He’ll join the tean as a forward. He has signed with the SPHL Peoria Rivermen. He’ll join the Rivermen as a defenseman. They are the second and third Alvernia players to sign professional contracts. They join goaltender Brandon Daigle, who inked an FPHL contract with the Danbury Hat Tricks in March 2023.
Logan vande Meerakker, 24, played his final two collegiate seasons at Alvernia after spending two years at Norwich University in Vermont. Vande Meerakker had a stellar year with the Golden Wolves this season. He was named First Team All-UCHC and Second Team All-MAC after scoring 33 points with 14 goals and 19 assists this season. Vande Meerakker averaged more than a point per game throughout his career.
He will join the Marksmen as a forward. Christian Dahl signed with the SPHL Peoria Rivermen. He will join the Rivermen as a defensemen. They are the second and third players from Alvernia to sign professional contracts. They join goalie Brandon Daigle, who signed an FPHL contract with the Danbury Hat Tricks in March of 2023.
Logan vande Meerakker, 24, played his final two collegiate seasons at Alvernia following two years at Norwich University in Vermont. Vande Meerakker had a career-year for the Golden Wolves this season. He earned First Team All-UCHC accolades and Second Team All-MAC honors following a season that saw him score 33 points off of 14 goals and 19 assists. Vande Meerakker averaged over a point per game during his career with the Golden Wolves. Over his entire collegiate career, vande Meerakker scored 69 points in 69 games.
“Logan was a tremendous addition to our start-up program two years ago,” said Alvernia Head Coach Andrew Burke. “He was our first ever captain and set a benchmark of hard work, focus, and dedication to putting our program on the map. Logan had an excellent off-season leading into his final season and it paid off. He was one of the top forwards in our conference night in and night out. His game will translate well to pro-game as he plays with great pace, physicality, and the ability to make plays and produce.”
Christian Dahl, 25, also played his final two collegiate seasons at Alvernia following two seasons at Plattsburgh State. Dahl played in 52 games for Alvernia and 81 collegiate games. He scored two goals and seven assists for the Golden Wolves during his two seasons with Alvernia. He also had ten points off of three goals and seven assists. Dahl finished his career with 92 blocks, including 36 this season.
“Christian came into his final year very focused and poised to be one of the best defenseman in the country,” said Burke. “He was a force every single shift this season, and he was given the responsibility to play against every other teams’ top line. He helped quarterback our power-play and lead our penalty kill unit. Christian’s game will also translate very quickly into the pro level. His hockey IQ and ability to be hard to play against will help his transition into professional hockey.
Peoria, located in Illinois, currently sits in second in the SPHL standings. The Rivermen are 28-11-1 on the year. The Marksman, located in North Carolina, are fourth in SPHL standings with a 25-14-4 record.
