Eden Prairie forward Kyle Rau and his family used to hold Gophers men's hockey season tickets, allowing Kyle to visit Mariucci Arena "at least once a weekend."
Now Rau is on track to make more frequent appearances at that rink. Rau, a 5-9, 165-pound center, said he committed to the Gophers for the 2011-12 season on Sunday. He will play his senior year with the Eagles and will enter college as a true freshman.
"It's always been a dream to play for the Gophers," said Rau, whose older brother, Chad, played at Colorado College.
Rau tallied 77 points last season and emerged as one of the state's most electrifying players. He helped the Eagles win a Class 2A state title as a sophomore and led them back to the section finals last season.
Rau, a Star Tribune all-metro first team selection, chose the Gophers over Denver and North Dakota.
