Blizzard player commits to Division I Hockey program
January 6, 2005 - North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Alexandria Blizzard News Release
(Alexandria, MN) The Minnesota Blizzard Junior "A" Hockey organization is pleased to announce that Forward Josh Frider (Moorhead, MN) has accepted a scholarship offer, to attend the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. It is expected that Frider will join the Air Force program later this summer, and compete on the Division I level with the Falcons.
Frider indicates that the offer from the Academy is one that he is pleased with. "I was pretty surprised when they (Air Force) called me. I'm very excited. I've been going through the process for about a year now, and it's great to get the commitment," said Frider. He becomes the first player from the Blizzard organization to receive a scholarship, from a Division I Hockey school. Frider is looking forward to being a part of the Falcons' hockey program. "Last year, I went on an official visit. When I was on the visit, it was unbelievable how great their facilities were. Their academics and teachers are among the top in the country, as is their hockey program," Frider expressed.
After spending a year of Junior "A" Hockey with the Central Texas Marshalls of the North American Hockey League, Frider joined the Blizzard early in the 2004-05 season. He has earned the praise of Blizzard Head Coach, Dave Boitz. "We're really excited for Josh. They (Coaches from the Air Force Academy) have watched him play five or six times with our team. He definitely had to come out and play hard. It (the recruitment) has been really thorough, and it's been a lot on Josh," said Boitz. "Air Force was somewhere he wanted to go. We're really excited. It couldn't happen to a nicer guy, one who works harder than Josh Frider," noted Boitz.
Frider is presently a Captain of the Blizzard squad. Through the month of December, he ranked in the top five in scoring for the team, with nine goals and nine assists. At 5'9" and 165 pounds, Josh is the son of Jeff and Deb Frider of Moorhead. He is a graduate of Moorhead (MN) High School, and was part of the Moorhead Spuds State Hockey Tournament teams in 2002 and 2003.
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