The Aberdeen Public School District has announced the hiring of Mikayla Arechigo as the next head girls basketball coach for the Golden Eagle program.  Arechigo, known as Mikayla Barondeau while in high school, attended Frederick Area High School where she was an athlete in cross-country, basketball, volleyball and track.  She has been on staff at Central for the past six years including the 2016 and 2018 teams which won a Class AA girls basketball championship.  She replaces Dawn Seiler who announced her retirement from coaching following this season and has taken the job as the next Athletic Director at Aberdeen Central. 

Former Aberdeen Central basketball star Andrew Bergan announced on his social media this week he is transferring from Division I University of North Dakota to Northern State.  Bergan finished his freshman season at North Dakota playing spot time in three games.  He is a 6’8 forward and four-year letterman who helped the Golden Eagles make the Class AA Championship game his freshman season. 

I’m excited to announce I will be transferring back home to Northern State University to continue my education and basketball career! #GoWolves #PITP pic.twitter.com/bOaJPgWM5W

— Andrew Bergan (@BerganAndrew) April 6, 2021

The University of South Dakota announced earlier this week its final game of the season scheduled for April 17^th vs. Western Illinois will not be played due to COVID-19.  With that the University announced Wednesday it would not seek another opponent and effectively end its spring football season.  COVID-19 played a huge role in this football season for the Coyotes.  Their first game of the year vs. Western Illinois was postponed back on February 19^th and the Coyotes haven’t played a game since losing to Youngstown State on March 20^th.  Following that game USD had three cancelations against North Dakota State, UNI and South Dakota State, then announced the final cancelation against Western Illinois.  The Coyotes finish the season 1-3. 

Doland South Dakota native and one time Northern assistant coach Tim Miles has been named the next head men’s basketball coach at San Jose State University.  San Jose State is a Division I basketball program located in San Jose California.  The team plays basketball in the Mountain West Conference.  Miles has not coached basketball since 2019 when he was let go as the head coach at the University of Nebraska.  During his time at Nebraska he was named the Big Ten coach of the year in 2014. 

The death of a former Minnesota hockey star Mark Pavelich has been ruled a suicide.  According to the Minnesota medical examiner who investigated the death, Pavelich died of asphyxia.  Pavelich’s body was found March 3^rd at the Eagle’s Healing Nest in Sauk Center Minnesota.  He was 63 years old and had been undergoing treatment as part of a civil commitment for assaulting his neighbor in August 2019.  He was deemed incompetent to stand trial in that case.  Pavelich was part of the “Miracle on Ice” US Olympic hockey team which upset the Soviet Union at the 1980 winter games and went on to win the gold medal that same Olympic season.  He’s just the second member of that team to pass away, before him defenseman Bob Suter in 2014. 

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Jeff Gladney has been arrested on assault charges.  Gladney turned himself into the Dallas police department Monday.  According to authorities Galdney was allegedly involved in a verbal altercation Friday with a  22-year-old woman over the contents of a cell phone.  At some point during the argument things became physical according to the Dallas Police Department.  The 24-year-old now faces assault on a household member impeding breathing or circulation charges.  He has been released on bail.  The Vikings released a statement on the matter saying the team takes the allegations very seriously and will be investigating the matter further. 

The Wolves will now be without guard Malik Beasley for an extended period of time.  Beasley announced Monday he has suffered a grade three left hamstring injury and will miss roughly 4-6 weeks.  Beasley has missed a lot of time lately as he had just returned from being suspended by the league for an off the court issue when he suffered this injury. 

The South Dakota State vs. University of South Dakota football game has been canceled this weekend due to COVID-19.  The Missouri Valley Football Conference also announced it would not be rescheduled.  The game was suppose to take place Saturday in Brookings at Dana Dykhouse Stadium.  Both USD and SDSU have now had three consecutive games canceled due to COVID-19 related issues. 

Aberdeen Wings forward Kyle Gaffney has announced he has committed to play Division I hockey for the University of Alaska Fairbanks.  Gaffney is 6’0 165 pounds and a native of Plymouth Michigan.  He has one goal, 12 assists for 13 points in 32 games for the Wings this season.  Gaffney will begin his college hockey career in 2022 and join fellow former Wings including Riley Murphy, Antonio Di Paolo and Jakob Breault.  He is the fourth player on the Wings roster this season to commit to Alaska-Fairbanks. 

As the Missouri Valley Football Conference fall season continues to move forward questions about whether or not the season will be finished continue to linger. 

Tuesday the Conference announced the Dakota Marker game between North Dakota State and South Dakota State scheduled for this Saturday at 2:30 p.m. will be postponed until Saturday April 17^th. 

The game was moved due to NDSU COVID-19 protocols after contract tracing led to the Bison reporting close contact with someone positive for COVID-19. 

This comes just days after NDSU vs. the University of South Dakota game was canceled last Saturday, North Dakota vs. Missouri State has been canceled this weekend.

SDSU head football coach John Stiegelmeier says his team has been successful due to new operations this season...

The Minnesota Wild announced Tuesday the club has signed prospect Matt Boldy to a three-year entry-level contract.  He will begin play with the club this season, beginning his professional career with the Iowa Wild of the AHL.  Boldy is 19 years old and considered one of the clubs top prospects.  He scored 31 points in 22 games with Boston College this season, leading the Eagles in scoring, goals, assists, power play points and shots on goal.  He was named a Hobey Baker finalists this year which is awarded to the top men’s hockey college hockey player in the nation.  He was selected in the first round 12^th overall by the Minnesota Wild in the 2019 NHL draft.    

The Minnesota Vikings have resigned offensive tackle Dakota Dozier.  The deal is for one-year though the terms of the contract were not immediately released.  Dozier started all 16 game sfor the Vikings at left guard in 2020, his first season as a full-time started.  He has spent three seasons with Minnesota after being selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL draft.  Dozier will turn 30 on April 30^th. 

The NFL owners announced Tuesday the league is expanding the regular season to 17 games while the pre-season will be shrunk to three games.  This is the first time in 43 years owners have voted to increase the regular season.  The season went from 14 games to 16 in 1978 and has been that way until now.  The Super Bowl will also be pushed back one week to February 13^th.  Each extra game will be an inter-conference matchup based on where the team finished the previous season. 

The NFL owners announced Tuesday the league is expanding the regular season to 17 games while the pre-season will be shrunk to three games.  This is the first time in 43 years owners have voted to increase the regular season.  The season went from 14 games to 16 in 1978 and has been that way until now.  The Super Bowl will also be pushed back one week to February 13^th.  Each extra game will be an inter-conference matchup based on where the team finished the previous season. 

The Minnesota Vikings and free agent safety Xavier Woods have come to terms on a one-year $2.25 million contract.  The deal includes $1.75 million guaranteed money.  Woods is 25-years-old and is expected to fill the vacant safety position next to Harrison Smith.  He will replace Anthony Harris who left via free agency this offseason. 

The Minnesota Vikings also announced the resigning of cornerback Mackenzie Alexander.  Alexander rejoins the Vikings in 2021 following one season with the Cincinnati Bengals. He started 10 of 13 games that he appeared in and recorded a career-high 47 tackles and one interception with six passes defensed for Cincinnati. Originally drafted with the 54th overall pick by the Vikings in 2016, Alexander recorded 99 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 21 passes defensed, two interceptions and one fumble recovery through 55 games (10 starts) in four seasons with Minnesota. He helped the team to top-five NFL rankings in both total defense and passing defense in three of his four seasons with the Vikings and led all NFL cornerbacks in sacks in 2018 with 4.0. As a redshirt sophomore at Clemson, Alexander helped the Tigers finish as national runner-ups to earn AP Second Team All-America honors and was tabbed a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award (nation's top defensive back).

The Minnesota Twins and starting pitcher Randy Dobnak have come to terms on a new five-year contract extension worth a reported $9.25 million contract.  The deal includes a three club option and can max out at $29.75 million if all escalators are hit.  Dobnak signed with the Twins out of the independent baseball league United Shire Professional Baseball in 2017 after going undrafted out of Alderson Broaddus University in West Virginia.  He is 26-years-old and went 8-5 with a 3.12 ERA in 19 career appearances including 15 starts with the Twins.  Twins manager Rocco Baldelli announced last Thursday Dobnak would make the Twins opening day roster.  The Twins will open the regular season Thursday on the road vs. the Milwaukee Brewers.  First pitch will be at 1:10 p.m.

Former Northern State guard Andrew Kallman announced Saturday via his twitter account he would transfer to Division I North Dakota State University.  Kallman will be a senior and join the Bison after starting the past three seasons with Northern State.  He is a Chaska Minnesota native and averaged 9.8 points, 4.4 assists, and 3.9 rebounds per game.  Kallman is one of three Wolves including Parker Fox and Mason Stark who announced they would be transferring following an end to the 2021 season. 

Very excited for the next chapter! #GoBison???????????? pic.twitter.com/GvTtK4VStv

— Andrew Kallman (@AndrewKallman) March 27, 2021

Former University of South Dakota head men’s basketball coach Craig Smith has been named to the same position at the University of Utah.  The Utes made the announcement over the weekend.  Smith has been the head coach at Utah State since 2018.  During that time he helped the Aggies win 74 games and make the NCAA tournament three years.  He will take over a Utes program that went 12-13 this past season and have not made a post-season tournament since 2017-2018 when they were NIT Runner-ups. 

The Minnesota Vikings announced Wednesday the team has resigned running back Ameer Abdullah.  Abdullah has received spot time carrying the ball for Minnesota, but primarily serves as the team’s kick returner.  He joined the Vikings in 2018 after a stint with the Detroit Lions.  Abdullah has retuned 38 kicks for Minnesota for a total of 935 yards, averaging 24.6 a return.  He also has carried the ball 24 times for 156 yards and has three receiving touchdowns with Minnesota. 

Augustana head women’s basketball coach Dave Krauth has been named a finalist for the United States Marine Corps/WBCA NCAA Division II National Coach of the year award.  The award is given annually and selected by a committee of basketball coaches.  Krauth has spent 32 seasons with Augustana.  During this past season Krauth coached his 650^th career victory with a win on January 29^th vs. Upper Iowa and hit his 1,000^th victory as a combined high school and college coach in a victory over the University of Sioux Falls on February 12^th. 

The Minneapolis Star Tribune Reports Northern State junior Parker Fox has spoken with the University of Minnesota about a possible transfer.  Fox entered the transfer portal following the Wolves losing to Northwest Missouri State in the central region championship of the NCAA Division II tournament.  Fox is 6’6 and a Minnesota native, playing his high school basketball at Mahtomedi.  He averaged 22.1 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 3.2 blocks with the Wolves this season.  If Fox joins the Gophers, he’d be one of the first acquisitions under newly named head coach Ben Johnson. 

With Dacotah Bank Stadium construction on track and on time for a late summer completion, the Northern State University football team is excited to announce their 2021 opening season schedule. The Wolves kick-off the season on September 4 at Minnesota State, before playing their inaugural game from Dacotah Bank Stadium on September 11.
 
"This is a tough schedule and it starts with a great opponent in game one," noted head football coach Mike Schmit. "We are ready for the challenge. We need the energy of the best fans in the NSIC at every one of these contests. Especially as we kick-off a new era in the best stadium in Division II football, Dacotah Bank Stadium."
 
Northern will host Southwest Minnesota State for a 6 p.m. kick in the stadium opening contest. The inaugural game will feature a variety of events throughout the day for all ages including tailgating, kid zone, and special events. Full inaugural game details will be released in the coming months, in addition to ticket options and premium experiences.
 
The Wolves then head to Upper Iowa on September 18, before a 2-game home stand in Aberdeen. NSU welcomes Sioux Falls for the sixth Ag Bowl. Kick-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. versus the Cougars. The following weekend slates the Wolves versus the Marauders of the University of Mary for Gypsy Days. Homecoming kick-off is set for 2 p.m. following the parade.
 
Northern State travels to Winona State on October 9 and returns to Dacotah Bank Stadium on October 16 for a 6 p.m. kick versus Minot State in the annual Blackout Cancer game. The following two weeks, October 23 and 30 see the Wolves on the road at Concordia-St. Paul and MSU Moorhead.
 
NSU closes out their 2021 home schedule on November 6 at 1 p.m. versus Bemidji State for senior day. The Wolves then conclude the season at Minnesota Duluth on November 13.
 
2021 Northern State Football Schedule

Northern State University junior Parker Fox tallied his second All-American honors of the day being named to the D2CCA All-America team this afternoon. The Division II Conference Commissioners Association encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education.

Fox averaged 22.3 points per game, as well as 9.9 rebounds per game. He recorded ten double-doubles this season, in addition to career highs in scoring (39), rebounding (21), and assists (7). Fox shot 64.4% from the field and tallied 74 blocks, 49 assists, and 37 steals. The redshirt junior became a member of the Northern State 1,000 point club in 2021 and earned four NSIC North Division Player of the Week awards and one National Player of the Week honor. He was named to the NSIC/Sanford Health and NCAA Central Region All-Tournament teams. In addition, Fox was the NSIC North Division Defensive Player of the Year, Player of the Year, and first team all-conference honoree. He was also honored earlier today on the NABC All-America team.

The All-America Men’s Basketball Team is selected by the NCAA Division II members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The NCAA held its selection Sunday for men’s ice hockey last night.  The University of North Dakota received the top overall seed and will face American International College in the first round.  The other top seeds include Boston College, the University of Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin.  Also in the tournament includes Minnesota State Mankato, St. Cloud State, Bemidji State and Minnesota-Duluth, the first time in history all five Minnesota Division I men’s college hockey teams have qualified for the NCAA tournament. 

Tournament schedule:

Bridgeport Regional March 26-27

#1 Wisconsin vs. #4 Bemidji State

#2 UMass vs. #3 Lake Superior State

Fargo Regional March 26-27

#1 North Dakota vs. #4 American International

#2 Michigan vs. #3 Minnesota Duluth

Albany Regional March 27-28

#1 Boston College vs. #4 Notre Dame

#2 St. Cloud State vs. #3 Boston University

Loveland Regional March 27-28

#1 Minnesota vs. #4 Omaha

#2 Minnesota State vs. #3 Quinnipiac

The South Dakota State vs. Illinois State football game scheduled this upcoming weekend, Saturday March 27^th, has been canceled after Illinois State pulled out of the remaining spring football schedule.  In a statement released by head coach Brock Spack, the Redbirds will be sitting out the remainder of the football season to protect the player’s health and safety and make sure the team is ready to compete this coming regularly scheduled fall football season.