ST. CLOUD — It is customary for Adam Ingram to take a nap and lay in bed in the afternoon before a game.
The nap he took on Friday in Omaha was a bit longer than normal for the St. Cloud State freshman forward from West St. Paul, Manitoba.
"I had a three-hour nap before the game and had quite a bit of energy," Ingram said. "It's my ritual before the game and I was feeling good."
So what is his typical pregame nap?
"I'll probably be in bed for 2 1/2 hours, but I normally only sleep for an hour and 45 (minutes) or two hours," he said. "As much as I can, pretty much.
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"We'll normally have our pregame meal and I'll nap right after. I'll get up, have a water, take a shower and I'm feeling pretty good."
Maybe three hours should be the goal. Friday night, Ingram had two goals and three assists to become the second SCSU freshman to have five or more points in a game. Sandy Gasseau had six points in a game on Jan. 19, 1992, against Western Ontario.
Ingram scored on both of his shots and two of his assists came on power-play goals by Grant Cruikshank in a game that helped him be named the NCHC Rookie of the Week.
"I just felt confident with the puck and I thought our line was really clicking on Friday," said Ingram, who was playing on a line with sophomore center Mason Salquist and junior wing Veeti Miettinen.
The productive night against the Mavericks ended a five-game stretch when he did not have a point. This weekend, he will be looking for something similar to when he had two goals and an assist against Minnesota Duluth in a game on Jan. 27.
The Huskies (11-8-3 NCHC, 19-10-3 overall) play host to Minnesota Duluth (9-13, 14-17-1) in the last series of the regular season. SCSU and UMD play at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday (both on FOX 9+) at the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center.
Growing as a player
Ingram was taken in the third round (82nd overall) in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by the Nashville Predators after having 26 goals and 55 points in 54 games as a United States Hockey League rookie for the Youngstown Phantoms.
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Going into the final weekend of the regular season, Ingram has six goals, 19 points and is winning 54% of his puck battles in 30 games.
"I think I've definitely gotten a lot stronger and been able to play more in the physical areas," said Ingram, a 19-year-old who is listed at 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds. "At the (season's) start, I hadn't been quite as good. I hadn't played hockey as physical and strong as these guys. I think I've adjusted to that better throughout the season.
"I think I've also gotten better on my wall play and there's a couple more shots I wish had gone in. It was nice to see those go in (Friday) because you need that as a confidence booster."
Ingram has shown flashes of the depth of his talent throughout the season. His second goal of the season was on Oct. 29 against Bemidji State. After being stopped on a breakaway, he stole the puck just inside the BSU blue line, did a toe drag between his legs and beat goalie Gavin Enright over his right shoulder with a backhand shot.
Like many freshmen, he's had his ups and downs. Ingram has had three five-game stretches this season without a point in a game. But SCSU coach Brett Larson said that Ingram's overall game is making good progress.
"The flashes are becoming more consistent," Larson said. "Those type of flashes are becoming more common and the rest of his game is getting better. He's getting better on the forecheck. He's getting better at protecting pucks.
"He has the puck more. When he has the puck more, good things happen. With his physical growth and development in additional strength and size, I think we're going to see a kid grow up here in St. Cloud to be a heck of a hockey player. He's got the talent."
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Getting back to school
Among the things that Ingram is enjoying in college is being closer to home. He played last season in Youngstown, Ohio, which is about 1,300 miles miles away from the suburb of Winnipeg where he grew up.
Playing for the Huskies, his parents and grandparents have been able to make the 6 1/2-hour drive to several games this season.
"They've been down here quite a bit and (my parents) have probably been down here 5-6 times," Ingram said. "It's been nice. I probably saw them once or twice last year."
And Ingram is also finding his way in the locker room and his personality is beginning to show with his teammates.
"He's funny," SCSU graduate student center Grant Cruikshank said. "He's a bit of a clown and I say that in the best way. He's always got the guys laughing and he's joking around. He's got kind of a funny taste in music.
"He brings some good energy to the rink every single day and he's awesome to be around."
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