North Iowa forward Sandvig makes NCAA commitment

July 23, 2018

North Iowa Bulls and NA3HL forward Dan Sandvig has always been one to take advantage when presented with an opportunity. Sandvig started the 2017-18 season in the North American Hockey League with the Kenai River Brown Bears, and scored his first NAHL goal during a brief call-up to the Brown Bears in December.

 

Now, Sandvig has a new opportunity in front of him: college hockey. The Burnsville, Minnesota native has announced his commitment to the NCAA Division III program at Gustavus Adolphus College, becoming the 14th player from North Iowa’s 2017-18 season to commit to a college program.

 

His start for the Bulls wasn’t an instant success – in his first five games in North Iowa, he tallied just two points, both assists. His power play goal late in a Veteran’s Day contest at Rochester, however,  set his Bulls career alight. That game was the first of a seven-game point streak that included 11 more helpers.

 

By the end of the regular season, Sandvig had racked up 35 points, including 11 goals, in 32 appearances in a North Iowa uniform. Seven of those 11 goals came in the final three weeks of the year, including a five-point performance in a pivotal game against the La Crosse Freeze that locked down a regular-season Central Division championship.

 

His next stop is a Golden Gusties team that fell just one win short of a Minnesota Conference championship and an automatic NCAA tournament berth in 2017-18 despite finishing just 12-13-3 for the year. He’ll join another Bulls alumnus, playing in front of former North Iowa goaltender Chris Amsden.

 

More than 100 former Bulls players have gone on to play college hockey, including more than 70 who committed to NCAA or ACHA programs directly from North Iowa, and seven Bulls who eventually reached the NCAA Division I level.