Snakes Sign Manhattan Alums

August 20, 2014 - SPHL (SPHL)
Columbus Cottonmouths News Release


COLUMBUS, Ga. - The Columbus Cottonmouths of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) announce the signing of forward tandem Craig Simchuk and Luc Van Natter. The pair of forwards join the Snakes in their rookie seasons out of Manhattan College in New York, an Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference school located just north of New York City.

Simchuk begins his first year pro after a four-year collegiate career at Manhattanville. The 5'11", 200-pound forward scored 18 goals and 28 assists in a combined 89 games collegiately. In his senior season, he was among the best collegiately on the penalty kill, scoring three of his seven goals on the season shorthanded. He also added 15 assists for 22 total points in 25 games last season while serving as co-captain. He played juniors in his hometown of Winnipeg for the Saints, averaging just under a point a game with 233 points in 234 career games there, including 84 points (34G, 50A) in 60 games in 2008-09.

Van Natter, also 25, was a co-captain for Manhattanville last season along with Simchuk, scoring 32 points (15G, 17A) in 27 games. In 104 games collegiately, Van Natter notched 41 goals and 49 assists. He was named to the ECAC Western Conference First Team last season as his 15-goal output led the ECAC West and was among the top 20 national totals. The 5'10", 165 pound forward played Junior A hockey in Ontario with the Aurora Tigers, notching a combined 140 points in 105 games including a 96-point season (39G, 57A) in just 56 games in 2009-10.

Simchuk and Van Natter join forwards Matt Gingera and Mathias Persson, defenseman Andreas Persson, and goaltender Andrew Loewen as announced on the Snakes' training camp roster for the 2014-15 season.

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 while single game tickets are set to go on sale to the public October 1. 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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