Hockey: Pair of Austin seniors tender with the Rochester Grizzlies
Published 6:14 pm Wednesday, April 11, 2018
- Austin seniors Dylan Svoboda, left, and Bryar Flanders have been tendered to play for the Rochester Grizzlies next season. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Austin seniors Bryar Flanders and Dylan Svoboda were middle schoolers when the Austin Bruins came to town and began as a franchise in 2010. Now they’re in line to play for the Rochester Grizzlies, a recently purchased NA3HL team that will serve as an affiliate to the Bruins. The Grizzlies, who were formerly the Rochester Icehawks, have tendered Flanders and Svoboda to play for them next season.
“The Bruins gave us our first exposure to junior hockey and the environment here is awesome. It was our goal to reach this level when we were younger,” Flanders said about growing up watching Bruins games. “I want to play at the highest level in college and I thought juniors would be the way to go.”
Austin’s Bryar Flanders angles the puck toward the Winona goal in front of Winona’s Ryan Brown. Herald File Photo
With the Grizzlies, Svoboda and Flanders will be able to stay close to home and they’ll have opportunities to practice and maybe even play in a couple of games for the Bruins. Svoboda was thinking about playing college hockey at Iowa State University, but he couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to play junior hockey before pursuing to play at the college level.
“You have to continue to push yourself, because there’s going to be guys bigger and better than you in that league,” Svoboda said. “You want to be one of those guys who aren’t getting pushed around and you want to hold your ground.”
Svoboda and Flanders have been teammates for as long as they’ve played hockey as youths and they were on the same line for the Packers this past season. They’re pumped up at the possibility of be playing together next season.
It’s been a long time coming for the duo, who have been dedicated to hockey for quite some time.
Austin’s Dylan Svoboda with the puck against Winona. Herald File Photo
“I skated before I could walk I think,” Flanders said. “Hockey’s been my life ever since I was a kid and I’ve played since I was three years old. I’ve played year round-non stop since I was about 10. It’s my favorite thing to do.”
Austin grad Kory Potach, who spent last season with the Steele County Blades, a USPHL team in Owatonna, has also been tendered by the Rochester Grizzlies. Potach had 23 points in 44 games for the Blades.