(Written: June 2012)
David Graichen is not just one of the top goaltenders, but one of the greatest hockey players in the history of UW-Superior. During the 1994-95 season, Graichen led the Yellowjackets to a fourth-place finish in the NCAA and received All-America First Team honors. The following season, Graichen earned All-America Second Team recognition as the Yellowjackets again finished fourth.
In his senior season, Graichen posted the best numbers of his career and achieved All-America First Team status once again, while leading the Yellowjackets to a runner-up finish at the NCAA championships. In the national semifinals that year, the Yellowjackets won in double overtime, thanks in part to Graichen’s clutch performance, setting a then-NCAA record with 69 saves. One of five players to play in four straight NCAA tournaments, Graichen led several goaltending categories at UW-Superior, including games played, wins, goals against average and saves at the time of his graduation. He was inducted into the UW-Superior Hall of Fame in 2007.
In 2012, he was named to the WIAC All-Time Men’s Ice Hockey Team in conjunction with the WIAC Centennial Celebration.
Graichen earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and resides in Weston, Conn.