Bismarck Co-Captain Engel makes NCAA Division I Commitment

The Bismarck Bobcats of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are proud to announce that defenseman Ian Engel has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey for University of North Dakota in the NCHC.

The 5’11 lefty from Hortonville, Wisconsin, will stay in the state of North Dakota to skate with the University of North Dakota in the fall. Engel has played three full seasons for the Bobcats, with a brief stint in Bismarck during the 2021-22 season, marked by a single game appearance. This past season, Engel helped to lead the Bobcats to claiming the Robertson Cup, helping the organization win its second title. The ‘04 skater laced up in 67 games for Bismarck this year, tallying seven goals while producing 34 assists. Two of his goals were named the decider in contests, while one goal was scored on the man advantage. He was also named a Top Prospect for the Central Division team at the 2025 Top Prospects Tournament.

The 21-year-old hit the ice in 68 games last year, finding the back of the net three times and notching 18 assists. In his first full season with Bismarck, Engel laced up in 47 games, scoring one goal while making five assists for the North Dakota team.

The ‘04 lefty has played in a total of 183 games in the Bismarck uniform. He notched 11 career goals and 57 career assists.

“I’m super honored to have an opportunity to play Division I college hockey at a place like UND. They have world-class facilities and a great coaching staff, along with a gameday atmosphere like no other. I am super excited to get back to the state of North Dakota and get onto campus,” stated Engel.

​Coach Garrett Roth praised Engel for his work ethic and buy-in to the Bobcats throughout his tenure in Bismarck.

“Ian was instrumental in leading our group from the start of training camp through winning the Robertson Cup. His character and commitment to the team were a huge part of our group’s buy-in. Every day, he brought a high level of competition and intensity to the rink, which was exactly what we wanted our team’s identity to be. These are the traits that coaches fall in love with and are a big reason for Ian earning this opportunity.

Roth goes on to explain how important Engel’s leadership presence was to the team.

​“He has been a selfless Bobcat who has worked his way up the lineup during his tenure here in Bismarck. That maturity to find a way to be impactful and develop on a daily basis gave him the confidence to be a major impact defenseman for us this year. Ian played in every situation for us, having his offensive contributions match his ability to shut down the opponent’s top guys.”

“This opportunity to play for UND is certainly deserved, and as an organization, we could not be more proud of how he has represented us as an organization throughout the years,” stated Roth.

Engel is one of 21 members of the Bismarck Bobcats to make a college hockey commitment.

Click here for an updated NAHL to NCAA commitment lis