By Bill Morgan, Staff Writer

 

Cooper Fredericks of Becker will be playing hockey this winter in South Dakota for the Sioux Falls Power 14U Tier 1 AAA team (formally the Stampede). 

Cooper, who will be entering the eighth grade this fall, will be playing against the top kids from across the country this winter in his 2004 age group that is in accordance with USA hockey. He will travel to national tournaments in Chicago, Omaha, Iowa, Winnipeg, Grand Forks, Milwaukee and Pittsburgh and playing 60+ games in Minnesota against some of the elite programs that the state has to offer. 

Cooper’s dad, Mark says his boy is very excited to take his game to the next level. 

In addition to playing in Sioux Falls, Cooper will be training at the Sanford health training Pentagon under the direction of the of the University of Wisconsin’s director of sports conditioning. The program uses the latest in research and technology to provide the specific hockey related strength development, speed, agility, plyometrics and nutritional guidance that relates to hockey. 

The program has produced many DI, DII, DIII and professional players in its history and has become one — if not the best — Tier1 program in the country. 

Coached by Scott Arneson and directed by General Manager Noelle Needham, the staff have over 48  combined years of coaching experience. Arneson played professionally in Europe and Needham played DI hockey at Minnesota State. She was just recently hired by the Toronto Maple leafs as their midwest amateur scout.