Photo Credit:Kelsey Lee-Violet Turtle Photography

The first rule to play for AIC Head Coach Eric Lang is that you have to be an “elite human” or a player of upstanding character in all phases of life.

When longtime Minnesota Duluth Play-By-Play broadcaster Bruce Ciskie’s first series of thoughts to being asked about Jake Rosenbaum was “I’ve got plenty of time for people like Jake Rosenbaum. I hope he has a great experience there.”

Ciskie talking about the defensive defender with a national championship on his resume brings memories of AIC alum Jeff Baum. Both play a tough game and lay out for their teammates. At his best Rosenbaum can provide a physical presence with one of AIC’s skilled defenders. Whether it’s Brian Kramer, Luis Lindner, or Brett Callahan, any of them could jump in the rush more with Rosenbaum by their side. With the chance to play more, Rosenbaum can also serve as a mentor for the next wave of defenders Lang has on his group. Players like Alex Tertyshny now get to learn from a National Champion every single day. This can make AIC even better in the long run.

As for on the ice skills, Ciskie said of Jake “ he skates like the wind, great guy in the room. He is a smart player, who defends hard. Thought he was a bit of an adventure with the puck at times, but it was a chore for him to get in the lineup, and it never was a frequent thing. Had to affect his ability to get into a rhythm.”

Given how deep on defense Minnesota Duluth always is, Rosenbaum having one season of playing more than ten games is an indication of how deep the team is, more than him dealing with any injuries according to Ciskie. With that said, National Champions need players like Rosenbaum in the room who make everyone better, regardless of if they make the line chart. AIC thrives on those healthy scratches developing and challenging the players in the lineup every single day. Now Lang’s group has a National Champion on the ice, and an elite human both on and off it to help them go even further in the postseason.

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