Springfield Jr. Blues forward Ryan Leibold announced Monday his commitment to play collegiate hockey at Army West Point. This is the 10th Springfield player this season to be committed to an NCAA Division I Program
Leibold, an 18 year old from Ashburn, VA, said Army really stood out to him once he visited the campus. “The whole campus was nice and the opportunity to set myself up for the rest of my life (after hockey). I love the coaching staff too. They have been there for a while now and they are a tried & true staff.”
In his first year in the NAHL, Leibold has tallied 11 goals and 15 assists for Springfield. When discussing his development as a hockey player, Leibold spoke about his time in Springfield playing a pivotal role.
“This is where (Army) first saw me play. Definitely playing with the level of competition that this league has in it, Springfield gave me the opportunity to develop and become a Division I hockey player.”
With committing for the 2018-19 season, Leibold still has one year left in junior hockey. Even though he is committed to the Black Knights, he still has goals set for himself through next year.
“If anything, this is when all the real work starts. I can’t slack off now. I just want to keep developing as a player, come to the rink everyday and try hard.”
As his final words on his commitment, Leibold had just 3 words for his soon to be teammates as they prepare for the Atlantic Hockey Conference Championships this weekend, “Beat Air Force.”
Leibold and Springfield will be on the road this weekend as they prepare for a two game series with the Coulee Region Chill starting at 7:00pm Friday. Fans can follow along on HockeyTV as well as on the free Springfield Jr. Blues mobile app.
