The New Jersey 87’s are proud to announce that Matt Zdanowicz and Jimmy Mettler have committed to play Division III hockey at UMass Dartmouth for the 2022-2023 season. 

Zdanowicz, a 20-year-old forward from Lyndhurst New Jersey, played two seasons with the 87’s EHL team. He was a mid-season acquisition in the 2020-21 campaign where he notched five goals and four assists in 13 regular-season games. In the 2021-22 season, he recorded 41 points (18g, 23a) in 39 regular-season games.  

Mettler, a 20-year-old defenseman from Bronx, New York, joined the 87’s EHL team midway through the 2021-22 season and recorded two goals and eight assists in 18 regular-season games. He also notched seven assists in eight postseason games. 

Head coach Adam Houli spoke about Zdanowicz and Mettler’s tenure with the team and their commitment to UMass Dartmouth. 

“Zdanowicz came to us last year in a crazy year, a Covid year, where there was a lot of trickle down. He acclimated pretty quickly and we knew he was going to be in for a strong year. It was a matter of him being excited to be back in New Jersey, and then he really took the ball and ran with it,” he said.  

He continued, “Jimmy is a player, from our standpoint, we were frankly growing tired of playing against. He did a lot of the things that we love with our defense, so he was a player we had always wanted to see in the blue and gold. When we had the opportunity to make it happen, there was no hesitation. Overall, he and Matt were both vital to our championship run this year and now they take that experience to an excellent program in UMass Dartmouth.” 

UMass Dartmouth is a Division III program located in Dartmouth, Mass. Competing in the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference, the Corsairs are led by head coach Erik Noack. 

Zdanowicz and Mettler both spoke about their commitment and what it means to join a program like Umass Dartmouth. 

“To secure a commitment to UMD means a lot to me and my family,” Zdanowicz said. “It's a great school with great opportunities and not just academically but with the next chapter of my hockey career; it will be an experience and a lot of fun to look forward to.” 

Mettler added, “It means a lot to me to commit to such a good program as UMD, obviously that's the goal the whole year trying to get to that next level and I'm excited for the next four years.” 

Following his impressive showing in the 2020-21 season, Zdanowicz followed up with an even better 2021-22 season, proving to be one of the top offensive players for the 87’s while averaging just over a point per game. He is also the team’s all-time leader in postseason points with 17, and 15 of those came in the 2022 playoffs. 

Houli added about Zdanowicz, “He did everything that we had asked of him, and when he was on, he was honestly one of the best players out there on the ice no matter who we were playing. He was just so dominant in his skating that I think he will flourish in the college game, and wouldn’t be surprised if we see him go on past that.” 

The Lyndhurst native reflected on his time with the 87’s, including their bounce-back this season, turning an eight-game losing streak into a championship run. 

“At the 87s we had a bumpy road at one point even though we struggled together we found a way to change a terrible outcome into something I will never forget. This is just one example of the many this program will teach you: that if you put in the time as we all did, we will deserve what was ahead,” Zdanowicz said. 

Prior to joining the 87’s, Mettler played three full seasons for New York Apple Core as a top defenseman. He played 101 games in New York while recording 44 points before he was traded to the 87’s. He was mainly paired with the team captain, Matt Herrick, and quickly established themselves as one of the more dominant defensive pairings in the EHL.  

“When he joined us, I think that’s when we all realized as a group, we now have a championship-level team and that we could make a run for the EHL title,” Houli said. 

Mettler spoke about his time with the 87’s and the seamless transition he made after being traded from New York. 
 
“I couldn't have asked for a better time with the 87's. Playing against them you don't really know what to expect when you join them, but every guy took me in this year and I can't thank my teammates enough for that for making me feel so welcome even on day one,” Mettler said. “To have a coaching staff like the 87's this year was incredible; very supportive, very helpful and really tried to develop your game every day.” 

The 87’s organization would like to congratulate Matt and Jimmy as they get ready to advance their hockey careers to the NCAA Division III level.