Owatonna Player Commits to College Hockey Team

Drake Gieseke's hockey playing days are not over. The Owatonna senior captain recently committed to play college hockey with the varsity club team at Northern Illinois University.

Gieseke earned the Ken Wilcox Award for putting team above self during his senior season for the Huskies and for his dedication to working with the youth hockey program. He also was named the team's Hobey Baker Character Award winner. Gieseke scored three goals for OHS this past season, including the overtime game-winner at the Duluth Heritage Tournament, and added three assists.

Northern Illinois General Manager Ian Kalanges said, "I am beyond excited to have Drake a part of our program the next four years. He is a true leader on and off the ice and someone who has the characteristics of what we are looking for while recruiting players. He has a great amount of defensive talent that is only going to get stronger at the college level."

The Huskies of Northern Illinois play at the Leafs Ice Centre of Chicago, a "state of the art ice arena that houses the Huskies in their pro style locker room" according to a news release from the school.

Gieseke said, "I picked Northern Illinois University because of how welcoming the campus and how happy the students are. Lastly, how dedicated the coaches are to hockey and how the staff are to their students to make college a wonderful place to be at."