ATTLEBORO, Mass. – The North Iowa Bulls’ top players have always been on the radar of college and NAHL scouts across the country, but being named a Top Prospect never hurts. This year, four Bulls players have been named to the NA3HL’s Top Prospects showcase at the New England Sports Village in Attleboro, Massachusetts.
The four will play for the West Division team in three games, scheduled for February 18 and 19. North Iowa head coach Todd Sanden will also be part of the team, serving as the assistant coach on the West Division squad.
120 players from across the league will take part in the two-day event, being played alongside the North American Hockey League’s Top Prospects showcase. Games will consist of three 17-minute periods, with a single ice resurfacing after the second period. All players in the showcase were nominated by their head coaches.
This year’s Bulls taking part are:
Peter Verstegen (F/Oshkosh, Wis.) – Verstegen is a second-year Bull and one of this season’s three captains. After posting 34 points a year ago, he’s already topped that mark with 40 points, including a team-best two dozen goals. North Iowa’s top power play specialist this year, he’s also racked up seven goals on the man-advantage.
Jimmy McDermott (F/Dubuque, Iowa) – McDermott has battled injuries since the Christmas break, but has been one of the steadiest presences on and off the ice for the Bulls. The third-year junior forward has played 29 games this season and totaled 33 points, returning to the lineup last weekend. The Dubuque native has posted more than 100 points in 116 junior contests, spending his first two seasons with the Wisconsin Whalers.
Ivan Bogach (D/Brooklyn, N.Y.) – Bogach has been a set-up man for North Iowa this season, posting a goal and 18 assists in his second year with the Bulls. He tallied 13 points, including a pair of goals, as a Bulls rookie last season. Bogach played for the AAA team during the 2016-17 season at the prestigious Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep school.
Joey Petronack (D/White Bear Lake, Minn.) – Petronack is the only junior rookie on the Bulls’ roster to earn a Top Prospects nod, but he certainly hasn’t played like it – the Hill-Murray High School alumnus has notched 16 points, including three goals, and posted a +23 plus/minus rating during his first season in Mason City.
Todd Sanden (assistant coach) – Sanden is in his eighth year as North Iowa’s head coach, previously serving as an assistant with the Coulee Region Chill and North Iowa Outlaws in the North American Hockey League, and as head coach of the United States Hockey League’s Dubuque Fighting Saints. With the Bulls, Sanden has racked up more than 300 wins, three NA3HL titles and three national championships. He has been selected as a Top Prospects head or assistant coach in each of his eight seasons with the Bulls.
Streaming coverage of all games at this year’s Top Prospects event will be available on HockeyTV.