Musketeers Well Represented in NCAA Tournament
Published on March 23, 2023 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Sioux City Musketeers News Release
Sioux City, IA - Twelve former Musketeer players and three former coaches will compete in the 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Tournament.
Boston University
Brian Carrabes (2019-21)
Appeared in 49 games for the Musketeers between 2019-21. Saw the bulk of his playing time in Sioux City in the 2020-21 season. Played in 45 games that year and scored 40 points with 21 goals and 19 assists. Now in his second season for the Terriers the center has played in 35 games, scored 5 goals and 10 total points.
Canisius College
Randy Hernandez (2017-18)
The winger from Miami, FL played for the Muskies for one season. Hit the ice in 45 games and scored 10 points with three goals and seven assists. Now in his second season with Canisius College after transferring from Robert Morris University. Played 39 games this season with 21 points, 8 goals and 13 assists.
University of Denver
Shai Buium (2019-21)
A defenseman from San Diego, Buium played in parts of two seasons for the Muskies. He totaled three games in the 2019-20 season but played in 50 contests in the 2020-21 season. He racked up 26 points, scored four goals and 22 assists with a +16, and played in four postseason games for the Musketeers that year. A second round 2021 draft pick of the Detroit Red Wings, Buium is in his second season with the Pioneers. He has totaled 76 games with 39 points, 7 goals and 32 assists. Buium and the Pioneers look to repeat as NCAA champions after winning the national championship last season.
Harvard University
Christian Jimenez (2018-21)
Another blue liner on this list, Jimenez played in three different seasons in Sioux City. He totaled 96 games with the green and gold and scored 43 points with 11 goals and 32 assists and appeared in three games in the 2021 Clark Cup Playoffs. The New York native is in his second season with the Crimson and has played in 14 games, including six this season.
Merrimack College
Ryan Leibold (2017-18)
Leibold spent only a single season in Sioux City. But appeared in all 60 regular season games. The forward notched 12 points with seven goals and five assists. Since that that season in Sioux City Leibold played for Holy Cross College for four years before transferring to Merrimack this season. He has played in 37 games this season with similar totals to his lone campaign with the Muskies. 12 points, five goals, seven assists.
University of Michigan
Ethan Edwards (2020-21)
Edwards played in 51 games for the Musketeers in the 2020-21 season. A defenseman he scored 27 points with 21 dimes and six goals. After his lone season in Sioux City, Edwards went to Ann Arbor where he's been a main fixture on the back to back Big Ten Champions blue line. In 70 total games he has 24 points with seven goals and 24 assists. Last season Michigan reached the Frozen Four last season.
Minnesota State University - Mankato
Alex Tracy (2020-22)
A household name now in Sioux City, Alex Tracy is in his freshman season for the Mavericks. Tracy has played in 10 games for the Cavs this season and has a 2.24 GAA and a 0.897 save % including a shutout and a CCHA goalie of the week award. Tracy is a Musketeer legend after his run in the 2022 Clark Cup Finals. He started all ten games and had a 0.896 GAA and was named Clark Cup Postseason MVP. Tracy spent two seasons in Sioux City and played in 62 games for the Musketeers.
Brenden Olson (2020-21)
A forward, Olson played in just one season for the Musketeers. He totaled 53 gems and scored 16 points with 9 goals and 7 assists. Now in his sophomore season for the Mavs he has totaled 19 games for Mankato with two points.
Ryan Sandelin (2015-16)
Sandelin played in only five games for the Muskies back in the 2015-16 season. He is now in his fourth season for Mankato. This season he has 29 points in 37 games with 14 goals and 15 assists. He has played in 127 games for the Mavs with 76 points with 43 goals and 33 assists.
Todd Knott (2008-09)
Knott was the head coach of the Musketeers in his lone season in Sioux City. The team went 24-30-6 under his watch that season. The following year Knott found a job with Mankato and has been there ever since. Now in his 13th season, he has helped guide the Mavericks to the NCAA Tournament for a seventh time. This season Knott was named the Terry Flanagan Award winner by the American Hockey Coaches Association that recognizes top assistant coaches.
The Ohio State University
Dominic Viola (2018-20)
Vidoli spent a pair of seasons with the Musketeers and totaled 37 games for the club with 31 total points, spread across five goals and 16 assists. He is now in his junior season with the Buckeyes. This year the defenseman has played in 23 games with five points.
Luke Strand (2009-11, 2017-22)
Strand was the man on the bench for seven seasons in Sioux City. In 465 games Strand compiled a 226-184-55 record and made it to the Clark Cup Playoffs in five of his seven seasons. Last season Strand led the Muskies to their fourth Clark Cup Championship and to a 41-16-5 regular season record. Strand is now in his first season as an assistant coach for the Buckeyes.
Penn State University
Dylan Gratton (2021-22)
Gratton appeared in ever game for the Clark Cup Champion Muskies in the 2021-22 season. In the regular season he scored 18 points with 15 assists and three goals. In the postseason run he dished out three assists. Now in his freshman season with the Nittany Lions, he played in 31 games and scored 11 points with a pair of goals and nine goals.
St Cloud State
Micah Miller (2016-18)
The winger spent two seasons with the Musketeers and scored 49 points across 83 games. He racked up 28 goals and 21 assists between the two seasons and was part of the 2017 Clark Cup playoff team and played in all 13 post season games and scored five points. He is now in his fifth season with the Huskies. This year he played in 39 games and scored 16 points with five goals and eleven assists.
Brett Larson (2011-13)
Larson was the head coach and general manager of the Musketeers for two seasons from 2011-2013. He coached in 124 games and had a record of 52-60-12. Larson has been an assistant coach at Minnesota-Duluth and Ohio State. He became the head coach of St. Cloud in 2018 and is now in his fifth season as the head man of the Huskies. This is now the fourth time he has coached the Huskies to the NCAA Division I tournament.
The Musketeers have an alumnus on ten of the sixteen teams represented at the national tournament. The USHL as a whole has 280 former players in the tournament.
The current Musketeers prepare for a weekend home and home series with the Lincoln Stars. The Muskies who have won three in a row travel to Lincoln on Friday night with puck drop scheduled for 7:05 pm. On Saturday they host Lincoln at the Tyson Events Center with puck drop at 6:05 pm.
United States Hockey League Stories from March 23, 2023
- Bucs Alums Compete in NCAA Tournament - Des Moines Buccaneers
- Caps Host Youngstown for Weekend Matchup - Madison Capitols
- Musketeers Well Represented in NCAA Tournament - Sioux City Musketeers
- Lumberjacks Welcome RoughRiders to Trinity Health Arena for Important Weekend Series - Muskegon Lumberjacks
- Storm Alumni Set to Compete for National Championship - Tri-City Storm
- Stampede Make Mark on NCAA Championship - Sioux Falls Stampede
- Fan Appreciation Night Comes to the Premier Center - Sioux Falls Stampede
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
