Aug. 10, 2017
By Dan Colleran
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — University of Notre Dame head coach Jeff Jackson has announced the complete incoming class of freshmen who will join the Fighting Irish hockey team for the upcoming 2017-18 season. The class of 2021 will be comprised of four forwards a defenseman and two goaltenders.
The forwards include Pierce Crawford (Park Ridge, Illinois/Youngstown), Max Eisenmenger (Münster, Germany/Djurgårdens IF), Matt Steeves (Bedford, New Hampshire/Muskegon) and Colin Theisen (Monroe, Michigan/Dubuque), and they will be joined by defenseman Matt Hellickson (St. Louis Park, Minnesota/Sioux City), as well as by goaltenders Nick Sanford (Morristown, New Jersey/Boston Jr. Bruins) and Dylan St. Cyr (Northville, Michigan/USNTDP).
PIERCE CRAWFORD
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Park Ridge, Illinois
Height / Weight: 5-10 / 188
Position: Forward
Last Team: Youngstown Phantoms (USHL)
IN THE USHL
- Joined the Irish after spending the 2016-2017 season with the Omaha Lancers and the Youngstown Phantoms in the United States Hockey League (USHL).
- As an alternate captain for the Lancers, he played in 41 games, scored 14 goals and recorded 14 assists for a total of 28 points and was the Lancers’ leading scorer at the time of his trade to the Phantoms (finished third).
- Skated in 17 games with the Phantoms, scoring four goals and tallying five assists for nine points.
- For the 2016-17 season, totaled 18 goals and 19 assists for 37 points in 58 regular-season USHL games.
- Added an assist in five playoff games with the Phantoms.
IN THE NAHL
- Spent the 2015-16 season with the Minnesota Magicians of the North American Hockey League (NAHL).
- Played in 49 games, scored 18 goals and added 24 assists to finish the season with 42 points.
- His 42 points ranked second in the league and he was named to the 2015-16 NAHL All-Central Division Rookie Team and to the NAHL All-Rookie Second Team.
- Received an invitation to participate in the NAHL Top Prospects event in Plymouth, Michigan, where, while representing the Central Division, he registered two assists.
MAX EISENMENGER
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Münster, Germany
Height / Weight: 6-4 / 196
Position: Forward
Last Team: Djurgårdens IF J20 (SuperElit)
IN J20 SUPERELIT
- Joined the Irish after spending the 2015-16 and 2016-2017 seasons with Djurgårdens IF in the J20 SuperElit league in Sweden.
- In 2016-17, played in 37 games with Djurgårdens IF, scoring nine goals and adding 17 assists for 26 points.
- In 85 career games in the SuperElit, scored 16 goals and added 24 assists for 40 points.
- Also played two games in the Swedish Hockey League (highest division in Sweden) for Djurgårdens IF in 2016-17.
- Earned a J20 SM Gold Medal in 2015-16.
MATT HELLICKSON
Class: Freshman
Hometown: St. Louis Park, Minnesota
Height / Weight: 6-1 / 182
Position: Defenseman
Last Team: Sioux City Musketeers (USHL)
NHL DRAFT
- Selected in the seventh round, 214th overall, by the New Jersey Devils in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft.
IN THE USHL
- Joined the Irish after playing the 2016-17 season with the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
- Named an alternate captain for the Musketeers after being selected first overall in the 2016 USHL Entry Draft.
- Skated in 52 games and scored six goals and added 22 assists for 28 points before adding a playoff goal to bring his total to 29 total points on the season.
- His 28 regular-season points ranked ninth among USHL defensemen in 2016-17, while his +19 plus/minus rating also ranked ninth among USHL defensemen.
- Earned USHL Defenseman of the Week honors twice.
WITH USA HOCKEY
- Played the 2014-15 (U17) and 2015-16 (U18) seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program.
- In 2014-15, he skated in 30 games at the junior level (0-1-1) and 49 games with the U.S. National U17 Team (1-3-4).
- Contributed two assists in four games to help Team USA to a gold medal finish at the Under-18 Four Nations Tournament in Monthey, Switzerland in 2015.
- In 2015-16, he played in 25 games at the USHL level (0-5-5) as well as another 64 games with the U.S. National U18 Team (0-16-16).
- Won a bronze medal in 2015-16 at the Under-18 World Junior Championships with Team USA, where he had four assists in seven games.
DYLAN ST. CYR
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Northville, Michigan
Height / Weight: 5-9 / 170
Position: Goaltender
Last Team: USNTDP (USHL)
WITH USA HOCKEY
- Joined the Irish after spending the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons with the USNTDP.
- In 2016-17, played in 47 combined games and finished with a 33-11-0 record to go along with a .900 save percentage and a 2.66 goals against average.
- In 18 USHL games during the 2016-17 season, had a .912 save percentage and a 2.27 goals against average.
- Named to the 2017 USHL All-Academic Team and twice earned USHL Goalie of the Week honors.
- Skated in the 2016-17 Under-18 World Championship in Poprad and Spisska Nova Ves Slovakia, where he helped lead Team USA to the gold medal by posting a 7-0-0 record.
- He recorded the top goals against average (1.96) in the tournament and was named a Top Three Player on the team.
- In 2015-16, played in 37 total games while posting an .886 save percentage and a 3.31 goals against average.
- Also played in the 2015 World Under 17 Challenge (Dawson Creek and Fort St. John, British Columbia), the 2015 U17 Four Nations Tournament (Púchov, Slovakia) and the 2016 U17 Five Nations Tournament (Plymouth, Michigan).
NICK SANFORD
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Morristown, New Jersey
Height / Weight: 6-1 / 180
Position: Goaltender
Last Team: Boston Jr. Bruins (USPHL)
IN THE USPHL
- Joined the Irish after spending the 2016-2017 season with the Boston Jr. Bruins of the United States Premier Hockey League (USPHL).
- Played in 40 games for the Jr. Bruins, recording a 16-8-0 record to go go along with finishing the season with a 2.31 goals against average and a .924 save percentage.
- Posted three shutouts on the season.
- His 16 wins tied for third in the league, while his .924 save percentage ranked sixth and his three shutouts tied for first.
- Earned USPHL Goaltender of the Week honors on December 5.
MATT STEEVES
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Bedford, New Hampshire
Height / Weight: 6-1 / 201
Position: Forward
Last Team: Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
IN THE USHL
- Joined the Irish after spending the 2016-17 season with the Muskegon Lumberjacks of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
- Scored 14 goals and added eight assists for 22 points in 58 games while also totaling 71 penalty minutes.
- Spent the 2015-16 season with the Sioux City Musketeers, and in 58 games, he scored 12 goals and notched three assists for 15 points to go along with 114 penalty minutes.
COLIN THEISEN
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Monroe, Michigan
Height / Weight: 6-0 / 192
Position: Forward
Last Team: Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
IN THE USHL
- Joined the Irish after spending the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons with the Dubuque Fighting Saints of the United States Hockey League (USHL).
- In his two years with the Fighting Saints, played in 121 games, and notched 92 points on 52 goals and 40 assists.
- Served as an assistant captain during the 2016-17 season.
- Tied for third in USHL scoring in 2016-17 with 62 points on 35 goals and 27 assists in 57 games.
- His 35 goals ranked second in the league (regular season) and he was named a 2016-2017 USHL Third Team All-Star.
- Earned USHL Forward of the Week honors twice during the 2016-2017 season and finished the season with five game-winning goals and nine power-play tallies.
- Added two goals and three assists in five playoff games in 2016-17 and also served as an alternate captain during his second season with the Fighting Saints.
- In 2015-16, played in 39 regular-season games, scoring 14 goals and adding six assists for 20 points.
- Added four assists in 12 playoff games as the Fighting Saints advanced to the Clark Cup Final.
— ND —
Dan Colleran, associate athletics communications director at the University of Notre Dame, has been a part of Fighting Irish Media since August 2015 and coordinates all media and publicity efforts surrounding the Notre Dame hockey and golf programs. A native of Walpole, Massachusetts, Colleran spent the previous three years working with the men’s hockey and soccer programs at Providence College. Colleran also spent two years as an Assistant Executive Director of Communications & Championships at the Ivy League and is a graduate of Providence College (’06 & ’08G).