IT’S FINALLY THAT TIME! The puck drops on the 67th season of NIU Hockey is this Friday September 16th at 7:30 PM at Canlan Ice Sports in West Dundee.…
IT’S FINALLY THAT TIME!
The puck drops on the 67th season of NIU Hockey is this Friday September 16th at 7:30 PM at Canlan Ice Sports in West Dundee. The huskies will start the season against John Carroll University for a pair of home games to begin the 2022-23 campaign, a new era in the storied history of NIU hockey.
The huskies will return a solid core of players led by 2nd team all MCH Forward and captain, Rodahn Evans. The senior from Alaska is looking to build on his Junior campaign and collegiate career in his final season with the team. The strong senior class extends to Nick Gonzalez, Austin Walny, Hunter Wahl, Hunter Pierce, and Randy Apter. "One of the strongest parts of this team is it's senior leadership. We have a great group of veterans who will help us steer the ship in the right direction and build a foundation for this program going forward." commented Head Coach Brad Stoffers.
In addition to the Forwards, three senior Defensemen Drake Gieseke, Alec Porzondek, and Colin Brey will defend hard in the defensive zone and provide some opportunistic offensive spark when called upon, especially from Porzondek. The strong, crafty, 2 way Defenseman has the potential to be a dominant player in his senior season with the team.
Sophomore Defenseman Keaton Peters had a standout Freshman season and figures to be another key component to the Huskies Blueline. A 2 way Defender who likes to get involved offensively and has great skating ability and hockey IQ. Freshman Cam Pathana has made an early impression on the coaching staff with his work ethic, grit, and team play. Goaltenders Ben Vutci and Grant Goodson both return between the pipes for the Huskies and early indications suggest they will carry the majority of the workload in net.
John Carroll comes to town fresh off a National Tournament in 2021-22 where they won their conference after a late playoff push. The departures of their leading scorer and 3 top Defensemen bring some question marks to their lineup, but they no doubt would like to return to the dance again this season.
The team will skate Friday to kick off the season and then meet again Saturday September 17th 4:30 PM with NIu hosting a FREE meet and greet/skate with the team immediately after the game! Grab your skates or rent at the rink to meet the team, challenge them to a race, or learn to skate for the first time. It's sure to be a fun weekend in West Dundee and we can't wait to see you at the rink.
GO HUSKIES!!