Former Ringgold star to play junior hockey in NA3HL
By Jose Negron
jnegron@yourmvi.com
Rather than attending Robert Morris University this fall, Evan Eberlein is getting a rare opportunity to continue his hockey career at the junior level.
The Ringgold graduate is currently in Lafayette, La., preparing for the upcoming North American 3 Hockey League season. The NA3HL is an American Tier III junior ice hockey league.
Eberlein was selected 127th overall by the Louisiana Drillers in the NA3HL Draft in April.
“It’s a great feeling,” Eberlein said of getting the opportunity to play at the junior level. “I’m really fortunate to be able to keep playing.”
Ringgold head coach Rick Kalinowski remembers receiving a text from Eberlein after he was drafted. The Rams star expressed his excitement after later visiting Louisiana.
“Over the summer, he went down there to see how it would go and he called me right after and told me how much he loved it,” Kalinowski said. “I’m proud of the kid. I think it’s a great opportunity for him.
“I told him to just keep his head in it, do what he does best and try to get to that next level.”
The NA3HL season begins early next month and features a total of 31 teams. Eberlein said there are seven teams in Louisiana’s division.
The league consists of teams from Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
“There should be some really good competition,” Eberlein said. “I hope I can put up some points and keep getting better.”
Eberlein is coming off a season in which he put up key offensive numbers for the Rams, who advanced to the PIHL Class B championship game, a contest later canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eberlein, a member of Ringgold’s Division 2 championship team in 2019, finished second on the squad with 50 points as a senior last winter. He scored 19 goals and ranked second with 31 assists.
“I loved Ringgold,” Eberlein said. “We had a great team for a couple of years and I’m gonna miss those guys. I was fortunate to have great coaches and teammates who always pushed each other to get better.”
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