FARGO — Forward Tyden Bergeson slowly floated from the corner toward the front of the net during a Madison Capitols power play against Green Bay in early November.
Madison moved the puck effortlessly throughout the Green Bay zone. Bergeson crept just inside the left circle, as the puck made its way from the point down the left wall to Capitols forward Gustavs Griva.
Griva snapped a quick pass to Bergeson, who buried a one-timer to extend his team-high goal tally to 11 for the Capitols of the USHL.
It was the final point tallied by Bergeson before he returned to Moorhead to play out his final season with the Spuds boys hockey team.
“You just keep the ball rolling,” said Bergeson, who still leads Madison in goals scored. “You take what you’ve learned the past couple of months in the USHL and apply it here. Hopefully, you can keep lighting the lamp.”
Bergeson has eight points (3 goals, 5 assists) for Moorhead in four games. The Spuds (4-0) have outscored opponents 24-8 and won every game by at least two goals.
Tyden Bergeson hits the puck during Moorhead Spuds hockey practice on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Moorhead Sports Center.
Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum
Moorhead is ranked No. 1 in Minnesota Class 2A boys hockey.
“Everyone’s really contributed well,” Bergeson said.
Bergeson is one of three players returning to the Spuds after stints in junior hockey during the fall, including senior defenseman Brandon Mickelson and junior forward Zac Zimmerman (Fargo Force).
Mickelson appeared in one game for the Wenatchee Wild of the WHL, which is under the CHL umbrella, before suffering a shoulder injury. The injury had little effect on his return to Moorhead.
“The main factor was coming back to play with my friends,” said Mickelson, who has three goals and four assists in four games. “(Coming back) was probably the plan anyway.”
He added the WHL is a more physical, faster style of hockey compared to Minnesota high school hockey.
The trio have combined for seven goals and 14 assists to start the season.
“To add those veterans, not only their points, but also their experience and leadership has been awesome,” said Moorhead head coach Jon Ammerman.
Joey Cullen moves the puck during Moorhead Spuds hockey practice on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Moorhead Sports Center.
Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum
Inversely, sophomore forward Joey Cullen leads the Spuds with six goals and six assists in four games.
Cullen, the youngest of Matt Cullen’s three children, is ranked the No. 1 American player in the 2010-born class by Puck Preps.
“I’ve been most impressed with his work ethic,” Ammerman said of Cullen. “He’s done a lot of little things that you don’t usually expect out of a sophomore.”
Moorhead hosts St. Michael-Albertville at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, at Moorhead Sports Center.
Mickelson said a difference maker in the early stages of the season has been the team’s abundant roster.
“We have a lot of depth up front,” Mickelson said. “There’s so many guys that have multiple points . . . and our D-corps is solid. We can roll six (defenseman).”
After graduating from North Dakota State University, Haugland joined the Forum in January of 2023. Readers can reach him at 701-241-5508 or by emailing ahaugland@forumcomm.com