TRAIL, British Columbia — Former Benilde-St. Margaret's leading scorer Adam Marshall has announced his commitment to play Division I hockey at Army West Point.
Marshall played four seasons of varsity hockey for the Red Knights and lead the team in total points in both 2020-21 and 2021-22.
The Minnesota native grew up around the sport of hockey and started skating around the age of 2. "It's kind of been in my family blood forever, so I was born being a hockey player really," said Marshall.
The 5-foot-10 forward grew up in Wayzata and played for their youth organization before heading to Benilde-St. Margaret's for high school. The skater had his most impressive season his senior year, posting 47 points in 28 games.
Marshall is actually the sixth player from the Benilde-St. Margaret's 2021-22 roster to earn a Division I commitment. The other five are Brady Yakesh (Minnesota), Drew Stewart (Notre Dame), Tristan Sarsland (Clarkson), Brendan McMorrow (Denver), and Michael Risteau (Western Michigan).
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The 19-year-old started to consider his opportunities in junior hockey while competing in the Upper Midwest High School Elite League in 2021. Marshall did appear in four games for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL in 2020-21, but wasn't sure if he would be able to make that roster for the full season after high school.
He started to connect with coaches from the British Columbia Hockey League during that time and decided that it would be the best path for his development when the time came.
Now, in 30 games with the Trail Smoke Eaters of the BCHL, Marshall has posted 18 points (nine goals and nine assists).
Earlier in the season during the BCHL showcase, Army West Point watched the forward and started conversations with him. Marshall officially announced his commitment to play for the Black Knights on Jan. 4.
Commitment!
— Trail Smoke Eaters (@BCHLSmokeEaters) January 9, 2023
Smoke Eaters forward Adam Marshall commits to Army West Point for 2024/25!
Details: https://t.co/I1Nu3bOv6M
Congratulations Adam on your NCAA commitment! #WeAreSmokeEaters pic.twitter.com/l7JEN50DeG
The United States Military Academy is located in West Point, New York, which is about an hour north of New York City. The Black Knights typically have a handful of Minnesotans on their hockey roster, and Marshall is one of a couple of players from the state currently committed to the program.
"Wow, this place is pretty special," said Marshall after visiting the campus. "It kind of just had it all, it was something I really couldn't pass up," he added.
The Wayzata native has been playing on the left wing for the Smoke Eaters and prides himself on being a point-scorer along with someone who can also work hard on defense.
"I can score goals and play 200-feet. Scoring is one of the best aspects of my game and just playing hard on the defensive side of the puck too," he said.
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Trail is currently towards the bottom of the standings of the Interior Division of the BCHL, but are within only a few points of the next few teams above them.
"We've had a lot of ups and downs," said Marshall. "We have the talent, but we have to find a way to bring it all together and play complete games."
The 19-year-old will continue to play in the BCHL this season and plans to play junior hockey for one more year before heading to Army West Point in the fall of 2024.
