Forward Ben Almquist, playing this season for the NAHL’s Austin Bruins, has committed to Minnesota Duluth and will begin his collegiate career with the second half of the 2019-20 season.
Almquist leads the Bruins in scoring with 30 points (17 goals, 13 assists) in 28 games. He has also played for the USHL’s Tri-City Storm.
“We are excited for Ben and the opportunity he has at UMD,” said Bruins coach Steve Howard in a news release. “It’s obviously tough for us to lose our leading scorer at this point in the season, but our job as coaches and as an organization is to help these young men fulfill their dreams of playing college hockey. The University of Minnesota Duluth will be getting a top-notch player but more importantly, a wonderful person.
“Ben led by example the entire time he was with us. His character and attitude was infectious in our locker room and he will do the same for the Bulldogs. This is a big opportunity for our current players as well and we’re excited to see which of our guys will step up and play a bigger role in the second half of the season.”
Over the course of two half-seasons with the Bruins, Almquist tallied a total of 50 points (27 goals, 23 assists) in 51 games.
