Stoutonia Online -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 11/28/2005
Last Visited: 11/28/2005
Dotson to play in semi-pros
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In the past days, former Blue Devil goalie Jeff Dotson received a call from the head coach of the Gwinnett Gladiators, from Duluth, Ga.
The Gladiators is a farm team for the National Hockey League, the Atlanta Thrashers.Dotson decided to drop the classes he was enrolled in this spring and head south to pursue his hockey dream.
The Gwinnett Gladiators is a part of the ECHL, which is a part of the Premier "AA" Web site of the NHL.
"It was a very hard decision to leave school and head for the next level," said Dotson.
Dotson played 48 college games at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, with a record of 16-23-1, totaling 1,449 saves and a goalie saving percentage of .906.
This past season Dotson had an outstanding year by being honored for the first team All-Conference.
"I feel blessed for the opportunity and the support from UW-Stout and my teammates wishing me the best in the future," said Dotson.
Dotson has already left for Georgia, getting a chance to play in a brand new ice-hockey rink with the Gladiators.
Dotson says the new facility is supposed to look like the Atlanta Thrashers arena.
There will be a tremendous change in audience attendance, facilities, fans and many other new endeavors that he will encounter in the future.
After finishing out the remainder of the season with the Gladiators, Dotson will finish his spring semester at UW-Stout in the summer.
If Dotson plays well the remainder of the season, he will hopefully make the AHL Chicago Wolves team for the next season, and someday make it to the NHL.