Noah Zeppa to Soo Eagles
He is an established goalie of good repute who starred for the Soo Jr. Greyhounds of the Great North Under 18 Hockey League and the Soo Thunderbirds of the Northern Ontario Jr. Hockey League.
And not yet 21 years of age, Noah Zeppa is taking his skills to a position as the new goalie coach for the Michigan-based Soo Eagles of the NOJHL. Both Zeppa himself and Eagles president and general manager Bruno Bragagnolo confirmed the appointment.
“Noah is a smart young guy who was a really good goalie in our league and someone who I have always respected and liked as an opposing player with the Thunderbirds,” Bragagnolo relayed to Hockey News North. “We are very happy to have him with the Soo Eagles.”
Zeppa, who is an outstanding student at Algoma University, had options to continue to play hockey but told Hockey News North that being a goalie coach is something that he has always been interested in. He added that he has been in contact with “some big goalie programs in the United States” to help set up how he is going approach his goalie coach position with the NOJHL Eagles.
Zeppa will take over from long-time Eagles goalie coach Bill Vanderleest with the NOJHL’s Michigan Soo team. Vanderleest recently departed the Eagles to become the goalie coach for their NOJHL West Division rival Espanola Paper Kings.
Zeppa joins another Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario resident on the Eagles coaching staff in Ken Belanger. Belanger is an assistant to Eagles head coach Doug Laprade.