MARQUETTE – The Northern Michigan University hockey team has announced its fourth freshman recruit for next season.

Philip Beaulieu, 20, has spent the past two seasons playing in the U.S. Hockey League for the Waterloo, Iowa, Black Hawks in 2014-15 and for the Madison, Wisconsin, Capitols last season.

In those two years covering 120 games, the 5-foot-10, 194-pound defenseman accumulated 43 points including 11 goals. Last year with the Capitols, he had 14 points and one goal in 60 games.

“Phil is a solid defender with excellent puck skills,” NMU head hockey coach Walt Kyle said. “He has two years of USHL experience and will add depth to our team at defense.”

Before playing in the USHL, Beaulieu skated for Duluth, East High School (Minn.) for four seasons, graduating in 2014. He was one of 10 finalists for Minnesota’s 2014 Mr. Hockey award and helped the Greyhounds reach the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament each year.

As a senior, he led Duluth East in scoring from the blue line, recording 38 points with 17 goals in 25 regular-season games. As a junior, he also played for Team North in the Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League, posting 11 points in 21 games.

Beaulieu got a taste of USHL action while still in high school, logging 10 games for Fargo, North Dakota, in 2012-13 and 16 contests for Fargo and Waterloo in 2013-14.

Beaulieu is NMU’s fourth member of the class of 2020.

Kyle said he plans to add at least two more players to the class of 2020 before next season starts

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.