Hockey | 9/3/2025 1:42:00 PM
Crookston, Minn. - With the Golden Eagles preparing for the 2025-26 season, eight new players will be joining the hockey team. The makeup of these new additions will be four forwards and four defensemen.
The forwards joining the roster are:
Colton Balcerak (Fr., F, Algonquin, Ill.) who played for the West Dundee Leafs. In 2023-2024, Balcerak scored 18 goals and 21 assists for 39 points in 30 games. Balcerak served as the captain of the West Dundee Leafs.
Next up is Macen Heisler (Fr., F, Horace, N.D.) who comes in from the NA3HL where he played 39 games for three different teams in 2024-25. Heisler had 12 goals and four assists for 16 points.
The third forward is Kadin Edwards (Fr., F, Crookston, Minn.) who last played for the Sheridan Hawks of the NA3HL. In 2024-25, Edwards notched two goals and seven assists for nine points in 25 games.
Our last forward joining the Golden Eagles is Conner Hanson (Fr., F, Crookston, Minn.) who played his past two seasons with Crookston High School. In 2023-24, Hanson played 15 games and netted one goal. In 2024-25, Hanson played 27 games, netting six goals and one assist for seven points.
On the blueline, four right handed defensemen have been added:
First on the list is Brandon Kelly (Jr., D, Minto, N.D.) who is the older brother of current Golden Eagle Dalston Kelly (Jr., F, Minto, N.D.) Brandon spent his first two college hockey seasons on the ACHA Division One University of Mary team. He scored three points in 20 games.
Next up is Riley Benson (Fr., D, Mentor, Minn.) who played his high school hockey at Crookston High. He scored 25 points in 52 games across two seasons.
The third defenseman is Brody Nordmark (Fr., D, Souris, N.D.) who played at Bottineau/Rugby High. In 2024-25, Nordmark scored eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points in 26 games.
Our fourth and final defenseman is Braden Van de Kraats (So., D, Duchess, Alberta) who played his freshman season at Williston State College. Van de Kraats led the Tetons in points in 2024-25 with 22 points in 27 games. He had 12 goals from the point.
Benson, Edwards, and Hanson were teammates at Crookston High School in 2023-24. The three of them will be the first members of the Golden Eagles hockey team from Crookston since the 2020-21 season.
These eight new players will not see game action until October 10th, when the Golden Eagles open the season in St. Cloud to take on St. Cloud State University, but they will have an intersquad scrimmage on October 4th as a part of homecoming weekend.
