BEMIDJI -- Yet another Bemidji State men’s hockey player has joined the professional ranks.
Fifth-year forward Ethan Somoza signed with the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL on Tuesday, becoming the fifth Beaver to ink a professional deal at the conclusion of BSU’s season.
Greenville is affiliated with the NHL’s Florida Panthers and the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. The Swamp Rabbits have 11 games left in the regular season ahead of the Kelly Cup Playoffs and own a 28-26-4 record. Somoza is eligible to join the team immediately.
In five seasons with the Beavers, Somoza tallied 78 points off 37 goals and 41 assists. The two-time captain is the program’s all-time leader in games played with 171 career appearances. This season, Somoza had a career-high 22 points (10g-12a).
Somoza joins Owen Sillinger and Alex Ierullo in the AHL, as well as Brad Johnson and Tyler Kirkup in the ECHL, as former Beavers to ink professional hockey deals following the conclusion of the Beavers’ season.
