Cedar Rapids RoughRiders forward Rob Bordson has committed to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the RoughRiders announced today. Bordson is set to begin his college career in the fall of 2008.
“Rob has certainly worked hard this season and gotten his junior career off to a good start,” said RoughRiders Coach and General Manager Mark Carlson. “Now he’ll have the chance to continue to improve as a player over the next season and a half and then have the opportunity to play college hockey in his hometown.”
Bordson, 18, is in his first season with the Riders. The Duluth native has scored three goals and totaled 15 points in 15 games this year. A case of mononucleosis has kept Bordson out of the Riders’ last eight games, but he is expected to return to action tomorrow night when the Riders host the Green Bay Gamblers.
The Riders selected the 6’ 2”, 175-pound Bordson in the eighth round of May’s United States Hockey League draft with the eighty-fourth overall choice. Bordson was named to the 2005-06 Associated Press Minnesota All-State Second Team after scoring 29 goals and recording 65 points in 31 games for Duluth Marshall High School last season.
When he heads to Minnesota-Duluth Bordson will join former RoughRiders goaltending standout Al Stalock, who is now a Bulldog freshman. UMD is a member of the powerhouse Western Collegiate Hockey Association.
Bordson joins Richard Bachman (Colorado College), Robin Bergman (Notre Dame), David Boehm (Massachusetts), Jacob Cepis (Bowling Green), Brett Dickinson (Quinnipiac), Evan Stephens (Dartmouth), Matt Tommassoni (Miami of Ohio), Kevin Wehrs (Minnesota), Scott Wietecha (Ferris State) and Tommy Wingels (Miami of Ohio) as the twelfth member of the 2006-07 RoughRiders to make a college commitment.
Bordson and the RoughRiders (13-9-1, 27 points) are tied with Green Bay for second place in the United States Hockey League’s East Division. The Riders are four points behind the division-leading Waterloo Black Hawks. The Riders will take on the Gamblers at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena tomorrow night at 7:05 and Saturday evening at 7:35. The Riders will play their third game in as many nights Sunday night at 7:05 in Waterloo. Tickets for all remaining RoughRider regular season home games- including this weekend’s- are currently on sale.
Tickets are available for purchase in person at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena ticket office, over the phone at (319) 261-4625 or on line at www.roughridershockey.com. The ticket office is open from noon to 5:00PM on weekdays and from noon through the end of the second period on game days. Ticket prices range from $7 to $17 in advance and from $8 to $18 on game days.