Stampede Pair Makes College Commitments

Press Release

The Sioux Falls Stampede announced that defenseman Dan Furlong will play collegiate hockey at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and forward Dominic Zombo will attend the University of Nebraska at Omaha following their USHL careers.

Furlong has collected 19 points (9g, 10a) in 50 games during his second USHL season. He is second on the club with seven power play goals and two of those have been game-winners. He scored his first career USHL goal during his second game of the season, a 4-3 win over Fargo on October 9th. The 19-year-old native of Malden, Massachusetts has tallied 26 points (9g, 17a) in 91 career games in the League.

Furlong joins current teammates Josh Holmstrom and Chad Ruhwedel who are also committed to UMass Lowell. Four other USHL players will attend the school; Derek Arnold (Waterloo Black Hawks), Colton Saucerman (Des Moines Buccaneers), Tyler Brickler (Sioux City Musketeers), and Will Rayner (Lincoln Stars).

Members of Hockey East, the UMass Lowell River Hawks had five former USHL players on the 2009-10 roster; Ben Holmstrom (Sioux Falls Stampede), Joe Caveney (Sioux City Musketeers), Sammy D'Agostino (Tri-City Storm), Jeremy Dehner (Green Bay Gamblers), and Nick Schaus (Omaha Lancers).

Zombo has scored 21 points (11g, 10a) in 49 games for the Stampede this season after appearing in one game for the team in 2008-09. His first two career goals in the USHL were game-winners (October 30th vs. Lincoln and November 7th vs. Indiana) and the Ballwin, Missouri native is tied for second on the team with three game-winners this season. The 19-year-old is the son of former NHL player Rick Zombo, who was the first-ever USHL player to be selected in the NHL Entry Draft when he was chosen during the 8th round (149th overall) in 1981.

Eight other current USHL players are committed to attend the University of Nebraska at Omaha; Brock Montpetit (Waterloo Black Hawks), Bryce Aneloski (Cedar Rapids RoughRiders), Johnnie Searfoss (Fargo Force) Brian O'Rourke (Green Bay Gamblers), Nick Oddo (Omaha Lancers), Matt White (Omaha Lancers), Patrick Borer (Sioux City Musketeers), and Andrej Sustr (Youngstown Phantoms). A member of the CCHA, the University of Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks led the NCAA with an impressive 20 former USHL players on the roster in 2009-10. They are coached by Dean Blais, who was the 2008-09 USHL Coach of the Year while leading the Fargo Force. Associate Head Coach Mike Hastings is the USHL's all-time leader in coaching victories (529) after guiding the Omaha Lancers for 14 seasons (1994-2008). Assistant Coach Nick Fohr was a player for the Lincoln Stars for two seasons (1996-98)

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)