USHL Tri-City Storm

Storm Alumni Set to Compete for National Championship

Published on March 23, 2023 under United States Hockey League (USHL)
Tri-City Storm News Release


KEARNEY, NE. -Thirty-six alumni of the Tri-City Storm organization (thirty-four players, two coaches) are set to compete for the 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Hockey National Championship March 23rd through April 8th. The sixteen-team tournament begins today, and will conclude on April 8th at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. A complete list of former Tri-City Storm players competing in this year's NCAA Tournament can be found below. Game times, TV schedule, regional information, player/staff biographies, and more information is also included.

The 2023 NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament consists of sixteen teams competing in four predetermined regional sites. Four teams were assigned to each regional location, with regional champions qualifying for this year's Frozen Four. Automatic qualification privileges were granted to each postseason champion of the six conferences in college hockey. The NCAA Division I Men's Hockey Committee also selected ten schools to compete in the tournament via an At-Large selection. The tournament utilizes a single-elimination format.

The automatic qualifiers for this year's tournament are Boston (Hockey East Association), Canisius (Atlantic Hockey Association), Colgate (Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference), Michigan (Big Ten Conference), Minnesota State (Central Collegiate Hockey Association), and St. Cloud State (National Collegiate Hockey Conference).

Recipients of an At-Large bid in this year's tournament ware Cornell (Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference), Denver (National Collegiate Hockey Conference), Harvard (Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference), Merrimack (Hockey East Association), Michigan Tech (Central Collegiate Hockey Association), Minnesota (Big Ten Conference), Ohio State (Big Ten Conference), Penn State (Big Ten Conference), Quinnipiac (Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference), and Western Michigan (National Collegiate Hockey Conference).

Tri-City Storm Alumni in the 2023 NCAA Men's Division I Hockey Tournament

Boston Terriers

#16 Jeremy Wilmer (Forward, Freshman)

Canisius Golden Griffins

#14 Daniel DiGrande (Forward, Senior)

#30 Jacob Barczewski (Goaltender, Senior)

Colgate Raiders

N/A

Cornell Big Red

#8 Jack Lagerstrom (Defenseman, Junior)

#18 Kyler Kovich (Forward, Sophomore)

Denver Pioneers

#34 Carter Mazur (Forward, Sophomore)

Harvard Crimson

#14 Jace Foskey (Defenseman, Senior)

#33 Kyle Aucoin (Defenseman, Sophomore)

#96 Wyllum Deveaux (Defenseman, Senior)

Merrimack Warriors

#28 Filip Forsmark (Forward, Senior)

Michigan Wolverines

#4 Gavin Brindley (Forward, Freshman)

#20 Keaton Pehrson (Defenseman, Senior)

#53 Johnny Druskinis (Defenseman, Freshman)

#94 Mark Estapa (Forward, Sophomore)

Bill Muckalt (Associate Head Coach)

Michigan Tech Huskies

#7 Nick Nardella (Forward, Junior)

#10 Jake Crespi (Forward, Senior)

#21 Blais Richartz (Forward, Junior)

Minnesota Golden Gophers

#4 Mike Koster (Defenseman, Junior)

#77 Rhett Pitlick (Forward, Sophomore)

#89 Matthew Knies (Forward, Sophomore)

Minnesota State Mavericks

#3 Christian Fitzgerald (Forward, Freshman)

#5 Mason Wheeler (Defenseman, Freshman)

#13 Brendan Furry (Forward, Senior)

#22 Steven Bellini (Defenseman, Sophomore)

#27 Tony Malinowski (Defenseman, Junior)

Ohio State Buckeyes

#3 Cole McWard (Defenseman, Sophomore)

#23 Davis Burnside (Forward, Freshman)

JB Bittner (Assistant Coach)

Penn State Nittany Lions

#12 Ben Schoen (Forward, Sophomore)

#17 Chase McLane (Forward, Junior)

#19 Connor McMenamin (Forward, Senior)

Quinnipiac Bobcats

#14 Victor Czerneckianair (Forward, Freshman)

#17 Joey Cipollone (Forward, Senior)

#35 Chase Clark (Goaltender, Freshman)

St. Cloud State Huskies

#22 Joe Molenaar (Forward, Junior)

Western Michigan Broncos

N/A

2023 NCAA Men's Division I Hockey Tournament Bracket & TV Schedule

Midwest Regional (Allentown, Pennsylvania)

Tri-City Storm Alumni

Michigan Wolverines

#4 Gavin Brindley (Forward, Freshman)

#20 Keaton Pehrson (Defenseman, Senior)

#53 Johnny Druskinis (Defenseman, Freshman)

#94 Mark Estapa (Forward, Sophomore)

Bill Muckalt (Associate Head Coach)

Penn State Nittany Lions

#12 Ben Schoen (Forward, Sophomore)

#17 Chase McLane (Forward, Junior)

#19 Connor McMenamin (Forward, Senior)

Michigan Tech Huskies

#7 Nick Nardella (Forward, Junior)

#10 Jake Crespi (Forward, Senior)

#21 Blais Richartz (Forward, Junior)

Colgate Raiders

N/A

Matchups and TV Information

Penn State Nittany Lions (21-15-1) vs. Michigan Tech Huskies (24-10-4)

Friday, March 24th 4:00pm CT (ESPNU)

Michigan Wolverines (24-11-3) vs. Colgate Raiders (19-15-5)

Friday, March 24th 7:30pm CT (ESPNU)

Regional Seeding

1. Michigan Wolverines (24-11-3)

2. Penn State Nittany Lions (21-15-1)

3. Michigan Tech Huskies (24-10-4)

4. Colgate Raiders (19-15-5)

Northeast Regional (Bridgeport, Connecticut)

Tri-City Storm Alumni

Quinnipiac Bobcats

#14 Victor Czerneckianair (Forward, Freshman)

#17 Joey Cipollone (Forward, Senior)

#35 Chase Clark (Goaltender, Freshman)

Harvard Crimson

#14 Jace Foskey (Defenseman, Senior)

#33 Kyle Aucoin (Defenseman, Sophomore)

#96 Wyllum Deveaux (Defenseman, Senior)

Ohio State Buckeyes

#3 Cole McWard (Defenseman, Sophomore)

#23 Davis Burnside (Forward, Freshman)

JB Bittner (Assistant Coach)

Merrimack Warriors

#28 Filip Forsmark (Forward, Senior)

Matchups and TV Information

Harvard Crimson (24-7-2) vs. Ohio State Buckeyes (20-15-3)

Friday, March 24th 1:00pm CT (ESPNU)

Quinnipiac Bobcats (30-4-3) vs. Merrimack Warriors (23-13-1)

Friday, March 24th 4:30pm CT (ESPNews)

Regional Seeding

1. Quinnipiac Bobcats (30-4-3)

2. Harvard Crimson (24-7-2)

3. Ohio State Buckeyes (20-15-3)

4. Merrimack Warriors (23-13-1)

West Regional (Fargo, North Dakota)

Tri-City Storm Alumni

Minnesota Golden Gophers

#4 Mike Koster (Defenseman, Junior)

#77 Rhett Pitlick (Forward, Sophomore)

#89 Matthew Knies (Forward, Sophomore)

St. Cloud State Huskies

#22 Joe Molenaar (Forward, Junior)

Minnesota State Mavericks

#3 Christian Fitzgerald (Forward, Freshman)

#5 Mason Wheeler (Defenseman, Freshman)

#13 Brendan Furry (Forward, Senior)

#22 Steven Bellini (Defenseman, Sophomore)

#27 Tony Malinowski (Defenseman, Junior)

Canisius Golden Griffins

#14 Daniel DiGrande (Forward, Senior)

#30 Jacob Barczewski (Goaltender, Senior)

Matchups and TV Information

St. Cloud State Huskies (24-12-3) vs. Minnesota State Mavericks (25-12-1)

Thursday, March 23rd 4:00pm CT (ESPNU)

Minnesota Golden Gophers (26-9-1) vs. Canisius Golden Griffins (20-18-3)

Thursday, March 23rd 8:00pm CT (ESPN2)

Regional Seeding

1. Minnesota Golden Gophers (26-9-1)

2. St. Cloud State Huskies (24-12-3)

3. Minnesota State Mavericks (25-12-1)

4. Canisius Golden Griffins (20-18-3)

East Regional (Manchester, New Hampshire)

Tri-City Storm Alumni

Denver Pioneers

#34 Carter Mazur (Forward, Sophomore)

Boston Terriers

#16 Jeremy Wilmer (Forward, Freshman)

Western Michigan Broncos

N/A

Cornell Big Red

#8 Jack Lagerstrom (Defenseman, Junior)

#18 Kyler Kovich (Forward, Sophomore)

Matchups and TV Information

Boston Terriers (27-10-0) vs. Western Michigan Broncos (23-14-1)

Thursday, March 23rd 1:00pm CT (ESPN2)

Denver Pioneers (30-9-0) vs. Cornell Big Red (20-10-2)

Thursday, March 23rd 4:30pm CT (ESPNews)

Regional Seeding

1. Denver Pioneers (30-9-0)

2. Boston Terriers (27-10-0)

3. Western Michigan Broncos (23-14-1)

4. Cornell Big Red (20-10-2)

Team and Alumni Information

Boston University Terriers (Boston, Massachusetts)

The Boston University Terriers (27-10-0) return to this year's NCAA Tournament for the thirty-eighth time in program history after failing to qualify for last year's event. The program boasts five national titles, and twenty-two Frozen Four appearances. The Terriers most recently captured a national championship in 2009. Boston received an automatic bid to this year's tournament after winning its conference tournament for the fifteenth time in school history. The Terries won the Hockey East Association's Tournament Championship on Saturday, March 18th, 2023, in a 3-2 overtime victory against the Merrimack Warriors. The team also won this year's Hockey East regular season championship. Boston's last Regional Championship, and Frozen Four appearance was in 2015. The Terriers scoring offense ranks in the Top 5 in the country, averaging 3.92 goals per game. Boston will play in the first game of the tournament this afternoon at 1:00pm CT. The Terriers will face the Western Michigan Broncos (23-14-1) today on ESPN2. Boston's last single-game victory in the NCAA Tournament was a 3-1 victory over the Cornell Big Red on March 24th, 2018, in the opening game of the Northeast Regional.

Jeremy Wilmer, 19, Forward, of Rockville Centre, New York, is currently in his debut season with the Terriers after a record-breaking season with Tri-City during the 2021-2022 season. Wilmer has scored nine goals and recorded twenty-one assists for thirty total points in thirty-four games played for Boston this year. He was named the USHL's Forward of the Year for the 2021-2022 season. Wilmer broke the Storm's single-season assists record on March 19th, 2022, in Tri-City's 4-2 road victory over the Waterloo Black Hawks at Young Arena. He broke the Storm's single-season points record on April 9th, 2022, in a multiple-assist effort, in the Storm's 3-2 home victory over the Sioux City Musketeers at the Viaero Center. Wilmer finished the 2021-2022 regular season on a seven game assists streak which tied the record for the longest in organizational history. Wilmer recorded thirty-one multiple-point games during the 2021-2022 regular season, the most during a single season in team history. He also finished the year with thirty assists on the powerplay, setting a new organizational record for most powerplay assists in a single season. Wilmer was named the USHL's "Forward of the Week" on January 18th, 2022. Wilmer's plus/minus rating of +37 was the highest among Storm forwards during the 2021-2022 season. He scored his first goal as a member of the Storm on September 24th, 2021, in Tri-City's 2-1 overtime victory against the Madison Capitols at the 2021 USHL Fall Classic in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania. Wilmer's goal was scored in overtime to lift the Storm over the Capitols, and was the second game-winning goal of his USHL career. Wilmer completed a five-point game (one goal, four assists) on April 19th, 2022, in the Storm's 8-3 home victory over the Fargo Force at the Viaero Center. He scored six powerplay goals and one shorthanded goal during the 2021-2022 regular season. Wilmer scored one goal and recorded a team-leading seven assists during the Storm's run in the 2022 Clark Cup Playoffs. He skated in one hundred and nine USHL games from 2019 to 2022. Wilmer scored thirty-three goals and recorded ninety-five assists for one hundred and twenty-eight career points. He was a member of the Storm's 2021-2022 Anderson Cup Championship team.

Canisius College Golden Griffins (Buffalo, New York)

The Canisius College Golden Griffins (20-18-3) return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade after previously appearing in the event in 2013. This is the school's second appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Canisius fell to the eventual National-Runner Up Quinnipiac Bobcats in the school's opening game of the 2013 NCAA Tournament. The team received an automatic bid into this year's event after capturing the Atlantic Hockey Association's tournament championship on March 18th, 2023, in a 3-0 shutout of the Holy Cross Crusaders. Canisius will be seeking its first single-game victory in the NCAA Tournament, when the team hits the ice tonight at 8:00pm CT in a matchup against the #1 overall seed in the event, the Minnesota Golden Gophers (26-9-1). The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Daniel DiGrande, 25, Forward, of Macomb, Michigan, has scored eleven goals and notched four assists for fifteen total points in twenty-six games played for the Golden Griffins this season. He is currently in his senior season with Canisius, and has skated in eighty-five career collegiate games. DiGrande was an American Hockey Association All-Academic Team selection last season, and registered ten points in his debut season with the school. He began his collegiate career at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), where he was a two-time ECAC Hockey All-Academic team selection, before transferring to Canisius. DiGrande notched his first career multiple-goal game on November 6th, 2021, in the Golden Griffin's 6-3 road victory over the Bentley Falcons. He skated in thirty-seven career games with Tri-City during the 2016-2017 season. DiGrande scored nine goals and recorded seven assists for sixteen total points. His first goal with the Storm was scored on October 29th, 2016, in Tri-City's 3-2 shootout loss on the road to the Fargo Force. DiGrande skated for the Green Bay Gamblers, and the Waterloo Black Hawks prior to his time with the Storm. He finished his USHL career with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. DiGrande appeared in one hundred and twenty-two career USHL games. He netted sixteen goals, and notched eighteen assists for thirty-four total points.

Jacob Barczewski, 24, Goaltender, of O'Fallon, Missouri, has appeared in thirty-one games this season in goal for the Golden Griffins. He has posted a Goals Against Average (GAA) of 2.43, a Save Percentage (SV%) of .925%, and a record of 16-14-1. Barczewski has appeared in ninety-nine career games for Canisius, and currently holds a record of 44-41-8. He made his collegiate debut in a relief appearance on October 11th, 2019, in a 5-0 road loss to the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Barczewski stopped all seven shots faced in just over eight minutes of playing time in the appearance. His first career victory in net for Canisius came on December 28th, 2019, in the team's 5-2 home victory over the Holy Cross Crusaders. Barczewski received the Male Athlete of the Year Award for Canisius College following the 2020-2021 season. He collected All-AHA First Team honors following the 2021-2022 season. Barczewski is a two-time AHA All-Academic Team selection. He played for the Storm during the 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 seasons. Barczewski made his debut for the organization on October 28th, 2017, in the Storm's 3-2 shootout victory on the road against the Sioux City Musketeers. He notched his first career victory for Tri-City during the same game. Barczewski posted a 10-15-2-1 record for the Storm in twenty-nine appearances in his debut season for the organization. He appeared in thirty games the following season, and produced a record of 20-8-1-1. Barczewski was the Storm's goaltender during the longest shootout in USHL history on January 27th, 2019, in the team's 3-2 shootout victory on the road against the Sioux City Musketeers. He made 15 saves during the 16-round shootout, setting a league record for most saves during a shootout by a goaltender. Barczewski overcame an injury during the shootout, and made thirteen consecutive saves in one of the most spectacular goaltending performances in the organization's history. He appeared in fifty-nine total regular season games, and two Clark Cup Playoff games during his time with the Storm. Barczewski finished his Tri-City career with a 2.65 GAA, .904 SV%, and 30-23-5 record. He was a member of the Storm's 2018-2019 Anderson Cup Championship team.

Colgate University Raiders (Hamilton, New York)

The Colgate University Raiders (19-15-5) return to this year's NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in school history. Colgate last qualified for the tournament in 2014, and has one Frozen Four appearance in school history (1990). The Raiders received an automatic bid into this year's event after winning the ECAC Championship Game on March 18th, 2023, by a final score of 3-2 over the Harvard Crimson. The program will open play in this year's tournament Friday night in a matchup with the Michigan Wolverines (24-11-3). The matchup is scheduled for 7:30pm CT and will be broadcast on ESPNU. Colgate is one of two programs in this year's tournament without an alumnus of the Tri-City Storm organization.

Cornell University Big Red (Ithaca, New York)

The Cornell University Big Red (20-10-2) returns to the NCAA Tournament for the twenty-third time with the school's appearance in this year's event. Cornell won the 1967 and 1970 National Championships, and the program boasts eight Frozen Four appearances. The school earned an At-Large bid into this year's tournament. Cornell is one of the oldest college hockey programs in the country, with the school playing its first organized game in 1901. The Big Red is seeking its first Frozen Four appearance in twenty years in this year's tournament. Cornell opens play in this year's event in a matchup this afternoon against the Denver Pioneers (30-9-0). Puck drop for today's game is scheduled for 4:30pm CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPNews.

Jack Lagerstrom, 22, Defenseman, of Edina, Minnesota, has appeared in seven games during the 2022-2023 season for Cornell. He has scored one goal and recorded one assist for two total points. Lagerstrom has skated in twenty-one career collegiate games for the Big Red. He made his collegiate debut for Cornell on October 29th, 2021, in the Big Red's 3-2 home victory over the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks. Lagerstrom appeared in twelve games for the Storm during the 2019-2020 season. He scored three goals during his injury-truncated season. He made his USHL debut with Tri-City on January 25th, 2020, in the Storm's 3-2 home victory over the Fargo Force. Lagerstrom netted his first career goal with Tri-City on January 26th, 2020, in the Storm's 5-2 win over the Omaha Lancers at the Viaero Center.

Kyler Kovich, 21, Forward, of Coquitlam, British Columbia, has skated in fourteen games this season for the Big Red. He has scored one goal, and notched two assists, for three total points. Kovich skated in nineteen games last season for Cornell. He netted three goals, and recorded one assist for four total points. He was named ECAC Hockey's Rookie of the Week on January 10th, 2022, after scoring two goals in a two-game weekend series against the North Dakota Fighting Hawks. Kovich made his collegiate debut for Cornell on October 29th, 2021, in the school's 3-2 home victory against the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks. He scored his first career collegiate goal on November 27th, 2021, in Cornell's 6-4 home victory over the Boston Terriers. Kovich skated in thirty-six regular season games, and three postseason games, with the Storm during the 2020-2021 season. He made his USHL debut with Tri-City on January 14th, 2021, in the Storm's 5-2 road victory over the Fargo Force. Kovich netted his first career goal on January 31st, 2021, in Tri-City's 7-2 home win over the Omaha Lancers at the Viaero Center. He scored five goals, and notched ten assists, for fifteen total points during his Storm career.

University of Denver Pioneers (Denver, Colorado)

The University of Denver Pioneers (30-9-0) is set to defend its 2022 National Championship in this year's edition of the NCAA Tournament. The school won its ninth national title after defeating the Minnesota State Mavericks by a final score of 5-1 in last year's Championship Game. The program boasts thirty-two tournament appearances, and eighteen berths into the Frozen Four. Denver has reached the Frozen Four in three of the last five seasons. The Pioneers received an At-Large invitation to this year's tournament after suffering a 1-0 shutout loss to the Colorado College Tigers in the Semi-Final round of the NCHC Tournament. Denver is ranked in the top five nationally in scoring defense, only allowing an average of 2.15 goals per game. The Pioneers' powerplay is third-best in the NCAA this season with a conversion percentage of 27.2%. Denver's winning percentage of .769% trails only the Quinnipiac Bobcats (.851%) this season. The school will begin its National Title defense when the team hits the ice this afternoon in a matchup with the Cornell Big Red (20-10-2). Puck drop is set for 4:30pm CT, and the game will be broadcast on ESPNews.

Carter Mazur, 20, Forward, of Jackson, Michigan, is one of this year's Alternate Captains for the Pioneers. He has scored a team-leading twenty-two goals, and notched fifteen assists for thirty-seven total points in thirty-nine games played. His twenty-two goals rank among the country's leaders. Only three players in college hockey have scored more goals this season than Mazur entering this year's NCAA tournament. Mazur's six game-winning goals netted this season trails former Tri-City Storm teammate Matthew Knies (Minnesota Golden Gophers) for the most in the nation. He represented the United States in the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship. Mazur led Team USA with five goals scored during the event. He led all freshmen on last year's team with thirty-eight points. Mazur was named the NCHC's Rookie of the Year for the 2021-2022 season. He was selected to last year's NCHC Academic All-Conference Team, and was a three-time NCHC Rookie of the Month. Mazur was part of Denver's 2022 National Championship winning team as a freshman. He has netted thirty-six goals, notched thirty-nine assists, and recorded seventy-five points in eighty career collegiate games. Mazur appeared in ninety-five games during his Storm career. He scored twenty-six goals, recorded thirty-one assists, and notched fifty-seven career points. Mazur made his USHL debut with the organization as an affiliate list call-up on November 10th, 2018, in Tri-City's 4-2 home victory over the Sioux Falls Stampede. He scored his first career USHL goal on November 8th, 2019, in the Storm's 5-2 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers at the Viaero Center. He served as one of the team's Captains during the 2020-2021 season. Mazur scored one goal and notched one assist in three games played for the team during its run in the 2021 Clark Cup Playoffs. He was selected 70th overall in the 3rd round of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings.

Harvard University Crimson (Cambridge, Massachusetts)

The University of Harvard Crimson (24-7-2) has received a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the twenty-seventh time with the team's entry in this year's event. The Crimson collected an At-Large bid to the tournament after falling to the Colgate Raiders by a final score of 3-2 on March 18th, 2023, in the ECAC Tournament Championship game. The program has appeared in thirteen Frozen Fours, most recently in 2017. The school won its only national title in 1989. The Crimson enters this year's NCAA Tournament with the third-best winning percentage in the country (.758%). Harvard will be in search of its third Frozen Four appearance in school history. The Crimson will face the Ohio State Buckeyes (20-15-13) Friday afternoon at 1:00pm CT on ESPNU.

Jace Foskey, 22, Defenseman, of Southlake, Texas, has skated in seven games with the Crimson this season. His lone point of the season came on an assist in the 2nd period of Harvard's 4-4 road tie against the Michigan Wolverines on November 25th, 2022. He appeared in three games with the team last season, and nineteen during his freshman campaign. Foskey has skated in twenty-nine career collegiate games, and has recorded two assists. He made his NCAA debut for the Crimson on December 3rd, 2019, in Harvard's 5-2 road loss to the Boston Terriers. He recorded his first career collegiate point on March 7th, 2020, on a 1st period assist in the Crimson's 7-1 home win over the St. Lawrence Saints. Foskey skated in eighty-four career games with Tri-City during the 2016-2017, and 2017-2018 seasons. He scored three goals, and notched thirteen assists, for sixteen career points during his Storm career. Foskey made his USHL debut with the organization on September 23rd, 2016, in Tri-City's 3-1 road win over the Lincoln Stars. He scored his first career goal in the USHL on December 31st, 2016, in the Storm's 3-2 home loss to the Stars at the Viaero Center. Foskey skated in the 2018 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game hosted by Tri-City in Kearney on January 9th, 2018.

Kyle Aucoin, 20, Defenseman, of Hinsdale, Illinois, has appeared in twenty-four games for Harvard this season. He has notched two assists, and has equaled his career single-season collegiate point total. Aucoin has skated in fifty-four collegiate games, and has recorded four assists. He made his NCAA debut for Harvard on October 29th, 2021, in the Crimson's 9-3 home victory over the Dartmouth Big Green. Aucoin notched his first career point on a 2nd period assist in the team's 3-1 home win over Dartmouth on February 4th, 2022. He appeared in seventy-four games for Tri-City from 2018-2021. Aucoin scored four goals, and notched twelve assists, for sixteen total points. He made his USHL debut with Tri-City on December 13th, 2018, in the Storm's 5-3 home victory over the Lincoln Stars. Aucoin scored his first career USHL goal for the Storm on October 10th, 2019, in the Storm's 4-1 home win against the Sioux Falls Stampede. He served as one of the Storm's Alternate Captains during the 2020-2021 season. Aucoin was selected 156th overall in the 6th Round of the 2020 NHL Draft by the Detroit Red Wings.

Wyllum Deveaux, 22, Forward, of Sackville, Nova Scotia, has skated in twenty-five games for the Crimson this season. His lone point to this point in the campaign was notched on a 2nd period assist during Harvard's 5-3 home win over the Union Dutchmen on February 17th, 2023. He has appeared in ninety career games during his collegiate career. Deveaux has scored four goals, and recorded three assists, for seven total points. He made his NCAA debut with Harvard on November 16th, 2018, in the team's 4-1 home victory over the Arizona State Sun Devils. He scored his first career collegiate goal on January 26th, 2019, in the Crimson's 7-3 home win against the St. Lawrence Saints. Deveaux appeared in sixty-eight career games with Tri-City during the 2016-2017, and 2017-2018 seasons. He scored five goals, and notched nineteen assists for twenty-four total points. Deveaux made his USHL debut with the Storm on September 23rd, 2016, in Tri-City's 3-1 road victory over the Lincoln Stars. He scored his first career USHL goal on November 17th, 2017, in the Storm's 4-0 shutout victory over the Des Moines Buccaneers at the Viaero Center. Deveaux skated in the 2018 USHL/NHL Top Prospects Game hosted by the Storm in Kearney on January 9th, 2018.

Merrimack College Warriors (North Andover, Massachusetts)

The Merrimack College Warriors (23-13-1) received an At-Large bid into this year's tournament to qualify for the 3rd NCAA Tournament in program history. The Warriors return to the event for the first time in more than a decade in this year's edition of the tournament. Merrimack won the 1978 Division II National Title, but has never qualified for the Frozen Four since moving to Division I in 1984. Merrimack's lone single-game victory in the tournament was against the Northeastern Huskies in the first round of the event on March 19th, 1988, by a final score of 7-3. The Warriors will begin this year's tournament with a matchup against the Quinnipiac Bobcats (30-4-3) Friday afternoon. The game is set to begin at 4:30pm CT and will be broadcast on ESPNews.

Filip Forsmark, 24, Forward, of Skövde, Sweden, has stated in thirty-six games for Merrimack this season. He has scored six goals, and recorded ten assists, for sixteen total points. Forsmark has appeared in eighty-seven career games for Merrimack. He has netted twenty-one goals, and notched thirty-five assists, for fifty-six total points. Forsmark made his collegiate debut for the Warriors on December 5th, 2020, in the team's 3-1 road loss to the University of Massachusetts Minutemen. He scored his first career NCAA goal on January 9th, 2021, in Merrimack's 3-2 road loss to the Northeastern Huskies. Forsmark recorded three multiple-goal games during his career-best 2021-2022 season. He skated in one hundred and twenty career games for the Storm during the 2017-2018, and 2018-2019 seasons. Forsmark made his USHL debut with Tri-City on October 13th, 2017, in the Storm's 3-1 home victory over the Sioux City Musketeers. He scored the first two goals of his career on October 21st, 2017, in the Storm's 3-0 home shutout against the Lincoln Stars. Forsmark scored a career-high fourteen goals, recorded a career-high thirty-eight assists, and notched a career-high fifty-two assists during Tri-City's 2018-2019 Anderson Cup Championship season. He skated in eight career postseason games with the Storm in the Clark Cup Playoffs. Forsmark finished his Storm career with five game-winning goals.

University of Michigan Wolverines (Ann Arbor, Michigan)

The University of Michigan Wolverines (24-11-3) have appeared in three consecutive NCAA Tournaments after receiving an automatic bid into this year's event as the Big Ten Conference's Tournament Champions. The Wolverines defeated the Minnesota Golden Gophers by a final score of 4-3 on March 18th, 2023, to officially secure a place in this year's sixteen-team tournament field. The program boasts twenty-six Frozen Four appearances, and nine National Championships. This year's trip to the NCAA Tournament will be the fortieth in the school's history. Michigan reached last year's Frozen Four, but fell by a final score of 3-2 in overtime in its Semifinal matchup against the eventual National Title-winning Denver Pioneers. The Wolverines are the #3 overall seed in the event, and rank among the nation's leaders in several major statistics. Michigan's scoring offense is the best in the country, averaging 4.11 goals per game. The Wolverines also average the second-most penalty minutes per game of all Division I teams this season (17.26). The school's victory over Minnesota in the Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship Game gave the Wolverines its second consecutive conference postseason title. Michigan will begin play in this year's NCAA Tournament with a matchup Friday night against the Colgate Raiders (19-15-5). The game is scheduled to begin at 7:30pm CT, and will be broadcast on ESPNU.

Gavin Brindley, 18, Forward, of Estero, Florida, has skated in thirty-eight games during his freshman season with the Wolverines. He has scored eleven goals, recorded twenty-five assists, and notched thirty-six total points during his debut season. Brindley made his collegiate debut with Michigan on October 7th, 2022, in the Wolverines' 7-4 home victory over the Lindenwood Lions. He recorded his first career point on a 1st period assist during the same game. Brindley scored his first career collegiate goal on October 14th, 2022, in Michigan's 9-2 home victory against the Boston Terriers. He scored two goals, and recorded two assists, to produce a career-high four-point game on February 3rd, 2023, in Michigan's 6-2 home win against the Wisconsin Badgers. He recorded an eight-game point streak from January 14th, 2023, against the Ohio State Buckeyes to February 10th, 2023, against the Michigan State Spartans. Brindley assisted on three of the Wolverines' four goals in the team's victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the Big Ten Conference Tournament Championship Game on March 18th, 2023. He skated in one hundred and two career games with Tri-City during the 2020-2021, and 2021-2022 seasons. Brindley officially joined the organization by signing a tender agreement to play for the Storm on March 27th, 2020. He netted twenty-three goals, notched forty-one assists, and recorded sixty-four total points during his Storm career. Brindley made his USHL debut with the organization on November 13th, 2020, in Tri-City's 5-1 road loss to the Omaha Lancers. He scored his first career USHL goal for Tri-City on December 11th, 2020, in the Storm's 4-1 home victory at the Viaero Center over Omaha. Brindley recorded his first multiple-goal game on September 23rd, 2021, in Tri-City's 3-2 overtime victory over the Dubuque Fighting Saints at the 2021 USHL Fall Classic. He skated in six career postseason games with the Storm during the 2021 and 2022 Clark Cup Playoffs. He scored two career postseason goals, and recorded two career postseason assists. Brindley was a member of the Storm's 2021-2022 Anderson Cup Championship team. He skated for the United States and won a bronze medal at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship, a gold medal at the 2021 U17 Five Nations Event, and a silver medal at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympic Games. Brindley is considered to be a highly regarded prospect for the 2023 NHL Draft.

Keaton Pehrson, 24, Defenseman, of Lakeville, Minnesota, is one of the Wolverines' Alternate Captains for the 2022-2023 season. He has skated in thirty-six games this season for Michigan, and has notched ten assists. Pehrson has appeared in one hundred and twenty-four career games for the Wolverines. He has scored one goal, and notched twenty-six assists for twenty-seven total points. Pehrson was named to the Big Ten Conference's All-Big Ten team following his sophomore season. He made his collegiate debut for the Wolverines on October 11th, 2019, in the team's 1-1 tie on home ice against the Clarkson Golden Knights. Pehrson netted the first goal of his NCAA career on February 8th, 2020, in Michigan's 5-3 home win over the Wisconsin Badgers. He skated in one hundred and twenty career USHL games for the Storm prior to beginning his collegiate career. Pehrson netted thirteen goals, notched twenty-six assists, and tallied thirty-nine points during his Tri-City career. He made his USHL debut with the organization on October 6th, 2017, in Tri-City's 2-1 road win over the Omaha Lancers. Pehrson netted his first career USHL goal on January 28th, 2018, in the Storm's 3-2 shootout road win over Omaha. He appeared in eight postseason games during his Storm career. Pehrson scored one goal and notched two assists during his Clark Cup Playoff games with the organization. He served as one of Tri-City's Alternate Captains during his final season with the team. Pehrson was a member of Tri-City's 2018-2019 Anderson Cup Championship team. He was also a member of Michigan's 2021-2022 team that reached the Frozen Four.

Johnny Druskinis, 20, Defenseman, of Plymouth, Michigan, has appeared in eight games during his freshman season with the Wolverines, and has notched two assists. Druskinis made his collegiate debut with Michigan on November 17th, 2022, in the Wolverines' 5-2 home loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He recorded his first career NCAA point on a 3rd period assist on November 25th, 2022, in Michigan's 4-4 tie against the Harvard Crimson on home ice. Druskinis skated in fifty-three regular season games, and five postseason games for the Storm during the 2021-2022 season. He scored three goals and recorded five assists for eight total points during the regular season. He finished the year as the team's penalty minutes leader with one hundred and fifty-nine. Druskinis made his debut with the organization on September 23rd, 2021, in Tri-City's 3-2 overtime victory over the Dubuque Fighting Saints at the 2021 USHL Fall Classic. He netted his first goal with the Storm on January 23rd, 2022, in Tri-City's 7-4 home victory over the Des Moines Buccaneers. Druskinis skated in one hundred and eight games in his USHL career. He scored four goals, recorded eleven assists, and registered fifteen total points. He skated for the Muskegon Lumberjacks before joining Tri-City last season. Druskinis was a member of the Storm's 2021-2022 Anderson Cup Championship team.

Mark Estapa, 21, Forward, of St. Clair, Michigan, has appeared in thirty-seven games for Michigan during his sophomore season at the school. Estapa has scored four goals, recorded seven assists, and notched eleven total points to this point in the 2022-2023 season. He scored twice, and registered nine assists, for eleven total points during his freshman year last season. Estapa has skated in seventy-one career NCAA games entering the 2023 NCAA Tournament. He made his collegiate debut with the Wolverines on October 8th, 2021, in Michigan's 6-1 home victory over the Lake Superior State Lakers. Estapa netted his first career NCAA goal on December 4th, 2021, in Michigan's 6-2 home win against the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He has compiled 89 penalty minutes to this point in the season, the most of any player competing in this year's NCAA Tournament. Estapa skated in ninety-one games with Tri-City prior to beginning his collegiate career at Michigan. He scored thirteen goals, notched twenty-three assists, and recorded twenty-six total points in his USHL career. Estapa made his USHL debut with the team as an affiliate list call-up on November 9th, 2018, in the Storm's 1-0 road shutout win over the Omaha Lancers. He scored his first career USHL goal on December 27th, 2019, in Tri-City's 7-4 home win over the Sioux City Musketeers. The goal was voted the USHL Goal of the Year for the 2019-2020 season. The play was also featured on ESPN SportsCenter's "Top 10 Plays" countdown that night. Estapa netted an eerily similar goal the following night to clinch Tri-City's shootout victory over the Musketeers in a 6-5 road win. He was an Alternate Captain for the United States at the 2019-2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup prior to joining the Storm.

Bill Muckalt, 48, Associate Head Coach, of Surrey, British Columbia, is in his sixth season as Michigan's Associate Head Coach. He was hired to the position in the summer of 2017. As the Head Coach of the Tri-City Storm, Muckalt helped the organization capture its first Clark Cup Championship in 2016. Muckalt was Tri-City's Head Coach for the 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 seasons. He finished his career with a record of 49-46-16-9 in one hundred and twenty regular season games as the Storm's Head Coach. Muckalt followed former Storm Head Coach Jim Hulton, and preceded current Head Coach Anthony Noreen. He was behind the bench for the Wolverines' Frozen Four appearances in 2018, and 2022.

Michigan Tech Huskies (Houghton, Michigan)

The Michigan Technological University Huskies (24-10-4) received an At-Large bid into this year's tournament after dropping a 4-0 decision to the Northern Michigan Wildcats in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's Conference Tournament on March 11th, 2023. The school qualified for last year's NCAA Tournament, but suffered a 3-0 shutout in the opening round to the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. The program has not won a game in the event since it advanced to the Frozen Four in the 1981 edition of the tournament. The school boasts ten Frozen Four appearances, and three national titles. The Huskies most recently won a National Championship in 1975. Michigan Tech will begin play in this year's tournament Friday afternoon in a matchup against the Penn State Nittany Lions (21-15-1). The game is scheduled to be played on ESPNU at 4:00pm CT.

Nick Nardella, 24, Forward, of Rosemont, Illinois, has skated in thirty-one games this season for the Huskies. He has netted one goal, and notched thirteen assists, for fourteen total points. Nardella has appeared in eighty-two collegiate games for Michigan Tech. He has scored four career goals, recorded twenty-seven career assists, and notched thirty-one career points. He made his NCAA debut for the Huskies on December 12th, 2020, in Michigan Tech's 6-3 road loss to the Bemidji State Beavers. Nardella scored his first career collegiate goal on January 2nd, 2021, in the Huskies 4-0 home victory over the Alabama Huntsville Chargers. He was named to the 2021-2022 CCHA-All Academic Team. Nardella also attended the Carolina Hurricanes NHL Development camp the same season. He appeared in thirty-nine career games for Tri-City during the 2016-2017 season. Nardella made his debut with the organization on October 14th, 2016, in the Storm's 6-0 home win over the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders. He scored his first career USHL goal with the Storm on January 6th, 2017, in Tri-City's 9-1 win over the Des Moines Buccaneers at the Viaero Center. Nardella scored two goals, recorded five assists, and notched seven total points during his time with the Storm in the 2016-2017 season.

Jake Crespi, 24, Forward, of Brighton, Michigan, has skated in thirty-three games for Michigan Tech this season. He has netted four goals, and recorded ten assists, for fourteen total points. Crespi has appeared in one hundred collegiate games for the Huskies. He has scored ten goals, notched sixteen assists, and recorded twenty-six total points in his NCAA career. Crespi made his collegiate debut for Michigan Tech on October 11th, 2019, in the team's 3-2 home loss to the Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks. He scored his first career NCAA goal on December 13th, 2020, in Michigan Tech's 3-0 shutout win on home ice over the Bemidji State Beavers. Crespi skated in sixty-nine career games with Tri-City. He scored sixteen goals, notched eleven assists, and recorded twenty-seven points in his USHL career. Crespi made his debut with the organization on October 6th, 2017, in Tri-City's 2-1 road win over the Omaha Lancers. He netted his first career USHL goal on November 24th, 2017, in the Storm's 3-2 overtime road victory against the Sioux City Musketeers. Crespi's first career multiple-goal game came on November 24th, 2018, in the Storm's 6-2 road win over the Lincoln Stars. His final season with Tri-City was cut short due to injury. Crespi was a member of the Storm's 2018-2019 Anderson Cup Championship team.

Blais Richartz, 22, Forward, of Menomonie, Wisconsin, has appeared in four games this season with Michigan Tech. Richartz also skated in four games for the Huskies during the 2021-2022 season. He appeared in seventeen games for the team during his freshman season. Richartz has skated in twenty-five games, scored one goal, recorded three assists, and notched four total points in his NCAA career. He made his debut with the Huskies on December 6th, 2020, in the team's 3-1 home victory over the Minnesota State Mavericks. He scored his first career collegiate goal February 9th, 2021, in Michigan Tech's 2-1 road win against the Ferris State Bulldogs. The scoring play during the matchup for Richartz was the team's game-winning goal. Richartz skated in ninety career games with the Storm from 2017-2018. He scored fifteen goals, notched fifteen assists, and recorded thirty points during his career with Tri-City. Richartz made his debut with the organization on February 24th, 2017, in the Storm's 4-0 shutout victory over the Sioux Falls Stampede at the Viaero Center. He scored his first career goal for Tri-City during the 3rd period of the same game.

Minnesota Golden Gophers (Minneapolis, Minnesota)

The University of Minnesota Golden Gophers (26-9-1) received an At-Large bid into this year's tournament, and will begin the event as the number one overall seed in the bracket. Minnesota has appeared in forty NCAA tournaments, and the school has reached the Frozen Four twenty-two times. The Golden Gophers program boasts five national titles, with the most recent in 2003. Minnesota's scoring margin of +1.81 is the second-best in the country this season. The Golden Gophers offense averages more than four goals per game (4.08), which trails only Michigan (4.11) nationally. Minnesota leads the country in combined shooting percentage (12.4%). The Golden Gophers are the second-youngest team in this year's tournament field with an average player age of 21.1. Minnesota is set to begin this year's tournament tonight at 8:00pm CT in a matchup with the Canisius Golden Griffins (21-10-3). The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.

Mike Koster, 21, Defenseman, of Chaska, Minnesota, has equaled a career high in his junior season by skating in thirty-six games. Koster has set a new career high for most goals, assists, and points in his NCAA career this season with the Golden Gophers. He has netted five goals, notched twenty assists, and recorded twenty-five total points. Koster has skated in one hundred and three career collegiate games with Minnesota. He has scored eleven goals, recorded forty assists, and notched fifty-one career points. Koster recorded ACHA All-American Scholar, and Big Ten Conference All-Tournament Team honors during his freshman season with Minnesota. He collected All-Big Ten Academic honors during his sophomore season, and helped the Golden Gophers win a Big Ten Conference Regular Season Championship. Koster made his NCAA debut with Minnesota on November 19th, 2020, in the team's 4-1 home victory over the Penn State Nittany Lions. He scored his first collegiate goal on December 9th, 2020, in Minnesota's 4-0 road shutout victory over the Michigan Wolverines. Koster skated in seventy-three games during his Storm career. He scored seven goals, notched twenty-seven assists, and recorded thirty-four career points. He made his USHL debut with Tri-City on October 15th, 2017, in the Storm's 5-0 road loss to the Omaha Lancers. Koster netted his first career USHL goal for the Storm on March 18th, 2018, in Tri-City's 5-2 road win over the Chicago Steel. He appeared in eight career postseason games with Tri-City, recording one assist. Koster was a member of Tri-City's 2018-2019 Anderson Cup Championship team. He represented the United States at the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup. Koster was selected 146th overall in the 5th round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Rhett Pitlick, 22, Forward, of Plymouth, Minnesota, has scored a career-high ten goals in thirty-six games played as a sophomore this season with the Golden Gophers. He has also recorded twelve assists, and twenty-two total points. Pitlick has skated in sixty-six career games with Minnesota, and has scored fifteen goals. He has also notched twenty-five assists for forty total career points. Pitlick was the Hockey Commissioners Association's National Rookie of the Month in February of his freshman season. He helped the Golden Gophers win the 2021-2022 Big Ten Regular Season Championship, and advance to the Frozen Four for the first time since 2014. Minnesota produced a 4-0-0-0 record last season when Pitlick scored a goal. Pitlick made his collegiate debut with the Golden Gophers on October 22nd, 2021, in Minnesota's 5-3 home loss to the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. He netted his first career NCAA goal on February 4th, 2022, in the Golden Gophers' 4-2 home victory over the Michigan State Spartans. Pitlick's first-career multiple-goal game was recorded on February 12th, 2022, in Minnesota's 5-1 road win over the Ohio State Buckeyes. He netted two goals in the win. Pitlick skated in twenty-six games for the Storm during the 2020-2021 regular season. He scored six goals, notched fourteen assists, and recorded twenty total points. Pitlick made his debut with the organization on January 22nd, 2021, in the Storm's 5-0 shutout victory over the Lincoln Stars. He netted his first goal as a member of the Storm on February 27th, 2021, in Tri-City's 5-2 win over the Fargo Force at the Viaero Center. Pitlick was selected 131st overall in the 5th round of the 2019 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens.

Matthew Knies, 20, Forward, of Phoenix, Arizona, is a Hobey Baker Award Finalist in his sophomore season with Minnesota. He was named to the All-Big Ten First Team, and was awarded the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year honors. Knies skated for the United States at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China. He was named to the Big Ten Conference All-Freshman Team, and was the University of Minnesota's Male Rookie of the Year. Knies collected All-Regional Team honors at the NCAA Tournament's Northeast Regional, and was the Most Outstanding Player of the Regional. Knies scored the team's lone goal at the 2022 Frozen Four during his freshman season. He currently leads the country with seven game-winning goals scored this season. Knies' goal scoring production is ranked in the Top 10 in the country this season. He scored fifteen goals, notched eighteen assists, and recorded thirty-three points during his rookie year with the Golden Gophers. Knies has netted twenty-one goals, recorded twenty assists, and registered forty-one total points to this point in the 2022-2023 season. He recorded a point in each of his final three games played at the 2022 IIHF World Junior Championship. Knies skated in ninety-career USHL games, all of which were in purple and white with the Tri-City Storm. He made his USHL debut with the organization as an affiliate-list call-up on November 23rd, 2018, in the Storm's 3-0 shutout victory over the Omaha Lancers at the Viaero Center. Knies netted his first career USHL goal with Tri-City on October 10th, 2019, in the team's 4-1 home win over the Sioux Falls Stampede. He scored thirty-one goals, notched fifty-six assists, and recorded eighty-seven total points in his Storm career. Knies was an Alternate Captain, and skated in each of Tri-City's three games during the team's run in the 2021 Clark Cup Playoffs. He scored one goal, and notched three assists, for four total points during the postseason. Knies was named to the USHL's All-Rookie Team following the 2019-2020 season. He was selected 57th overall in the 2nd Round of the 2021 NHL Draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Minnesota State Mavericks (Mankato, Minnesota)

The Minnesota State University, Mankato Mavericks (25-12-1) boast the most former Tri-City Storm players of any team in this year's NCAA Tournament field. The Mavericks have five former Storm players on the roster, and seek a third consecutive Frozen Four appearance in this year's event. Minnesota State won the 1980 NCAA Division II National Championship, and reached the Frozen Four four times as a DII program. The Mavericks have qualified for the NCAA Tournament nine times since acquiring NCAA Division I status. The school received an automatic bid into this year's event after capturing the Central Collegiate Hockey Association's Tournament Championship on March 18th, 2023, in a 3-2 overtime victory over the Northern Michigan Wildcats. Minnesota State leads the nation in faceoff winning percentage this season (.600%). The Mavericks' powerplay leads all NCAA D1 teams with a success rate of 28.1%. Minnesota State will begin its play in the 2023 NCAA Tournament this afternoon when the team battles the St. Cloud State Huskies (24-12-3). The game is scheduled for 4:00pm CT, and will be broadcast on ESPNU.

Christian Fitzgerald, 20, Forward, of Coquitlam, British Columbia, has skated in thirty-seven games for the Mavericks this season. Fitzgerald's freshman season has been highlighted with sixteen goals scored. He has also provided the Minnesota State offense with thirteen assists, and twenty-nine total points. Fitzgerald made his NCAA debut on October 7th, 2022, in the Mavericks' 4-1 road loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He netted his first career collegiate goal on November 4th, 2022, in Minnesota State's 7-2 road win over the St. Thomas Tommies. Fitzgerald skated in twenty-nine games with the Storm during the team's 2021-2022 Anderson Cup Championship season. He made his debut with the organization on November 12th, 2021, in the Storm's 6-2 win over the Waterloo Black Hawks at the Viaero Center. He scored the first two goals of his USHL career the following night in Tri-City's 5-1 home victory over Waterloo. Fitzgerald netted eight goals, notched eleven assists, and recorded nineteen assists during his lone season with the Storm.

Mason Wheeler, 21, Defenseman, of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, has skated in thirty-six games in his debut season with the Mavericks. He has recorded five assists for the Minnesota State offense. He made his NCAA debut on October 7th, 2022, in Minnesota State's 4-1 road loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Wheeler recorded his first career collegiate point on a 2nd period assist on October 14th, 2022, in the Mavericks' 6-0 home shutout over the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. He produced a three-game point streak with an assist in each of Minnesota State's games from January 7th, 2023 to January 14th, 2023. Wheeler skated in ninety-two games with the Storm over his two-year career. He scored five goals, notched thirteen assists, and recorded eighteen total points. He made his USHL debut with Tri-City on November 7th, 2021, in the Storm's 5-1 road victory against the Sioux City Musketeers. Wheeler scored the first goal of his Storm career on February 20th, 2021, in Tri-City's 5-4 overtime loss to the Sioux Falls Stampede at the Viaero Center. He skated in eight postseason games during his Tri-City career, and was a member of the Storm's 2021-2022 Anderson Cup Championship team.

Brendan Furry, 24, Forward, of Toledo, Ohio, serves as a Team Captain of this year's Minnesota State squad. He has skated in thirty-eight games, and has scored nine goals. Furry has also provided the Mavericks' offense with nineteen assists for twenty-eight total points. He has skated in one hundred and ten career games with Minnesota State. Furry has scored twenty-seven goals, notched fifty-eight assists, and recorded eighty-five total points. He was named to the 2020-2021 WCHA's All-Academic Team, and received NCAA West Regional All-Tournament Team honors. Furry made his collegiate debut on November 22nd, 2020, in the Maverick's 5-0 road shutout victory over the Bemidji State Beavers. He netted the first goal of his NCAA career on January 24th, 2021, in the team's 4-1 home win over the Ferris State Bulldogs. Furry recorded the first hat tick of his Minnesota State career on October 30th, 2021, in the team's 7-0 home shutout over the Northern Michigan Wildcats. He skated in thirty-six games for Tri-City during the team's 2018-2019 Anderson Cup Championship season. Furry played his first game with the Storm on December 28th, 2018, in the team's 3-1 win over the Lincoln Stars at the Viaero Center. He scored his first goal with the organization during the 1st period of the same game. The scoring play was the game-winning goal for the Storm in the battle. He recorded his first hat trick with the organization on February 17th, 2019, in the Storm's 6-3 road win over the Waterloo Black Hawks. Furry was tied for the team's leading goal scorer during its run in the 2019 Clark Cup Playoffs. He netted the only postseason hat trick in organizational history in Tri-City's opening game of postseason play at the Viaero Center on April 19th, 2019. The Storm dispatched the visiting Des Moines Buccaneers with an 8-3 victory.

Steven Bellini, 22, Defenseman, of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, has skated in thirty-eight games this season with the Mavericks. Bellini has scored one goal, and notched eight assists, for nine total points. He appeared in eight games during his freshman season with Minnesota State. Bellini made his collegiate debut for the Mavericks on November 26th, 2021, in the team's 1-0 road loss to the Lake Superior State Lakers. He scored his first career NCAA goal on February 18th, 2023, in Minnesota States' 2-1 road loss to the Bemidji State Beavers. Bellini skated in twenty-nine career regular season games with the Storm during the 2020-2021 season. He made his debut with the organization on November 7th, 2021, in Tri-City's 5-1 road win over the Sioux City Musketeers. Bellini notched his first career point with a 2nd period assist during the Storm's 4-2 road loss to the Des Moines Buccaneers on December 15th, 2020. He appeared in all three of Tri-City's games during the 2021 Clark Cup Playoffs. Bellini recorded four points during his time with the Storm.

Tony Malinowski, 23, Defenseman, of Clarkston, Michigan, has skated in a career-high thirty-six games this season with Minnesota State. He has scored one goal, recorded five assists, and notched six total points during his senior campaign with the team. Malinowski has skated in sixty-three career games for the Mavericks. He has netted two goals, notched eight assists, and recorded ten total points for the program. Malinowski was named to the WCHA's All-Academic team for the 2020-2021 season. He made his collegiate debut for the Mavericks on December 18th, 2020, in the team's 5-4 home win over the Bemidji State Beavers. Malinowski scored his first career NCAA goal on March 6th, 2021, in the school's 3-2 home win over the Michigan Tech Huskies. Malinowski skated in six games with the Storm during the 2017-2018 season. He made his debut with the organization in Tri-City's 3-1 win over the Sioux City Musketeers at the Viaero Center on October 13th, 2017. His lone point with the team came during the same game on an assist during the 2nd period. Malinowski has been on the Mavericks' roster for each of the team's last two trips to the NCAA Frozen Four.

Ohio State University Buckeyes (Columbus, Ohio)

The Ohio State University Buckeyes (20-15-3) return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 after receiving an At-Large bid into this year's event. The program advanced to the 1998, and 2018, editions of the Frozen Four, but will be seeking the first national title in school history in this year's tournament. The 2023 NCAA Tournament will be the Buckeyes' 10th appearance in the postseason event. Ohio State's 1,378 shots on goal this season are the second most of any team in the country (Penn State, 1,462). The Buckeyes boast the best penalty kill in the nation this season with a success rate of 89.5%. Ohio State has also netted ten shorthanded goals this year, two more than any other team in the country. The Buckeyes will begin their pursuit of the school's inaugural national championship tomorrow afternoon in a 1:00pm CT matchup with the Harvard Crimson (24-7-2). The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

Cole McWard, 21, Defenseman, of Fenton, Missouri, has netted a career-high seven goals in thirty-seven games played for Ohio State this season. McWard has also provided the Buckeyes' offense with twelve assists for nineteen total points. He was an Ohio State scholar athlete during his freshman season, and made his collegiate debut on October 9th, 2021, in the team's 7-1 road victory over the Bentley Falcons. McWard netted his first career NCAA goal on January 1st, 2022, in Ohio State's 7-2 home win over the Long Island University Sharks. He skated in nearly one hundred and fifty career USHL games, all of which were played with the Tri-City Storm. McWard scored twenty-three goals, notched thirty-four assists, and recorded fifty-seven total points in his Tri-City career. He made his USHL debut with the Storm as an affiliate-list call-up on December 28th, 2017, in Tri-City's 3-2 road victory over the Lincoln Stars. McWard wore #8 during the contest, and became the final Storm player to wear the jersey number after it was unofficially retired to honor former Storm forward, and 2019 Stanley Cup Champion, Jaden Schwartz. He scored his first career USHL goal on November 9th, 2018, in Tri-City's 1-0 road shutout of the Omaha Lancers. McWard's 2nd period scoring play was the only goal of the contest, and the game-winning goal. He was a member of Tri-City's 2018-2019 Anderson Cup Championship team. McWard scored all three of the Storm's goals in Tri-City's 5-3 road loss to the Sioux Falls Stampede. The goals completed McWard's first career USHL hat trick. He served as one of the team's Captains during his final season with the organization. McWard appeared in all three of Tri-City's games during the 2021 Clark Cup Playoffs. He was named to the 2018-2019 USHL All-Academic Team, and was a member of the 2020-2021 USHL Second All-Star Team.

Davis Burnside, 19, Forward, of La Grange, Illinois, has skated in thirty-eight games with Ohio State during his freshman season with the program. Burnside has netted fourteen goals, notched six assists, and recorded twenty total points. He made his collegiate debut on October 1st, 2022, in Ohio State's 4-2 road win against the Mercyhurst Lakers. Burnside scored his first career NCAA goal during the 1st period of the battle. He notched his first career multiple-goal game on October 29th, 2022, in the Buckeyes' 4-2 road loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Burnside netted each of the team's goals in the loss. He skated in fifty-six games during his Tri-City Storm career. Burnside officially joined the organization by signing a tender agreement to play for the team on April 13th, 2019. He made his USHL debut with the Storm on September 26th, 2019, in the team's 2-1 overtime loss to the Waterloo Blacks at the 2019 edition of the USHL Fall Classic. Burnside netted his first career goal on October 25th, 2019, in the Storm's 3-2 road win over the Omaha Lancers. He was an Alternate Captain for the United States at the 2019 Five Nations tournament.

JB Bittner, 40, Assistant Coach, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is currently in his sixth season as an Assistant Coach for the Buckeyes. Bittner spent the 2013-2014, and 2014-2015 seasons behind the bench for the Storm in an Assistant Coach role. His 2014-2015 Storm team led the USHL in goals-against average, and finished the season with a regular season record of 37-17-2-4. Bittner Captained the Buckeyes during the 2003-2004, and 2004-2005 seasons. He ranks fifth in program history in career games played after suiting up for Ohio State in one hundred and sixty games from 2002 to 2005. Bittner has been part of six NCAA Tournament trips for the program as a player and coach.

Penn State Nittany Lions (State College, Pennsylvania)

The Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions (21-15-1) return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 after receiving an At-Large bid into the event. This year's tournament marks Penn State's third trip to the postseason event in program history. The program is one of the newest in college hockey, as the school completed the transition from the American Collegiate Hockey Associate (ACHA) to NCAA Division I in 2013. Penn State previously made back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2017, and 2018. The Nittany Lions will seek to win a game for only the second time in program history in the NCAA Tournament when the team hits the ice in a battle against the Michigan Tech Huskies (24-10-4) Friday afternoon at 4:00pm CT. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.

Ben Schoen, 20, Forward, of Toledo, Ohio, has netted three goals, and recorded twelve goals, for fifteen total points this season for the Nittany Lions offense. Schoen has skated in sixty-one career collegiate games for Penn State, and has netted nine goals. He has provided the Nittany Lions' offense with twenty-eight assists, and thirty-seven total points during his collegiate career. Schoen made his NCAA debut for Penn State on October 3rd, 2021, in the team's 3-1 home win over the Long Island University Sharks. He scored his first career collegiate goal on October 21st, 2021, in Penn State's 4-0 shutout win on home ice over the Niagara Purple Eagles. Schoen recorded his first career multiple-goal game on January 22nd, 2022, in Penn State's 7-2 victory on home ice over the Wisconsin Badgers. Schoen skated in twenty-four games with Tri-City during the 2020-2021 regular season. He made his debut with the organization on January 19th, 2021, in the Storm's 4-1 win over the Lincoln Stars at the Viaero Center. Schoen netted his first goal with the team in the 1st period of the same game. He recorded a multiple-goal game with the team in his final appearance with Tri-City on April 23rd, 2021, in the Storm's 3-2 home loss to the Omaha Lancers. Schoen scored nine goals, notched six goals and recorded fifteen points with the team during the 2020-2021 regular season.

Chase McLane, 22, Forward, of Trenton, Michigan, has skated in nineteen games this season for Penn State. He has recorded one goal, notched three assists, and recorded four total points. McLane has appeared in sixty-eight career collegiate games for the Nittany Lions. He has scored seven goals, and notched fifteen assists, for twenty-two total points. McLane ranked in the Top three on the Penn State squad in faceoff winning percentage during his freshman season. He won 50.4% of his draws during the 2020-2021 season. McLane earned Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar accolades for the 2021-2022 season. He was also named to the Big Ten Conference All-Academic Team. McLane made his collegiate debut for Penn State on November 19th, 2020, in the school's 4-1 road loss to the Minnesota Golden Gophers. He scored his first career NCAA goal on December 3rd, 2020, in the Nittany Lions' 9-5 home win over the Michigan Wolverines. McLane appeared in one hundred career USHL games, all of which were played for the Tri-City Storm. He made his USHL debut with the team on October 20th, 2017, in the Storm's 4-1 win over the Omaha Lancers at the Viaero Center. McLane notched his first career USHL goal on February 10th, 2018, in Tri-City's 6-3 home loss to the Fargo Force. He scored thirteen goals,

Check out the Tri-City Storm Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United States Hockey League Stories from March 23, 2023


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.

OurSports Central