By Juliette Connors
In October of 2021, Augustana University announced the addition of a hockey team. They were to be the first and only D1 hockey program in South Dakota.
Eight months later, Hunter Bischoff made history as their first commit.
Bischoff grew up in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. Prior to 2021, he had never played junior hockey. When the Anchorage Wolverines reached out and offered him a tender, he took the chance, excited by their interest and the opportunity to play in Alaska.
The Wolverines gained membership in the NAHL in 2021 and had a spectacular first season, making it all the way to the Robertson Championship Cup game. When Neutral Zone Scouts attended the NAHL playoffs, they were greatly impressed by the team, noting that they appeared to actively improve between every game.
“From the start of the season, our coach had high expectations for us. He always said that we were going to be a competitive team, and we all pushed to become a group that’s hard to play against,” said Bischoff. “As the season went on, we really started sticking together and becoming close, and by the time it came to playoffs, we had a good thing going.”
Hunter stood out on the ice. “I’ve always tried to be the player that’s there, ready,” he said. “I’m pretty good at getting in front of the net.” NZ’s Head of US Scouting and VP, Brian Murphy added some more about Hunter. “Bischoff was our 13th tanked 2003 in the NAHL. He can play in traffic and in space. He is long and lanky now but once he pulls everything together, he will become even more dangerous. Hunter makes plays near the net and got better as the year went along. He wins puck battles and can score. High IQ player with versatility and with a lot of upside.”
Augustana had reached out to Hunter before the NAHL playoffs. “They seemed like great people, and I looked into it a bit. I turned my focus to playoffs but afterwards, I kept talking with them, visited, and then I just knew. It felt right.”
Specifically, Hunter said, he recognized that Augustana was a good, private school, liked the small town feel of Sioux Falls, and above all, knew that he was entering a brand-new program full of opportunity. Although he looked at other schools, the staff at AU was especially welcoming and enthusiastic.
“I really like the idea of building something new, like we did in Anchorage. At Augustana, they had a lot of excitement. When you combine that with any sort of hockey, it’s hard to beat.”
Hunter continues to communicate with the staff at AU and looks forward to getting started there in the fall of 2023. In terms of growth within the game, he plans to increase his size and work on shooting from further outside of the zone. In the meantime, he’ll be running hockey camps in Grand Rapids, where he’s received loads of support.
“My whole town’s so supportive. My coaches here in Grand Rapids are super excited for me, and I’m sure all the kids at the camps will be super excited to see all of us back here. The community’s really tight like that.”
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images
