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St. Cloud State Men’s Hockey Announces 2024-25 Freshmen Class
5/24/2024 10:57:00 AM | Men's Hockey
SCSU adds five incoming freshmen, four from the State of Hockey and three 2024 NHL Draft prospects
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – St. Cloud State Men's Hockey announced the addition of five freshmen to solidify its roster ahead of the 2024-25 season, as announced on Friday. Among the group of newcomers are three forwards and two defensemen. Four of the five incoming freshmen hail from the State of Hockey, with three expected to be selected in next month's NHL Draft.
"Really proud of the superb job our coaching staff has done to put together a highly impressive recruiting class who will contribute to the continued success of our program," said head coach Brett Larson. "Especially excited to keep four of the best prospects from the state of hockey right here in their home state of Minnesota. Each student-athlete fits the mold of a culture-first individual who will represent the values our program prioritizes on and off the ice. We are very excited for them to join our team in St. Cloud and prepare for our upcoming season."
Austin Burnevik – F – 6-4 – 200 – Ham Lake, Minn. – Madison (USHL)
A projected draft pick in the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft in June, Austin Burnevik joins St. Cloud State after a highly successful season in junior hockey with the Madison Capitols of the USHL. In Wisconsin's capitol city, Burnevik earned All-USHL Third Team honors after scoring 40 goals and 31 assists for 71 points with a +21 mark on the ice in 61 games. He ranked in the USHL's top-10 in numerous offensive categories, including second in goals (40), seventh in points (71) and seventh in power play goals (11). Prior to his time in Madison, Burnevik spent two seasons with the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) where he played with the U17, U18 and Juniors teams, totaling 34 goals and 42 assists for 76 points. Prior to his time with the NTDP, the Ham Lake, Minn., native played two seasons at Totino-Grace High School (2019-21) where he scored 33 goals and 35 assists for 68 points in 44 games.
Thor Byfuglien – D – 5-11 – 175 – Roseau, Minn. – Chicago (USHL)
Roseau native Thor Byfuglien joins the Huskies after three seasons with USHL's Chicago Steel (2022-24) and three seasons with Roseau High School (2019-22). The 5-11 blue liner notched 10 goals and 25 assists for 35 points in 123 games across three seasons for the Steel. He helped Chicago advance to the playoffs in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons where he recorded two assists in nine games. In three seasons with Roseau, Byfuglien recorded 26 goals and 67 assists for 93 points in 68 games, including an impressive senior campaign (2021-22) where he scored 13 goals and 32 assists for 45 points in 27 games.
Colin Ralph – D – 6-4 – 210 – Maple Grove, Minn. – Shattuck St. Mary's / Dubuque (USHL)
Colin Ralph, a 6-foot-4 lefty defenseman, joins St. Cloud State after two standout seasons with Shattuck St. Mary's where he scored 10 goals and 91 assists for 111 points in 111 games in the USHS-Prep league over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. This past season, Ralph's 58 assists led all defensemen and ranked third overall in the USHS-prep league while his 66 points ranked second among defensemen and 19th overall. Following his 2023-24 campaign, Ralph played two games with Dubuque of the USHL. The Maple Grove native played one season (2021-22) of AAA and high school hockey in Kirkwood, Mo. Ralph is a projected draft pick in the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft.
Gavyn Thoreson – F – 5-8 – 180 - Andover, Minn. – Waterloo (USHL)
A lefty forward speedster, Gavyn Thoreson joins the Husky Hockey program after one full season with USHL'S Waterloo and a highly decorated high school career at Andover. Thoreson was a scoring machine in his lone full season with the Black Hawks, scoring 22 goals and 43 assists for 65 points, ranking in the top-15 in the USHL in both assists (ninth) and points (13th). He also played parts for two seasons with Waterloo following his high school seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23, including nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points in 23 games in 2023. For Andover, Thoreson averaged 3.1 points per game with 85 goals and 141 assists for a school-record 226 points in 74 games while helping the Huskies advance to three consecutive state tournaments from 2021-23. Thoreson earned back-to-back All-Tournament honors in 2022 and 2023 while helping the Huskies capture the school's first state championship in 2022 following by a semifinal appearance in 2023. In his senior campaign, Thoreson scored 41 goals and 56 assists for 97 points while being named a Mr. Hockey finalist. In the state tournament, Thoreson earned his second consecutive All-Tournament recognition after four goals and one assist, including a four-point, hat-trick performance in a 5-2 quarterfinal victory over Lakeville South. Thoreson is a projected draft pick in the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft.
Dana "Ocean" Wallace – F – 6-3 – 215 – Boulder Colo. – Austin (NAHL)
Dana "Ocean" Wallace, a 6-foot-3 righty forward, joins St. Cloud State after three seasons in junior hockey with the NAHL's Austin Bruins (2022-24). Wallace scored 95 points (43g/52a) in 158 games for the Bruins while leading the team to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, including a Robertson Cup championship appearance in 2023. This past season, Wallace scored 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 points in 59 games for the Bruns, all junior hockey career-bests. Prior to his time in Austin, Wallace played six games in two seasons with the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms (2020-22). A native of Boulder, Colo., Wallace spent three seasons at Shattuck St. Mary's in Faribault, playing for the prep school's 15U, 16U, 18U and USHS-prep teams.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Men's Hockey, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. To contact the ticket office, visit www.scsutickets.com or call 1-877-SCSUTIX / 320-308-2137.
"Really proud of the superb job our coaching staff has done to put together a highly impressive recruiting class who will contribute to the continued success of our program," said head coach Brett Larson. "Especially excited to keep four of the best prospects from the state of hockey right here in their home state of Minnesota. Each student-athlete fits the mold of a culture-first individual who will represent the values our program prioritizes on and off the ice. We are very excited for them to join our team in St. Cloud and prepare for our upcoming season."
Austin Burnevik – F – 6-4 – 200 – Ham Lake, Minn. – Madison (USHL)
A projected draft pick in the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft in June, Austin Burnevik joins St. Cloud State after a highly successful season in junior hockey with the Madison Capitols of the USHL. In Wisconsin's capitol city, Burnevik earned All-USHL Third Team honors after scoring 40 goals and 31 assists for 71 points with a +21 mark on the ice in 61 games. He ranked in the USHL's top-10 in numerous offensive categories, including second in goals (40), seventh in points (71) and seventh in power play goals (11). Prior to his time in Madison, Burnevik spent two seasons with the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP) where he played with the U17, U18 and Juniors teams, totaling 34 goals and 42 assists for 76 points. Prior to his time with the NTDP, the Ham Lake, Minn., native played two seasons at Totino-Grace High School (2019-21) where he scored 33 goals and 35 assists for 68 points in 44 games.
Thor Byfuglien – D – 5-11 – 175 – Roseau, Minn. – Chicago (USHL)
Roseau native Thor Byfuglien joins the Huskies after three seasons with USHL's Chicago Steel (2022-24) and three seasons with Roseau High School (2019-22). The 5-11 blue liner notched 10 goals and 25 assists for 35 points in 123 games across three seasons for the Steel. He helped Chicago advance to the playoffs in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons where he recorded two assists in nine games. In three seasons with Roseau, Byfuglien recorded 26 goals and 67 assists for 93 points in 68 games, including an impressive senior campaign (2021-22) where he scored 13 goals and 32 assists for 45 points in 27 games.
Colin Ralph – D – 6-4 – 210 – Maple Grove, Minn. – Shattuck St. Mary's / Dubuque (USHL)
Colin Ralph, a 6-foot-4 lefty defenseman, joins St. Cloud State after two standout seasons with Shattuck St. Mary's where he scored 10 goals and 91 assists for 111 points in 111 games in the USHS-Prep league over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 seasons. This past season, Ralph's 58 assists led all defensemen and ranked third overall in the USHS-prep league while his 66 points ranked second among defensemen and 19th overall. Following his 2023-24 campaign, Ralph played two games with Dubuque of the USHL. The Maple Grove native played one season (2021-22) of AAA and high school hockey in Kirkwood, Mo. Ralph is a projected draft pick in the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft.
Gavyn Thoreson – F – 5-8 – 180 - Andover, Minn. – Waterloo (USHL)
A lefty forward speedster, Gavyn Thoreson joins the Husky Hockey program after one full season with USHL'S Waterloo and a highly decorated high school career at Andover. Thoreson was a scoring machine in his lone full season with the Black Hawks, scoring 22 goals and 43 assists for 65 points, ranking in the top-15 in the USHL in both assists (ninth) and points (13th). He also played parts for two seasons with Waterloo following his high school seasons in 2021-22 and 2022-23, including nine goals and 14 assists for 23 points in 23 games in 2023. For Andover, Thoreson averaged 3.1 points per game with 85 goals and 141 assists for a school-record 226 points in 74 games while helping the Huskies advance to three consecutive state tournaments from 2021-23. Thoreson earned back-to-back All-Tournament honors in 2022 and 2023 while helping the Huskies capture the school's first state championship in 2022 following by a semifinal appearance in 2023. In his senior campaign, Thoreson scored 41 goals and 56 assists for 97 points while being named a Mr. Hockey finalist. In the state tournament, Thoreson earned his second consecutive All-Tournament recognition after four goals and one assist, including a four-point, hat-trick performance in a 5-2 quarterfinal victory over Lakeville South. Thoreson is a projected draft pick in the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft.
Dana "Ocean" Wallace – F – 6-3 – 215 – Boulder Colo. – Austin (NAHL)
Dana "Ocean" Wallace, a 6-foot-3 righty forward, joins St. Cloud State after three seasons in junior hockey with the NAHL's Austin Bruins (2022-24). Wallace scored 95 points (43g/52a) in 158 games for the Bruins while leading the team to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, including a Robertson Cup championship appearance in 2023. This past season, Wallace scored 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 points in 59 games for the Bruns, all junior hockey career-bests. Prior to his time in Austin, Wallace played six games in two seasons with the USHL's Youngstown Phantoms (2020-22). A native of Boulder, Colo., Wallace spent three seasons at Shattuck St. Mary's in Faribault, playing for the prep school's 15U, 16U, 18U and USHS-prep teams.
For all the latest on St. Cloud State Men's Hockey, stay tuned to SCSUHuskies.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. To contact the ticket office, visit www.scsutickets.com or call 1-877-SCSUTIX / 320-308-2137.
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