Cleland Commits to University of New Hampshire

Press Release

The Colorado Thunderbirds U18 team is pleased to announce that Matias Cleland has committed to play Division 1 college hockey for the University of New Hampshire in the Hockey East conference starting in the fall of 2013. Matias, born in 1994, is a defenseman playing for the Colorado Thunderbirds U18 team and is from Longmont, CO.

Matias has played in the Colorado Thunderbirds organization for five years playing on the U12 Peewee, U14 Bantam Major, U16 Midget Minor and U18 Midget Major teams. Cleland and the rest of the U18 Thunderbird team will depart on March 29th for Hartford, CT, which will be Cleland’s 4th trip to the USA National Championships in his 5 years with the Thunderbirds. Cleland was a member of the 2010 Tier 1 U16 National Championship team, that won Colorado’s first Tier 1 hockey championship ever and was 1 of 40 players selected to attend the USA NTDP “40 camp” last year. “Matias is a relentless defender that can be counted on in all situations. He is a fierce competitor. UNH is getting a very special student/athlete,” states Coach Ricci.

As a program, we strive to prepare and produce young athletes that are ready to take the next step in their career. “Matias is a fine example of the type of player that the Thunderbird program strives to develop and move to the next level. Not only is he a good athlete but an excellent student as demonstrated by his 3.8 GPA earned at Niwot High School. I think Matias will tell you that during the recruiting process, having good grades has helped to open many hockey doors at New Hampshire and elsewhere and given him a complete resume that is important to Division 1 college programs,” added Coach Ricci. Cleland was drafted in 2010 by Waterloo in the USHL Futures draft and is slated to join the Blackhawks in Waterloo, Iowa in the fall of 2011.

We are very excited for Matias. He has stayed home with his family and developed into a fine hockey player and he will be a valuable member of the New Hampshire hockey program and in Waterloo as he continues his development. Matias is the son of Larry and Frances Cleland of Longmont, CO. Cleland is the sixth member of the Colorado Thunderbird hockey program to commit to a Division 1 Hockey program during the 2010-2011 season.

(Nathan can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)