UMD Athletics

AS A BULLDOG:
2019-20: Bettered himself from his sophomore year to junior year, going form 14 points to 23... scored eight goals again on the year (five coming on the power play) and upped his helpers from six to 15... potted two game winners on the year, one against the University of Minnesota and the other against Omaha... cut down on his time in the sin bin only taking three penalties for a total of six minutes... finished the year with a +4 rating, one up from the previous years +3... was named to the NCHC Academic All-Conference team for the second straight year.
2018-19:  Prospered in his new hockey surrounding and closed that year with 14 points to his name ... struck for eight goals  -- with three of those coming on the power play -- and six assists while taking shifts in 39 of 42 games (he was kept out of the lineup the other three outings due to an illness) ... was a +3 on the year ... turned in a two-goal night in just his second appearance in a UMD sweater (at Minnesota on Oct. 7) ... spent the stretch run centering a unit that included right winger RileyTufte and left winger Tanner Laderoute ... skated alongside his younger brother, Noah, for the opening 16 outings of the year ... held the distinction of scoring the Bulldogs' final goal of the season -- a late third-period tally in UMD's 3-0 NCAA title game takedown of UMass ...was a member of the NCHC Academic All-Conference Team ... attended the Philadelphia Flyers Development Camp in the summer following his rookie season -- one year after being invited to the Minnesota Wild Development Camp.
BEFORE UMD: Exited the junior hockey ranks in the spring of 2018 with a well-deserved USHL Forward of the Year Award in tow ... placed fifth among all 2017-18 USHL skaters in scoring, collecting 63 regular season points (33 goals and 30 assists) in 57 games ... struck 10 times on the power play and was a +11 on the year ...  cobbled together an eight-game point streak between Dec. 13, 2017 and Jan. 13, 2018 ... played two fulls seasons in Waterloo ... was teammates with current UMD junior Nick Swaney with the 2016-17 Black Hawks and Bulldog sophomore Hunter Lellig the next winter ... graduated from Stillwater High School in 2016 ... racked up 27 goals and 34 assists as a senior while helping lead the Ponies to the Minnesota Class AA Tournament at both a sophomore (Stillwater's first-ever trip to that event) and a senior ... was the recipient of the 2016 Class AA Herb Brooks Award (given to the most qualified hockey player in the state tournament who strongly represents the values, characteristics, and traits that defined hockey legend Herb Brooks) ... rolled up 53 points in 25 games during his farewell prep season ... was a two-time All-Suburban East honoree (2015 and 2016).
BULLDOG MILESTONES: First Game - vs. Minnesota (Oct. 6, 2018). First Goal - at Minnesota (Oct. 7, 2018).. First Assist - at Michigan Tech (Oct. 13, 2018).  Most Goals, Game - 2 at Minnesota (Oct. 7, 2018). Most Points, Game - 2 at Notre Dame (Oct. 27, 2018) and at Minnesota (Oct. 7, 2018). Most Shots, Game - 6 vs. Colorado College (Nov. 9, 2018). Longest Scoring Streak - 2 Games (Feb. 2-15, 2019 and Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2018).
PERSONAL: Born Jackson Patrick Cates in Stillwater, Minn. ... is the son of Jeff (a former four-year hockey defenseman at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls) and Jenny Cates ... has one younger brother (Noah Cates, a fellow 2019-20 UMD forward)  ... his uncle, Jay Cates, skated three years at the University of Minnesota (1985-88) ...  is majoring in business at UMD.