Fairbanks defenseman Lester makes NCAA D1 commitment

September 26, 2019

 

The Fairbanks Ice Dogs of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are pleased to announce that defenseman Jasper Lester has committed to play NCAA Division 1 hockey for the Air Force Academy in Atlantic Hockey.

 

The 6’0/180 lbs. native of Colorado Springs, Colorado has appeared in four games so far this season and recorded one goal.

 

Lester, 19, is the second Ice Dogs player in as many seasons to commit to Air Force of Atlantic Hockey, an NCAA Division I conference. Veteran forward Parker Brown committed to the Falcons last season, when he was a Fairbanks rookie.

 

Ice Dogs head coach Trevor Stewart said Air Force coaches watched Lester play last season for the Tier I-AAA level for the Colorado Rampage, of Colorado Springs and the Tier I Elite Hockey League, and saw him with the Ice Dogs at last week’s NAHL Showcase in Blaine, Minnesota.

 

He also played in the 2018 NAHL 18U Top Prospects Tournament for one of the Tier 1 Elite League teams, an event that Air Force attended.

 

“They’ve tracked him for a while, he’s a local player from Colorado Springs. So they obviously know who he is,” Stewart said by phone Tuesday. “I think they just wanted to see him play at the junior level.”

 

Lester contributed a goal in the Ice Dogs’ 2-0 win over the Maryland Black Bears on Sept. 19 at the Showcase. It was Fairbanks’ only win in four games at the four-day tournament in the Schwan’s Super Rink.

 

“He’s good person, he doesn’t say much but he’s super competitive,” Stewart said of Lester. “He skates well. All of his attributes are above average, so that usually equates to success at other levels. He’s going to be a good player for us.”

 

Lester also had a goal and an assist in his first action for the Ice Dogs, a 5-1 exhibition win over the St. Cloud Blizzard on Sept. 14 in St. Cloud, Minnesota.