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Doran inks with Nanooks

A native of St. Louis, Matthew Doran made the move north for his final season of Junior hockey and he’ll keep heading in the same direction for NCAA hockey starting next season.

Doran, who has recorded nine goals and 24 assists from the blueline with the Victoria Grizzlies this season, has secured a commitment to play for the University of Alaska in Fairbanks.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pound defenceman has the second-highest point total among Grizzlies defencemen this season and has been dangerous on the man advantage as seven of his nine goals have come on the top-ranked Victoria power-play (22.9 per cent).

At Alaska, Doran will join a Nanooks program that competes in the NCAA’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) along with Michigan Tech, Lake Superior State, Bowling Green, Northern Michigan, Alabama-Huntsville, Alaska-Anchorage, Bemidji State, Minnesota State and Ferris State.

The Nanooks program has recruited the BCHL heavily in recent seasons and their roster this year includes league alums Chad Staley, Steven Jandric, Kylar Hope, Ross Heidt, Kyle Marino, Tony Rehm and Max Newton.

Former BCHL player Lance West, who played with the Vernon Lakers and Kelowna Spartans from 1988 to 1991, is the head coach of the Alaska program.