North Iowa Bulls
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North Iowa Bulls Mason City Toros | |
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City | Mason City, Iowa |
League | North American Hockey League North American 3 Hockey League |
Division | Central |
Founded | 2011 (NA3HL franchise) 2008 (NAHL franchise) |
Home arena | Mason City Multipurpose Arena |
Colors | Green, blue, white |
Owner(s) | Alberto Fernandez, F&S Management |
General manager | Todd Sanden |
Head coach | Todd Sanden (NAHL) Nick Bruneteau (NA3HL) |
Website | www |
Franchise history | |
NA3HL franchise | |
2011–2021 | North Iowa Bulls |
2021–present | Mason City Toros |
NAHL franchise | |
2008–2010 | Albert Lea Thunder |
2010–2021 | Amarillo Bulls |
2021–present | North Iowa Bulls |
The North Iowa Bulls are a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League (NAHL). They play their home games at the Mason City Multipurpose Arena in Mason City, Iowa. The organization also operates a Tier III junior team in the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL) that was known as the North Iowa Bulls from 2011 to 2021 before relocating the Tier II Amarillo Bulls' franchise to Mason City and rebranding the Tier III team as the Mason City Toros. The Bulls are coached by Todd Sanden, who has been with the North Iowa team since its inception in 2011.
History
Tier III: 2011–present
The Bulls began playing in 2011,
The Bulls won their first division championship the following year finishing 41–4–1–2. They swept the
In the 2013–14 season, North Iowa set an NA3HL record with 90 points, finishing with a 45–3 record and their second straight West Division title. The team's top line of Matt Kroska, Rihards Marenis, and Timothy Santopoalo combined for 353 points, with Kroska's 122 points and Marenis's 55 goals setting the league records in both categories. After sweeping the
In 2014–15, the Bulls had a record of 6–4 through the first ten games on the road before returning home and winning 11 straight games. The Bulls and Lumberjacks led the West Division throughout the entire season, leading up to the final weekend series between the two teams to end the regular season with the Bulls winning to finish with a 37–9–1 record and the West Division title. In the playoffs, the Bulls swept the Twin City Steel in two games then defeated Granite City in three games in the division finals. In round-robin play at the Silver Cup Tournament, the Bulls defeated Granite City, the
North Iowa finished the 2015–16 season with a 42–2–3 record after moving to the Central Division, including a 27-game winning streak and a league-record 57 goals from captain Brett Gravelle. The Bulls defeated the
The Bulls earned their fifth straight trip to the Silver Cup tournament the following 2016–17 season, with another division title and a 35–10–1–1 finish in the regular season. North Iowa swept Rochester and La Crosse in two games each to advance to the Silver Cup tournament. The Bulls won two games against the Long Beach Sharks and Binghamton Jr. Senators but lost to Yellowstone in the round-robin and did not advance. North Iowa won one more Central Division title in 2017–18, going 39–4–2–2 and sweeping the Wausau RiverWolves in two games in the first round. The La Crosse Freeze then defeated the Bulls with a two-game sweep in the Central Division finals, failing to make a tournament appearance for the first time since their inaugural season.
North Iowa finished in second place in their return to the West Division in 2018–19, going 32–12–3 and finishing behind Granite City with 67 points. The Bulls defeated the Rochester Grizzlies in a three-game series. The Alexandria Blizzard beat the top-seeded Granite City in a three-game first-round series, advancing to the West Division Finals before the Bulls swept them in two games. North Iowa split its first two games at the Fraser Cup tournament, formerly known as the Silver Cup, with a loss to the Lewiston/Auburn Nordiques and a win over the Helena Bighorns, but ended their season with a 3–1 loss to the eventual champion Texas Jr. Brahmas in the semifinal.[5]
The Bulls took the West Division title in 2019–20, going 38–7–2 for the season and winning their final eight games. The team also moved out of its longtime home at the North Iowa Ice Arena, moving downtown to the new Mason City Multipurpose Arena at midseason. The team drew record crowds in its new home, averaging 1,585 fans over its first 11 games.[6] Prior to the start of the playoffs, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused the playoffs to be cancelled.[7]
At the time of the announcement that the North Iowa Bulls would be promoted to Tier II, it had not been decided if the organization would continue to have a Tier III team as well in 2021–22,[8][9] originally deciding to only have the Tier II team in Mason City.[10] The NA3HL Bulls won the Fraser Cup championship in their final season.[11] The organization the stated it will still operate a Tier III team, but has not determined a brand or location.[12] On June 1, 2021, the organization announced the Tier III team had been rebranded the Mason City Toros and would remain in Mason City for at least one more season.[13] With Sanden staying on as head coach of the Tier II Bulls, the Toros hired Nick Bruneteau as the next head coach.[14]
Tier II: 2021–present
In 2019, owners of the North Iowa Bulls, F&S Management Company LLC, acquired the Amarillo Bulls of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) and the North Iowa Bulls gained a Tier II affiliation.[15] On March 5, 2021, it was announced that the Amarillo team would relocate to Mason City starting in the 2021–22 season as the North Iowa Bulls.[16] Todd Sanden remained the head coach and general manager of the North Iowa Bulls after joining the NAHL.[17]
Season-by-season records
NAHL
Season | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA | PIM | Regular Season Finish | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021–22 | 60 | 22 | 28 | 10 | 54 | 194 | 234 | 857 | 6th of 6, Central 25th of 29, NAHL |
Did not qualify |
2022–23 | 60 | 29 | 27 | 4 | 62 | 167 | 179 | 647 | 6th of 6, Central 23rd of 29, NAHL |
Did not qualify |
2023–24 | 59 | 11 | 46 | 2 | 24 | 108 | 259 | 1403 | 6th of 6 Central, 32 of 32 NAHL | Eliminated |
NA3HL
Season | GP | W | L | OTL | PTS | GF | GA | Regular Season Finish | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011–12 | 48 | 29 | 15 | 4 | 62 | 172 | 156 | 2nd of 4, West Div. 4th of 16, NA3HL |
Won Division Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Twin City Steel
Lost Division Finals, 1–2 Granite City Lumberjacks |
2012–13 | 48 | 41 | 4 | 3 | 85 | 297 | 114 | 1st of 5, West Div. | Won Division Semifinals, 3–0 vs. |
2013–14 | 48 | 45 | 3 | 0 | 90 | 334 | 92 | 1st of 5, West Div. 1st of 21, NA3HL |
Won Division Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Flint Jr. Generals
|
2014–15 | 47 | 37 | 9 | 1 | 75 | 245 | 109 | 1st of 6, West Div. 2nd of 31, NA3HL |
Won Division Semifinals, 2–0 vs. |
2015–16 | 47 | 42 | 2 | 3 | 87 | 301 | 63 | 1st of 5, Central Div. 1st of 34, NA3HL |
Won Division Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Twin City Steel
Won Silver Cup Championship game, 4–1 vs. Metro Jets |
2016–17 | 47 | 35 | 10 | 2 | 72 | 268 | 111 | 1st of 5, Central Div 8th of 48, NA3HL |
Won Division Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Sharks )
|
2017–18 | 47 | 39 | 4 | 4 | 82 | 304 | 92 | 1st of 5, Central Div 2nd of 42, NA3HL |
Won Division Semifinals, 2–0 vs. La Crosse Freeze
|
2018–19 | 47 | 32 | 12 | 3 | 67 | 228 | 121 | 2nd of 7, West Div 11th of 36, NA3HL |
Won Division Semifinals, 2–1 vs. Rochester Grizzlies Won Div. Finals, 2–0 vs. Alexandria Blizzard 1–1–0 in Fraser Cup round-robin (L, 4–7 vs. Nordiques; W, 8–2 vs. Bighorns) Lost Semifinal game, 1–3 vs. Texas Jr. Brahmas |
2019–20 | 47 | 38 | 7 | 2 | 78 | 272 | 96 | 1st of 6, West Div 4th of 34, NA3HL |
Playoffs cancelled |
2020–21 | 40 | 27 | 11 | 2 | 56 | 182 | 104 | 1st of 5, West Div 8th of 31, NA3HL |
Won Div. Semifinals, 2–1 vs. Oklahoma City Jr. Blazers
Won Fraser Cup Championship game, 5–1 vs. Rochester Grizzlies |
2021–22 | 47 | 33 | 13 | 1 | 67 | 241 | 217 | 2nd of 6, West Div 8th of 31, NA3HL |
Won Div. Semifinals, 2–0 vs. Willmar WarHawks Lost Div. Finals, 1–2 vs. Granite City Lumberjacks |
2022–23 | 47 | 30 | 16 | 1 | 61 | 183 | 156 | 3rd of 6, West Div 12th of 34, NA3HL |
Lost Div. Semifinals, 1–2 vs. Alexandria Blizzard |
2023–24 | 47 | 24 | 20 | 3 | 51 | 201 | 167 | 4th of 6, West Div 18th of 34, NA3HL |
Lost Div. Semifinals, 1-2 vs. Granite City Lumberjacks |
USA Hockey Tier III Junior Hockey National Championship
Year | Round Robin | Record | Place | Semifinal | Championship |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2013[18] | W, 5–2 vs. New Hampshire Jr. Monarchs (EmJHL) )W, 7–0 vs. Bellingham Blazers (NPHL) W, 5–1 vs. Twin Cities Northern Lights (MnJHL |
3–0–0 | 1st of 4 National Pool |
OTW, 3–2 vs. Helena Bighorns (AWHL) | W, 6–2 vs. Twin Cities Northern Lights (MnJHL) National Champions |
2014[19] | W, 5–0 vs. Boston Bandits (MetJHL ) |
3–0–0 | 1st of 4 Pool C |
W, 5–1 vs. Northern Cyclones (EHL) | L, 1–4 vs. Boston Junior Bruins (USPHL-Premier) |
2015[20] | W, 3–1 vs. Northern Cyclones (EHL) W, 2–1 vs. Dells Ducks (MnJHL) L, 3–4 vs. Granite City Lumberjacks (NA3HL) |
2–1–0 | 2nd of 4 Div. 1 |
Not played | W, 2–1 vs. Northern Cyclones (EHL) National Champions |
Alumni
The Bulls have advanced a number of players on to higher levels of
Division I
- Adam Carlson (2012–13); Mercyhurst University[21]
- Aaron Davis (2012–13); Lake Superior State University[22]
- Dominik Florian (2013–14); American International College[23]
- Greg Ogard (2011–12); University of Denver[24]
- Kohei Sato (2014–16); University of New Hampshire[25][26][27]
- Jeff Solow (2015–16); Merrimack College[28][29][30]
- Josh Benson (2016–17); Sacred Heart University[31]
- Seth Eisele (2016–17); Lake Superior State University[32]
References
- ^ "NA3HL approves Mason City, Iowa membership". NA3HL. May 6, 2011.
- ^ "North Iowa Bulls crowned 2012-13 NA3HL Silver Cup Champions". NA3HL. March 30, 2013.
- ^ "Junior Tier III: North Iowa Bulls Charge to National Title". USA Hockey. April 9, 2013.
- ^ "North Iowa turns aside Metro Jets 4-1 for NA3HL crown". North Iowa Bulls. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
- ^ "Bulls' Season Ended By Brahmas, 3-1". North Iowa Bulls. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
- ^ "COVID-19 Ends Bulls' Title Hopes, Closes Incredible Season". North Iowa Bulls. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
- ^ "NA3HL Announces Cancellation of Fraser Cup Playoffs". North Iowa Bulls. Retrieved 2020-05-27.
- ^ "NAHL announces relocation of Amarillo Bulls to Mason City, Iowa". NAHL. March 5, 2021.
- ^ "North Iowa Bulls Announce Move to NAHL". North Iowa Bulls. March 5, 2021.
- ^ "Bulls' Final NA3HL Home Game Ends with Win, Trip to Fraser Cup". North Iowa Bulls. April 11, 2021.
- ^ "North Iowa Bulls cap off 'Decade of Dominance' with Fraser Cup win". Globe Gazette. April 19, 2021.
- ^ "Bulls Look Back on Fourth National Championship Season". North Iowa Bulls. April 28, 2021.
- ^ "Mason City Toros begin new era in the NA3HL". NA3HL. June 1, 2021.
- ^ "Mason City Toros name Bruneteau as Head Coach". NA3HL. June 3, 2021.
- ^ "Amarillo Bulls announce new ownership ahead of 10th anniversary season". KFDA-TV. September 27, 2019.
- ^ "A Letter to Amarillo Bulls Fans". Amarillo Bulls. March 5, 2021. Retrieved March 5, 2021.
- ^ "Bulls Take 11 in NA3HL Draft". North Iowa Bulls. April 28, 2021.
- ^ "2013 Tier III Nat. Championships". USA Hockey. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
- ^ "2014 Tier III Nat. Championships". USA Hockey. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
- ^ "2015 Tier III Junior Nat. Championships". USA Hockey. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
- ^ "Chill goalie Carlson makes NCAA DI commitment". North American Hockey League (NAHL). Retrieved 2020-05-27.
- ^ "Aaron Davis' Elite Prospects Profile". Elite Prospects. Retrieved September 11, 2017.
- ^ "Coulee Region forward Florian makes NCAA DI commitment". North American Hockey League. May 18, 2016.
- ^ "Bay State Breakers '92 goalie Greg Ogard commits to Denver". SB Nation. July 11, 2013.
- ^ "Former Bulls Star Sato Speeds off to New Hampshire". North Iowa Bulls. April 5, 2017.
- ^ "New Hampshire Receives Commitment From Japanese Player". College Hockey News. April 5, 2017.
- ^ "Northeast forward Sato makes NCAA DI commitment". North American Hockey League. April 5, 2017.
- ^ "Go East, Young Man: Solow Commits to Merrimack, Hockey East". North Iowa Bulls. January 18, 2017.
- ^ "NAHL Defenseman Jeff Solow Will Join Merrimack For Second Half". The Mack Report. January 17, 2017.
- ^ "Amarillo defenseman Solow makes NCAA DI commitment". North American Hockey League. January 18, 2017.
- ^ "Fairbanks goaltender Benson makes NCAA DI commitment". North American Hockey League (NAHL). Retrieved 2020-05-27.
- ^ "Lone Star goalie Eisele makes NCAA DI commitment". North American Hockey League (NAHL). Retrieved 2020-05-27.