It’s a new year and a new import for the Invicta Dynamos who have started 2019 by adding to the roster with the capture of 21 year old Latvian Oskars Ancitis with the skater ready to ice pending the completion of the transfer paperwork.
Oskars Ancitis has so far plied his trade at home in Latvia and at junior level in the United States of America. He rose through the ranks in his home nation icing for Daugavpils in southeastern Latvia close to the borders with Belarus and Lithuania. In 2013/14 and in Latvia’s top tier, the 16 year old dressed 22 times and found the net twice whilst adding an assist for 3 points. He featured a further 3 times in the playoffs.
The following term Ancitis switched to HS Riga / Prizma where, as a promising junior, he played for the under 18s, also ice in the country’s second tier and made another outing in the top league. The forward notched 8 goals and 8 assists in 13 games for the under 18s and found twine 6 times whilst playing a role in 7 more during 29 fixtures for the second division side. His good form saw him selected to represent his country at under 18s level with Ancitis featuring twice for Latvia in international games.
In 2015/16 Ancitis made the jump across the Atlantic to play in the Western States Hockey League (WSHL) – a tier II junior league in the USA. Here he played 14 games for the Casper Coyotes in Wyoming aged just 18 and managed 9 points courtesy of 3 goals and 6 assists. 2016/17 then saw him return home to Daugavpils, now in Latvia’s second division, and he established himself with 35 points in 30 games – the forward finding the net 15 times and setting up his teammates on 20 occasions.
Ancitis was not finished in America and he returned to the USA in 2017/18 – this time signed by the Utah Outliers also of the WSHL. Now aged 20, the Latvian was a one of the league’s best performers with 20 goals and 30 assists giving him 50 points from 41 regular season games. In the playoffs he continued to impress as he notched another 3 and setup a further 2 in 8 outings.
After starting the current campaign in his home nation’s second division with Prizma / Pardaugava, Oskars Ancitis now moves to the UK where he will be hoping to make his name in the NIHL South’s top tier with the Invicta Dynamos.
Speaking on the signing of Oskars Ancitis, Head Coach Kevin Parrish said, “After plenty of searching for the right man to take us forward, I am very pleased to have secured the signing of Oskars for the remainder of 2018/19. Oskars is young, energetic and hungry to make his mark in this country. He has plenty of enthusiasm but also experience of putting the puck in the net and that’s what this team needs most at this time. I look forward to working with him and helping him make his way in the NIHL South Division 1”.
Oskars Ancitis will wear the number 59 jersey for the Invicta Dynamos and will line up for the team as soon as the paperwork sealing his international transfer and UK registration has been completed. His new side are in action this weekend as they travel to Basingstoke to take on the Bison on Saturday before hosting the Swindon Wildcats in Gillingham on Sunday.