Musketeer Alumni in the Frozen Four
Published on April 5, 2018 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Sioux City Musketeers News Release
The Frozen Four kicks off tonight in St. Paul, and there will be plenty of Musketeer Alumni playing for the Division I National Title. Below you will find a breakdown of all the Musketeer Alumni playing this weekend, as well as when and where you can watch them.
University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs
This is the second straight year that the Bulldogs have made it to the Frozen Four, and once again they have several former Musketeer members on their roster and staff. In fact, all three Musketeer Alumni were a part of last year's UMD team that lost in the final to Denver University.
Avery Peterson
Avery joined the Musketeers during the second half of the 2013-14 season, after playing in 25 games for Grand Rapids High, the same high school as current Musketeer standout Micah Miller. In 27 games for the Musketeers, Peterson scored six goals and added 15 assists, for a total of 21 points with a +6 rating. Peterson is now a senior for the Bulldogs and will look to finish the job for UMD after coming up short in last year's championship game against Denver University. Peterson spent his first two collegiate seasons with the University of Nebraska Omaha before transferring to UMD. In two seasons with the Bulldogs, Peterson has racked up 26 points and a +13 overall rating.
Jared Thomas
Thomas is another senior on the Bulldogs roster who will be looking for redemption this season. Thomas joined the Musketeers for three games during the 2011-12 season before joining the team full time in the 2012-13 season. During the 2012-13 season, Thomas played in 59 games for the Musketeers scoring 18 goals and adding 23 assists for 41 points and a -4 rating. During the 2013-14 season, Thomas was named as an alternate captain and amassed 19 goals and 41 assists with a +14 rating in 58 games played. Since joining Minnesota-Duluth, Thomas has played in 161 games and collected 58 points along the way.
Assistant Coach Brett Larson
Former Musketeer head coach Brett Larson will be behind the bench for the Bulldogs, now in his 6th season as an Assistant Coach for UMD. Larson first coached for UMD from 2008-2011, and at the conclusion of the 2011 season, Larson took over as head coach for the Musketeers. Over the next two seasons, Larson coached the Musketeers to 52 wins and one postseason appearance. After the 2012-13 season, Larson joined the Ohio State University Coaching staff as an associate coach before rejoining UMD in 2015.
Ohio State University
This is only the second Frozen Four appearance for the Buckeyes in program history. The only other time Ohio State managed to make it this far was during the 1998 season, so the Buckeyes should be hungry for a shot at the title.
Christian Lampasso
Lampasso got his start in the USHL with the Des Moines Buccaneers. He played in just 13 games for Des Moines before joining the Musketeers via trade. Lampasso played the rest of the season for Sioux City and recorded seven goals and seven assists for 14 points and a +1 rating in 40 games played. Lampasso was traded to the Lincoln Stars before the 2013-14 season and had a breakout year, scoring 16 goals and adding 24 assists for 40 points in 57 games. Lampasso has been a solid player for the Buckeyes, recording 38 total points in 4 seasons. He is now in his senior season and will look to end his college career with Ohio State"s first National Championship.
Michigan
Traditional hockey powerhouse Michigan has also returned to the Frozen Four this year for the first time in 10 years. They came into this season as the third youngest team in college hockey, and first-year Head Coach Mel Pearson has done an excellent job shaping his team into a national contender.
Sam Piazza
Piazza had a short career for the Musketeers, playing in just 18 games for Sioux City. In those 18 games, he recorded one goal and one assist. Piazza joined the Wolverines in the 2014-15 season, and in his four years there he has amassed a total of 36 points.
Christian Meika
Meika first joined the Musketeers for four games during the 2013-14 season before becoming a full-time USHL player the following year. Meika played in 22 games for the Musketeers before being traded to the Waterloo Black Hawks. In his games with Sioux City, Meika had two goals and six assists for 8 points and a -1 rating. Meika played in 6 games for Michigan during the 2016-17 season but has not dressed for any games during the 2017-18 season.
Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish had a very impressive season, opening conference play with 13 straight victories. They finished off the season with both a regular season conference title and a conference tournament title. Notre Dame features three former Musketeers, including one from last year's record-setting squad.
Matt Steeves
Steeves joined the Musketeers for the 2014-15 season and played in 58 games for Sioux City. In those 58 games, Steeves racked up 12 goals and three assists for a total of 15 points and a -23 rating. Steeves was also no stranger to the penalty box as he recorded a total of 114 penalty minutes that season. He would eventually be traded to the Muskegon Lumberjacks before the 2015-16 season, where he had similar numbers. This is Steeves first season for the Fighting Irish, and he has dressed in just 13 games so far. In those 13 games, he has one goal and a -2 rating.
Bobby Nardella
Nardella joined the Musketeers in the 2013-14 season and appeared in 56 games for Sioux City. In those 56 games, Nardella recorded one goal and 12 assists for a total of 13 points and a +1 rating. He would be traded to the Tri-City Storm the following season, where he appeared in 56 games. He made the move to the Fighting Irish the following season, and he is now in his third year with the team. Nardella has appeared in over 30 games each of those three seasons and has amassed a total of 69 points and a +15 overall rating.
Matt Hellickson
Matt Hellickson, the most recent Musketeer Alumni, to be a part of this year's Frozen Four. Hellickson was an Alternate Captain on last year's record-setting, Anderson Cup winning Musketeer team. Last year was Hellickson's only season with the Musketeers, but he made it count, appearing in 52 games for Sioux City and racking up six goals, 22 assists, and a +19 rating. Hellickson has stepped right in for the Fighting Irish and has been a steady presence in their lineup. He has played in 38 games for Notre Dame this season and has three goals, nine assists, and a +4 rating. Last summer, Hellickson had the honor of having his name called at the NHL draft. The New Jersey Devils picked the steady defenseman in the 7th round with the 214th overall pick.
GAME SCHEDULE AND WHERE TO WATCH
SEMI-FINALS
Minnesota-Duluth vs. Ohio St.
Date: 4/5/18
Time: 6:00 p.m. EST (5:00 p.m. CST)
Location: Xcel Energy Center-St. Paul, MN
TV Listing: ESPN 2
Michigan vs. Notre Dame
Date: 4/5/18
Time: 9:30 p.m. EST (8:30 p.m. CST)
Location: Xcel Energy Center-St. Paul, MN
TV Listing: ESPN 2
FINAL:
Date: 4/7/18
Time: 7:30 p.m. EST (6:30 p.m. CST)
Location: Xcel Energy Center-St. Paul, MN
TV Listing: ESPN
United States Hockey League Stories from April 5, 2018
- Waterloo Black Hawks Weekly Preview - Waterloo Black Hawks
- Fan Appreciation/Huge Announcement Night this Saturday - Lincoln Stars
- Five Former Players, Two Former Coaches Set for NCAA Frozen Four - Tri-City Storm
- Weekend Preview: Home Ice Advantage up for Grabs - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Musketeer Alumni in the Frozen Four - Sioux City Musketeers
- 2018 USHL Fall Classic to Return to Pittsburgh - USHL
- Stars Clinch Playoff Berth In 6-2 Win - Lincoln Stars
- Lancers Strike Storm in Series Finale, 3-0 - Omaha Lancers
- Storm Shutout by Lancers 3-0 - Tri-City Storm
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