FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Sacred Heart University men's ice hockey head coach C.J. Marottolo is happy to introduce his newcomers for the 2025-26 season.
 
The Pioneers welcome a dozen players from all over the hockey world to add depth to a program that finished second in the Atlantic Hockey America regular season last year. SHU brings in six transfers from four NCAA conferences: Hockey East, NCHC and ECAC Hockey. There are also six first-year players including one from the Ontario Hockey League.
 
Here are the SHU newcomers.

#8 Chase Ramsay
Previous school: Quinnipiac
Hometown: Granite Springs, New York
Position: Defense

Ramsay makes the short trip down I-95 to Fairfield after concluding his second season with Quinnipiac in 2024-25. The defender out of Granite Springs, N.Y., played in seven games with the Bobcats. Before college, Ramsay last played 59 games in 2022-23 with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL. He posted nine points (4G-5A) in his final season with the Bucs. 

Marottolo: "Chase will bring physical play and a defensive reliability. He utilizes his positioning and physicality to disrupt the opposition."

#9 Joshua Barnes 
Previous school: AIC
Hometown: Cornwall, Ontario
Position: Forward
 
Barnes was a three-year player at AIC before coming to Sacred Heart. He appeared in 81 career games as a forward, breaking out as a junior with team highs of 14 goals and 24 points, both of which were also career highs. The Cornwall, Ontario, native also added a career-best 10 assists and was named a 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award nominee. He finished his time with the Yellow Jackets with 22 goals and 16 assists for 38 points. At the junior level, Barnes last played for the USHL's Des Moines Buccaneers in 2021-22, finishing the year with 20 points (11G-9A) in 56 games. 
 
Marottolo: "Josh will bring speed and offensive capabilities. He has shown a knack for scoring goals and contributing offensively. He brings great experience within our league."

#10 Liam Lesakowski
Previous school: Maine
Hometown: Buffalo, New York
Position: Defense
 
Lesakowski joins the Pioneers after two seasons at defending Hockey East Champion Maine. Lesakowski, a defender from Buffalo, N.Y., appeared in 58 games over the last two seasons. He owns two points on two assists in his career with the Black Bears while being plus-2 over his tenure. Lesakowski played junior hockey with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL, recording 10 points (2G-8A) in his final season and 18 points (6G-12A) over his career. 

Marottolo: "Liam is a towering 6'5 220-pound defenseman. He will bring a physical presence which will make our team harder to play against in our defensive end."

#13 Gavin Bryant
Junior team: Peterborough Petes (OHL)
Hometown: Ingersoll, Ontario
Position: Forward
 
Bryant comes to the Nutmeg State after five junior hockey seasons. Over his career, the Ingersoll, Ontario, native spent four seasons in the OHL and one in the GOJHL, the most recent coming with the OHL's Peterborough Petes. Over his tenure, Bryant has racked up 143 points on 50 goals and 93 assists in 210 regular-season contests. His postseason resume features three points (1G-2A) in nine games. 
 
Marottolo: "Gavin brings over 200 games of OHL experience to Sacred Heart. He is a former captain that will bring character and leadership to our locker-room along with his ability to play up and down the lineup."

#14 Jack Hillier
Junior team: New Jersey Jr. Titans (NAHL)
Hometown: Ottawa, Ontario
Position: Forward
 
Hillier wrapped up his fourth junior hockey season in 2024-25, playing 56 games with the New Jersey Jr. Titans of the NAHL. In his last year, he tallied career highs of 70 points and 52 assists, the latter doubling his previous career best. In total, the Ottawa, Ontario, native finished his junior career with 191 points on 71 goals and 120 assists in 212 games. Hillier has also played in the postseason in each of the last three seasons, accumulating 12 points (3G-9A) in 15 games. 

Marottolo: "Jack will bring 6'2 size and skill to our forward group. He is a playmaker with very good vision."

#20 David Brandes
Junior team: Coquitlam Express (BCHL)
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Position: Defense
 
Brandes has three seasons of junior hockey under his belt, seeing time in both the BCHL and AJHL. The defender from Toronto last played for the Coquitlam Express of the BCHL, tallying 29 points on two goals and 27 assists. In total, he accumulated 72 points (11G-61A) in 153 regular-season games. Brandes also owns nine points (1G-8A) in 20 playoff games, which included a deep run by the Blackfalds Bulldogs in the 2022-23 AJHL postseason. 

Marottolo: "David will bring offensive capabilities to our defensive corps. He is an excellent skater that can use his feet or his stick skills to break pucks out of our defensive end."

#21 Noah Ellis
Previous school: Nebraska-Omaha
Hometown: Urbandale, Iowa
Position: Defense 
NHL Rights: Vegas Golden Knights
 
Ellis spent the last two seasons at Nebraska-Omaha, playing 47 games on defense for the Mavericks. The Urbandale, Iowa, native racked up seven points in his time in the Cornhusker State with a goal and six assists. Prior to joining the Mavericks, Ellis played his debut season at UMass, tallying two points (1G-1A) and was plus-6 over 23 games. During his junior hockey career, he was drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights in the sixth round (184th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft. In juniors, Ellis put up 68 points (21G-47A) in 164 games with the Des Moines Buccaneers and Muskegon Lumberjacks of the USHL.
 
Marottolo: "Noah will bring size and skating ability to our defensive corps. We expect him to contribute on both ends of the ice. He can defend well, and we expect him to produce offensively as well."

#22 Noah Van Vliet
Junior team: Niagara IceDogs (OHL)
Hometown: Toronto, Ontario
Position: Defense
 
Van Vliet's junior career spans five seasons, featuring stops in the OJHL, NAHL and OHL. In 244 games on defense, the Toronto native has recorded 59 points on 17 goals and 42 assists. Van Vliet also has 43 postseason games under his belt, with five points to his name (2G-3A). He played 17 games in the Hamilton Bulldogs run to the J. Ross Robertson Cup as the OHL champions in 2022. The Bulldogs also made the final of the 2022 Memorial Cup, which is awarded to the winner of the CHL. 

Marottolo: "Noah is a veteran OHL defenseman. He was a member of the 2022 OHL Champion Hamilton Bulldogs and will bring an element of size and physicality to our d-core." 

#23 Ray Fust 
Previous school: Clarkson
Hometown: Lausanne, Switzerland
Position: Forward
 
Fust played 19 games at forward with ECAC Tournament runners-up Clarkson this past season, seeing time in all five of the Golden Knights' postseason contests. The Bellinzona, Switzerland, native finished the year with two goals and two assists for four points. Fust transferred to Clarkson after two seasons at Nebraska-Omaha, where he played 61 games and racked up 18 points (7G-11A). Before college, Fust competed with the Switzerland U20, U18, U17 and U16 teams. He also attended the 2024 Men's National Team Camp. Fust's junior career concluded in 2021-22 when he split the season with the Sioux Falls Stampede and Waterloo Black Hawks of the USHL. 

Marottolo: "Ray brings size, skill and scoring touch to our team. He has the strong combination of physical presence and offensive instincts that will allow him to effectively protect the puck and battle in tight areas especially along the boards and at the net front."

#33 Teagan Kendrick
Junior team: Trail Smoke Eaters (BCHL)
Hometown: St. Albert, Alberta
Position: Goalie
 
Kendrick concluded his junior hockey career on a high note, winning the Michael Garteig Trophy as the BCHL's Top Goaltender this season. The backstop out of St. Albert, Alberta, went 23-8-4 this year with the Trail Smoke Eaters, finishing with a .915 save percentage and a 2.69 GAA. In total, Kendrick has played four junior hockey seasons, the last three with the Smoke Eaters. Kendrick owns a record of 51-34-9 in the regular season over 98 games. He has also played in 19 postseason games.

Marottolo: "Teagan is a goaltender that continues to improve every season. The 2024-25 BCHL Goaltender of the Year brings size, athleticism, and a willingness to compete for every puck consistently."

#71 Stephane Huard
Previous school: McGill University
Hometown: Blainville, Quebec
Position: Forward
 
Huard comes to the States after playing two years at McGill University in Montreal. This past season, the Blainville, Quebec, native tallied career-highs with 12 goals and 22 assists, the latter ranking third on the team. He finished his Redbirds career with 54 points (22G-32A) in 67 games. Before college, Huard split the 2022-23 season with the Shawinigan Cataractes and Halifax Mooseheads in the QMJHL. Between the two teams, he played 60 games and tallied 60 points (22G-38A). 

Marottolo: "Stephane will bring an offensive prowess and playmaking abilities to our team. He possesses a high hockey IQ that will create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates."

#98 Ethan Wolthers
Previous school: Western Michigan
Hometown: Valencia, California
Position: Forward
 
Fresh off winning a national championship with Western Michigan, Wolthers heads to Fairfield to join the Pioneers. The forward has played in 18 games over two seasons with the Broncos, accumulating six points on three goals and three assists. Academically, he is a three-time NCHC Distinguished Scholar Athlete. Before college, he played two seasons with the Minnesota Wilderness of the NAHL, recording 68 points on 25 goals and 43 assists in 96 games. 
 
Marottolo: "Ethan is coming from a National Championship team. He will bring speed, and playmaking abilities. His agility and vision will allow him to create scoring opportunities."