Quercia returns to Nailers

WHEELING, W.Va. - The Wheeling Nailers, ECHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins, announced the team has re-signed forward Matthew Quercia to a contract for the 2023-24 season.Quercia, 24, will begin his second pro season in the fall, as he joined the Nailers during the second half of the 2021-22 campaign, then missed the entire 2022-23 season due to an injury suffered during training camp. He quickly made a name for himself in Wheeling, as his goal in overtime of Game 7 during the opening round of the 2022 Kelly Cup Playoffs gave the Nailers their first playoff series victory since 2016. The rookie forward snagged four points (2g-2a) in 10 games during that postseason, which followed his regular-season totals of seven points (3g-4a) in 19 contests.Prior to turning pro, the Andover, Massachusetts native played four seasons of college hockey. He attended Boston University for three years, then transferred to Michigan Tech in 2021. Quercia enjoyed his best collegiate season as a sophomore with the Terriers, when he finished seventh on the team in scoring with 13 points in 29 games, and led all Hockey East forwards with 34 blocked shots. He also played two seasons of junior hockey for the United States Hockey League's Sioux Falls Stampede.