FOREST CITY, Iowa – Students at Waldorf University are taking final exams this week, and one North Iowa alumnus certainly made the grade for the Warrior hockey team this past winter. Forward Sean Mallonee is winding down his sophomore season at Waldorf, a memorable one by any standard despite a five-win season for the Warriors.
Mallonee was named the NAIHA Forward of the Year after finishing the season with a team-best 22 points, including 11 goals. As Forward of the Year, he also earned first-team NAIHA All-American honors.
Mallonee had an impressive two seasons with the Bulls, scoring 98 points in his two full seasons in Mason City. His 21 goals and 39 assists in North Iowa’s 2016-17 Central Division championship season earned him a spot on the NA3HL’s Second Team. He played one more game with the Bulls during the 2017-18 season before parting ways with the team on the way to a nine-point second semester at Waldorf.
The Kennewick, Washington native was one of two Bulls alumni to star in the six-team division this year. Midland University’s Jake Mullendore tied for fifth this past year in scoring, posting 32 points, and his 24 assists led the NAIHA.
The NAIHA was a group of six NAIA schools sponsoring hockey under the ACHA umbrella, in hopes of re-establishing a national NAIA championship in ice hockey. All programs at NAIHA schools were considered varsity programs, and operated under NAIA recruiting and academic standards. All six NAIHA schools have been folded back into other ACHA divisions, and Waldorf University will join the ACHA Division I ranks for the coming winter.
Photo credit: Waldorf University athletics