(Submitted by Alex Hoegler, BCHL Communications)
The reward for a strong showing in the BCHL by Trail Smoke Eaters defenceman Bennett Morrison will be the chance to display his skills in the NCAA.
Morrison, who played for both the Chilliwack Chiefs and Smoke Eaters this season, will play for Hamilton College of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) in 2016-17.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound blueliner scored three goals and 18 points in 54 games with Trail this season, while adding an assist in four games with Chilliwack. He split the 2014-15 season between Salmon Arm and Chilliwack.
A native of Mississauga, Ont., Morrison is the lone BCHLer committed to Hamilton for next season. He’s one of the four Smoke Eaters who is committed to college hockey, along with Nick Halloran (Colorado College,) Jake Kauppila (Bentley,) and Bailey MacBurnie (Sacred Heart.)
Morrison won’t be the only Bennett suiting up for Hamilton College in the fall. Another Smoke Eaters alum, defenceman Bennett Hambrook, also plays for the team.
Other teams in Hamilton College’s conference are Amherst, Bowdoin, Colby, Connecticut College, Middlebury, Trinity, Tufts, Wesleyan and Williams.