A member of the inaugural edition of the Santa Fe RoadRunners has been giving the prestigious honor of being named captain of his college team. The University of Minnesota – Duluth Bulldogs have named Drew Akins captain for the upcoming season.
Akins, from Excelsior, MN played for the RoadRunners in the 2004-05 season after the teams relocation from North Richland Hills, TX. He earned \”Iron Man\” status, playing in all 56 regular season and 4 playoff games. He was fifth on the team in scoring, with 18 goals and 18 assists. He added 3 assists in the postseason. Head Coach Scott Langer praised him as \”a highly skilled player who didn\’t know the meaning of the word ‘quit\’.\”
The following season, he was drafted by the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL and racked up 15 goals and 19 assists en route to an Anderson Cup championship.
Since arriving at UMD, he has remained a solid contributor, playing in all 43 games as a freshman and helping his team win a WCHA Playoff Title. Now, as a senior, he will wear the C.
The RoadRunners franchise has moved over 55 players into college hockey programs. The main goal of Junior A hockey is give players the growth opportunity and the exposure to prepare them for collegiate play. The RoadRunners organization has historically been viewed as a solid choice for student athletes.