FIRST-YEAR success has earned Drew Strandberg recognition from the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association.
The Thunder Bay native was named to the NCHA all-rookie team this past week as the University of Wisconsin-Superior netminder led all freshmen in goals-against average this season. His solid play on the ice also earned the former Superior International Junior Hockey League top goaltender award recipient hounourable mention for the All-NCHA squad as well.
Strandberg carried on his stellar play into the first round of the NCHA playoffs over the weekend leading the Yellowjackets to a two-game sweep over rival St. Scholastica.
He would turn aside 50 of 54 shots he faced in winning the opener 4-2 and the finale 5-2.
UWS will now host Wisconsin-Stevens Point on Saturday in league semifinal action on Saturday with a berth in the March 5 NCHA championship game on the line.
BOWLING GREEN BOUND: The latest local athlete to earn a scholarship to play college hockey in the U.S. is Thunder Bay’s Marcus Perrier.
The 19-year-old defenceman has committed to attend Bowling Green State University in the fall.
Perrier is currently in his third season with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League where he serves as team captain.
In heading to Bowling Green the rugged, stay-at-home type blueliner will be attending the same school that another local product in Andrew Krelove presently attends. He is in his senior year with the Falcons.
Another city connection to the school sees Lakehead native Barry Schutte serving as an assistant coach at BGSU.
WINTER GAMES: Week two of the Canada Winter Games in Nova Scotia will feature Amanda Makela and Brittany Zuback as part of the Ontario team that will attempt to mine gold in women’s hockey.
Makela, the standout Sportop Queens netminder and Zuback, who is skating for Kitchener-Waterloo of the Provincial Women’s Hockey League this season, will look to do their part in helping their team to bring home a medal.
The duo will off to play in the NCAA next season at Mercyhurst and Vermont respectively.
Action in women’s hockey got underway Sunday and will conclude Feb. 26.
Of note, there was a local connection to men’s hockey gold medal hockey winning side.
Jackson Whistle, who was the winning goaltender in Team B.C.’s triumph over Quebec in the final, is the son of Thunder Bay native David Whistle, who now resides in Kelowna with his family.
The 15-year-old netminder was a 2010 draft choice of the Western Hockey League’s Vancouver Giants.
WELCOME BACK: After a month-long absence due to injury Haley Irwin certainly made her presence felt as she returned to the University of Minnesota-Duluth line-up.
The star junior forward recorded five points and was an incredible plus-9 as the Bulldogs rolled to a weekend sweep of visiting St. Cloud State in their regular season finale.
Even with missing nine of her team’s 30 games because of Canadian national women’s team commitments and injury Irwin still managed to finish second in team scoring with 42 points, including a school high 18 goals.
UMD now moves to Western Collegiate Hockey Association postseason action as they host Minnesota State Mankato in quarterfinal play this weekend.