Hockey | 2/17/2026 3:10:00 PM

Crookston, Minn. - Golden Eagle Hockey is heading to Hammond, Indiana for the Central Regional Tournament this weekend, and Sault College is the first matchup of the weekend. It will be a single elimination tournament, so every second counts. The goal at Regionals for all 16 teams across the four regions, 64 teams in total, is to win two games at their respective regional tournament. The 16 teams that win two games at Regionals will head to St. Louis, Missouri to compete in the National Tournament. For the Golden Eagles, they will be hunting for their first Nationals appearance in program history. 

The Golden Eagles and Sault College have never played before. Sault College, hailing from Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, were 16-11-0 this season and finished the regular season on a four game win streak. When the Cougars had to go on the road this season, they finished 8-8-0, but have yet to play a neutral site game. The Golden Eagles had a 22-5-0 record, going 7-3-0 on the road and 2-1-0 at neutral sites. Sault College had 119 goals for and 91 goals against for a +28 goal differential. They had 667 penalty minutes this season, the most of the ACHA D2 independent teams and the seventh most in ACHA D2.

The Golden Eagle Player to Watch for the game against the Cougars is Fox Dodds (5th, F, Watford City, N.D.) who finished the regular season and WCCHA Tournament with 20 goals and 20 assists for 40 points in 27 games. Dodds has been a staple for the Golden Eagles in his three years here, scoring 71 goals and 61 assists for 132 points in 87 games. Dodds is also wearing an "A" on his jersey for the first time this season. His goal scoring ability will be a necessity this weekend if the Golden Eagles are to advance to the National Tournament.

I asked the leadership group some questions heading into the weekend, and they had a lot of good things to say. When I asked Fox Dodds what the message going into Regionals was, he said "The message is to just control what we can control, which is our effort and making the right plays. As long as we focus on our game and work hard, we will give ourselves a good chance." Which is what the team has been able to do all year. 

I asked Aiden Morelli (Sr., F, Minot, N.D.) What does he feel the team has to take from the WCCHA Tournament and apply to Regionals in order for this team to make Nationals? To which he replied "We have to keep our game simple, play with maturity, and keep the foot down at all times. We have the team to go win games, but we can't shy away from our core values that our coaching staff teaches." This coaching staff has been a key part of the success of this team every year, and this year they are looking to get this group to the National Tournament. 

Alexander Bailey (5th, D, Crosby, N.D.) was asked who he expects to have the biggest impact at this tournament, his response was "I think our third line will be big impact players, if they keep the motor going it fuels the rest of us." That third line had a very strong presence at the WCCHA Tournament. The line of Ben Hines (Jr., F, Detroit Lakes, Minn.), Kadin Edwards (Fr., F, Crookston, Minn.) and Jackson Dodds (5th, F, Watford City, N.D.) has a strong physical presence and has no issues with putting the puck in the net.

I asked Dylan Neubauer (5th, D, Grand Forks, N.D.) why he thinks this team can make it to Nationals, and he said "I believe it's the fact all of us have made sacrifices for this team, not just seniors but underclassmen as well. We have come together over the season and that says alot for us. Think about it, all our ages are different and so are our backgrounds, but the important thing that keeps us going is our team culture. We have a tight bond, and the guys genuinely come in day and day out and compete." He's right, this Golden Eagles team has a wide variety of players in terms of what class they are in, and that has been a major difference for this team. It allows the leaders to lead both on and off of the ice, and it puts the younger players in positions to show their full potential.

The Golden Eagles and Cougars are set for puck drop at the Kube Sports Complex in Hammond, Indiana on Friday at 2 p.m. and there will be an on campus watch party at the student center.