’s hardest working and most consistent players today.”
“This is a great opportunity for Sam to join a well-established hockey program in the CCHA, one of the top leagues in Division I NCAA hockey,” continues Dempsey. “Sam will be able to further his development by playing for Walt Kyle, one of the most respected hockey coaches in all of the United States.”
Sam Muchalla becomes the third player to commit to a NCAA Division I school this year and is the fourth committed player on the team’s roster this season.
