North Iowa forward Jorgenson makes NCAA commitment

The North Iowa Bulls of the NA3HL are pleased to announce that forward Lucas Jorgenson has committed to continue his playing career at Gustavus Adolphus College, a member of NCAA Division III and the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC). Jorgenson is the fifth North Iowa player to make a college commitment this season and the third to commit to the Golden Gusties.

Jorgenson notched points in his final six appearances in the Bulls' run to a 2021 Fraser Cup national championship, and the Golden Gusties' coaching staff will expect to see the same big-game mentality from him next season.

"Lucas is obviously a very good offensive player, highly skilled and really good on power play situations," said Bulls head coach and general manager Todd Sanden. "He was good for us down the stretch in the playoffs, and scored in the national championship game for us. Gustavus knows what they're getting. Coach [Brett] Petersen was out several times this year and watched us play. We wish Lucas a ton of luck at Gustavus and know he's a guy that is going to be an impact player for their program."

Jorgenson is one of several Orono, Minnesota natives to make his mark for the Bulls over the last several seasons, notching nine goals and 25 assists this past year in his lone junior campaign. He was one of seven North Iowa players to notch 30 or more points this past year, and was as steady as they came, earning his first junior goal in his second game, October 16 at the New Ulm Steel. Jorgenson caught fire at midseason, notching points in eight straight games, and took off again at the end of the year after a five-game scoreless streak.

He did not score in the Bulls' West Division semifinal series against Alexandria, but notched points in both of North Iowa's first two West Division final outings against Willmar and posted points in all four of the team's games at the Fraser Cup tournament.

Jorgenson came flying out of the gate in the prep ranks as well, scoring 41 points as a sophomore and helping the Orono Spartans take the 2018 Minnesota state high school championship. After joining the Holy Family High School squad and piling up 56 more points as a junior, Jorgenson put on the captain's "C" for the Fire in 2019-20 and capped his high school career with a team-best 37 points.

He becomes the sixth North Iowa player all-time to commit to Gustavus Adolphus, with former Bulls Connor Clemons and Dan Sandvig set to come back for their senior seasons next year. The Golden Gusties will look to move up the MIAC ladder after finishing 0-5 in the conference's COVID-abbreviated 2020-21 season. Three of those losses came by a single goal.

The Bulls have sent more than 150 players to NCAA and ACHA programs over their first 10 years on the ice, with nine reaching the NCAA Division I ranks. The NA3HL's commitment list from this season has also continued to grow, with nearly 70 NA3HL players from this past season making college commitments thus far.

Click here for an NA3HL college commitment list