University of Minnesota Athletics
Golden Gopher Men's Hockey Adds Four Top Recruits
4/20/2004 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Kris Chucko is a 6-2, 190-pound forward from Burnaby, British Columbia. He recently finished his second season with the Salmon Arm Silverbacks of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). This season, Chucko finished second on the team and 12th in the league in scoring with 32-55--87 in 53 regular season games. A team captain, he helped lead the Silverbacks to first place in the division and a runner-up finish in the BCHL Playoffs. Chucko was second on the team and ninth in the league in scoring during the playoffs with 10-10--20 in 14 games. A physical forward, Chucko is ranked as the 61st-best skater in North America in the NHL's Central Scouting Service mid-season rankings of top players eligible for the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.
Alex Goligoski joins the Golden Gophers as a 6-0, 180-pound defenseman from Grand Rapids, Minn. With Grand Rapids High School in 2003-04, Goligoski had 25 goals and 31 assists to help lead the Thunderhawks to a runner-up finish in Section 7AA. He was a 2004 Mr. Hockey finalist, a member of the Associated Press All-State Team and the 2004 Duluth News Tribune Player of the Year. An offensive defenseman with great vision and quickness, Goligoski joined Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League (USHL) following his prep season. In 10 games this season with the Stampede, he has two assists. Last spring, Goligoski played with the USHL's River City Lancers.
Evan Kaufmann, a 5-10, 175-pound forward from Tonka Bay, Minn., is in his first season with River City. An aggressive and talented player with great hockey sense, Kaufmann is fourth on the team and 18th in the USHL in scoring with 20-30--50 in 60 games. Before joining the Lancers, Kaufmann was a key player on his team at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School. During his senior season at Armstrong, he was named the Classic Lake Conference MVP, and was a member of the all-conference and all-state teams.
Tom Pohl, joins the Maroon and Gold as a 6-1, 180-pound forward from Red Wing, Minn. The younger brother of former Golden Gopher Johnny Pohl, Tom is currently in his second season with the USHL's Tri-City Storm. He is third on the team and 28th in the league in scoring with 16-28--44 in 60 games. A highly-skilled player with a strong work ethic, Pohl had seven goals and eight assists in 55 games with the Storm in 2002-03.
