Fighting Saints' Van Vliet Announces Commitment To St. Thomas

Dubuque Fighting Saints forward Lucas Van Vliet has announced his Division I commitment to the University of St. Thomas in the CCHA.

After being drafted by the Vegas Golden Knights in the seventh round of the 2024 NHL Draft, Van Vliet joined the Fighting Saints for his first full USHL season. Van Vliet played the last two seasons with the USA NTDP before joining the Saints this season.

“We are very happy for Lucas to make his college commitment,” said head coach Evan Dixon.

“We have been fortunate to be part of his journey and watch him grow as both a player and a person in Dubuque. We look forward to watching him continue to make an impact for us down the stretch and in the future at the next level.”

Van Vliet is second on the Fighting Saints in points this season with 41, making an impact on his new team. The forward has 14 power-play assists to lead the team on top of his four power-play goals.

In total, Van Vliet has scored 17 goals for the Fighting Saints this season with his best performance in a two-goal, four-point night against Des Moines on Nov. 15.

Van Vliet joins fellow Saints forward Josh Giuliani with his commitment to play college hockey for the Tommies.

Dubuque and its freshly-committed forward traveled to Green Bay Saturday night and came away with a thrilling 5-4 win over the Gamblers in overtime. Gavin Cornforth scored the game-winner in the victory.