Pellerito Chooses WMU

Apr 29, 2023

The Norwich Sea Captains of the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) are extremely pleased to announce that goaltender Brendan Pellerito has decided to attend Western Michigan University next season to continue his academic and hockey careers. Pellerito has been a member of the Sea Captains since the team’s inception in the fall of 2021. The 2002 Kalamazoo, Michigan native will major in Applied Mathematics at Western Michigan and play for the Stallions’ American Collegiate Hockey Association Division I hockey program. The Stallions compete in the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League.

Pellerito joined the Sea Captains prior to the inaugural season in Norwich from the Bozeman Ice Dogs. During his two seasons in Connecticut, Pellerito appeared in 38 regular season games and two Fraser Cup Playoff games in the Norwich net earning 14 total wins and two shutouts. He recorded the first shutout in Norwich Sea Captains history when he turned away 26 New Jersey Titan shots to backstop his team to a 3-0 victory on March 4, 2022. Pellerito earned his second NA3HL shutout on November 4, 2022 when he made 20 saves to earn a 4-0 win over the Bay State Bobcats. His 3-1 win over the Danbury Jr Hat Tricks on March 10, 2023 was Norwich’s first-ever Fraser Cup Playoff victory. During the 2022-23 regular season Pellerito’s goals against average of 2.62 (17th) and save percentage of .919 (19th) both ranked in the top twenty of the NA3HL’s netminders. Overall, Pellerito earned 14 wins with a 2.57 goals against average and .911 save percentage in 43 NA3HL regular season appearances between Bozeman and Norwich. He was even better in the playoffs where he earned a win in two starts while posting a 2.03 goals against and a .925 save percentage.

Pellerito’s outstanding play earned him recognition from the NA3HL on multiple occasions during his two seasons in Norwich, including being honored as the Bauer NA3HL East Division Second Star of the Week for the period of November 1-6, 2022. He also received honorable mentions each of the two following weeks and was named the Runner-Up for the True Hockey NA3HL Goaltender of the Month for November. During the 2021-22 season Pellerito was tabbed with honorable mentions twice. Additionally, Pellerito was recognized as the Joshua’s Worldwide Norwich Sea Captains Goaltender of the Month in both November 2022 and March 2023.

“I would like to thank Coach Cunningham for giving me an opportunity in Norwich. I have really enjoyed my time here and I have grown both on and off the ice. My teammates have been amazing and I was fortunate to have a phenomenal billet in Elisha! My decision to commit to WMU was an easy one. I love the campus and academic opportunities. Kalamazoo is my hometown, so I am extremely excited to play my college hockey in front of family and friends. I am looking forward to playing for Coaches Hufford and Moffit at WMU!” said Pellerito about his commitment.

Norwich Head Coach Kevin Cunningham offered, “I am so pleased for Brendan that he is going to be able to go to Western Michigan and play for the Stallions hockey program. Brendan has been an enormous part of the process of establishing our program’s foundation here in Norwich. He is an excellent goaltender, a fantastic teammate and a truly outstanding human being. I know how pumped he is to be going to a school that he is very familiar with and to have the opportunity to play his college hockey at home. Congratulations, and thank you, to Brendan and his family!”

Pellerito is the fist member of the 2022-23 Sea Captains to confirm his college plans. All college commitments are sponsored by Eastern CT Contracting.

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