Sioux Falls goaltender Ryan Manzella added to Michigan Tech roster after leading Stampede to seven first-half wins

The Sioux Falls lineup was dealt a tough blow Thursday morning as it was announced goaltender Ryan Manzella will enroll early at Michigan Tech.

Manzella was 7-2-1 for the Stampede this season with a .904 save percentage and 2.40 GAA, along with two shutouts. He ranked fifth in GAA and ninth in save percentage among USHL goaltenders, and Sioux Falls has allowed the USHL's third-fewest goals (69) as a team.

The Minnesota native played a key role in Sioux Falls’ successful first half but will join the Huskies immediately.

Sioux Falls took Manzella in the fourth round of the USHL Phase II Draft last May after he spent the 2023-24 season with the NAHL’s St. Cloud Norsemen, posting a 13-10-8 record, .904 save percentage and 2.62 GAA.

Sioux Falls saw Michael Chambre and Christian Manz head to college and traded 2025 NHL Draft prospect Caleb Heil to Madison ahead of the draft, creating a void in the Stampede crease.

Manzella helped anchor the position this fall, alongside Aiden Wright. Sioux Falls acquired Wright from Youngstown in mid-July.

Manzella went 4-1-1 over his final six starts but allowed six goals last time out (Dec. 14) at Fargo, which was just his second regulation loss of the season.

Ryan Cruthers’ club will likely lean heavier on Wright in Manzella’s place, barring another move. Carl Axelsson has also appeared in four games this season.

Wright was the presumed starter heading into this season and is 8-3-1 with a 2.49 GAA and .911 save percentage, which ranks sixth in the USHL. He’s started six of Sioux Falls’ 14 games since the calendar flipped to November and is 5-0-1 in that stretch.

The Stampede are currently tied for second in the Western Conference, as both Sioux Falls and Lincoln have 34 points – just one behind Fargo. However, Sioux Falls has played two fewer games than Fargo and three less than Lincoln, and its .708 win percentage is the best in the West.

Sioux Falls (16-6-1-1) has a home-and-home with Sioux City this weekend as the USHL returns from its holiday break.