Josh Pietrantonio Returning For Another Season

Columbus, GA - The Captain of the 2021 Ignite Cup Champions is back for 2021-22! The Columbus River Dragons are excited to announce that Josh Pietrantonio is set to return to the team next season.

"I'm really excited and honored to sign back for my second season in Columbus" Pietrantonio said. "The support we've received has been amazing and now we get to see it grow. The fans endured a lot of adversity in the shortened season but still showed up night in and night out, I feel blessed to have that kind of support and can't wait to get back on the ice and improve upon this winning culture."

Last season, Pietrantonio appeared in 17 regular season games and registered 10 points (4G-6A). That was just a warmup compared to the numbers he would put up during the Ignite Cup finals against Elmira, with eight points (3G-5A) in the three-game series sweep.

"Josh was huge for us last year coming down the stretch" River Dragons head coach Jerome Bechard said. "He played an integral part in keeping this team on the right track physically and emotionally. We had a lot of leaders on the team last year and he did a tremendous job, on and off the ice. His line of Austin Daae and Mac Jansen really stepped up the final weeks and led us to a championship, and I'm looking forward to Josh doing the same thing again just with a slightly different team."

Pietrantonio is going into his 6th year as a pro with over 150 games in the FPHL under his belt so far. He is an over a point per game player in his FPHL regular season career (177 points in 156 games) who consistently turns up when it matters most in the playoffs, much like he did last season. Pietrantonio's playoff FPHL numbers are approaching two points per game with 31 points (9G-22A) in 18 postseason appearances (1.72 PPG).

Pietrantonio and goaltender Jared Rutledge start to help build the foundation for the River Dragons ahead of the 2021-22 season. You can see the Dragons all year long with an Inside Edge Club membership for season tickets, merchandise discounts and other VIP perks exclusive to you. Call 706-507-GOAL (4625) for more details! The home opener is less than two months away, be there at the Civic Center when the banner gets raised!