Last weekend didn't end so poorly after all for the UND men's hockey team.
A day after returning home from being swept by the University of Maine, U.S. Under-18 team forward J.T. Miller called the Sioux coaching staff and told them he would be coming to campus next fall.
Miller, a 6-foot-1, 198-pound forward from East Palestine, Ohio, chose UND over the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League.
"It's the best place in hockey for me," Miller said. "It's the best place in the country for hockey players to develop for a career after college. They have a great record with players getting drafted and going to the NHL. That's all I want to do when I grow up.
"It also provides the opportunity to get an education."
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UND now has verbals from the top two scorers on last year's Under-17 team. This summer, star forward Rocco Grimaldi chose UND over Notre Dame and Denver. Grimaldi and Miller visited UND during the spring.
"I visited with the coaches and went around the rink and campus," Miller said. "It's pretty amazing."
While Grimaldi is a 5-foot-6, highly skilled forward, Miller will provide more of a physical presence for the Sioux. NHL.com says Miller also possesses "exceptional speed, playmaking ability and creativity."
Miller tallied 31 points and 15 goals in 46 games with the Under-17 team last season. That was second to Grimaldi. In international games, he had 17 points in 14 games.
Miller is draft eligible in 2011.
"I consider myself an energy, role player guy," Miller said. "I like to get the guys going, provide a lot of energy and play physical."
Miller is the third current player from USA Hockey's National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., to commit to the Sioux. Grimaldi and Under-17 team forward Miles Koules are the others.
"It's awesome," Miller said.
