NAHL Bismarck Bobcats

Kleisinger Chooses Air Force Academy

Published on February 16, 2010 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Bismarck Bobcats News Release


COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - Bismarck Bobcats captain CaseyKleisinger is the latest member of the black and gold to accept an offer toplay NCAA Division I hockey, committing to continue his career at the UnitedStates Air Force Academy in the fall of 2010.

Kleisinger's commitment gives the team a franchise-recordnine D-I recruits for the 2009-10 season.

"It's a thrill to know that I'll be playing Division Ihockey next year, especially for a nationally-renowned program like Air Force,"said Kleisinger, who is second on the Bobcats with 40 points. "It's a bigweight off my shoulders to have my college plans set- so now the only thing tofocus on is getting back to the national tournament and winning the RobertsonCup.

An Edwards, Colo., native, Kleisinger will be heading threehours southeast of his hometown to attend the Colorado Springs-based militaryacademy.

For Kleisinger, though, being close to home wasn't thedeciding factor for heading to Air Force.

"I just felt like it was the best fit for me and for myfamily," said the second-year Bobcat. "Talking with [Falcons head] coach[Frank] Serratore, I know that I'll have a chance at some solid playing timewhile going to a premier academic institution."

He is the fourth current Bobcat to become a futureFalcon- and one of three to be Air Force-bound this fall, along with JasonFabian and Aaron Quick. Bobcat forward Ryan Jacobson will join the Falconroster in the fall of 2011.

"It's a very cool situation, having all these guys who aremy teammates now headed to the same college as I am, especially Jason," saidKleisinger. "Jason is my roommate here in Bismarck and I know making the jumpnext year is going to be a lot smoother with him there along with guys likeAaron."

Air Force is the defending champion of the up-and-comingAtlantic Hockey conference and their current roster boasts former Bobcats DavidBosner and 2009 Hobey Baker Award finalist Jacques Lamoureux.

Kleisinger joins the likes of Fabian, Quick, Jacobson, GavinHartzog (Wisconsin), Tom McCarthy (Merrimack), Sam Rendle (Bemidji State), TonyTurgeon (alumnus, Nebraska-Omaha) and Blake Hietala (alumnus, Michigan Tech) onthe Bobcats' 2009-10 college commitment list. The total of nine current commitsbreaks the previous franchise record of six, set in 2008-09.

The Bobcat captain says the consecutive record years is nocoincidence under head coach Byron Pool.

"Coach [Pool] really works hard to get all of us the bestpossible college placements," said Kleisinger. "He was instrumental in gettingme attention from places like Air Force and Colorado College because puts ournames in front of the best D-I and D-III programs out there."

The Bobcats are back in action as they continue theirfour-game homestand Friday at 7:15 PM when they welcome the archrival NorthIowa Outlaws to the VFW Sports Center for the first of two games.

Friday's game will be broadcast locally on the radio home ofBobcat Hockey, Super Talk 1270, KLXX-AM, and worldwide at BismarckBobcats.comvia B2 Networks. The pre-game show starts at 6:45 PM.

You won't wantto miss any of the games this season, so order your Season Tickets, FamilyPacks and Group Nights today by calling the Bobcat Hockey Office at701-222-3300 or by e-mailing the office for more information at gobobcathockey@aol.com.

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North American Hockey League Stories from February 16, 2010


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