Boltz plays key role for Team North Dakota 16U

IRVINE, Calif. — Collin Boltz had an elevated role on the Dickinson Mavericks during the 2025-26 season. He was playing more minutes and set career highs across the board with 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 22 games.

But he was only scratching the surface once his season ended in mid-February. Boltz was getting ready to compete at the 2026 Chipotle-USA Hockey Youth Tier II 16U National Tournament for Team North Dakota.

It was a week-long tournament in Irvine, Calif., and he helped the program win its third Tier II 16U 1A title after cruising past Team Wyoming 9-0 in the championship game back on Sunday, March 29.

It was the third time in the state’s history that it took home a national championship trophy.

“At the beginning, we were kind of nervous. The semi-final game was [we won] 4-2 and the team that we played in the championship beat them by three,” Boltz said. “So we were thinking that they were going to be a little better. But once we got that first goal, we just hammered them.”

USA Nationals is one of the biggest youth hockey tournaments in the country, ranging from players ages 14 and under, all the way to the prep level for both boys and girls. All national teams hold tryouts in May and the final roster is made up of some of the best players in the state in both the east and west regions.

“That was a team that I’ve wanted to try out for a long time, and my parents finally let me try out,” Boltz said. “I wanted to see competition from other places and maybe get some exposure, and just play more hockey.”

Boltz tried out for the Tier I team, but didn’t make the final roster. However, he earned a spot on the Tier II squad and played a critical bottom-six role. One of the first things he noticed was how the pace of play was much slower than high school.

Courtesy / Collin Boltz

In five games, he tallied two points (one goal, one assist) and played heavy minutes as a third-line winger. His goal came against the Portland Jr. Winterhawks on March 27 in a dominant 8-0 victory. North Dakota was a very deep team with lots of scoring depth, and that was one of the biggest keys to winning the championship.

“It was great. We played well the whole time. We won every game. It was kind of nice because there was only one game a day, so you had the rest of the time to play on the beach or something,” Boltz said. “Just getting to travel around to new places, playing [against] different kids and playing with different kids too.”

The best aspect of Boltz’s game has always been his hard and heavy shot. That’s what caught the eyes of the coaching staff and why he was selected as one of 20 members to make the team. But he’s not afraid to go in the corners and play the body to get the puck.

“When he hits the net, there’s a good chance it goes in, and then he plays a pretty heavy game too down in the corners and when he’s attacking the puck,” Team North Dakota head coach Jared Cowden said. “His play style definitely caught the eyes of a few people who were on the evaluating staff.”

Dickinson has had a few players compete at nationals. Former Dickinson High defenseman Kaeden Krieg played for Team North Dakota Tier I 16U back in 2023. It meant a lot to Boltz to be the lone representative of his team and school.

“It’s pretty cool. But I think I have a feeling that some of our players, if they tried out, they could probably be on the team too,” Boltz said.

Now heading into his junior season, Boltz is hoping to use this experience to take another step in his development.

“I think it just helps you realize my competition and what I need to do to be better than the other kids that I play,” Boltz said. “It just tells me how much more I need to train during the summer.”

Jacob Cheris covers a variety of high school and college sports. A graduate of Penn State University’s class of 2023, with a degree in broadcast journalism, he covered Penn State Men’s Hockey for three years. Jacob also covers Big Ten Hockey for College Hockey News.