Henkel signs with Carroll College, leaving Eastern

Men’s basketball coach Gary Turcott of Carroll College of Helena, Mont., announced Wednesday that Missoula Sentinel Star and Eastern Washington University guard Eric Henkel has signed to play with the Saints.

“Eric is one of the best basketball players to come out of the state of Montana in the last three years,” said Turcott. “We are very excited about the future with Eric in our program.”

Henkel a 6-foot-4 guard, was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in 2002-03. He averaged 24 points, while pulling down seven boards and handing out six assists per game his senior year. The two-time, first-team all-state Selection signed with EWU out of high school.

Henkel played in 27 games while averaging 7 minutes per game as a freshman at EWU. This past season, Henkel’s playing time increased as he played in all 28 contests, averaging 14 minutes per game for EWU. He also started in four games for the Eagles in 2004-05.

“I am excited for a fresh start and the opportunity to get back to playing my game,” said Henkel. “Carroll provides a chance for me to accomplish my goals both academically and athletically.”

Hockey

Former Spokane Chief Danny Lapointe signed a contract with the Toledo Storm of the ECHL and played three games over the weekend.

Lapointe, a native of Victoria, British Columbia, joined the Chiefs in January and scored four goals and 12 points in 30 games. This season, Lapointe appeared in 66 games between Spokane and Prince George.

In his four-year career, Lapointe played in 231 games with four teams and scored 92 career points.