Ryan Guentzel Class: Freshman Hometown: Woodbury, MN Height / Weight: 6-0 / 176 Position: Forward Birthdate: 07/14/1986 Last Team: Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL)

Joins the Irish after playing the 2006-07 season with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League (USHL) ... talented playmaker with a nice touch around the net ... versatile player who will see playing time at right wing or center for the Irish ... helped lead Sioux Falls to the `06-'07 USHL Clark Cup championship ... was the second leading scorer for the Stampede in the regular season, helping them to a 34-21-5 record and fourth place in the USHL West Division ... had nine goals and a team-high 38 assists for 47 points ... his 38 assists tied him for 13th in the league and 47 points ranked him 31st overall ... in eight postseason games scored a pair of goals with three assists for five points as Sioux Falls defeated Waterloo in the USHL finals ... spent the 2005-06 season with the Southern Minnesota Express of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) ... was third in scoring with 20 goals and 35 assists for 55 points with six goals coming on the power play ... helped the Express to first place in the NAHL Central Division with a 35-17-6 record and the NAHL semifinals ... product of Hill-Murray High School where he was team captain and leading scorer for the Pioneers in 2004-05 ... had 17 goals and 31 assists for 48 points in 25 games and was an honorable mention all-state selection ... finished his Hill-Murray career with 114 points in three seasons ... was a teammate of current Notre Dame junior Garrett Regan at Hill-Murray in 2002-03 ... joins Regan (Hastings), Ryan Thang (Edina) and Mark Van Guilder (Roseville) as one of four Minnesota natives on the Irish roster ... one of 20 members of the Notre Dame roster to play in the USHL ... joined the Irish in the late-signing period (spring of `07).

PREP & PERSONAL: Graduated from Hill-Murray High School in Maplewood, Minn. ... lettered three seasons in hockey and two in golf for the Pioneers ... team captain of both teams as a senior ... two-time all-conference selection in hockey and once as a senior in golf ... as a junior qualified for the Minnesota State Golf Tournament ... full name is Ryan Michael Guentzel ... son of Mike and Sally Guentzel ... father, Mike, is an assistant hockey coach at the University of Minnesota where he also played college hockey ... has two brothers ... born July 14, 1986 in Maplewood, Minn. ... enrolled in First Year of Studies ... plans on majoring in business at Notre Dame.