North Dakota goalie Scheel gives up senior season with Fighting Hawks, signs NHL contract with Dallas

Adam Scheel was a rock between the pipes this season for North Dakota (photo: Mark Kuhlmann).

North Dakota junior goalie Adam Scheel signed a free-agent, entry-level deal with the Dallas Stars Thursday evening.

Scheel forgoes his senior season with the Fighting Hawks.

In 78 games over the past three seasons, Scheel set the new UND program record for career GAA, posting a 1.95 overall mark for the Fighting Hawks.

Scheel was a Mike Richter Award finalist this season, recording 20 wins and helping North Dakota to a 22-6-1 overall mark with NCHC regular-season and tournament titles. The Lakewood, Ohio, native was an All-NCHC First Team honoree, finishing the regular season with an NCHC-leading 16 wins with a 1.80 GAA, a .929 save percentage and four shutouts. He then won four more games in the postseason and played all five overtimes of an epic 3-2 loss in the NCAA Midwest Regional final against Minnesota Duluth, making a career-high 51 saves.

His 52 career wins ranks tied for seventh in program history despite playing just three seasons. In addition to setting the career GAA mark, Scheel is also in the top 10 in winning percentage (2nd, .727), save percentage (5th, .916) and shutouts (6th, 7) at North Dakota.