Recruit Roundup

• North Dakota defense recruit and Grand Forks native Paul LaDue recently became the top point producing defenseman in Lincoln Star (USHL) history. His goal last Thursday night gave him 70 points in a Stars uniform, surpassing former Michigan Tech Husky Eli Vlaisavljevich on the franchise's all-time list. Other names of note on Lincoln's all-time defenseman point list are Sioux alums Andy Schneider (53), Chad Mazurak (49), Lee Marvin (48), and Nick Fuher (43). LaDue, who will be joining North Dakota for the 2013-14 season, leads all USHL defensemen in points (36) and assists (25), is second in goals (11), and is T-7th with a +17 rating. To note his remarkable consistency, he has yet to go more than two consecutive games this season without registering a point, and that has happened on just three occasions. 
• Defense recruit Christian Evers and the Omaha AAA Under-16 team blazed through the NAPHL Playoffs this past weekend, going 5-0 while outscoring their opponents 28-9. Evers scored two goals in today's championship game, giving him a team-leading six for the tournament. His nine points (6G, 3A) led all tournament defensemen and were the second most on the team.
• UND's most recent commit, Rhett Gardner (Moose Jaw Generals-SMAAAHL), is averaging one goal per game over his last 20 contests. His 27 goals lead the Generals and are the fifth most in the league.
• Adam Tambellini (Surrey Eagles-BCHL) has produced 17 points during his last 11 games, including a five point game (3G, 2A) last month. His 29 goals are T-4th in the league while his 55 points (29G, 26A) are tenth most.
• Also in the BCHL, Penticton Vee Wade Murphy has been producing at a torrid clip. Over his last 10 games Murphy has put up 21 points (6G, 15A), including seven point (2G, 5A) and five point (0G, 5A) efforts. On the season he leads the Vees in points (66) and assists (44), totals which rank fourth and second among all BCHL players.
• In the Minnesota high school ranks, St. Cloud Cathedral junior forward Austin Poganski ended the regular season as his team's leading goal scorer (25) and point producer (47). Poganski and the second seeded Crusaders begin postseason play this Thursday in St. Cloud when they will face either Mora/Hinckley-Finlayson or North Branch in the Section 5A quarterfinals.
• Holy Family sophomore forward Shane Gersich has had a terrific month of February thus far, producing multi-point efforts in each of his last seven games. He has tallied 24 points (13G, 11A) this month, including back-to-back four goal performances in helping lead the Fire to their first-ever conference title in boy's hockey. For the season, Gersich leads the team with 62 points and 28 goals in 24 games played. Holy Family, which earned the fifth seed in what is a loaded Section 6AA field, opens the playoffs Thursday night against Eden Prairie.
• Hockeytube.net put together a great video profile/interview of UND defense recruit Geoff Crisfield (Vernon Vipers-BCHL). Crisfield discusses his decision to commit to North Dakota, as well as stating that, at least as of now, he appears headed back to Vernon for one more season prior to joining UND:

Recruit Profile: Rhett Gardner

Photo-AJHL.com

Current Team:  Okotoks Oilers (AJHL)

Potential Arrival at UND:  2015

Position:  Forward

Birthday:  February 28, 1996

Hometown:  Moose Jaw, SK

Height:  6'2"

Weight:  180

Shoots:  Left


Profiles & Press Clippings:

• AJHL 2013-14 Profile/Stat Page
• Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League Profile/Stat Page
• Elite Prospects Profile/Stat Page
• Brad Schlossman Commitment Post
• Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Gardner Verbally Commits to UND
• Discover Moose Jaw: Generals' Gardner Commits to UND
• Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Gardner Moves West for Hockey (Aug 2013)
• Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Gardner Makes USHL Debut With Gamblers (Apr 2013)
• Discover Moose Jaw: Gardner Savoured Under-17 Experience (Jan 2013)
• Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Gardner Ready For New Challenge (Dec 2012)
• Discover Moose Jaw: Gardner Pumped For World Under-17's (Dec 2012)
• Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Gardner Honoured To Be Chosen (Nov 2012)
• Moose Jaw Times-Herald: Gardner's Stock Rising After Strong Season (Apr 2011)
• Selected by the Green Bay Gamblers in the 20th Round (300th Overall) of the 2012 USHL Entry Draft.
• Selected by the Spokane Chiefs in the 2nd Round (41st Overall) of the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft (rights since traded to the Brandon Wheat Kings).
• NHL Entry Draft Eligible in 2014

2013-14:

• He will play for the Okotoks Oilers of the AJHL.
• In September he was listed as a C skater on the NHL Central Scouting Service's Preliminary Watchlist for the 2014 NHL Draft. 

2012-13:

• Serving as captain for the Moose Jaw Generals of the Saskatchewan Midget AAA Hockey League, he recorded 48 points (27G, 21A) in 35 games and one goal in two playoff games. He led the team in goals and points per game (1.4) on his way to earning the Generals' Team MVP and Top Forward award, and he also appeared in one game for the USHL's Green Bay Gamblers.
• Participated in the 2013 World Under-17 Challenge as a member of Canada West. In five tournament games he produced two goals.

2011-12:

• Playing for the Moose Jaw Generals (SMAAAHL), he produced 30 points (19G, 11A) in 41 regular season games and six points (4G, 2A) in nine postseason games. 
• Represented Team Saskatchewan at the 2011 Western Canada Challenge Cup, notching one goal during the tournament.

2010-11:

• He played in 10 regular season games for the Moose Jaw Generals (SMAAAHL), notching two goals and three assists. He also appeared in two postseason contests.

Favorite Sioux-Gopher Memories - Repost

I posted this last January prior to Minnesota's last visit to Grand Forks as WCHA rivals. As we near their last ever regular season series as WCHA foes, I figured a repost was in order:

The greatest rivalry in all of college hockey is about to be renewed tonight, and that begs the question, what is your favorite Sioux-Gopher memory? Countless memories, both joyous and heartbreaking, come to mind when trying to pick a rivalry-defining moment. But after a great deal of reflection, I've settled on my top three:

#3: February 15, 1998 - The Comeback:

"They just turned it up. They got their 'A' game back and kicked our butts."
                                                                         - Minnesota coach Doug Woog

After having lost the night before, Minnesota was looking to salvage a split in a rare Sunday game at Old Engelstad Arena. The Sioux came out flat, a rare occasion considering they had outscored their opponents 86-38 while having won 14 of their previous 15 contests. The defending national champions, led by 1998 WCHA Player of the Year Curtis Murphy and fellow All-Americans Jason Blake & Karl Goehring, fell behind 3-0 in the first period and there was little to suggest that the Sioux would be able to mount any sort of comeback against goaltender Steve DeBus and the Gophers.

Then, Murphy's power play goal just under 7:00 into the third period ignited both the team and the crowd, and less than eight minutes later the Engelstad Arena crowd was in a delirious frenzy after goals by Blake and Jeff and Jay Panzer gave the Sioux a 4-3 lead. The five-goal third period was capped with an empty netter, and Minnesota was forced to head back home without a point.

If memory serves, I believe that was the game that gave birth to "Welcome to the Jungle" as the unofficial "get off your tail and make some noise" song, and at one point, the crowd was so fired up that the noise caused Midwest Sports Channel's cameras to shake during the broadcast. To this day I have never heard a Fighting Sioux crowd as loud as it was that day.

 #2: March 17 & 25, 2007 - Reversal of Fortune:

“I just took a whack at it. I couldn’t believe when the crowd started going crazy. I didn’t see it go in.”
                                                                                                           - Minnesota forward Blake Wheeler

After winning the WCHA regular season title, Minnesota entered the 2007 WCHA Final Five Championship game looking to avenge the home sweep North Dakota had served up earlier that season. Minnesota was the #2 ranked team in the nation, and the red hot Sioux were ranked #7 after a second-half surge that had seen them go 15-2-4.

A scoreless first period was followed by a second period that saw Minnesota take a 2-1 lead. After Ryan Duncan tied the game for the Sioux early in the third, both teams went scoreless until this happened:

Wheeler's lunging swipe propelled Minnesota to the top overall seed in the NCAA tournament, where they were placed in the West Regional along with their favorite neighbor, North Dakota. After each team did its part by winning their first round game, a rematch of the previous week's Final Five championship would decide which team would get to punch its ticket for St. Louis and the Frozen Four.

"Nobody likes to lose the WCHA championship game and it kind of stuck with us all week."
                                                                                           - North Dakota forward Chris Porter

Each team scored in the first period, and after a scoreless second period North Dakota took a 2-1 lead early in the third on a Robbie Bina power play goal. The Sioux held the tenuous one-goal lead for over ten minutes, until a power play goal by Jay Barriball evened the score. Neither team scored the rest of the way, setting up overtime drama for the second time in just 8 days. North Dakota was applying good pressure in the extra session, and they started planning for St. Louis because of this:

Perhaps the most memorable aspect of these two games was their proximity not only on the calendar, but within the games themselves. In more than 133 minutes of action, neither team was able to enjoy more than a one goal cushion, leading to some very dramatic and intense play.

#1: February 2 & 3, 1996 - Giant Killers:

"The only time that game was close was when the referee dropped the opening puck."
                                                                                         - Minnesota coach Doug Woog

My number one memory of the Sioux-Gopher rivalry comes from the first weekend I'd ever seen the two teams play in person. Top-ranked Minnesota came into Engelstad Arena a confident bunch, having won 12 straight and going unbeaten in their last 20. Led by eventual Hobey Baker Award winner Brian Bonin, Minnesota looked to deliver a knockout punch to a North Dakota team that had scored just eight goals while staggering through a four game losing streak. Furthermore, the Gophers had not given up a goal in over 192 minutes.

Well, it didn't take another four games to score eight goals, as North Dakota came out with guns blazing. When Billy Trew scored halfway into Friday's 1st period, the offensive barrage was on and didn't let up until the Sioux had the sweep. By the time the dust settled the Fighting Sioux had lit the lamp 15 times via 8-2 (Friday) and 7-5 (Saturday) victories. The sweep not only ended the Gophers' impressive unbeaten streak, but it marked the beginning of a tailspin that saw them lose six of eight games.


Those are my favorites. What are yours?

The Golden Boys: Team USA, Grimaldi Come Up Big

Team USA struck gold this morning at the 2013 World Junior Championship, defeating Sweden 3-1 in the gold medal game in Ufa, Russia. This is the third gold medal USA Hockey has earned at the WJC, and the second in the last four years. Team USA displayed strong defensive play and superb goaltending throughout the tournament, and they were able to break out offensively when it mattered most. Following back-to-back disappointing defeats to Russia and Canada in which they scored a combined two goals, Team USA peppered Slovakia with nine goals in a must-win preliminary round game. They then proceeded to defeat the Czech Republic 7-0 and Canada 5-1 to advance to today's championship game.

North Dakota forward Rocco Grimaldi was instrumental in today's golden victory, scoring two goals and buzzing all over the ice on virtually every shift in being named Team USA's Best Player of the Game. After being benched during preliminary round action for what the coaching staff deemed as selfish play, Grimaldi was a dynamo during medal round action as he was involved in the game-winning goals in both the semifinals and the finals. Over the course of the tournament, Grimaldi recorded two goals and two assists in the six games during which he appeared. He became the 12th University of North Dakota player to earn a gold medal at the WJC, and the 19th medalist overall.

Here is a sampling of video clips highlighting a few of Grimaldi's contributions to Team USA's triumphant excursion to Ufa:

Assist on Jake McCabe's Game-Winning Goal in the Semifinals:

Slick Drop Pass in the Slot For McCabe:

Ties the Gold Medal Game at One With a Sneaky Wrister:

Scores the Gold Medal Game-Winner Off a Deflection:

Wednesday Evening Post

• Team USA and Rocco Grimaldi have advanced to the semifinal round of the World Junior Championship where they will take on Canada at 3:00 CST Thursday morning for the right to play for WJC gold. Sweden and Russia will play in Thursday's second semifinal matchup. Grimaldi, who was benched for Monday's preliminary round game against Slovakia, returned to action this morning in the quarterfinal game against the Czech Republic and it will be interesting to see what role he plays in the big rematch with Canada. His combination of speed and puck skill is as good as anyone playing in this tournament, making him an instant offensive threat that could be a difference maker in a big game. 
• The Team USA U-17 team rolled through World Under-17 Challenge preliminary play, going 4-0 while outscoring its opponents 23-11. UND recruit Chris Wilkie is tied for fourth in tournament scoring with seven points (1G, 6A), and his six assists are tied for the tournament lead. Fellow recruit Austin Poganski scored a pair of goals in prelim play, but his level of play is not reflected in his stat line. His strong play has earned him increased ice time as the tournament has progressed, and he is now seeing time on the second powerplay unit. Team USA will take on Russia tomorrow evening at 6:30 CST in the semifinal round, with the medal games scheduled for Friday. All tournament games can be streamed live and free via FastHockey.
• Both Team USA and Team Canada rolled through preliminary round play at the Under-18 Women's World Championship. Team USA, featuring North Dakota recruits Amy Menke, Gracen Hirschy, and Alexis Shaw, went 3-0 during the preliminary round and outscored its opponents 25-0. Canada, with recruit Halli Krzyzaniak, also went 3-0, and they outscored their opposition 15-1. Krzyzaniak, a defenseman, is Canada's leading point producer and she is tied for fourth in tournament scoring with six points (2G, 4A) while Menke is tied for 11th with four points (2G, 2A). Hirschy has recorded two assists while Shaw posted a shutout in her one appearance thus far. Team USA next takes to the ice in a semifinal tilt with the Czech Republic Friday, while Canada will face Sweden in Friday's other semifinal. The gold medal game will take place Saturday, and anything outside of a USA-Canada final would be a major, major surprise. For realtime stats and a full schedule, checkout the official tournament website.
• Former Sioux defenseman Travis Roche and Team Canada defeated Davos (Switzerland) to win the 2012 Spengler Cup. Roche recorded two assists during Canada's four tournament games.
• Andy Johnson of Bucky's Fifth Quarter issued his WCHA First Half Awards, and his Player of the Year is UND centerman Corban Knight. Danny Kristo, Derek Forbort, Clarke Saunders, and Rocco Grimaldi also received recognition.
• Brock Nelson of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL) is expected to miss the next two weeks after suffering a broken jaw.
• The second annual USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game is scheduled to take place January 23 in Muskegon, Michigan, and a trio of North Dakota recruits received invitations today. Luke Johnson (Lincoln) will take part for the second consecutive season, and he will be joined by Luke Voltin (Des Moines) and Tucker Poolman (Omaha).
• Recruit Nick Schmaltz sent 2012 out in style by notching a hat trick in Green Bay's (USHL) 6-5 (OT) win over Muskegon on New Year's Eve. He completed the hatty by scoring the overtime game-winner.

Saturday Morning Coffee

• Rocco Grimaldi and Team USA suffered a disappointing 2-1 loss to Russia Friday at the World Junior Championship and Dave Starman broke down the performance for NHL.com while Chris Peters did the same on his USOH blog. The Americans will have a shot to rebound early Sunday morning (3:30 AM CST) against Canada in a game that will have a big impact on medal round seeding. 
• Team USA played an exhibition game last night against Canada Pacific in a World Under-17 Challenge tune-up. The Americans shelled CP 6-2, with North Dakota recruits Chris Wilkie (two goals) and Austin Poganski (one goal) each figuring into the scoring. The games begin to count in the standings this afternoon when Team USA takes on Canada Ontario at 12:30 CST. Chris Peters again has his bases covered with a Team USA preview, and if you want to watch the streamed games free via FastHockey, here's how to do so.
• The Women's Under-18 World Championship kicked off today in Finland and Team USA got off to a rousing start with a 7-0 victory over Russia. North Dakota recruits Gracen Hirschy and Amy Menke did not figure into the scoring but they were a combined +3 for the game while Alexis Shaw (G) did not see action today. Team Canada also has a North Dakota recruit on its roster in defenseman Halli Krzyzaniak, who is serving as an alternate captain for the Canadian squad. As of this post, the Canadians were leading Hungary 4-1 late in the third, with Krzyzaniak notching a pair of assists. Preliminary play continues tomorrow for both Team USA and Canada before Monday's rest day. Tuesday will see the conclusion of preliminary action with the medal round commencing Wednesday and concluding with next Saturday's gold medal game. This is the sixth year this event has been held, and Team USA has won gold three of the five years while Canada, the defending champion, has won gold twice. Also of note, Canada and Team USA have met in the gold medal game all five years.
• Chris VandeVelde was suspended for three games by the AHL as a result of this illegal check to the head. Dave Staples of the Edmonton Journal's Cult of Hockey blog says it should have been a 10 gamer.
• Last weekend North Dakota recruit and current Lincoln Star Luke Johnson took some time to talk to the guys at The Pipeline Show. 
• Recruit Paul LaDue scored the OT game-winner for Lincoln last night. He continues to lead all USHL defensemen with 23 points (5G, 18A).
• Recruit Christian Evers blasted a PP goal in the Omaha AAA U-16 Lancers 6-1 win over Wenatchee yesterday at the Dallas NAPHL event. Evers now has 11 points (2G, 9A) in 11 NAPHL games this season and Omaha remained undefeated (15-0) in NAPHL play.

Recruit Profile: Shane Gersich

Photo-usantdp.com

Current Team:  USA NTDP Under-18 Team (USHL/Int.)

Potential Arrival at UND:  2014/15

Position:  Forward

Birthday:  July 10, 1996

Hometown:  Chaska, MN

Height:  5'11"

Weight:  175

Shoots:  Left


Profiles & Press Clippings:

• USA Hockey 2013-14 Profile/Stat Page
• Minnesota Hockey Hub 2012-13 Profile/Stat Page
• Brad Schlossman Commitment Post
• The Scouting Report: All-American Game Standouts (Oct 2013)
• WCHB: Top MN Prep Forward Shane Gersich Chooses North Dakota (Dec 2012)
• MN Hockey Hub: Shane Gersich Picks UND (Dec 2012)
• MN Hockey Prospects: Scouting Report (Dec 2012)
• Over the Boards: Top Uncommitteds (Oct 2012)
• MN Hockey Hub: A Man on Fire - A Q&A With HFC Forward Shane Gersich (Aug 2012)
• The Chaska Herald: Gersich Helps USA to Gold Medal (Aug 2012)
• The Examiner: A Look Back at USA Hockey's Select 16 Camp (Jul 2012)
• KARE 11: Athlete of the Week: Shane Gersich (Dec 2011)
• He is the nephew of former NHLers and University of Minnesota standouts Paul, Aaron, and Neal Broten, while his father, Frank, also played for the University of Minnesota.

2013-14:

• He will play for the USA Hockey NTDP Under-18 Team.
• He participated in the 2013 All-American Prospects Game as one of the top American-born prospects eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft.
• In September he was listed as a C skater on the NHL Central Scouting Service's Preliminary Watchlist for the 2014 NHL Draft.

2012-13:

• Played his sophomore season for Holy Family Catholic School (MN-HS), picking up 62 points (28G, 34A) in 25 games. He also scored one goal in six contests for the USHL's Omaha Lancers.
• In August he took part in the 2012 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament and registered six points (1G, 5A) in the first two games before suffering a shoulder injury that would keep him out of competition for the rest of the tournament.
• In the fall he played in the Upper Midwest HS Elite League, where he produced eight points (5G, 3A) in seven games. USHR ranked him as Team Southwest's top player based on this scouting report: 1. Shane Gersich, F, 7/10/96 (Holy Family Catholic) 5-10/165 — Very well could be the top uncommitted college prospect in the country—and he’s only a sophomore! Our opinion of him is a bit skewed because we have seen him at his best. He sort of went through the motions here. Nonetheless, Gersich just has so much skill – an absolute stud. Played for Team USA at the Five Nations tournament and led the team in scoring. Was outstanding at the Select 16 Festival over the summer. As a freshman last season. Gersich posted a 30-30-60 scoring line in just 21 games played. Might outgrow Minnesota high school hockey after this season and be forced to move on to the USHL or the NTDP.
• He participated in USA Hockey's Select 15 Development camp in July of 2012 and was ranked USHR's No. 2 forward after leading the camp in scoring with 12 points (5G, 7A) in six games. Here's what USHR had to say about him: Shane Gersich (Kelly Green, 5GP 5-6-11) 5-11/170 — Was outstanding all week long. Led the camp in scoring and had at least one point in every game. Is the top uncommitted ’96 forward in the country. An excellent skater who is able to pick up steam with the puck on his stick, Gersich makes plays while accelerating and is very agile and tough to check. We do not know who is recruiting him (everyone perhaps?), but our guess is that the Holy Family Catholic High School product, who has All-America potential, ends up at Minnesota or North Dakota. In 21 games played last season, the Chaska, Minn. native put up a 30-30-60 scoring line. We can only imagine what he will do next season as a junior.  (NOTE: Should read sophomore, not junior)

2011-12:

• As a freshman at Holy Family Catholic School he registered 60 points (30G, 30A) in 21 games, and his 30 goals led the team while his 60 scoring points were second most.
• Following his freshman season, the Omaha Lancers made him the No. 1 overall selection in the USHL's 2012 Futures Draft.
• In January of 2012 he participated in the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, where he was a teammate of fellow North Dakota recruit Nick Schmaltz. He produced four points (3G, 1A) in six tournament games. 
• In July of 2011 he attended USA Hockey's Select 15 Development Camp, where he was USHR's No. 8 rated forward after producing seven points (3G, 4A) in five games: 8. Shane Gersich (#12 Red) 5-11/163 – 3-4-7 – Really good hands and a keen sense of the game. Is strong on the puck, and has a nice shot -- really snaps it off. Plays for Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria, Minn. The school, which is about 25 miles southwest of Minneapolis), is moving from A to AA this season, at least in part because of the presence of Gersich.

2010-11:

• As a Holy Family Catholic School 8th grader he finished second on the team with 41 points (16G, 25A) in 25 games.

Holiday Leftovers

The blogging came to a screeching halt as the result of holiday travels, but having now returned home a Heinz post is in order. Here's some old news along with some not-so-old news in an effort to catch up:

• Team USA kicked off the 2013 World Junior Championship today with an 8-0 thumping of Germany, and North Dakota forward Rocco Grimaldi picked up an assist in the victory. They will take on tournament host Russia tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM CST, and the game can be viewed on NHL Network or streamed on NHL.com (Full Broadcast Schedule). Grimaldi is seeking to play a big role for Team USA, and he and WJC linemate Johnny Gaudreau are big on ability despite both being under 5'10". In another local connection, the team doctor for Team USA is Phil Johnson of Fargo.
• In a WJC lead-up feature, Jonathan Toews came in at No. 8 in TSN's Top 40 All-Time Canadians in World Junior history.
• Corban Knight finished off the season's first half in style with a six point weekend in a road sweep against Michigan Tech and he was named the WCHA Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts. Beyond the Pond says he is no silent Knight, while Goon's World asks the question, why not Knight for Hobey?  
• The Western College Hockey Blog issued its WCHA First Half Awards and Knight, Grimaldi, Danny Kristo, and Jordan Schmaltz all received recognition.
• After being named the CHL Goaltender of the Month for November, Aaron Dell stayed hot and was named the league's Goaltender of the Week for the week ending December 16th.
• Brock Nelson was recently included in The Hockey News' Hot List.
• The 2012 Spengler Cup is underway in Davos, Switzerland and former Sioux defenseman Travis Roche is representing Team Canada. Roche has notched an assist in two tournament games and is among an unheralded group of Canadians getting the job done. This year's Spengler is drawing a bit more interest than usual as a number of locked out NHL stars pepper tournament rosters. Among the familiar names are Rick Nash, Joe Thornton, Patrick Kane, Tyler Seguin, Patrice Bergeron, John Tavares, Jason Spezza, etc.
• Colby Genoway was recently featured in a nice video highlight package (link opens a YouTube video). Genoway currently plays for Lausanne of the NLB (Switzerland Tier 2) and is tied for 8th in the league in scoring with 45 points (19G, 26A) in 26 games. His 1.73 PPG rank first in the league among players with at least 25 games played. 
• As virtually everyone knows, UND recently received verbal commitments from two highly-coveted recruits. St. Cloud Cathedral's Austin Poganski and Holy Family's Shane Gersich both committed to North Dakota in the days leading up to Christmas. A recruit profile for Gersich is forthcoming, and in the meantime you can get to know Poganski a little better via his recruit profile.
• Poganski will be joining fellow North Dakota recruit Chris Wilkie on Team USA's entry in the 2013 World Under-17 Challenge, which runs Dec. 29 through Jan. 4th in Victoriaville/Drummondville, Quebec. Team USA plays an exhibition game Friday against Canada Pacific before kicking off preliminary round play Saturday in a tilt with Canada Ontario. Poganski is the only high schooler on the Team USA roster. The majority of the roster is made up of NTDP players, while a few others play for junior clubs.
• The 2013 Women's Under-18 World Championship begins Saturday in Vierumaki/Heinola, Finland, and North Dakota has four committed recruits taking part. Alexis Shaw (G), Gracen Hirschy (D), and Amy Menke are on Team USA's roster while Halli Krzyzaniak (D) will be playing for Team Canada.

Recruit Profile: Austin Poganski

Photo-USHL.com

Current Team: Tri-City Storm (USHL)

Potential Arrival at UND: 2014/15

Position:  Forward

Birthday:  February 16, 1996

Hometown:  St. Cloud, MN

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 198

Shoots: Right


Profiles & Press Clippings:

• USHL 2013-14 Profile/State Page
• Minnesota Hockey Hub 2012-13 Profile/Stat Page
• Brad Schlossman Commitment Post
• USA Hockey: AAPG is Another Step in the Ladder for Poganski (Sep 2013)
• The Scouting Report: 2014 USHL Prospects to Watch (Aug 2013)
• Hockey's Future: Poganski Hopes Physical Play Will Gain Attention of Scouts (Aug 2013)
• St. Cloud Times: Poganski Verbally Commits to UND (Dec 2012)
• WCHB: Austin Poganski Commits to North Dakota (Dec 2012)
• MN Hockey Prospects: Scouting Report
• WCHB: Top Minnesota HS Hockey Players By Class (Nov 2012)
• UMHSEL: Q&A With St. Cloud Cathedral, Team Great Plains Forward Austin Poganski
• USA Today HS Sports: Poganski in Demand (Aug 2012)
• USHR scouting report from the 2012 USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp, where he was ranked as a top 10 forward: Austin Poganski (#18 Kelly Green, 4-2-6) 6-1/195 — We did not have a ton of prior knowledge of the St. Cloud Cathedral forward, but he really jumped out at us. A tall, lanky winger with great legs and an explosive first step, we are told that the NTDP is considering him for the final forward spot on the U17 Team. Was named to the Five Nations U17 team. A top uncommitted college prospect who is only going to get better as he fills out.
• NHL Entry Draft eligible in 2014

2013-14:

• He will play for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL.
• He was invited to participate in the 2013 All-American Prospects Game as one of the top American-born prospects eligible for the 2014 NHL Draft, but he was unable to play due to injury.
• In September he was listed as a B skater on the NHL Central Scouting Service's Preliminary Watchlist for the 2014 NHL Draft.
• In August he was a member of the USA Hockey Under-18 Select team that took part in the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Cup.
• He participated in USA Hockey's Select 17 Development Camp, logging one goal and four assists in six tournament games in leading Team Royal to the camp championship.

2012-13:

• He played his junior season for St. Cloud Cathedral (MN-HS), logging 66 points (35G, 31A) in 26 games while earning the St. Cloud Times' All-Area High School Player of the Year award. He also appeared in two games for the Tri-City Storm (USHL), recording a goal and an assist.
• He played for the bronze medal-winning Team USA at the 2013 World Under-17 Challenge in Victoriaville/Drummondville, Quebec where he scored a team-leading six goals in six tournament games. He was a teammate of fellow UND recruit Chris Wilkie.
• In the 2012 Upper Midwest Elite League, he led Team Great Plains in scoring with 20 points (8G, 12A) and finished tied for tenth overall among all league players. Here's a scouting report from USHR, which ranked him as Team Great Plains' top performer: 1. Austin Poganski, F, 2/16/96 (St. Cloud Cathedral) 6-1/194 -- Just oozes with talent. Right off the hop you will notice his skating, which is exceptional. The ’96 forward has an explosive first step and is learning how to use his size to his advantage. Plus he really sees it. We have been told that the NTDP expressed interest in having him join the National U17 team this fall. Still seems to be figuring out how to dominate games, but his potential is very high. One of the top uncommitted ‘96s in the country.
• In August he was the leading goal scorer on USA Hockey's Select Under-17 team that went undefeated in capturing the 2012 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament championship.
• In July of 2012 he participated in the USA Hockey Select 16 Player Development Camp, producing six points (4G, 2A) in six games.

2011-12:

• As a sophomore he was the second leading point producer for St. Cloud Cathedral, registering 52 points (24G, 28A) in 28 games.  In July of 2011 he took part in the USA Hockey Select 15 Player Development Camp, where he registered four points (2G, 2A) in five games.

2010-11:

• His freshman campaign at St. Cloud Cathedral saw him produce 38 points (22G, 16A) in 27 games, good for second on the team.

Monday Morning Coffee

• After earning its first sweep of the season this past weekend against Michigan Tech North Dakota will enter the holiday break on a high note. After the impressive showing in Houghton, several UND players will be strong candidates for WCHA Player of the Week consideration. Corban Knight and/or Danny Kristo could take home offensive honors, while Clarke Saunders and Joe Gleason put up very nice numbers on the defensive side. UND will next take on Holy Cross January 4-5 at REA.
• If you have not already seen it, Sports Illustrated published a very nice article on North Dakota hockey's loyal following.
• The National Post featured Toronto Marlies winger Matt Frattin in an article in which Toronto brass had a number of nice things to say about the former Sioux star. Frattin came up big over the weekend as he scored the game tying goal with just 10 seconds left in regulation and then helped seal a 4-3 victory over Rochester by scoring in the shootout. He now has 12 points (8G, 4A) in 12 games this season.
• Brock Nelson recently went one on one with The Checking Line. He is currently tied for 3rd in scoring among AHL rookies with 22 points (11G, 11A) in 25 games.
• The Des Moines Register wrote on a quartet of Iowans currently playing for the Omaha AAA Under-16 Lancers, and included in the piece is North Dakota commit Christian Evers. The Omaha AAA program, which also produced UND commit and current USA NTDP forward Chris Wilkie, has quickly developed into a very powerful hockey program.
• North Dakota recruit Tucker Poolman's (Omaha-USHL) effectiveness on the power play earned some recognition from the USHL in its weekly update. Poolman, a defenseman, added a seventh power play goal over the weekend and is now tied for the league lead in that category. Meanwhile, recruit Paul LaDue continues to lead all USHL blueliners with 21 points (4G, 17A) in 24 games.
• The recently decommitted Brendan Lemieux got himself into some trouble with an illegal hit.