Benilde-St. Margaret's Boys' Hockey

Benilde-St. Margaret’s junior right wing and assistant captain Grant Besse has made a verbal commitment to attend the University of Wisconsin and play hockey for the Badgers.

Coming off a five-point outing in Saturday’s 7-0 win over St. Louis Park, Besse leads the Red Knights in assists (20), points (30) and shots on goal (69). This marks the third consecutive season in which he has reached 20 assists.

In his third varsity season, Besse ranks second in school history with 73 goals and, with 60 career assists, he is fourth all-time with 133 career points, doing so in 65 games. He has not missed a game in his three seasons.

A two-time All-North Suburban Conference selection, Besse earned honorable mention all-state honors from the Associated Press and the St. Paul Pioneer Press last season.

"I decided on Wisconsin because of the strong relationship that I’ve developed with the coaching staff," Besse said. "Playing in the Big 10 Conference, which is going to be one of the best conferences, if not the best, in the country and being able to play in the atmosphere of the Kohl Center and against the top teams will be incredible.

"Along with the strong academics at Wisconsin, I felt that this was the best fit for me."

Benilde-St. Margaret’s head coach Ken Pauly has been impressed this season with Besse’s dedication to the sport and the work the 5-10, 175-pound junior has put into improving his game.

"I don’t know of any player who worked harder than Grant in the offseason," Pauly said. "He is going to continue to get better and he will be a great college player.

"We’re proud to have another one of our players commit to a high-quality college program," Pauly added. "When you think of the top programs in the country, Wisconsin is on the short list. I know that it’s a dream of Grant’s to play for the Badgers and we are very glad for him and his family."

Known primarily for his goal-scoring prowess, Besse has reached the 30-goal plateau in each of his first two season, with a 30-goal season as a freshman before posting 33 goals last season. He is just one of only three Red Knight players to put together back-to-back 30-goal seasons and is the only one to do so in his freshman-sophomore seasons.

Besse is the second BSM boys hockey player to verbally accept a scholarship this season. A week earlier, linemate Dan Labosky committed to Colorado College.

With his choice of Wisconsin, he becomes the third student-athlete from Benilde-St. Margaret’s in four years to choose the Badgers. Last year, Besse’s teammate, Patrick Daly, accepted a scholarship and is currently a freshman on the Badger hockey team. In 2008, basketball player Jordan Taylor joined the Badgers and, now a senior, has become an All-American at Wisconsin.

Per NCAA rules, Wisconsin cannot sign Besse to a National Letter of Intent until his senior year in high school and he is expected to sign during the November, 2012, signing period.