Back on Friday, February 24, the Oahe Capitals were in Huron to begin its final weekend of the regular season. Heading into the game, Ashton Griese was just a single point away from being only the fifth player in Capitals history to score 200 points in a career.
It didn’t take long to make it happen. In the first period, not even four minutes into the game Jarron Beck scored the first goal of the game which was assisted by Aiden Dozark and a secondary assist to Griese, which put him into the 200 point club. Griese joins Austin Wagner, Matt Ferris, Landon Badger and Spencer Wedin as the only five to score 200 points in varsity hockey as an Oahe Capital.
Griese says going into the final weekend with Huron, Rushmore and Watertown, he knew he had 199, but wasn’t pressing knowing he had several games to accomplish the feat…
Growing up, Griese looked up to all four of those players who are in the 200 point club, two of which he considers big mentors. Griese says it started with Badger…
Griese was able to play varsity with Wedin for two years and besides his brothers and family, Wedin was his biggest mentor…
Steve Steele, head coach of the Oahe Capitals says it’s an incredible feat…
Wagner, Ferris and Badger are all being inducted into the first South Dakota Hockey Hall of Fame Class in April.