MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- David Fischer has set up a promising future for himself in his favorite sport.
Perhaps the best part about it? He didn't have to forfeit the fun of being a high-school senior.
Fischer, an Apple Valley defenseman who has signed with the University of Minnesota, was chosen as this season's state Player of the Year for boys' prep hockey by The Associated Press.
He could've played in the junior leagues, and he was invited to play with the U.S. national team's development program in Ann Arbor, Mich. But Fischer chose to finish his career with the Eagles.
"It's just nice to see a story about a kid who doesn't ... start the business part of his life early," coach Jerry Hayes said. "He wanted to be around his buddies."
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There was golfing to get after last summer, intramural football to play in the fall (his team was the champion), and a little neighborhood pingpong league to organize. And, of course, play high-school hockey.
"You just have to question how important it is to you," Fischer said.
It's very important to Fischer, who has always wanted to play major college hockey and dreams like any other kid with a pair of skates of competing in the NHL. But he realized that skipping his senior season wasn't a necessity for reaching those goals.
"If you're a good hockey player," Hayes said, "you're going to get noticed no matter where you're playing."
Fischer was joined on the AP's all-state team, as voted on by a statewide panel of sports writers and broadcasters, by Jay Barribal of Holy Angels, Michael Forney of Thief River Falls, Jordan Fulton of Breck, Carl Sneep of Brainerd and Austin Lee of Bloomington Jefferson. Sneep is a defenseman. Lee is a goalie.
Fischer, who was voted captain as a junior, keyed Apple Valley's power play and penalty kill and finished with eight goals and 31 assists. A poised, smart player who exudes confidence, Fischer helped the Eagles knock off second-ranked Holy Angels in the section semifinals. They lost to Eagan in the final, one game from a state tournament appearance.
Though it's possible he'll play a year of juniors before beginning college, Fischer -- who is ranked 25th among amateur North American skaters by the NHL's scouting service, the highest for Minnesota high-schoolers -- could be a contributor for the Gophers next season.
The wiry Fischer has reminded people of former Apple Valley blue-liner Mike Lundin, the AP's Player of the Year in 2003. Lundin wound up playing significant minutes for Maine as a freshman.
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If Fischer does that next season, Minnesota coach Don Lucia will have a hard 2004 summer of workouts to thank. That's when Fischer truly began to dedicate himself to the game, between his sophomore and junior years, and became a much faster skater.
"I had gained so much speed over the offseason and just felt like such a better player," he said. "I just felt like, 'Wow, the game is so much easier.'"
The Associated Press 2006 All-State team for Minnesota boys' hockey, as voted on by statewide media:
PLAYER OF THE YEAR
David Fischer, Apple Valley
FIRST TEAM
F--Jay Barribal, SR, Holy Angels
F--Michael Forney, SR, Thief River Falls
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F--Jordan Fulton, SR, Breck
D--David Fischer, SR, Apple Valley
D--Carl Sneep, SR, Brainerd
G--Austin Lee, SR, Bloomington Jefferson
SECOND TEAM
F--Nico Sacchetti, SO, Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl
F--Rob Bordson, SR, Duluth Marshall
F--Taylor Matson, JR, Holy Angels
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D--Ryan McDonagh, JR, Cretin-Derham Hall
D--Nick Canzanello, SR, Rochester Mayo
G--Travis Andries, SR, Marshall
HONORABLE MENTION
FORWARDS
Eric Amundson, JR, Rochester Lourdes; Corey Andrews, SR, Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl; Josh Anderson, JR, Rochester Lourdes; Ben Arnt, SO, North St. Paul; Jack Baer, SR, St. Thomas Academy; Jeremy Beller, SR, Lake of the Woods; Matt Borndale, SR, North St. Paul; Chris Bougalis, SR, Hibbing; Nate Breden, SR, Silver Bay; Brandon Brodhag, JR, Champlin Park; Jordy Christian, JR, Moorhead; Joey Cotton, SR, Little Falls; Addison DeBoer, SR, Spring Lake Park; Anthony DeCenzo, SO, Hibbing; Trevor Doden, FR, Red Wing; Michael Dorr, JR, Roseville; Jared Festler, SO, Little Falls; Nick Follmer, SR, St. Paul Como Park; Garrett Grimstad, JR, Rochester Century; David Grun, SR, White Bear Lake; Daniel Hager, SR, Mankato East/Loyola; Derek Hager, SR, Mankato East/Loyola; Ben Hanowski, FR, Little Falls; Chris Hickey, JR, Cretin-Derham Hall; Trevor Hicks, SR, Grand Rapids; Mike Hoeffel, JR, Hill-Murray; Tyler Johnson, JR, Cloquet/-Esko/Carlton; Brendon Kapella, JR, Hibbing; Joe Knoepke, JR, Rochester Century; Anthony Kramer, Sr., Owatonna; Cory Krogen, SR, Marshall; Matt Koster, SR, Marshall; Matt LaBombard, SR, Bloomington Jefferson; Nick Larson, JR, Hill-Murray; Drew LeBlanc, SO, Hermantown; Corey Leivermann, SO, Mankato West; Josh Levine, JR, Bloomington Jefferson; Ricky Litchfield, SO, Mankato West; Matt Lipinski, SR, Faribault; Aaron Marvin, JR, Warroad; Kyle Mattson, SR, Maple Grove; Mark McGillivray, JR, Virginia/-Mountain Iron-Buhl; Brian McMillan, SR, Roseau; Cody McNamee, JR, Virginia/-Mountain Iron-Buhl; J.T. Miller, SR, Mankato East/Loyola; Joey Miller, SR, Wayzata; Andy Metzen, SR, New Ulm; Justin Neis, SR, St. Francis; Nick Oslund, SR, Burnsville; Brett Peterson, SR, Elk River; Jake Petricka, SR, Faribault; Kyle Provos, SR, Champlin Park; Brandon Rohrig, SR, Owatonna; Andy Sackrison, SR, St. Louis Park; Jordan Schroeder, FR, St. Thomas Academy; Danny Sinn, SR, Blaine; Josh Turnbull, JR, Duluth East; Jordan VanGilder, SR, Centennial; Matt Waclawik, SR, Fergus Falls; Mark Walton, JR, Albert Lea; Patrick White, JR, Grand Rapids; Tommy Wippler, SR, Sauk Rapids; Jake Youso, SO, International Falls.
DEFENSEMEN
Michael Benedict, JR, Thief River Falls; Derek Biermaier, SR, Roseau; John Clark, JR, Lake of the Woods; Matt Crandell, JR, St. Cloud Cathedral; Matt Erickson, SR, Burnsville; Brian Galloway, SR, St. Paul Johnson; Shawn Goos, SR, Fergus Falls; Michael Green, SR, Mankato East/Loyola; Zach Hansen, SR, White Bear Lake; Kevin Jones, SR, Duluth Marshall; Scott Kishel, JR, Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl; Brandon Martell, JR, Elk River; Derek McCallum, SR, Hill-Murray; Kyle Medvec, SR, Apple Valley; Aaron Ness, FR, Roseau; Tyler Pederson, SR, St. Louis Park; Ryan Peltoma, SR, Brainerd; Chris Slavik, JR, Elk River.
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GOALIES
Matt Beggs, SR, Apple Valley; Alex Bjerk, JR, Roseau; Clay Cassanova, JR, Albert Lea; Reid Ellingson, JR, Cloquet/-Esko/Carlton; Zach Faust, SR, White Bear Lake; Mike Haggart, SR, Detroit Lakes; Nathan Hardy, JR, Hermantown; Reid Jacobson, SR, Red Wing; Scott Jaeger, SR, Blaine; Reider Jensen, JR, Grand Rapids; Alex Langseth, JR, Park Center; Jason Paul, SR, Duluth Marshall; Derek Peterson, SR, Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl; Joe Phillippi, SO, Hill-Murray; Tyler Potts, SR, Warroad; Tony Seibert, JR, Elk River.
PAST PLAYERS OF THE YEAR
Recent winners of The Associated Press Player of the Year award for Minnesota boys' hockey:
2005--Brian Lee, D, Moorhead
2004--Tom Gorowsky, F, Centennial
2003--Mike Lundin, D, Apple Valley
2002--Gino Guyer, F, Greenway
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2001--Gino Guyer, F, Greenway
2000--Paul Martin, D, Elk River
1999--Dan Welch, F, Hastings
1998--John Pohl, F, Red Wing
1997--Dylan Mills, D, Duluth East
1996--Dave Spehar, F, Duluth East
1995--Matt Cullen, F, Moorhead
