FOND DU LAC, Wis. – North Iowa’s alumni list in the college ranks has grown again, following Tucker Kruse‘s commitment to the ACHA Division II hockey program at Marian University in Wisconsin. Kruse announced his commitment late this past week.
The Woodbury, Minnesota native split his two-year NA3HL career between the Bulls and the Alexandria Blizzard, tallying 16 points in 26 games during the 2017-18 season. Kruse returned to Minnesota the following year following a trade with the Blizzard, and raised his output to 30 points in 46 regular-season games.
The former Cretin-Derham Hall standout notched just two points in his first six games with the Bulls, but Kruse was off and running in his seventh game. That game saw him score his first two junior goals, including one on the penalty kill, in a 7-0 drubbing of the Rochester Ice Hawks.
“Tucker Kruse is a player who proves that when you put your mind and effort into something, good things can come from it,” said Bulls head coach Todd Sanden. “Tucker is one of the hardest-working players we have seen in North Iowa. A move from North Iowa to Alexandria did not discourage Tucker. He embraced his opportunity and worked hard to achieve his goal of being a college hockey player.”
Kruse joins a Marian ACHA Division II hockey club coming off of a historic season in 2018-19. The Sabres finished with a 29-6-2 record, including a 15-0-1 mark in the Northern Collegiate Hockey League. That record was enough for the team’s second conference championship in its third season on the ice.
The North Iowa Bulls congratulate alumnus Tucker Kruse on his college commitment and wish him the best in the next stage of his career at Marian University.