OGDEN, UT. - The Ogden Mustangs, proud members of the United States Premier Hockey League, are excited to announce the commitment of Christian Phinney to Worcester College (NCAA DIII).
"It wasn't a very hard decision to commit to Worcester; it's a great school for both hockey and academics. I've heard nothing but great things from coaches and players in the hockey program and am very excited to be a Lancer."
Phinney, 20, played two seasons with the Mustangs and will play in his 100th career game with Ogden this Saturday when his team takes the ice against the Utah Outliers for the first round of the Mountain Division playoffs. He is the first commit of the season for the Mustangs this season and first as members of the USPHL.
Head Coach Kenny Orlando had plenty of things to say about his Captain.
"Phinney has been a pleasure to work with this year. His leadership qualities exemplify exactly what we want out of Mustangs leader. His work ethic and attention to detail are two of the most admirable traits about him."
The Draper, UT, native arrived at the Ice Sheet to begin his junior career in 2019 after playing two previous seasons with Wenatchee Wolves 18U AAA. Last season, Phinney amassed 18 points in 47 games while playing big shutdown minutes on the top defensive pairing.
In a season of new beginnings, Coach Orlando relied heavily upon Phinney to provide a veteran presence amongst a very youthful roster.
"Christian's veteran maturity and junior experience provided guidance for the young players on the team. Many of the younger players looked up to him during times of adversity throughout the season. Generally, Christian is a lead-by-example type of player on the ice which the players respect."
The 6-0, 180-pound defenseman returned to Ogden for his final year in juniors in 2020-21. For the Mustangs this season, Phinney has tallied 6 goals and 28 assists in 51 games. His play has earned him Player-of-the-Week honors twice (Oct, 28th and Dec, 18th, 2020) in the USPHL Premier West Region. In early December, he was named Captain by Head Coach and GM Kenny Orlando.
"I think having very high-paced practices and games in Ogden will definitely help me with the transition to NCAA hockey. Going into playoffs, it's nice to have my commitment already so that I can just focus on the rest of the season and try to win a National Championship".
#19 will be incredibly missed on the ice and around the organization. However, there are no doubts about his future as Coach Orlando summed up.
"Christian is a very well-rounded individual. Because he cares about his academics just as much as hockey, I foresee him having a promising career at the collegiate level. Throughout his years at Worcester, his opportunities will continue to grow both on and off the ice and success will follow wherever he goes."
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