The New Jersey 87's are excited to announce that Jake Ondrejko has committed to play Division III hockey at Western New England University for the 2019-2020 season.

Ondrejko is a 20-year-old forward from Scenery Hill, Penn. and spent two seasons with the 87's. In the 2017-18 season, Ondrejko recorded 29 points (8g, 21a) in 43 games with the Premier team. In the 2018-19 campaign, he recorded 23 points (5g, 18a) in 39 games with the EHL team in its inaugural season.

Head coach Adam Houli spoke about Ondrejko, who was among the first bunch of players to join the organization since its inception in 2017, and how he worked his way up the ranks before earning the NCAA commitment.

"Jake came to us and spent a year in the EHL Premier Division, then moved up with us to the EHL, so for us this one was personal and it certainly was a huge sign of his improvement and dedication to trust the process with us," Houli said. "He's going to be a phenomenal get for Western New England both on and off the ice as a student and player."

Western New England University is a Division III school located in Springfield, Mass. and competes in the Commonwealth Coast Conference. The Golden Bears are led by head coach Greg Heffernan. 

"It’s a great feeling knowing that I’m going to be playing college hockey," Ondrejko said of his commitment. "That was my goal when I set out to play juniors, and I’m really excited to be at Western New England. Their coaching staff is great and I’m really looking forward to playing for them the next four years."

Ondrejko also spoke about his time with the 87's and his development he went through in his two seasons with the team.

"I definitely left the 87’s as a much better hockey player than when I arrived. Coach Houli and Matty (Kiernan) really helped me develop my game over the past two years," he said. "They preached getting to the next level and paying attention to the small details. I am very thankful for the opportunity Houli and Matty gave me, and for helping me reach my goal of playing college hockey."

The 87's organization would like to congratulate Jake and his family on his accomplishment, and we look forward to following his hockey career at the Division III collegiate level.