News release
18 August 2010
The Elmira Jackals announced Wednesday that they have signed rookie forward Zach Harrison and second-year defenseman Brad Miller to contracts. The Jackals have inked eight players, four forwards and four defensemen, for the 2010-2011 season.
Harrison and Miller were opponents in college in the NCAA's WCHA for three seasons, with Harrison attending Minnesota State University-Mankato from 2006-2010 and Miller playing for the North Dakota Fighting Sioux from 2005-2009.
Harrison tied for fifth on the Mavericks with 24 points in his senior season of 2009-2010, a team that was bunched up at the top of the scoring leaderboard with seven players scoring between 23 and 26 points. His 16 assists tied for third on the squad while his eight goals were good enough for a fifth-place tie.
The Flint, Mich. native is perhaps best known for scoring a short-handed natural hat trick on Oct. 17, 2008 against the Fighting Sioux in a 5-1 Mavericks victory. Harrison's feat is believed to be the only one of its kind ever recorded in college or professional hockey history, according to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Harrison's sophomore year of 2007-2008 saw him score six goals and record 13 assists for 19 points. He scored 12 points (3g-9a) in his freshman season of 2006-2007.
Throughout his college career, Harrison missed only two games, both in his freshman season. He played in 134-straight games and was not absent from a contest from Dec. 30, 2006 through the end of his senior year.
"I talked with Coach Cameron quite a bit and I felt like I developed a good relationship with him over the phone," Harrison said, who also cited former NHL head coach Andy Murray's recommendation of Cameron as a determining factor to choosing Elmira. "I plan on being an integral part of the team and working my best for the team."
Miller, under contract with the AHL's Texas Stars in his first professional season of 2009-2010, skated 16 games with their ECHL-affiliate Idaho Steelheads from Dec. 3 to Jan. 9 before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season. He scored a power-play goal in his first professional game, a 6-4 Idaho win over Alaska.
The Alpharetta, Ga. native skated his first three seasons with the Fighting Sioux as a forward before backing up to the blue line for his senior year, a move that proved successful. In 2008-2009, Miller topped his point total from his three seasons as a forward, scoring 35 points (6g-29a) as a defenseman.
The Fighting Sioux teams Miller was a member of experienced tremendous success, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in all four seasons, including three Frozen Four appearances.
"I just want to get a full year under my belt professionally and see what I can do," Miller said. "The Jackals have a good record of moving guys on and getting guys called up. It's not all about moving up, that would be nice, but at the same time I just want to play a full year."
Elmira's four forwards include Harrison, Samson Mahbod, Brock McBride, and Chris Moran, while its defensemen are R.J. Anderson, Miller, Joey Ryan, and Brennan Turner.
The Jackals open up the regular season at home on Friday, Oct. 15 against the Cincinnati Cyclones. Call (607) 734-PUCK (7825) for more information.
Fans looking to get their hockey fix sooner can stop by the Fifth Annual Elmira Jackals Pro Placement Camp, taking place on Saturday, Sep. 4, and Sunday, Sep. 5 at First Arena. The event is free to the public.
DUELING PIANOS PRESENTED BY THE CREW AT ASU AND SALSARITAS