EGF's Gage Ausmus playing well in the Elite League

                Warroad power forward helps Great Plains dump Norway


A crazy thought went through Nick Stoskopf’s head while he was zooming in on a shorthanded breakaway during the third period of his Great Plains team’s 7-1 triumph over Norway.

Stoskopf, a senior from Warroad (pictured), briefly considered doing something fancy. Maybe one of those wacky, put-the-stick-between-your-legs-and-shoot moves.

“But the scouts would probably cross me off every list they have,” said Stoskopf, who instead went with the more conventional snap shot aimed for the upper corner.

“I saw the top corner was open, but that didn’t quite work out,” said Stoskopf, who scored 17 goals and added 22 assists while playing on Warroad’s top line last season. “I didn’t quite get her high enough.”

Stoskopf didn’t score on the breakaway but he did have a goal in the victory, giving him two goals and two assists in four Elite League games.

“It’s quite the experience,” Stoskopf said. “I watched (Warriors linemates from last season) Brock Nelson and Brett Hebel do it last year, and they came back for the season really in shape. They said it’s a great experience and it has been all of that so far.”

The heavy hitting Stoskopf (he stands 6-feet tall and weighs 191 pounds) classifies himself as a power forward, “but I like to claim that I have a couple of skills here and there.”

He will need all of his skills if Warroad, which placed third at the Class A state tournament last season, is going to have yet another successful season. Losing Nelson and Hebel also means the Warriors lost the bulk of their scoring.

“We’re all just going to have to step up our game and take care of Brock’s scoring,” Stoskopf said. “He had almost triple digits in points, so we’re going to have to have a few guys add up to that.”

Three Stars

1. Luke Johnson, Great Plains

Just a sophomore, the forward from Grand Forks Cenral (pictured) scored twice and added two assists as he used his quickness to routinely elude Norway’s defensemen. Johnson, despite his youth, might very well be North Dakota’s top scorer during the upcoming high school season.

2. Nick Stoskopf, Great Plains

Unlike the bulk of Great Plains’ waterbug forwards, the senior from Warroad plays a power game (Stoskopf never backs away from contact) but can put the puck in the net, too. Stoskopf scored a goal and almost made it two when he broke free for a shorthanded breakaway in the third period but failed to score on a rising glove-side shot.

3. Gage Ausmus, Great Plains


Making his first Elite League start, the East Grand Forks defenseman is a sophomore who played more like a senior. He was steady in the defensive zone and picked his spots well in the Norway end, where he scored a goal.