Des Moines, Iowa --- The Des Moines Buccaneers head coach and general manager Regg Simon announced today the verbal commitment of defenseman Chase Ryan to the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs. Ryan (Algonquin, Illinois) is in his third season in the USHL and first with the Buccaneers. He has appeared in 46 games and with a scoring line of 1 goal and 15 assists. He is tied for second in the league for defensemen in the plus/minus category with a plus 18.
"I had some great schools recruiting me, but when it came down to it, Duluth felt like the right place," said Ryan. "I really wanted to play in the WCHA and UMD was a great fit."
The Bulldogs are members of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). A team from the WCHA has won the NCAA Division I college hockey national championship for four consecutive years. Two years ago, Duluth lost in the national semi-finals to eventual champion Denver University. The WCHA currently has six of its ten teams ranked in the top fourteen in the nation, and is often considered the toughest conference in Division I college hockey.
"Chase has really developed into a steady, dependable defenseman," said coach Simon. "With some of the injuries we've suffered in the past few months, his ice time and roles for our team have increased and he's handled it well. He's going to get great coaching and play for an excellent program in Duluth."
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