Former Flin Flon Bombers goalie Brandon Wildung is now a student-athlete – and enjoying both roles.
He’s a third-year netminder at Mercyhurst University, a Catholic liberal arts school in Erie, Pennsylvania. He relishes NCAA Division I hockey.
“Every night is a battle,” said Wildung, 22. “Any team you play on any given night can win, so our team has to show up and give everything we have and the same goes for me. I feel that playing in this environment has taken me to another level and I hope to keep on improving and developing my game over the next two years.
“Playing college hockey is electrifying. With the bands playing songs in between whistles and the student sections chanting things at the goalies, it is an awesome experience.”
Wildung is also succeeding on the academic side. A business management major, he has been named to the Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team and selected as a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Scholar-Athlete.
“Hockey has obviously been a great experience here at Mercyhurst, but school has been, too,” Wildung said.
Wildung came to Mercyhurst after a junior hockey journey. As an 18-year-old, he hardly saw any ice time as a North American Hockey League rookie.
Searching for a place to play at 19, Wildung and his mom contacted many teams in leagues throughout the US and Canada. Mike Reagan of the Flin Flon Bombers was one of the few coaches to get back to him.
“Being from a small town in Minnesota, I had never heard of Flin Flon prior to this,” said Wildung. “So I packed up my things and headed 15 hours north hoping for the best, and it turned out to be one of my best hockey experiences to this day.”
Wildung played one season in Flin Flon, earning 11 wins and a 2.61 GAA in 19 games in 2012-13. The following season, he wrapped up his junior career with the NAHL’s Minot Minotauros. Wildung remembers well the support he received from the Bombers faithful.
“The whole community accepts you and makes you feel like you are something special and that you are at home,” said Wildung, who express appreciation for the Mansell and Brooks families that were his billets. “It was a great feeling to have, especially since I was far from home. The crowd at the Whitney was unbelievable every night. This made it easy for the guys to get hyped up to play – whether it was the home opener or game 50 of the season.
“Playing for the Bombers no doubt was one of the most crucial parts of my development. I grew a lot that year as a goalie and gained a ton of self-confidence on the ice.”
