Orono's Ryskamp selected Class A Herb Brooks Award Winner

Orono senior forward Iyla Ryskamp was selected the recipient of the Class A Herb Brooks Award on Saturday, Feb. 26, 2022 at the Xcel Energy Center in downtown St. Paul.

The annual award is presented to a state tournament participant that strongly represents the values, characteristics and traits that defined Herb Brooks, a St. Paul native that gained international fame as a hockey coach. The award commemorates the unending influence that Brooks had on the sport of hockey, not just in Minnesota, but throughout the world.

Ryskamp helped power the Spartans to the third-place trophy with five goals and an assist in three state tournament games. The Sacred Heart University recruit finished the season with 47 goals and 42 assists.

“Iyla will not only go down as the greatest player to wear an Orono Spartan sweater, but she will also be the best captain I have seen in my four years at Orono,” Spartans coach Sean Fish said. “This is her second season of wearing the “C.” She obviously let’s her play speak for herself, but she is a true leader on and off the ice. She does a great job of making sure everyone feels like they are a part of something special and it takes a special leader to be able to do that.”

Ryskamp has a 4.0 (weighted) grade-point average.

“Iyla is an extremely passionate individual in the classroom and on the ice,” Fish said. “ She maintains an impressive GPA in the classroom while giving us everything she has every single practice and game. Her passion for the game of hockey is second to none. Sure, she has a lot of natural ability, but she works hard at her craft on and off the ice. She is the epitome of what this award is all about. She represents our program with pride and shows future players what it means and what it takes to be a true Spartan.”