MASON CITY, Iowa – Hockey is for everyone, and Washington, D.C. native Marquise Cotten found at an early age that he and the sport of hockey make a pretty good match.
The Mason City Toros are excited to announce Cotten’s hiring as the team’s first-ever assistant coach. Cotten will help to usher in a new era of junior hockey in Mason City as the team begins its inaugural season.
“I’m super excited to be given the opportunity to come to such a great hockey town and help continue the growth of the game in Mason City,” said Cotten.
Cotten played youth hockey under U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer Neal Henderson as a member of the Fort Dupont club program, before attending Gonzaga College High School and spending a season at the Bridgton Academy in Maine. He would go on to play collegiate hockey at Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania and Rowan University in New Jersey, and played a season of junior hockey with the Washington Jr. Nationals in the former Metropolitan Junior Hockey League.
Since finishing his playing career, Cotten has returned to the nation’s capital, serving as an assistant coach on the Gonzaga College High School varsity hockey team, and has also assisted with the Washington Little Capitals AAA program.
Cotten will serve under Nick Bruneteau, whose hiring as the Toros’ head coach was announced earlier this month. Bruneteau comes to the area after a six-year professional playing career, spending the last five of those seasons in Europe. North Iowa Bulls head coach and general manager Todd Sanden will also continue to assist in building the Toros’ roster ahead of the 2021-22 season.
“We are excited and proud to announce the hiring of Marquise as the assistant coach for the Mason City Toros,” said Sanden. “Coming from the U18 AAA level with the Little Caps, Marquise has the knowledge and ability to work with motivated athletes.”
The Toros will replace the defending Fraser Cup champion Bulls in the NA3HL and its rugged West Division in 2021-22. North Iowa won eight division titles and four national championships in their first decade on the ice, and are elevating from the NA3HL to the North American Hockey League ahead of the upcoming season.
Mason City Toros season tickets are now on sale, with extra incentives for fans who purchase North Iowa Bulls season tickets for the 2021-22 NAHL season. For additional information, call 641-423-4625, visit www.masoncitytoros.com, or follow the team’s new social media platforms on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
