Penticton Vees defenceman Mitch Meek is going to Michigan Tech University next fall.
Meek, an alternate captain, is in his fifth and final season of junior hockey but his first with the Vees. Through 15 games, the he has a goal and eight points, helping the Vees to an 13-2-0-0 record.
“It feels great to have reached a goal of mine after all the work I put into my offseason and I’m excited to go to a program with a great history,” said Meek in a press release. “I’m going to have a good opportunity to step in and play right away next year and I can’t wait.”
The Victoria product hit the 200-games-played milestone earlier this season and has split his time in the BCHL between Penticton, Cowichan Valley, Vernon and Victoria. In that time, the veteran blueliner has collected 16 goals and 80 points to go with 174 penalty-minutes in 208 regular season games. He has plenty of playoff experience as well with 38 career Fred Page Cup playoff games under his belt and went to the league Final and RBC Cup in 2014 with Vernon.
Meek was acquired from the Cowichan Valley Capitals this summer in an off-season trade.
Michigan Tech University is located in Houghton, Mich. and plays in the 10-team Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). The Huskies are coached by Mel Pearson, who’s in his sixth season as the program’s head coach. In their history, the Huskies have won three national championships, made 10 Frozen Four appearances, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, won the WCHA Tournament nine times and have won the WCHA regular-season championship seven times; most recently in 2015.
Meek is the 14th player on the Vees’ roster with an NCAA Division I commitment.