MOLINE, Ill. – The Quad City Storm had a busy August, signing 15 players in 30 days, with one more for good measure on Wednesday. With a mix of returning players and new names to the franchise, the Storm are gearing up for their third season after sitting out the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Currently, nine new faces are set to take the ice for the Storm come October, the latest to be inked to a contract is Nick Mangone, who signed on September 1. He had previously signed a contract with the Storm last season before they were forced to sit out the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 restrictions.
The forward played his collegiate career at Nichols College, where the team won the NCAA Division III championship in 2017-18. In his four years at Nichols College, he skated in 108 games, scoring 22 goals and tallying 19 assists. Last season, he played for the FPHL Columbus River Dragons, appearing in 20 games and scoring eight goals with three assists on his way to winning the FPHL championship with fellow Storm player Connor Fries.
The last new face to the Storm signed in August was David Brančík, who signed on August 28. An offensive defenseman, the native of the Czech Republic will be playing in his fifth SPHL season. In four years, he has lit the lamp 15 times and added 43 assists (58 points) in 136 games.
Another blue-liner, rookie Jordon Stone will also join the team after completing his collegiate career at Bethel University. While a Royal, he appeared in 24 games and scored one goal with five assists. He played his first two seasons at Johnson and Wales University, playing in 46 games and scoring twice with five assists.
On offense, Brett Gravelle was announced on August 22 after appearing on the protected list in May. This season will be his first in the SPHL, during the pandemic playing for the FPHL Elmira Enforcers, Before taking the ice for the Enforcers, he completed four years at the University of St. Thomas, playing in 102 games and scoring 50 goals with 63 assists (113 points). In his senior season, he donned the captain’s ‘C’ for the team.
Kyle Pouncy, a defenseman, joins the Storm after a 100 game NCAA Division III career at Northland College. In those 100 games, he scored 17 goals with 40 assists and served as an assistant captain in his junior and senior years. Last season, he appeared in one game for the ECHL’s Wichita Thunder, five games with the FPHL’s Carolina Thunderbirds, and seven games with the SPHL’s Knoxville Ice Bears, as well as serving as an assistant coach at Northland College. Pouncy signed with the ECHL Utah Grizzlies on Wednesday.
Two-way player Adam Logozzo comes to the Storm from the BeNeLiga (Belgian Elite League), where he played for two seasons. While in Belgium he accumulated 27 goals and 41 assists in (68 points) 40 games. Last season, he had the most goals by a defenseman in BeNeLiga.
Veteran Marcus Ortiz will start his fourth full season in the SPHL, having previously skated for the Macon Mayhem, Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs, and Knoxville Ice Bears. After completing his collegiate career in 2017 at SUNY- Fredonia, he skated in 13 games for the ECHL Rapid City Rush that same year before splitting the 2017-18 season between Rapid City and Knoxville. In 138 games in the SPHL, he has totaled 45 goals and 39 assists, as well as 262 penalty minutes.
Rookie forward Tommy Stang will start his professional career with the Storm this October after four years at St Mary’s University in Minnesota. He played in 87 games and scored 31 goals with 36 assists (67 points).
Rounding out the new faces for the Storm that have been announced so far is Carter Shinkaruk, who was on the Storm’s protected list this year. Shinkaruk made his professional debut in 2016 with the ECHL Idaho Steelheads after his collegiate career at Elmira College ended. In 76 games in the SPHL, he has totaled 16 goals and 12 assists. Last season, he played in the FPHL for the Elmira Enforcers. With the Enforcers, he scored eight goals and added 24 assists (32 points). His 24 assists and 32 points were tops in the Federal League.
The Storm have also signed Ricky Kramer, Cole Golka, Taylor Pryce, Shane Bennett, Tommy Tsicos, Fries, and Peter Di Salvo.
Stay tuned for more signings and updates now and throughout the season, and be sure to follow @FPHStorm on Twitter.
