Brevard Hockey Star To Skate With College All-Stars
By Space Coast Daily // December 1, 2012
Former Hurricanes Defenseman Shines On Ice
BREVARD COUNTY • ROCKLEDGE, FLORIDA – Brevard’s Jake Ninko, a student at the University of Central Florida, has been selected to play on the American Collegiate Hockey Association’s Division 3 Select Team.
The squad will travel to Europe over the holidays to play overseas.
“He knows the game really well,” UCF head coach Sean Weaver said. “He’s a great skater, possesses a lot of skill and has a really big shot which has been beneficial on power plays for us. He plays a very aggressive game, but he’s been taught how to hit and rarely takes a penalty.”
UCF’s club hockey team plays in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division 3 South Region and has done so since the 2000-01 season.
The Knights hockey program began in 1997 and since 2005 UCF has appeared in seven consecutive ACHA National Tournaments.
Ninko is a 2008 graduate of Space Coast Jr./Sr. High School and graduated from Brevard Community College in the spring of 2011. He moved on to UCF to major in exercise science with minors in both business administration and sports management.
He is in his second season with the Knights’ hockey team and the defenseman was selected as an ACHA Second Team All-American last season.
From 2006-2010, Ninko captained the Space Coast Hurricanes USA Hockey 20-and-Under junior hockey team.
During his reign as Hurricanes captain, they made two appearances at the USA Hockey National Championships.
For more information about the University of Central Florida Hockey team, visit http://www.centralfloridahockey.com./
