Minot, ND – As the world continues to open up and return to normalcy hockey has started to return in full swing as well. Dakota Property Management brings you this look at how Tauros Alum are fairing as the progress through their hockey careers.
Professional
Blake Lizotte continues to play well for the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL with two goals through eight games played against the world’s best. Jon Lizotte (no relation) enters his second full season for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and has been named an Assistant Captain for the AHL club. While waiting for the AHL’s Hershey Bears season to start Mason Morelli was loaned to the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays where he posted nine points in 11 games on four goals and five assists. In the SPHL UND alum Casey Johnson has his first professional point, an assist through eight games.
In Europe, Krisztian Nagy continues his successful international career; he is currently ranked sixth in scoring in the Erste Liga in his native Hungary with 42 points in 32 games. Defenseman Jerry Laakso has three points through 14 games for Mulhouse in Ligue Magnus, France’s top league. In Sweden’s second league defenseman Rasmus Sorgardt has 13 points through 38 games. A pair of Tauros from last year’s team made their professional debuts in Sweden’s third league (HockeyEttan) this season. Isak Dahlin has 16 points in 32 games for Nykopings SK and Wilhelm Wassberg has a goal and two assists for Grums IK. After four seasons in the ECHL Goaltender Tyler Parks has posted a 1.56 GAA and .945 SV% for HC Slovan Bratislava in Slovakia.
College
In his Senior year Johnny Walker leads all NCAA DI Tauros Alum with nine points on the season through 10 games. Meanwhile Freshman Aaron Grounds (AIC), Junior Miroslav Mucha (Lake State), and Senior Jared Brandt (Niagara) each have eight points so far this year. Aside from Grounds, other Freshman Tauros are making strong first impressions; Sam Skinner has two assists through six games for Ferris State, Ondrej Pavel also has two helpers for Minnesota State-Mankato; and Nik Armstrong-Kingkade has two goals and four assists for UMass-Lowell. Zack Bross is also making a strong first impression at the NCAA DI level after transferring from UMass-Boston to Long Island University for their inaugural season with three goals and an assist through eight games.
At the NCAA DIII level Austin Martinsen has posted 12 points through just four games for Augsburg. His teammate Austin Koss has three goals and five assists in four games as well. Michael Talbot has three goals and an assist for St. Scholastica.
Junior
In the USHL Nick Strom was named the Captain of the Fargo Force replacing the departed Pavel making it two consecutive Tauro Alum wearing the “C” in Fargo; he has eight points in 15 games from the blue line. Dan Russell has eight goals and six assists playing for former Tauro Head Coach Marty Murray with the Sioux Falls Stampede. Kyler Kleven has seven goals and six assists for the Waterloo Black Hawks. Lastly in the NAHL former Tauro Jake Sibell has committed to NCAA DI Niagara while playing for the Aberdeen Wings.