Hacker earns Division I hockey scholarship ride

By GENE JANSEN — Frontiersman sports editor

OMAHA — A former Wasilla Warrior hockey player will make Omaha, Neb., his home away from home.

Daniel Hacker recently accepted a University of Nebraska, Omaha (UNO) Division I college offer to play hockey, after two years with the Omaha Lancers junior hockey team.

Hacker finished the 2001 regular season as the fourth-leading scorer on the team and helped the Lancers sweep Des Moines in the first round of the USHL Clark Cup playoffs. They are well on their way to winning their second-round series against the Sioux Falls Stampede with a 3-2 victory Monday night.

Hacker entertained offers from Miami, Ohio University, Lake Superior State University, Notre Dame, and, most notably, Colorado College, where many Alaskan high school hockey players have hung their skates. But being able to play games in front of his family near his former Wasilla home did not sway Hacker's decision to attend UNO.

"I feel that I am coming into a better situation coming into Omaha," the 19-year-old said Tuesday. "I like Omaha. I thought they gave me a better offer."

The 6-foot, 180-pound Hacker, who had 15 goals and 40 points in 55 games this season for the Lancers, will enjoy a full ride as a Maverick in the Central College Hockey Association (CCHA).

"I'm looking forward to dorm life," he said. "I'm definitely looking forward to flying everywhere [instead of traveling by bus]."

The lure of participating in a relatively new hockey program weighed heavily in his decision to forego the more prestigious hockey schools. UNO will entertain only its third season as a Division I hockey program, but it already is climbing the CCHA ladder with its third-place finish this year.

"I see a lot of good players coming out of their program," Hacker said. "I see them as being a national champion within the next four years."

Hacker expects to see lots of playing time in his freshman year since UNO has several openings at the forward position. Off the ice, he plans on studying either business or engineering, according to an Omaha World-Herald story.