(Diacounda Sene/YIS Photo/IOC)
Monday, the University of North Dakota announced its list of incoming 2014-15 freshman class. One note of interest, all the members of the 2014-15 freshman class are from the United States.
Last week, Nick Schmaltz was selected for the for 2014 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp.
The University of North Dakota hockey team kicks off the 2014-15 season on October 5, 2014, against the University of Manitoba Bison in an exhibition game. The regular season begins the following week on October 10-11, with a nonconference, home-and-home series against the Bemidji State Beavers.
A quick look at UND’s 2014-15 freshmen class
Name: Cam Johnson
Position: Goalie
Height: 6-1
Weight: 199
Hometown: Troy, MI.
Previous Team: Waterloo (USHL)
Elite Prospects Page
Name: Trevor Olson
Position: Forward
Height: 6-2
Weight: 188
Hometown: Duluth, MN.
Previous Team: Sioux City (USHL)
Elite Prospects Page
Name: Austin Poganski
Position: Forward
Height: 6-1
Weight: 198
Hometown: St. Cloud, MN.
Previous Team: Tri-City (USHL)
Hockey’s Future
Elite Prospects Page
The Hockey Writers: The Next Ones
Poganski is draft eligible in 2014, and is ranked 100th among North American skaters by Central Scouting.
Earlier this year, Poganski’s had this to say about playing for North Dakota.
“I played for the Jr. Sioux when I was growing up and ever since then I’ve liked North Dakota,” he said. “I was lucky enough to tour there a couple times and I felt that was the best place for me. My goal is to play there as a true freshman.” (Ryan Kennedy, The Hockey News)
Name: Tucker Poolman
Position: Defense
Height: 6-3
Weight: 200
Hometown: East Grand Forks, MN.
Previous Team: Omaha (USHL)
Hockey’s Future
Elite Prospects Page
Last summer, Poolman was selected in the fifth round of the 2013 NHL Entry Level Draft by the Winnipeg Jets (127th overall).
Name: Nick Schmaltz
Position: Forward
Height: 6-0
Weight: 172
Hometown: Verona, WI.
Previous Team: Green Bay (USHL)
Hockey’s Future
Elite Prospects Page
The Hockey Writers: The Next Ones
Schmaltz is draft eligible in 2014 and ranked 19th among North American skaters by Central Scouting.
Nick will join his older brother Jordan, a defenseman, who’s entering his junior season at UND. In a recent interview, Jordan compared his younger brother to Montreal Canadien forward Thomas Vanek.
“Nick is a player with a very high hockey IQ, and I think his vision and creativity with the puck are his best attributes,” Jordan Schmaltz said of his brother. “In my mind he plays like [Montreal Canadiens forward] Thomas Vanek with the way he can slow down the game.
“It’s pretty cool to see us take the same path. We’ve always done the same things growing up and are really close. So it’s only fitting we’ll get a chance to play together at North Dakota.”
Name: Johnny Simonson
Position: Forward
Height: 5-10
Weight: 170
Hometown: Grand Forks, N.D.
Previous Team: Lincoln (USHL)
Elite Prospects Page