The New Jersey 87's are proud to announce that Jacob Crespo has committed to play Division III hockey at Curry College for the 2021-2022 season.

Crespo is a 21-year-old defenseman from Eastampton Township, New Jersey and was a midseason acquisition for the 87's EHL team. He recorded seven points (1 goal, 6 assists) in nine regular season games while putting up four points (2 goals, 2 assists) in seven playoff games.

Head coach Adam Houli spoke about Crespo's commitment and his dedication to improve his game in his brief tenure with the organization.

"Jacob is a phenomenal person on and off ice who remained focused and committed to being a better hockey player when he came to us. He is a type of player who leaves everything on the ice and that is going to translate well next year at Curry," Houli said.

Curry College is a Division III program located in Milton, Massachusetts. Competing in the Commonwealth Coast Conference, the Colonels are led by head coach T.J. Manastersky. 

Crespo talked about his commitment and why he is excited to join the Colonels this fall. "It feels great, I couldn't be happier to commit to a place I want to go to. It's in Boston, one of my favorite cities, so I'm really excited to go there," Crespo said.

Prior to his tenure with the 87's, Crespo played for multiple teams at the Tier II and Tier III level. Between 2017 and 2019, he played for the Walpole Express at the Premier Division and EHL level. In the 2019-20 season and parts of the 2020-21 campaign, Crespo played for the Maine Nordiques of the North American Hockey League, where he recorded six points (2 goals, 4 assists) in 48 games.

Upon returning to the Garden State, Crespo said he was able to focus on his game while helping the 87's to its first Frozen Finals appearance. In the postseason, he notched four points in seven games, including a game-winning goal against the Philadelphia Little Flyers and a pivotal power-play goal in a round robin game against the Lumberjacks Hockey Club.

"It's definitely nice to be back at home and be able to rip it up down here with the 87's and finish it the way it started," he said.

The 87's organization would like to congratulate Jacob and his family as he gets ready to advance his hockey career to the Division III collegiate level.