Sioux Falls Stampede forward Ean Somoza has been named as one of five players to the USHL All-Academic Team for the 2020-21 season.

Somoza completed his senior year locally at Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, S.D., where he maintained a rigorous daily hockey schedule with the Stampede and accomplished a 3.67 GPA for the year. Despite the many challenges faced during the year, including COVID, practices, games and workouts, Somoza worked diligently to finish his course work early and ended his academic career with a 3.39 GPA.

“We are extremely proud of Ean,” said Stampede coach-GM Marty Murray. “Juggling school and hockey is never easy, but was even more difficult this past season due to all that was going on with COVID. Ean works extremely hard in the class room and off the ice and it is nice to see him rewarded for his work.”

The Thousand Oaks native and Los Angeles Jr. Kings graduate appeared in 44 games last season with the Stampede while posting 12 points (two goals, 10 assists).

Somoza was a Phase I draft choice of the Stampede in 2019 and spent the 2019-20 season with the Jr. Kings’ 16U AAA squad where he tallied 78 points (31 goals, 47 assists) in 49 games.

Photo/Sioux Falls Stampede

(July 21, 2021)