AUSTIN, Minn. – Every year that comes and goes with Austin Bruins hockey, there will be players that leave the team and begin on their collegiate careers and hope to make a lasting impact at the NCAA level. There’s no denying that this season is unlike any we’ve ever seen before with the looming questions surrounding COVID-19 and the ongoing pandemic, but if there’s one thing that’s remained the same – now that the NCAA season has begun, former Bruins are starting to represent the black-and-gold in higher levels.
NCAA DI: Xander Lamppa (Bruins 2017-18) kicked off his collegiate career this past month with the Penn State Nittany Lions. Following two years with the Waterloo Blackhawks of the USHl, Lamppa got into the action rather quickly and he didn’t wait long to score his first collegiate career goal.
🚨 LAMPPAAAAAA 🚨
First career goal for the freshman!!#WeAre #HockeyValley@BlckHawksHockey @USHL pic.twitter.com/kVZAZ5vEws
— Penn State Men’s Hockey (@PennStateMHKY) November 25, 2020
NCAA DI: Making his collegiate-debut this past Saturday for the Western Michigan Broncos was former Bruin Hugh Larkin (Bruins 2018-20). While Larkin and his Bronco teammates were hoping for a better outcome (they fell to the No. 1 team in the nation, North Dakota, 8-2) the excitement was high for Larkin who joins Austin Rueschoff as former Bruins to play for Western Michigan. On the current Bruins roster, three players are slated to be Broncos in the future including Barrett Brooks, Carson Riddle, and Braiden Simmons-Fischer.
NCAA DI: Another former Bruins made his collegiate debut this past weekend in a losing effort, and that’s defenseman Josef Mysak (Bruins 2017-20) at Niagara University. The Purple Eagles played a pair of games against RIT in which they lost in overtime and regulation respectively. Mysak got the nod in both games on the teams’ third defensive pair. Though he has not scoring stats just yet, Mysak has already logged a block, a penalty, and two games played. Big things coming for the native of Litvinov, Czech Republic.
