A Closer Look at the D1 Men’s Hockey Rookies

Hayden Demars – 21 | 6’3” | Center | Grand Rapids, Minn.

DeMars has been playing hockey since he was 5. He cherishes memories of skating on outdoor ponds with his dad growing up. As a government major with a national security and intelligence cognate, he hopes to one day get a job working for an agency such as the FBI or Drug Enforcement Administration. He loves spending time in the outdoors and watching “Yellowstone.” Despite his tough exterior, standing at 6’3”, he is described by his teammates as being a big teddy bear.

Mac Ratzlaff – 21 | 5’10” | Forward | Abbotsford,  British Columbia, Canada

Despite donning a pair of skates since he was 6, there is more to Ratzlaff than netting goals. He cherishes the time spent off the ice by building community with the guys. He is a business administration and data analysis major with a cognate in real estate. He intends on using his degree to go into commercial real estate, investing or brokering following graduation. Aside from his strength landing him significant minutes in the penalty box, it is also an asset off the ice as he claims to have never lost an arm wrestling match against Hayden DeMars.

Michael Debrito – 21 | 5’10” | Forward | Fergus Falls, Minn.

Debrito is well acquainted with the ice, having played hockey since he was 4. He is a government major with a cognate in national security and intelligence, but is unsure of his plans after graduation. The athlete indulges in the sport even in his free time when he watches the hockey TV series “Shoresy.” As a true team player when asked for a fun fact about himself, all he had to say was, “I love Hayden DeMars.”

Tucker Shields – 21 | 6’2” | Center | OttAwa, Ontario, Canada

Shields’ nationality reaches across the (ice) pond as he is a British citizen as well as a Canadian resident. He has been playing hockey since he was 4. He is a business administration and data analysis major with a cognate in economics. The student athlete also has a pre-law minor and plans on attending law school following his undergraduate degree. Though he doesn’t watch much TV, he does enjoy bingeing episodes of “Modern Family.”

Joe Feamster – 21 | 6’0” | Defenseman | Pueblo, Colo.

Feamster is joining his older brother, Sam, on the ice this year and has been playing hockey since he was 3. He is majoring in sports management and hopes to be a sports agent following graduation. In his spare time, he enjoys nice steak dinners and hitting the arcade. The Colorado native’s athleticism goes far beyond the rink as he has climbed three 14,000-foot cliffs in his home state.

Kal Essenmacher – 20 | 6’1” | Forward | Brentwood, Tenn.

Though he has been playing hockey since he was 5, Essenmacher is not your stereotypical jock. Being a connoisseur of music and literature, he has played the viola in orchestra for seven years. “I don’t really watch a whole lot of TV,” Essenmacher said. “I like reading a good book.” The Tennessee boy has fond memories of playing hockey in high school with his brother and winning two state championships together.

Michael Adamek – 20 | 5’7” | Defenseman | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Adamek has played hockey ever since he was young and enjoys the outdoors and fishing with his teammates back home in Canada. The hockey player gives a new meaning to “fire and ice” as he plans to become a firefighter following graduation. He is currently majoring in interdisciplinary studies. Aside from spending time in the rink, he enjoys keeping up with the latest episodes of “Dancing with the Stars” or bingeing “Trailer Park Boys.”

Brad Barker – 20 | 6’2” | Left Wing | Goodwood, Ontario, Canada

Barker, who was raised on the ice, has been playing hockey with his brothers on the backyard rink built by his dad since he was 4. The self-proclaimed “academic weapon” recently changed his major from strength and conditioning to business administration and data analysis with a sales management and professional selling cognate. He hopes to go into sales following graduation due to his energetic nature and his love for people. This D1 hockey player is a jack-of-all-trades as he played on the U18 National Team for fast-pitch softball representing Canada in 2023.

Konrad Kausch – 22 | 6’3” | Goalie | Duluth, Minn.

This sophomore rookie has been playing hockey since he was 4. One of his favorite memories is playing in the Minnesota State High School League Hockey Tournament. Majoring in sports management, he plans on using his degree to give back to the community of Lynchburg following graduation. Mixing his passions of faith and sports, he intends on working with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and coaching. He claims to be the best juggler on the team, a claim which appears to have gone unchallenged.

Liam Cox-Smith – 21 | 5’7” | Left Wing | Minot, N.D.

Cox-Smith has been skating for about as long as he’s been walking since he started playing hockey when he was 2. Majoring in sports management, he hopes to put his degree to use in a way that helps others. His ideal plan is to open a hockey company that works with younger kids in the sport to train and inspire the next generation of athletes. His guilty pleasure TV show is “Gossip Girl,” and he’s not ashamed of it: “I’m a fun guy, I like to have a good time.”