Yellowjacket Recruit: Pat Dalbec
 
The Yellowjacket coaching staff has announced that forward Pat Dalbec has committed to the team for the 2010-11 season.  Dalbec, a Superior native, spent last season with the Janesville Jets of the North American Hockey League (NAHL).  Dalbec is the second forward and third player to commit for next season.  He is the younger brother of Bryan Dalbec, who will be a junior goaltender with the Yellowjackets in 2010-11.

"Pat is younger than most of the players we've recruited this year.  Most kids coming out of junior hockey to Division III schools for next season were born in 1989 and are out of junior eligibility, but Pat is two years younger, born in 1991," said Yellowjacket Head Coach Dan Stauber.  "He had a nice year of junior hockey in Janesville this year, and we think if he would have played out his junior eligibility he would have had a shot to play Division I.  But he wanted to get rolling with his education and also have the chance to play again with his brother.  We're glad to be able to bring him in."

With Janesville, the 5-9, 165 pound Dalbec was coached by former Superior High School standout and Yellowjacket forward Sean Storie.  In 48 games last season, Dalbec scored 11 goals and 25 points along with eight penalty minutes.  He added a pair of goals in the Jets' five-game, opening round loss to Marquette in the NAHL playoffs.

Prior to his year with Janesville, Dalbec was a star with Superior High School.

"Being a local player, we've known about him for a long time and had the chance to watch him from the time he was playing youth hockey all the way through high school and into juniors," Stauber said.  "Coach Storie called us early in the season and told us we needed to keep an eye on him because he was adjusting nicely to the junior game and ended up having a good year.  Like I said, if he played out the rest of his junior eligibility, he would have been one of the top players in that league and would have had a good chance to play Division I hockey.

"He's a smaller forward, but he's a good skater and has some nice offensive skills that we think will play very well in this league.  We see good things ahead for him as a part of our lineup and we're happy to have him."

Dalbec will likely one of the two youngest players on the Yellowjacket roster in 2010-11, joining defenseman Derek Stauber, who came in last season as a freshman straight out of high school hockey.