Boston College's loss is UMass hockey's gain – Frank Vatrano of East Longmeadow is headed to the Minutemen.
Frank Vatrano of East Longmeadow has committed to the University of Massachusetts hockey team, and will be eligible to play the 2013-14 season.
Landing the forward is considered a major coup for the Minutemen.
Vatrano, a prize recruit of Boston College before leaving there this fall, has been playing with the Boston Junior Bruins of the Eastern Junior Hockey League. He skated last season for the U.S. National Development team, recording 35 points in 60 games.
Considered one of the top incoming players for BC, Vatrano was slated to skate on the national-champion Eagles' third or fourth line as a freshman.
Then, for undisclosed reasons, he left BC in September and returned to juniors.
Vatrano is the cousin of former BC star Barry Almeida of Springfield. Almeida, now with the Hershey Bears of the AHL, text-messaged his congratulations Tuesday.
"I went to the school today," Vatrano said of his decision. "I'm very excited. UMass is close to home; I'm used to going to games there when my cousin played."
"It was just a miscommunication between me and the BC admissions office," Vatrano said, referencing the red tape involving the NCAA Clearinghouse which precipitated his departure.
The plan is for Vatrano to practice with UMass the second semester. Since he is transferring from one Division I school to another, he must sit out a year as required by NCAA regulations.
Vatrano plans to major in communication.
Per NCAA rules, UMass officials are not yet allowed to comment on his decision.