Twin City Thunder’s Martin Moioffer holds back New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs’ Zander Lizotte while charging towards the goal during a game in November 2020 in Auburn. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal Buy this Photo

Martin Moioffer, a second-year forward on the Twin City Thunder’s National Collegiate Development Conference team, has made his college commitment and will be attending Division III Rivier University in Nashua, New Hampshire.

The 20-year-old Balsam, Lake Wisconsin native was the Thunder’s first NCDC tender in team history in the spring of 2019 and had two goals and an assist in 15 games this season. He left midseason to join Hudson Havoc of the United States Premier Hockey League’s Premier League and had six goals and six assists in 13 games before rejoining the Thunder in the middle of February down in Tampa, Florida for the last week of the Hub City event.

“He played down in Hudson when we went down to Florida,” Twin City Thunder NCDC coach Dan Hodge said last Monday. “He was playing in Wisconsin near his family and felt that was the better option than going to Florida. We supported him and told him when we got back (to Maine) we would love him back. He ended up coming down to Florida for the last week, he did his (coronavirus) testing and ended up playing in the last week of the Hub City event.”

Moioffer will be joining a Rivier team that will be making its NCAA Division III debut next season.

“He has been talking to Rivier for a while and it seems like it’s a good fit, new program and (Moioffer) is a good kid to build a program around,” Hodge said.

UNE, BOWDOIN RECEIVE COMMITMENTS FROM NAHL, NCDC TALENT

Two of the four Maine Division III schools have recently received commitments from the North American Hockey League and the NCDC in the past few weeks.

The Nor’easters have successfully recruited two players from the NCDC as Boston Advantage 20-year-old forward Ryan Kuzmich announced March 15 that he will be joining UNE for next year. With the expansion Advantage, he had nine goals and 14 assists in 41 games this season. He played last season with the Northeast Generals (three goals, seven assists in 28 games) of the NAHL.

At the beginning of the month, Utica Jr. Comets forward Riley Brennan made his commitment to UNE for next season. The 21-year-old from Manorville, New York had six goals and seven assists in 30 games this season in his first season with Comets after playing last season in the Central Canadian Hockey League.

Next year’s UNE recruiting class also has Twin City forward Noah Furman and defenseman Ryan Antonakis.

Bowdoin will have Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks forward Luke Wheeler. The 21-year-old from Littleton, Colorado has four goals and 11 assists in 28 games this season. It’s his third season in the NAHL as he has stops with the Janesville Jets, Topeka Roadrunners and Corpus Christi IceRays prior to joining Danbury.

The Polar Bears also have Thunder defenseman Jack Gilligan coming to Brunswick next season.

THUNDER FORWARD HONORED BY MJHL

Caden Triggs, who recently joined the Thunder, has been honored by the Manitoba Junior Hockey League as the Steinbach Pistons representative to the 2020-21 RBC | MJHL Community Ambassador Team.

Community Ambassadors are recognized for making a difference and giving back to their communities in which they play in. Each player has displayed outstanding citizenship and sportsmanship both on and off the ice and a commitment to volunteerism.

Triggs has appeared in two games for the Thunder and had two goals for the Pistons this season in eight games. Last season with Moorhead High School in Minnesota, he had 34 goals and 22 assists in 29 games.