EXHIBITION GAME:
WEDNESDAY – North Iowa @ Shattuck-St. Mary’s, 7:00 p.m.
NORTH IOWA BULLS, 28-5-2-0 (ROSTER, STATS)
@ SHATTUCK-ST. MARY’S SABRES, 27-7-2 (ROSTER, STATS)
COVERAGE: HockeyTV (video/$), Mixlr (audio/free)
BULLS VS. SHATTUCK-ST. MARY’S ALL-TIME: 3-7-0
NEXT HOME GAME: Friday night, the Bulls host New Ulm on “Pets and Pucks” Night, with special-edition t-shirts to be sold at the game – proceeds will benefit the Humane Society of North Iowa. For a schedule of upcoming promotions, click here.
ON OUR LAST EPISODE: North Iowa has only three wins in its nine-game exhibition series against the Sabres, but the latest of those came in November in the final meeting at the “Barn.” After falling behind 2-0 on a rebound goal from Josh Silverman and Jack Blake, four straight goals allowed North Iowa to take command on the way to a 5-3 win. Lucas Wahlin scored two goals in that game, while Matt Dahlseide notched a shorthanded goal and a couple of assists. Each of the previous two teams to take down Shattuck-St. Mary’s – the 2013-14 squad and the 2015-16 team – went on to win the NA3HL championship.
GLOBETROTTERS: The Shattuck-St. Mary’s hockey reputation is one that speaks for itself – the boys’ prep program has won nine under-18 national championships, and sent 80 former players into the National Hockey League draft (including 15 first-round picks). 41 alumni are currently playing professional hockey across the globe, including 13 Sabres alumni who are currently playing in the National Hockey League. Among them are top overall NHL draft picks Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh, 2005) and Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado, 2013). 34 others are currently playing NCAA Division I hockey.
BULLS TAKE THE NEXT STEP: North Iowa’s college-commitment list has been an active one since the last time these teams met two weeks before Thanksgiving. North Iowa now has seven players from this year’s team committed to college programs, with one already starting his career at the next level. Justin Callahan departed the team at the Christmas break to begin his college career with Iowa State University. Four North Iowa players – Cam Fagerlee, Matt Dahlseide, Nick Bowlin and Joey Petronack – are headed to Wisconsin-Stout, while Harrison Stewart and Jordan Roo have chosen Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
SABRES TAKE THE NEXT STEP: Half of the Sabres’ roster has a home at the next level of junior hockey already, should they choose to go that route – eight players have already been drafted by United States Hockey League teams, and Scott Morrow was chosen by both Val d’Or of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Youngstown of the USHL in their 2018 drafts. Five Shattuck-St. Mary’s players have already announced commitments to NCAA Division I teams.
MEDIA NOTES: