Fifteen-year-old Peter Mueller of Bloomington, Minn., verbally committed to Minnesota’s men’s hockey team Monday, Mueller’s mother Linda confirmed Wednesday.

Mueller is believed to be the first 1988-born player to verbally commit to an NCAA school.

“Now that I’m getting older and different colleges are contacting me, I thought it was a good time to commit and get it out of the way,” Mueller said.

Mueller played last season for Breck High School in Golden Valley, Minn., and is currently attending Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Mich., where he plays in the USA Hockey Development Program.

Mueller is listed as 6-foot-1, 190 pounds and started at center for the Mustangs’ varsity team last season as an eighth-grader.

Mueller plans to attend summer classes so he can graduate in 2006 and attend Minnesota for the 2006-07 season.

“It doesn’t surprise me that he made the decision (to commit),” Linda Mueller said. “It’s what he has always wanted to do.”