Mankato, Minn. --- Men’s hockey coach Troy Jutting has announced that defenseman Mat Knoll (Edmonton, Alta,/Spruce Grove (AJHL)) has signed a NCAA Letter of Intent to attend Minnesota State University.
A three-year veteran of the Alberta Junior Hockey League, Knoll had six goals and 17 assists for 23 points in 52 games with Spruce Grove during the 2010-11 regular season. Knoll spent two years with Lloydminster prior to joining Spruce Grove this year and was named Lloydminster’s Top Defenseman in 2009-10. Spruce Grove captured this year’s AJHL North Division title before claiming the AJHL Enerflex Cup as league play-off champions. Spruce Grove currently leads Vernon (this year’s BCHL champions), 2-1, in a best-of-seven series for the Doyle Cup. The winner of the AJHL-BCHL series advances to the RBC Cup tournament to determine Canada’s national junior A champions.
Knoll joins four other student-athletes who committed to MSU last November in forwards Max Gaede (Woodbury, Minn./Sioux City (USHL)) and Jean-Paul Lafontaine (Oxford, Mich./Green Bay (USHL)), along with defensemen Zach Palmquist (South St. Paul, Minn./Waterloo (USHL)) and Brett Stern (Lino Lakes, Minn./Green Bay (USHL)).
2011-12 Minnesota State Men's Hockey Recruits
| Player |
Pos |
Ht |
Wt |
S |
DOB |
Hometown/Current Team (league) |
| Max Gaede |
F |
6-2 |
191 |
R |
March 27, 1992 |
Woodbury, Minn./Sioux City (USHL) |
Mat Knoll
|
D |
6-0 |
180 |
R |
Aug. 24, 1990 |
Edmonton, Alta./Spruce Grove (AJHL) |
| Jean-Paul Lafontaine |
F |
5-10 |
172 |
L |
Feb. 13, 1992 |
Oxford, Mich./Green Bay (USHL) |
| Zach Palmquist |
D |
5-11 |
175 |
L |
Dec. 9, 1990 |
South St. Paul, Minn./Waterloo (USHL) |
| Brett Stern |
D |
6-3 |
185 |
L |
March 2, 1992 |
Lino Lakes, Minn./Green Bay (USHL) |
All signings are contingent upon admission to MSU and compliance with NCAA rules, including certification by the NCAA Clearinghouse.
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