MASON CITY, Iowa – It’s been a whirlwind week for North Iowa forward Lucas Wahlin. A week ago, he and the Bulls were getting ready for a rare Thursday night game against the Alexandria Blizzard, and the team’s only three-day weekend of the regular season. Now, four goals later, he’s been named the West Division’s Bauer Hockey Star of the Week for the second time this season.
The Woodbury, Minnesota native buried a goal in Thursday night’s contest, providing just one of the sparks in a 7-2 win over the Blizzard. Saturday’s game included two goals from Wahlin, highlighting a 5-1 win with a memorable double-deke penalty-shot tally late in the second period. He also put away a rebound on a Sean Sullivan chance on Saturday, beginning the third period with the Bulls’ only goal in a 3-1 loss to the Rochester Grizzlies.
The former Hill-Murray High School standout has found the back of the net in six of his last eight games, and remains the team’s goal-scoring leader with 24 goals to go along with his 19 assists. He is the first Bulls player to be chosen as a Star of the Week more than once this season – in all, six Bulls players have been chosen as the Star of the Week this year.
Thanks to the Bulls’ off-week, he’ll have to wait a little while to add to it, but he’ll still get some valuable ice time.
Wahlin has been called up by the North American Hockey League’s Kenai River Brown Bears, after signing a tender with the Brown Bears two weeks ago, and will join the team for a three-game set at Janesville starting tonight.
It’s his second NAHL stint this season, appearing in five games after Thanksgiving for the Jamestown Rebels in the league’s East Division. He returned to North Iowa in early January, but remained on the radar of a number of NAHL teams.
Former Bulls associate head coach Kevin Murdock jumped at the chance to sign Wahlin to a tender in late January, not only locking up his NAHL playing rights for the start of next season, but also ensuring that any appearances he made at the Tier II level the remainder of the season would be made with the Brown Bears.
“I’ve had the opportunity to watch Lucas for the past few seasons prior to him joining the Bulls,” said Murdock at the time of his tender signing. “I’ve always really liked his work ethic and his ability to play at both ends of the ice.”
More than 40 players have suited up in the NAHL after playing for the Bulls, and eight of those players have earned spots on NCAA Division I rosters.
The North Iowa Bulls congratulate Lucas Wahlin on his honor from the NA3HL for his play this past week, and wish him continued success on his call-up to the Kenai River Brown Bears.