Quinnipiac's Class of 2017

Quinnipiac announced its incoming freshman class. Eleven players in all, a couple of NHL draft picks. Here it is, with bios.

Quinnipiac University Men's Ice Hockey Class of 2017
Sam Anas
Forward
5-8, 150 lbs.
Potomac, Md.
Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
Sam Anas comes to Hamden after a two-year career with the Youngstown Phantoms of the United States Hockey League. Anas totaled 54 goals and 43 assists for 97 points in 115 career games over the last two seasons. Anas ranked third among USHL skaters with 37 goals in 2012-13 while he also assisted on 26 goals for 60 points, good for 12^th in the USHL. Last season, Anas posted 10 multiple-goal games and 20 multiple-point games. In 2011-12, Anas scored 17 goals while assisting on 17 more for 34 points in 51 games played. Prior to being selected in the USHL Draft by Youngstown, Anas captained Landon (Md. Prep School to the Mid-Atlantic Prep Hockey League Title as he averaged two goals and four points per game in a season highlighted by a hat trick in four straight games.

Connor Clifton
Defenseman
5-11, 175 lbs.
Matawan, N.J.
U.S. National Developmental Team
Clifton is the first Quinnipiac freshman to join the Bobcats directly from the prestigious U.S. National Developmental Team. In 25 games with Team USA in 2012-13, Clifton scored three goals while assisting on six more and also posted a +11. Clifton joined Team USA after playing for the Jersey Hitmen of the Eastern Junior Hockey Leauge (EJHL). He also suited up for Team USA in the World U-18 Tournament where his lone goal came in the United States' final game against Canada. Clifton will join the Bobcats with his older brother, Tim.

Tim Clifton
Forward
6-1, 180 lbs.
Matawan, N.J.
Jersey Hitmen (EJHL)
Tim Clifton will join his younger brother, Connor, and former Jersey Hitmen teammate Jason Stephanik on the Bobcats in 2013-14. Clifton played for the Jersey Hitmen of the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) for the last three seasons, amassing 49 goals and 86 assists for 135 career points in 117 games played. Last season, the elder Clifton led the EJHL with 30 goals, ranked fifth with 63 points and eighth in assists with 32 while posting career-highs in all three categories in helping the Hitmen to the 2013 Dineen Cup. In 2011-12, he scored 14 goals and assisted on 30 more while in 2010-11, he had 25 goals and 24 assists for 49 points.

Joe Fiala
Defenseman
6-2, 205 lbs.
Verona, Wisc.
Indiana Ice (USHL)
Fiala will enter his first season at Quinnipiac after two years with the Indiana Ice of the United States Hockey League (USHL). With the Ice, Fiala had five goals and 16 assists in 114 games on defense for his career. Prior to suiting up for Indiana, Fiala played with the U.S. National Developmental Team in 2010-11 and the U.S. National Under-17 Team in 2009-10.

Peter Quenneville
Forward
5-11, 185 lbs.
Edmonton, Alberta
Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
A United States Hockey League All-League Second Team selction in 2012-13, Peter Quenneville joins Quinnipiac after ranking among the USHL's goals and points leaders while a member of the Dubuque Fighting Saints. Quenneville ranked fifth in the league with 33 goals and eighth in total points with 70, while his 37 assists ranked 14^th. Additionally, he was one of just five players in the USHL with 30 goals and 30 assists. In 63 games last season with Dubuque, Quenneville had six multiple-goal games and 19 multiple-point games. Additionally, Dubuque was 23-3-0 in games in which Quenneville scored a goal. In nine postseason games, Quenneville had six goals and three assists. Prior to suiting up for Dubuque, Quenneville played two seasons for the Sherwood Park Crusaders of the Alberta Junior Hockey League in 2010-11 and 2011-12. In 2011-12, he was named the AJHL Most Valuable Player after he scored 31 goals and assists on 50 more for 80 points in 53 games, finishing as the third highest scorer in the AJHL.

Brady Rouleau
Goalie
6-1, 170 lbs.
Lethbridge, Alberta
Victoria Grizzlies (BCHL)
Brady Rouleau comes to Quinnipiac from the Victoria Grizzlies of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). Rouleau also played for the Cowichan Valley Captials of the BCHL in 2011-12 and the Canmore Eagles of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) in 2010-11. Last season with the Grizzlies, Rouleau was 18-8-0 with a .898 save percentage and a 2.67 goals-against average. He went on to start 10 playoff games for Victoria, posting a 2.11 GAA and a .906 save percentage. In 2011-12 with Cowichan Valley, Rouleau was 12-8-0 with a .905 save percentage and a 2.81 GAA.

Thomas Schutt
Forward
6-0, 188 Lbs.
Chanhassen, Minn.
Lincoln Stars (USHL)
Schutt comes to Quinnipiac after two seasons with the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League (USHL) where he collected 17 career goals while assisting on 26 more for 43 points in 109 games played. In 47 games in 2011-12, Schutt had seven goals and 13 assists in 47 games while also posting a +17. Last season, Schutt had 10 goals and 13 assists with a +7. Prior to Lincoln, Schutt attended and played for prestigious Minnetonka H.S. in Minnesota.

Brayden Sherbinin
Defenseman
6-1, 185 lbs.
Kelowna, British Columbia
Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL)
Brayden Sherbinin will enter his first season with the Bobcats after playing for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) in 2012-13. Sherbinin also played for the Cowichan Valley Capitals (BCHL) in 2011-12, and the Westside Warriors (BCHL) from the 2009-10 season through the first 14 games of the 2011-12 season before being traded to Cowichan Valley. Last season, with the Silverbacks, Sherbinin totaled seven goals and 24 assists for 31 points in 52 games. In 2011-12, he had two goals and an assist in 14 games with Westside before scoring a career-high nine goals and assisting on 22 more in 46 games with Cowichan Valley.

Derek Smith
Defenseman
5-11, 180 lbs.
Apple Valley, Minn.
Coulee Region Chill (NAHL)

Derek Smith comes to Quinnipiac after playing for the Coulee Region Chill of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) in 2012-13. In 60 games last season, Smith scored twice while assisting on 19 goals for 21 points while also posting a +9. Smith also played in the 2013 NAHL Top Prospects Tournament, totaling two goals and two assists in three games.

Jason Stephanik
Forward
6-2, 177 lbs.
Monroe, N.Y.
Jersey Hitmen (EJHL)
Jason Stephanik joins former teammate Tim Clifton, both previously of the Jersey Hitmen of the Eastern Junior Hockey League, as freshmen at Quinnipiac in 2013-14. In 87 career games with the Hitmen, Stephanik scored 43 goals while assisting on 50 more for 93 career points. Last season, Stephanik doubled his previous season's goal output, lighting the lamp 29 times – a 15-goal improvement for the 14 he scored for Jersey in 2011-12. He also assisted on 24 goals in 2012-13 after picking up 26 assists in 2011-12. In 2012-13, Stephanik was one of 12, 50-point scorers, ranking eighth in the league with 53 points, while his 29 goals ranked third.

Devon Toews
Defenseman
5-11, 165 lbs.
Abbotsford, British Columbia
Surrey Eagles (BCHL)
Devon Toews will find himself on the Bobcats' 2013-14 roster after a two-year career with the Surrey Eagles of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). In 102 career games for Surrey, Toews scored 17 goals while assisting on 59  more for 76 career points. Last season, Toews scored 10 times while leading the team with 37 assists as his 47 points ranked fourth on the Eagles' roster. He was named Best Defenseman at the 2013 RBC Cup as well as Best defenseman in the BCHL's Coastal Conference.