Battlefords local and former North Stars’ captain Jake Southgate has hit the ground running this year in his first season of NCAA Division I hockey with the Lindenwood Lions in Saint Charles, Missouri.
Sitting tied for the team lead in scoring with 10 points (five goals, five assists) through his first 16 games, Southgate took just two games to net his first NCAA goal, cashing in for the memorable tally in just his second game of the season as part of a two-point effort on the second night of a back-to-back with the Air Force Falcons.
“My first game there I wasn’t able to score but had a few chances, and then the next game I just went in as prepared as I could be,” Southgate recalled, adding that he also had a couple of familiar faces in the stands to share in the special moment.
“My dad and my grandpa actually drove all the way down to Colorado where we were playing, so that was pretty cool,” he said. “They were sitting right behind the bench, so when I scored the goal I got to see my dad in the stands, so it was a really cool moment and it was pretty special to have my dad and my grandpa there.”
Southgates goal…. Assisted by Jeffers and Price
pic.twitter.com/bQIu0x6o6P
— Lindenwood Hockey (@LULionsHockey) November 12, 2023
Southgate fires home his fourth goal of the season, Nov. 11 against Augustana. (X/@LULionsHockey)
From there, Southgate has continued to impress with the same two-way acumen and will to win that made him a fan favourite over his three years with the North Stars. Having already earned a promotion up the lineup, the recently-turned 21-year-old has played the bulk of his minutes alongside a pair of third-year program veterans, Kyle Jeffers and David Gagnon, who sit tied for first (Jeffers, 10 points) and third (Gagnon, seven points) in team scoring.
“Coming in [the coaches] kind of had me down as a second-or-third line guy and they said they didn’t really have a ton of expectations for me this year, just to kind of get into the league and see what I am. But I had a good start, so they promoted me to the first line with some of their better players,” Southgate said.
“It’s just been about trying to do something every night to help the team win, and it’s been awesome getting that experience and getting the ice time and trust from the coaches.” – Southgate on making the most of his opportunities as a freshman with Lindenwood.
Using the opportunity to his benefit, the savvy winger said whether in-game or in-practice, he’s tried to learn from the older players and pick up as much as he can, to continue to get better at the Division I level.
“Older guys like Gagnon and Jeffers, they’re both hard-working guys that have a lot of skill you want to look at and try and model your game after,” Southgate said.
“You watch them in practice and try and copy some of the things they do that make them successful. I’ve just been trying to soak it all in and learn from everybody I can, because there are lots of good players here and lots of good opponents, so there’s always something to learn.”
Southgate and his Lindenwood teammates are currently in the midst of a four-week break for the holidays, ahead of their return to play in the new year, Jan. 5 against Western Michigan University.
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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com
On X: @MartyMartyPxP1
