Junior hockey graduate Brett Roulston will continue his hockey career with the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns this fall.

Following an extended playoff run with the Jr. A Nanaimo Clippers in April, the 20-year-old Whitehorse forward accepted an offer with the Pronghorns to join the varsity club in Alberta.

“I wanted to keep playing hockey and go to school,” Roulston said Wednesday, noting he received interest from a variety of schools.

Roulston visited the university campus last month and quickly agreed it was where he wanted to play next season.

“It was a tough decision, but I liked what I saw and liked the coach,” Roulston said.

Lethbridge finished in the cellar of Canadian Interuniversity Sport’s Canada West division last season and did not make the playoffs.

Pronghorns head coach Spiros Anastas said he is looking forward to adding the rugged right-winger to his lineup.

“We are extremely excited to have Brett joining the Pronghorn hockey program,” he said in an email to the Star. “We believe that Brett will bring a great deal of depth to our lineup as he is very versatile and can play a lot of roles and positions.

“His work ethic is something that we need here as we are changing the culture of our program with up to 16 new players coming in this season. We will have a young team, but players like Brett will be ready to set the tone from the get-go.”

Whitehorse native David Stephens also plays in the Canada West division for the Mount Royal Cougars.

Meanwhile, Yukoner Angela Burke graduated from the Pronghorns women’s program this year.

Roulston was a key cog in an extended playoff run for the Clippers this spring, which saw them fall just shy of a Fred Page Cup win.

He finished tied for the team lead in playoff scoring with seven goals and 10 assists in 23 games.

The Clippers assistant captain also scored 17 goals and 20 assists in 58 regular season games.

Before his stint in Nanaimo, Roulston spent two years with the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League, and is the last Yukoner to suit up with a major junior hockey team.

In Lethbridge, he will be reunited with Cougars teammate Brock Hirsche, now the Pronghorns captain and leading scorer.

Anastas said Roulston came highly recommended by Clippers coach Mike Vandekamp.

“He will be a great asset for us and the university,” he said.

Roulston’s talents aren’t only limited to the ice.

Last month, Roulston was part of the Marlins team that earned the opportunity to represent the Yukon at the 2015 Senior Men’s Canadian Slo-Pitch Championship. Roulston hit a home run in the championship game.