Justin Bostrom of Vadnais Heights, Minn., verbally committed to Minnesota’s men’s hockey team for the 2005-06 season Friday, he confirmed Tuesday.
“It really wasn’t much of a decision,” Bostrom said. “I’ve always wanted to go there.”
Bostrom, a junior at Mounds View High School, plays in the Upper Midwest High School Elite League where he is coached by former Gophers player Kevin Hartzell, who lettered from 1978-82.
“He has a chance to be a difference-maker,” Hartzell said. “He has a lot of skills and great speed.”
Through 21 games in the Elite League, Bostrom is tied for fifth in scoring, with 10 goals and 15 assists.
The 5-foot-8, 170-pound forward will play this year at Mounds View and then move to Sioux City, Iowa, where he will play in the United States Hockey League.
In August, Bostrom helped lead the U.S. Under-18 Select Team past Russia for the gold medal in the Under-18 Junior World Cup in Slovakia, getting an assist on the winning goal.
Ballard injury
Gophers officials have yet to announce the extent of assistant captain Keith Ballard’s injury.
The junior defenseman skated off the ice favoring his left leg 7:12 into the third period in Friday’s game against Minnesota-Duluth. Ballard did not play Saturday, but was walking on the leg without crutches.
Women’s hockey
Gophers women’s hockey senior forward and co-captain Kelsey Bills suffered a left ankle fracture in Sunday’s game against Wisconsin. Bills, a Carstairs, Alberta, native, will undergo surgery today and will be out of the Minnesota lineup for a minimum of 12 weeks.
Also, the WCHA announced Natalie Darwitz has been named the WCHA offensive player of the week for her performance against Wisconsin last weekend. Darwitz scored two power-play goals and added a power-play assist Saturday, helping the top-ranked Gophers to a 3-0 win over the Badgers. She followed her Saturday performance with two assists for five points and a series sweep over No. 6 Wisconsin.
Of her five points on the weekend, Darwitz tallied four on the power play. The Gophers were 4-7 with the extra skater for the series, 6-15 on the year.
Darwitz leads the team with nine points in four games played and is also in a three-way tie for the lead in WCHA scoring.
