Last Friday night, senior center Travis Oleksuk joined an exclusive club when he became just the 54th University of Minnesota Duluth player ever to reach the 100-point mark for a career. That milestone may have seem a bit of a longshot for the Oleksuk three years ago after he closed out his rookie year with a mere five points (all assists) while being relegated to part time duty on the University of Minnesota Duluth front lines.
But since that time, Oleksuk has quitely blossomed into one of college hockey's top guns. After racking up 24 points as a sophomore, the Thunder Bay, Ontario, product busted loose last winter for 14 goals and 19 assists, the most memorable of which came on Kyle Schmidt's overtime game-winner in the NCAA title game. He has once again outdone himself offensively in 2011-12 as he currently ranks fourth in the nation in scoring with a career-best 41 games in 30 games.
Oleksuk, whose father, Bill, was a former Bulldog left winger (1978-82) and is the school's 11th all-time leading scorer, also has six-game winning goals to his 2011-12 credit (to rank third nationally) and 15 for his career. That equals the program record set by current UMD assistant coach Derek Plante (1989-93).
HIS FAVORITES
Opponent: Michigan
Arena: Mariucci Arena (Minnesota)
Road Trip: St. Paul, Minn.
Professional Athlete: Peter Forsberg
Professional Team: Detriot Lions
Pastime: Playing Xbox 360
Prized Possession: My autographed baseball signed by the 1951 World Series Champions
Book (Author): Beyond Belief (Josh Hamilton)
Television Show: Eric Church
Actor/Actress: Mark Wahlberg/ Rachel McAdams
Movie: 30 Minutes of Less
Singer/Group: Kenny Chesney
Food: Lobster
Restaurant: The Keg (Thunder Bay, Ontario)
Video Game: Modern Warfare 3
Vacation Spot: Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Web Site: www.google.com
PERSONALLY SPEAKING
Why I Chose UMD: It was close to home and I wanted to play in the WCHA
First Played Competitive Hockey: Age 3
Hockey Strength/Weakness: My vision/ My consistency
Game Day Ritual: I relax at home and usually take a 45-minute nap
Most Memorable Hockey Moment: Winning the 2011 NCAA championship
Best Player I've Ever Played Against: Jack Connolly
Pet Peeve: Bad Drivers
Biggest Fear: Driving with Brady Lamb
My First Job: Working for Thunder Bay Sprinklers when I was 16 years old
If I Could Change One Thing About Myself: I'd be more of a neat freak like (teammate) David Grun
Person I'd Most Like to Meet: Jack Robinson
What Most People Don't Know About Me: I can juggle
Why I Wear No. 11: I have worn it pretty much since I started playing hockey
Sport I'd Like to Try But Never Have: Water polo
Influences on My Athletic Career: My parents
Something I Never Leave Home Without: My cell phone
Advice to an Aspiring Young Athlete: Always have fun!
Post-UMD Plans: Keep on playing hockey
