Vernon Vipers forward Josh Latta is nearing the end of his third full regular season in the BCHL, having played 127 career games to this point and another 15 in the postseason. The hard work he has been putting in day after day for the past three years is about to pay off as he has announced his commitment to the University of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers for the 2019-20 season.
Latta has been a key offensive contributor this year for a Vipers team that is still looking to climb the Interior Division standings and ensure home-ice advantage in the first round of the Fred Page Cup playoffs. With 10 games still to go, the 20-year-old has already set career highs with 18 goals, 16 assists and 34 points. Over his three-year BCHL career split between the Vipers and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks, Latta has 74 points (36 goals, 38 assists). He will also be looking to build on his solid playoff performance from last year where he put up seven points in 10 games as the Vipers advanced to the second round.
Alabama-Huntsville is a member of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), competing against Alaska-Anchorage, Alaska, Bemidji State, Bowling Green, Ferris State, Lake Superior State, Michigan Tech, Minnesota State and Northern Michigan. They have been a Division I program since the 1998-99 season.
The Chargers roster this season features several BCHL alums, including Simon Chen, Ben Allen, Dayne Finnson, Kurt Gosselin and Mark Sinclair.
Latta is the only current BCHL player committed to Alabama-Huntsville.
