MASON CITY, Iowa – 290 players put on a North Iowa uniform in the Bulls’ first 10 years on the ice. Just 19 made the final cut to make up North Iowa’s All-Decade Team to close out the Bulls’ “Decade of Dominance.”
10 forwards were chosen, along with six defensemen – enough skaters to fill three full lines, plus an extra forward. Three goaltenders were chosen – a starter, a backup and a “healthy scratch.”
The voting was as close as it comes – though only three goaltenders could make the final cut, the top six were separated by just six votes. Even closer was forward Brendan Studioso, who missed the forward cut by a single vote. In all, 427 ballots were cast for the Bulls’ All-Decade Team. Once the final group of 19 players was determined, forwards were assigned a line without regard to their typical position – left wing, center or right wing. Left-handed defensemen were paired with a right-handed defenseman, and the three goaltenders were placed independent of their final vote totals.
In the end, all of the top five career scorers among defensemen made the All-Decade list, as did seven of the Bulls’ top eight scorers among forwards.
FORWARDS
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MATT KROSKA (2011-14)Matt is the standard by which all other Bulls are measured – in three years in a North Iowa uniform, he put up staggering numbers, including 247 career points. He’s ahead of the rest of the herd by a country mile, and you’ll find Kroska’s name in the Bulls’ record books in 16 different places. |
RIHARDS MARENIS (2012-14)The most decorated of the Bulls’ pro alumni, Rihards piled up 128 points in just 56 games in North Iowa. After a college career at Aurora University, he went on to play for the Latvian national team and Dinamo Riga in the KHL. |
TIM SANTOPOALO (2012-14)Tim’s nickname, “Super Mario,” came later – success came immediately for Santopoalo as a Bull, though, posting 184 career points in two Silver Cup championship seasons. He played three years in the pros, including two in the Federal Prospects Hockey League. |
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TYLER BUMP (2016-18)Tyler came to the Bulls during the 2016-17 season, but flourished the following year with 85 points and helped the team win two division titles. With almost 1.8 points per game, he’s the fourth-most efficient scorer in North Iowa history. |
JOE BURGMEIER (2014-16)Joe became the hometown kid who made it big for the Bulls, racking up 230 points for the high-school Mason City Mohawks before tacking on 97 in a season-and-a-half as a Bull. His third-period goal in the 2015 national championship game was the eventual winner. |
BRETT GRAVELLE (2014-16) Few North Iowa players finished their careers in a more decorated fashion – with 160 points, Brett ranks third on the team’s all-time list, and his 57 goals in 2015-16 are still the team’s single-season record. He capped his career with a hat trick in the Bulls’ 2016 national championship game. |
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MARSHALL BARNES (2015-17)Marshall was the last man on the list after posting 143 career points (tied for sixth in team history), including an unreal 107 assists. His 56 assists led the Bulls’ 2015-16 national championship squad, and his 74 points the following year was also a team-best. |
CAM FAGERLEE (2017-20)Cam set to work climbing the Bulls’ all-time leaderboard immediately after coming to Mason City, notching 63 points in 2017-18 as a North Iowa rookie. He posted 95 more over the following two years, with his career total of 158 ranking fifth in team history. |
MATT DAHLSEIDE (2017-20)Matt did his linemate one better, posting 159 career points in 12 fewer games as a Bull. After 17 junior games with Brookings and Alexandria, Matt cranked out better than a point a game in the remainder of the 2017-18 season, posting 60 and 67 points respectively over the next two years. The latter effort was enough to win the 2020 West Division MVP award.
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KOHEI SATO (2014-17)Kohei didn’t put up the traditional gaudy numbers for the Bulls, but his speed and style were a game-changer for the franchise. In the 2016 playoffs and the start of the 2016-17 season, he posted two points a game, earning a callup to the NAHL’s Northeast Generals and, eventually, an NCAA Division I spot at the University of New Hampshire. He’ll wrap up his college career next season as a graduate transfer at Bentley University. |
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DEFENSEMEN
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RON LINDGREN (2012-14)Ron posted 29 points in the Bulls’ first national championship season in 2012-13, and tacked on 38 more the following year to earn the NA3HL’s Defenseman of the Year award and another Silver Cup. |
HARRISON STEWART (2018-20)Harrison quickly rewrote the Bulls record books, posting 33 points in his rookie season in 2018-19 and adding 46 more the following year. His 79 career points, 16 career goals and 29 career power play points are all North Iowa career records for a defenseman. |
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CAL NAUSS (2019-21)Cal is the reigning NA3HL Defenseman of the Year – the very definition of a two-way defenseman, he racked up 38 points in 2020-21, including 28 assists, becoming the first Bull to ever lead the team in that category. His 66 career points ranks fourth among North Iowa blueliners. |
ADAM ORN (2014-16)Adam wore the captain’s “C” proudly in leading the Bulls to back-to-back national championships in 2015 and ’16. He nailed down the league’s Defenseman of the Year award in the latter season, posting 49 points. His career total of 70 ranks third on the North Iowa all-time defensive scoring list.. |
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CONNOR BUMP (2014-16)Connor notched 48 career points and was a major contributor for both the 2015 and 2016 national championship squads. He never backed down from the task of taking care of his teammates, either, holding the North Iowa record with 231 career penalty minutes.. |
SHANE BERNHARDSON (2015-18)“Bernie” was the quintessential unsung leader, going almost his entire first season of junior hockey before finally scoring his first goal. He thrived as a setup man, though – his 66 career assists and +143 plus/minus rating are North Iowa defensive records. |
GOALTENDERS
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MATT BARTELS (2011-13) The Bulls’ “OG” (original goaltender, that is), he still holds the team’s all-time records with 41 wins and 58 appearances. 25 of those wins came in the first national championship season of 2012-13, and he would earn all 11 of the team’s postseason wins that year as well. |
BACKUP
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TOMMI AHLGREN (2014-16) Sometimes, the old ways are still the best – despite being out of junior hockey for five years, Tommi is our most recent All-Decade goaltender. In 2015-16, he presided over the single most dominant season in North Iowa Bulls history, posting a 1.17 goals-against average and a .958 save percentage. Both remain North Iowa records to this day. |
HEALTHY SCRATCH
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CHRIS AMSDEN (2013-15) Chris was a 25-game winner for the Bulls as well, leading North Iowa to a Silver Cup in 2014. After a half-season away from Mason City, he returned to guide the team back to the top, earning a national championship in 2015. |
