Sioux Falls, South Dakota — Augustana University has announced its first Hockey Coach for the Club Hockey team. Ben Prisbe has been selected to lead the university’s inaugural club hockey program, which will consist of a men’s and women’s team.
Prisbe, a Sioux Falls native, has spent the past five seasons as head coach of the Sioux Falls Flyers Varsity Hockey Team leading the team to South Dakota Amateur Hockey Association League Championships in 2020 and 2023, a runner-up finish at the 2023 SDAHA State Championship and was named 2023 SDAHA Coach of the Year.
Prisbe has also served as head coach of Team South Dakota for the U-14 National Tournament, where he led the team to victory in the 2022 USA Hockey U-14 National Championship in Kalamazoo, Michigan which included Pierre’s Carter Sanderson.
The Augustana Club Hockey Program, led by Prisbe, will also consist of a part-time assistant coach and 25 players on each team. The program will apply to play at the Division II level, and later apply for membership into a conference. Midco Arena, set to host its home opener January 26-27 for the Division I program, provides the unique opportunity for club hockey games to be played on Augustana’s campus.
The club hockey season will begin in early October and run through mid March. The first season will consist of approximately 12-15 games, and should the program become part of a conference, competitive seasons would include approximately 28-33 games.
Ashton Griese, former Oahe Capital and current student at Augustana has confirmed to KCCR he plans to play for Prisbe and be a part of the inaugural team starting this fall.
