Lumberjacks Kuhlman Verbally Commits To UMD

Wes Vork-NSO File

Sept 18, 2012

Wes Vork-NSO

It took traveling over 9000 miles to help get it figured out, but in the end Karson Kuhlman decided that playing his college hockey 10 miles from home was the best fit. On Tuesday Kuhlman verbally committed to the UMD Bulldogs for the next step of his hockey career.

Earlier this year, Kuhlman was selected to the 2012 U-18 U.S. Select team and competed at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka Memorial tournament in Breclav, Czech Republic and Piestany, Slovakia in August. The team was loaded with talent, most of whom had already made a major hockey commitment.

“At the Ivan Hlinka Tournament I had the opportunity to play with a lot of kids that had already committed, actually I was one of the few that hadn’t. So I picked their brains and found what they liked and didn’t like in a school. I put that input into what I was looking for in a school, and what I was looking for
is what UMD had to offer.” Kuhlman explained to Northland Sports Online.

“There were no negative sides to the university or the program. It’s just a great place to play hockey and a great place to go to college; so I thought why wait, let’s just do it,” Kuhlman, who is looking to major in business explained. “To be honest, it feels great. I am happy with my choice, I am confident in it and I can just focus on playing good hockey for the Lumberjacks this season.”

“We sat down as a family and had a good discussion about it.It was really important to me what they thought and what they felt, but in the end it came down to what I wanted to do. Whatever decision I made, they would have stuck by me and supported me and I really appreciate that.”

His choice gives him a chance to be a part of the team he cheered on and rooted for since his youth hockey days. “With us being 12 minutes from the rink, it gave us a chance to make it down there (to UMD) a lot. Ever since I was a little guy going down to the games, Friday and Saturday nights have been a pretty frequent thing for me, and that definitely had a factor in my decision.”

“I’m very happy for him,” Cloquet-Esko-Carlton Head Coach Dave Esse said of Kuhlman and his selection of UMD. “He has worked really hard to get this far and I’m very proud of him. I’m looking forward to this upcoming season and I’m glad he is a Lumberjack.”

Whether or not Kuhlman skates a year of juniors after his high school career ends is still up in the air. “That’s a ways down the road and that’s Coach (Scott) Sandelin’s decision, but right now I am just focused on the upcoming season for Cloquet and hopefully helping our team win some games.”

In his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Lumberjacks Kuhlman totaled 45 goals and 62 assists for 107 points. Kuhlman led the Lumberjacks in scoring this past season with 55 points on 28 goals and 27 assists. As a freshman Kuhlman’s 17 goals and 35 assists were second on the team; four points behind Senior Jack McFarlane’s 56 points.

As part of the high flying first line for the Jacks, Kuhlman, along with brothers Beau and Westin Michaud racked up a total of 160 points last season. The trio is currently skating for Team North in the Upper Midwest High School Elite League this fall in preparation for the high school season.

Kuhlman has a goal and four assists in the team’s six games so far. “Things are going really well, Westin and I are on the same line and our team is coming together,” said Kuhlman. “We have a great group of guys and it is fun playing every weekend. It should be a big help for us going into our high school season.”

The league will make a stop in the Twin Ports this weekend with a Saturday and Sunday series at Mars Lakeview Arena.

Kuhlman joins several other local players who are looking to become part of the Bulldogs squad. “I don’t really know any of the current team but I am good friends with some of the other recruits. I am pretty good friends with Jared Thomas (Hermantown) and I know Dom Toninato (Duluth East) fairly well from the Elite League. Blake Heinrich (Hill Murray) is a big defenseman down in Sioux City. We are the same age, and I have known him since we were little, he’s a great guy and it will be an honor to be a Bulldog and play with those guys.”

Kuhlman will also run into another former Lumberjack standout at UMD; Derek Plante, spent his college career as a Bulldog and is now an assistant coach with the team. Plante is tied for second all time on the Bulldogs scoring list with 219 points and went on to an eight year professional career with Buffalo, Dallas, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

Wes Vork can be reached at wes@northlandsportsonline.com