Arizona Rubber

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IceJacks’ ACHA Division II squad eager for 2016-17 season

 

With the last summer school session complete, the start of the season is just around the corner for Northern Arizona University.

The fall semester at NAU starts on Aug. 29 and the IceJacks’ prospect camp runs from Aug. 30 to Sept. 3. NAU’s tryout camp starts four days later.

NAU Division II head coach Travis Johanson said there isn’t a deadline to sign up for the prospect camp and prospective IceJacks can sign up for the prospect camp and tryouts on NAU’s website – www.nauicejacks.com.

While the IceJacks recruit from some of the top junior hockey leagues, Johanson said they always find diamonds in the rough at the camps.

“We always get two to three guys that we had no idea they were coming, even coming to camp; they just show up like a week early and sign up,” Johanson said. “You always get a couple gems that you’re just totally surprised about.”

NAU features two perennially nationally-ranked ACHA teams, with one in Division II and one in Division III.

IceJacks hockey has been voted “Most Popular Sports Team” by the student body for five years in a row.

To be eligible to play for NAU, an individual needs to be an NAU Flagstaff campus student and maintain a GPA of at least 2.0.

NAU’s Division II team’s bid to make it to nationals for the fourth time in the last five years ended with an upset loss to UNLV last spring, but Johanson is excited for the 2016-17 campaign.

“Last season was tough, but we get to start out fresh this year,” Johanson said. “Tough way to go out, but every season’s a new one and it’s exciting to get going with some of the recruits we have coming in.”

– James Kelley

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