Cottonmouths Re-Sign Defensive Trio

September 4, 2014 - SPHL (SPHL)
Columbus Cottonmouths News Release


COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) announce the signing of three defensemen who have been key cogs on the Snakes' blue line over past seasons. Third-year pros Chris Bailer and Mike Switzer join veteran defensemen Tom Maldonado as returning blueliners for the Cottonmouths.

Bailer begins his third year pro after spending the last two on defense for Columbus. In his rookie season of 2012-13, Bailer posted eight points (3G, 5A) in 52 games and was second on the team with a +11 rating after beginning his career in training camp with the ECHL's South Carolina Stingrays. Bailer finished with five points (1G, 4A) last season in 34 games as an injury kept him sidelined for an extended period. The 6'2", 185-pounder had a successful four-year collegiate career at Sacred Heart from 2008-12 prior to turning pro with the Cottonmouths, landing on the AHA All-Academic Team as a freshman and sophomore. At Olds in the Alberta Junior Hockey League in 2007-08, Bailer, now 26, blocked a team-high 100 shots in 54 games.

Switzer, 27, played on the blue line alongside Bailer on the Olds AJHL team in 2007-08 before playing for another AHA squad collegiately, turning in four years at Bentley University in suburban Boston. He led all defensemen in scoring his junior season in 2010-11 (13 points - 3G, 10A) and finished second on the team in scoring among blueliners (12 points - 4G, 8A) the following year as a senior. He began his pro career in the SPHL with the former intrastate rival Augusta RiverHawks in 2012-13, playing in all but one game and finishing with 10 points (2G, 8A). The 6'1", 180-pound Switzer matched his rookie output last year as a member of the Cottonmouths, tallying 10 points (5G, 5A) in 45 games in Columbus and chipping in a goal and two assists in seven postseason contests for the Snakes.

Maldonado will begin his fifth season on the Snakes blue line this year, his seventh professional season. The 29-year-old has 329 professional games under his belt, scoring 171 total points (37G, 134A) with Columbus, three different Central Hockey League teams from 2008 to 2010, and two overseas clubs in Germany and the Netherlands. Maldonado joins goaltender Andrew Loewen as the only two players to have signed so far that were on the Snakes' 2012 President's Cup championship roster. The 5'9", 185-pound Maldonado had a career high in points that season with 31 (5G, 26A) and was one of five players to play in all 62 regular-season and playoff games. He also had a successful college career at Middlebury College, leading all defensemen on the team in scoring three out of four years and leading all players in scoring his freshman and senior seasons. He was a recipient of the Joe Concannon Award in 2008, recognizing him as the top American-born hockey player in a Division II or Division III college in New England.

The Cottonmouths will begin their 11th season as an original member of the SPHL on October 24 with their season opener at home against the Knoxville Ice Bears. Season tickets, group sales, and sponsorship opportunities are available now for the upcoming season. To find out how you can become a part of what will be an exciting 2014-15 season, contact the team at 706.571.0086 or visit them online at www.cottonmouths.com, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cottonmouths, or by following @Cottonmouths on Twitter.



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