Joseph Dunlap feels at home with the Fargo Force, but far from satisfied.
In his second season in the United States Hockey League and first in Fargo, Dunlap, who turns 20 years old on Nov. 30, is seeking to increase his scoring output from a season ago, when he recorded 24 points (12-12-24) in 61 games with the Central Illinois Flying Aces.
“I definitely want to get my points up this year,” the forward asserted.
After playing at New Hampton School for two seasons, Dunlap, 6 feet, 185 pounds, initially found the transition to competing in the USHL slightly difficult. First off, the pace of the game was much quicker at the junior level. In addition, the USHL is much more systematic than prep school hockey.
“With the Flying Aces, we usually had a week of practice where we watched video and then had a practice based on the video,” Dunlap explained. “We worked on neutral-zone forecheck, offensive-zone forecheck and breakouts all week, and by the weekend in the games the coaches expected you to know your assignments and know your role.”
Those are just the differences at the rink. Off the ice, Dunlap was living far from home — New Hampton is only a 60-plus-mile drive from his residence in Windham, N.H. — and had to adjust to his new surroundings in that regard.
But after using the first handful of matches to get acclimated to the league, while simultaneously adapting to life outside the Granite State, Dunlap finally felt more at ease, and it showed. In his fourth game, a home contest vs. the Green Bay Gamblers, he recorded his first USHL goal and point. It marked his favorite moment of the season.
“That goal was definitely the highlight,” the right-handed shooter said. “Getting that puck and getting the first USHL goal on the board was great.”
Since the USHL is not only about winning, but also development, Dunlap had a list of personal achievements he wanted to check off in his first season.
“I wanted to work on my offensive-zone presence, get around the net and score as many greasy goals as I could, and take advantage of my shot opportunities,” Dunlap revealed. “Defensively, getting the puck out of our zone was the biggest thing for me as a winger. You have to get those pucks out at the blue line. You want to be trusted in intense games, and getting pucks out is one way to get the coaches to trust you more.”
In the beginning of the campaign, attaining those goals was a struggle for Dunlap with the defense and bigger players constantly pinching on him. Eventually, he “got the hang of it,” and he started chipping pucks off the high glass and using his speed to evade defenders.
“I’m strong and fast,” Dunlap said, “so I tried to just get pucks on net, be hard and heavy in the corners, and finish all my hits.”
Unfortunately for Dunlap and his teammates, the Flying Aces’ season ended without a playoff berth. And as difficult as not making the postseason was to accept, that wasn’t even the worst aspect of the campaign for Central Illinois. The topper was when the Flying Aces announced that the franchise was going dormant for the 2019-20 season.
“My teammates and I were very close, and a lot of the guys were returning to the USHL, so it was a heartbreaker because you wanted to see how you would do together this year,” Dunlap lamented. “We were excited for this season, and when we found that out it was devastating because we wouldn’t be with each other.”
The USHL held a dispersal draft in April, and the Force plucked Dunlap with their second pick, the 13th overall selection.
“We were impressed by his speed, his tenacity, his attacking of the net, and the way he plays the game fast and with a great deal of hustle,” Force president of hockey operations and general manager Cary Eades said. “He’s pretty quiet and soft-spoken off the ice and lets his play do his talking for him. He has shown good progression.”
Despite the upsetting fact that he wouldn’t be playing with most of his Flying Aces pals this season, Dunlap was thrilled that the Force was the organization that chose him. Plus, he still gets to keep tabs on his former teammates, directly or indirectly.
“It’s fun now because, even though we all are on different teams, we get to play against former teammates almost every game,” Dunlap said. “It’s good to stay connected with all of them.”
Dunlap didn’t make the trek from Central Illinois to Fargo alone. He was joined by two Flying Aces teammates, forward Lynden Breen and defenseman Max Bronstine.
“It was good to come with those two,” Dunlap stated. “But all the guys are tight; the coaching staff is amazing; the facility is great. I feel at home here.”
He feels just as comfortable with his new billet family, too.
“My billets both years have been great, phenomenal people,” Dunlap said. “Last year, I had two billet brothers, and this year I have one. They are just like my brothers. I’m close with the families. It takes a little time getting used to being far from home, but after eating with the family and spending some time with them you feel comfortable.”
Of course, his family, especially his younger brother, Jake, a fellow forward and New Hampton product who’s in his first North American Hockey League season with the Janesville Jets, is just a phone call away, too.
“My brother is my best friend, my closest ally, so I talk to him on a daily basis,” Dunlap said. “We push each other in the summer in the gym and on the ice. We play similarly, with speed. And I love him, so we go to bat for each other.”
Dunlap’s plans beyond this season are to be determined. He was originally going to attend the College of the Holy Cross starting with the 2020-21 campaign but recently decommitted.
What is for certain is that wherever Dunlap plays next season, he desires to go in as a champion.
“I want to win a Clark Cup this year,” Dunlap concluded. “That’s the goal.”
