Slot commits to Liberty University
The Utah Outliers are proud to announce that defenseman Tristan Slot has committed to play college hockey for Liberty University’s men's hockey program for the 2020-21 season. Liberty has established itself as a top program at the ACHA Div 1 level and Slot will join fellow Outliers teammate Matt Bartel as he begins his college career.
Slot, who grew up playing his youth hockey in Utah for various youth programs, joined the Outliers in 2018-19. He returned for the 2019-20 season where he was named an Assistant Captain of the team, helping lead the program to another winning season.
The 6' 2” puck moving defenseman played an integral role patrolling the Outliers blueline. In two seasons with the team, Slot played 89 games and scored 10 goals and 37 assists for 47 points.
After considering options at the NCAA level, Slot decided to make the commitment to play at Liberty. Slot had this to say regarding his commitment, "I'm beyond excited to play hockey for Liberty and begin my college academics. I chose to go to Liberty because it is considered one of the top 5 ACHA team's in the country and the campus is top notch. In visiting with the coaches, I felt like Liberty would be the best choice for me in regards to both hockey and life. I also like the fact that their psychology program is one of the top majors they offer, so that also played into my decision as well."
Of Slot's commitment to Liberty, Head Coach Paul Taylor said, "Tristan played a big part in our team's success over the past two seasons. He was a steady presence on our blueline and plays a solid two-way game. Tristan combines a blend of offensive skill and strong hockey IQ with a commitment to defend hard in his own zone. He played a lot of minutes for our team in all situations and showed good leadership with our group. I am proud of the work Tristan put forth to develop his game and become a top defenseman in our league this past season. I expect him to take another step in his game and assert himself at the college level."
Regarding his time with the Outliers, Slot said, "In my two seasons with the Outliers, I was able to come a long way as a player with the help of the coaches and the daily regimen of training offered by the program. Being surrounded by a staff who wants nothing but the best for you and will do anything for you to ensure you succeed, made the whole process extremely encouraging for me. I also enjoyed being surrounded by other elite caliber players that challenged me to get better on a daily basis. Overall, playing for the Outliers was a great experience and I wouldn't have it any different."
The Utah Outliers organization wants to thank Tristan for all his contributions to our program and wish him the best of luck in his college journey. We look forward to following Tristan's career at Liberty!