BULLS ALL-TIME ADVANCEMENT LIST
MENOMONIE, Wis. – Since the end of the Bulls’ first season on the ice in 2012, 14 North Iowa players have gotten the call to play for Terry Watkins at the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
Wait, nope. Make that 15.
Matt Dahlseide has announced his commitment to the NCAA Division III program and member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, when he wraps up his three-year junior career at the end of this season. Most of that time has been spent with the Bulls, but the Maplewood, Minnesota native has long been on the junior hockey radar. The United States Hockey League’s Sioux Falls Stampede picked him in their Phase I draft in 2015, and the NA3HL’s Alexandria Blizzard used a pick on him in their draft two years later.
After leading St. Paul Academy to fourth place at the Minnesota state high school hockey tournament in 2016 and captaining the Spartans as a senior the following season, Dahlseide began his junior run with the Brookings Blizzard of the North American Hockey League in March of 2017.
After five games in the NAHL and a dozen appearances for the NA3HL’s Alexandria Blizzard, Dahlseide made himself right at home in Mason City, putting up four points against the Wausau RiverWolves in his Bulls debut. The run has never really slowed down for Dahlseide, who played in his 100th junior hockey game early this season, and 100th with the Bulls last weekend against Breezy Point.
After racking up 48 points between the Bulls and the Blizzard during the 2017-18 campaign and putting up 60 more last season, Dahlseide has already put up 47 points this season as the Bulls battle to return to the Fraser Cup championship tournament for the seventh time in eight years. Three of his goals this season have been game-winners.
“They expect him to come in and be a top-six forward, and that’s what we feel Matt is,” said North Iowa head coach Todd Sanden. “Matt still is going to need to continue to get stronger. I don’t feel that there’s anybody in the NA3HL that’s more creative than him – it’s going to be a situation where he’s going to have a great opportunity to be the player that he wants to be.”
Now, he becomes the third North Iowa player this season to commit to the Blue Devils, and the third Bulls player to make a college choice in less than a week. Leading scorer Jordan Roo chose Wisconsin-Stevens Point earlier this week, while Nick Bowlin has landed a spot of his own on the UW-Stout roster. Cam Fagerlee gave the Bulls their first college commitment of the season when he picked the Blue Devils one month ago.
“There’s not much difference between Matt and Nick,” said Watkins. “They’re complete hockey players. They just need to take that next step and jump into the next league.”
More than 140 North Iowa players have made their way to college hockey programs in the franchise’s nine years on the ice, including more than 70 who made their college choices while on the Bulls roster. Eight North Iowa alumni eventually reached the NCAA Division I level, including three who are currently on Division I rosters.
The North Iowa Bulls congratulate Matt Dahlseide on his commitment to the hockey program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, and wish him continued success in his academic and athletic career.