Penticton Vees forward Matt Serratore is joining the Air Force Academy in 2015-16.
The Vees announcement his commitment Thursday.
Vees head coach Fred Harbinson said Serratore’s strengths make him a perfect fit at Air Force.
“Matt ’s work ethic and hockey IQ is his strength," said Harbinson. "He continues to grow as a player and will be a great addition for Air Force in 2015.”
The 19-year-old is in his first season with the Vees and has four goals and 10 points in 35 games. The Bemidji, Minn. native discovered his offensive touch recently with two goals and five points in eight games. Serratore is one of the Vees' top defensive forwards and penalty-killers.
Prior to joining the Vees, Serratore played three seasons of varsity hockey at Bemidji High School, amassing 49 goals and 91 points in 80 regular season games. Last season, Serratore led the Lumberjacks in scoring in the regular season with 21 goals and 31 points in 25 games.
The Air Force Academy Falcons play in the Atlantic Hockey Conference (AHC) and have been playing Division I hockey since 1968. The Falcons currently sit third in the AHC with a 7-5-4 record. Frank Serratore has been the head coach at Air Force since 1998, and under his guidance, the Falcons have won two AHC regular season championships, five AHC Conference tournament championships and have appeared in the NCAA Tournament five times.
Serratore is the 16th player on the Vees roster to land an NCAA Division I commitment and first at Air Force.