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Knoepke Enjoying Time With NTDP, Looking Forward to College

By Becky Olsen, 01/11/17, 10:00AM EST

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University of Minnesota awaits next season for Minnesota native

Though Nate Knoepke grew up watching the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers play and going to games at Mariucci Arena, he never had the chance to take the ice at the Gophers’ home rink.

The Farmington, Minnesota native finally got his opportunity when his U.S. National Team Development Program Under-18 team dropped a 9-0 decision at Minnesota on Oct. 14.

“The game definitely didn’t go the way we wanted but it was a sweet experience,” he said. “I watched their games growing up but this was the first time I had played on the rink. It was pretty special. I had friends in the student section plus my family and friends were there, about 17 people.”

Nov. 10, when he signed his National Letter of Intent to play hockey at Minnesota, was one of the most important days of his life as he finally got to realize his dream.

“It was pretty cool and I was able to sign with my teammate Scott Reedy [from Prior Lake, Minnesota]. It made it more special,” said Knoepke. “It will be nice having Scott there next year. It will make it more comfortable.

“I know some of the players now and of course, I’ll be able to play in front of my family and friends which was important to me. It was something that I always wanted to do when I was growing up to play at the U.”

Picking Minnesota to play his college hockey was an easy choice for Knoepke.

“There were two main parts,” he said. “I moved away from home for the last two years to play for the NTDP, and now, I’ll be just 30 minutes from home for the next four years. Plus, the coaching staff is unbelievable.

Knoepke will arrive at Minnesota with plenty of experience, including playing against college competition. He believes it will only help him in making the transition.

“I will already have games under my belt and that should make the transition easier,” he remarked. “The speed from the [United States Hockey League] to Division I was a change [already this year]. Your decision-making needs to be quicker.”

The 6-foot-3, 201-pound blueliner credits the resources from the NTDP in helping his game grow.

“Defensively, my game has grown the most,” explained Knoepke since arriving as an Under-17 player in 2016-17. “It’s definitely the way I play and it helps me to be a good defenseman. All the drills we do help in the games whether it’s the 2-on-1 drills or the line-rush drills.”

Knoepke and his U18 teammates are working with a new coach this season and he feels it is helping in his development.

“His style is more aggressive. He wants us to play in the other team’s space, which gives you more room to breathe. It’s something I’m working on and it’s been helping my game lately,” he explained.

It’s part of the reason that the squad’s first international tournament title, the Five Nations in early November, was so sweet for Knoepke.

“It was huge,” he said. “Last year, we choked in our international tournaments. We didn’t finish higher than third. It was more special since it was in our home rink and on home soil.”

There is one game that sticks out to Knoepke.

“The last game against Finland when it was 3-2 late in the third period, we just didn’t want them to score a goal,” he said. “We knew if we win that game, we win the tournament so it was huge for us.

“The national anthem was special. We wrapped our arms around each other and we were singing along. It was a special moment.”

Of course, it makes it even more special wearing the colors of his country.

“It’s a huge honor to wear the jersey,” explained Knoepke. “When you see the USA logo, it’s just special. In the international tournaments to be able to represent your country is something you can’t take for granted.”

Which is why Knoepke is not planning to slow down at all. He knows exactly what he and his teammates need to do over the course of the next few months to prepare for the grand finale — the IIHF Under-18 World Championship in April.

“We need to keep doing what we have been doing,” he said. “We need to get better and know what we need to work on for our next international tournament. Overall, we need to get stronger in the weight room and in practice, we work harder and get better as a team every single time we are on the ice.”

 

Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc.


Photo by Rena Laverty

Nate's Favorites

Favorite NHL Team
Minnesota Wild

Favorite U.S. Born Player
Ryan McDonagh

Favorite Movie
American Sniper

Favorite TV Show
Arrow

Favorite Actor
Mark Wahlberg

Favorite Music
Luke Bryan

Sport (outside of hockey)
Baseball

Favorite Home-Cooked Meal
Egg hot dish

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