March 23 issue - Minnesota's Best!

Thanks for attending the 2017 Let’s Play Hockey Expo See you in 2018!

Volume XLV • Number 25 • Issue 1212

March 23, 2017

www.letsplayhockey.com

20 17 Minnesot 201 Minnesotaa Hoc Hockk ey SStt at atee Champions Top row (l-r): Minnetonka Junior Gold A, Moorhead Junior Gold B, Minnetonka Blue Junior Gold 16U. Second row (l-r): White Bear Lake Bantam AA, Edina Bantam A, Edina Green Bantam B1. Third row (l-r): Chaska/Chanhassen PeeWee AA, Johnson/Como/North St. Paul PeeWee A, Edina Green PeeWee B1. Fourth row (l-r): Edina 19U, Andover 15U A, Anoka-Rogers 15U B Bottom row (l-r): Edina 12U A, Wayzata Blue 12U B. Check inside for full coverage of the Minnesota Hockey State Tournaments.

INSIDE JACK BLA THERWICK BLATHERWICK

ANDY NESS

DA VE SCHWARTZ DAVE

MIKE RICHTER A WARD AWARD

Get faster this summer with and without pucks

Skating in the offseason

Lee Stecklein’s charmed hockey life

Finalists announced for fourth annual award

PAGE 3

PAGE 4

PAGE 6

PAGE 15

WHATEVER YOU AIM FOR,

VISIT OWN THE MOMENT HOCKEY EXPERIENCE IN BLOOMINGTON GET FITTED BY A PERSONAL FIT EXPERT TODAY 758 American Blvd. W Bloomington, MN 612.915.0790 ©2016 BAUER Hockey, Inc. and its affiliates. All rights reserved. NHL and the NHL Shield are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League.

NHL and NHL team marks are the property of the NHL and its teams. teams ©NHL 2016.

2016 All Rights Reserved.

Reserved

LetsPlayHockey_Nexus_1N_Stick_FullPage_10.125x16in.indd 1

12/5/16 4:54 PM

www.letsplayhockey.com

Let’s Play Hockey

March 23, 2017

3

Get faster this summer with and without pucks Your future depends on it

By Jack Blatherwick Let’s Play Hockey Columnist To be sure, no one plays at a high level without rink sense, creativity, confidence, poise and a competitive desire to win puck battles. However, make sure your training also prioritizes skating speed, quickness, agility and efficiency. Before investing time and energy, ask questions.

Are on-ice overspeed intervals included so you elevate your comfort zone this summer?

Overspeed practice means repeating skills at a pace that is uncomfortably fast – faster than ever before. One critical skill is also the simplest: racing straight ahead against your training partner (60-100 feet) hundreds of times. Count the total races this offseason; aim for 500. Skate corners so fast you’ll fall once in awhile. Carry pucks through a maze of obstacles like equipment bags or cones or loose pucks – keeping your head up while stickhandling. Add shooting, passing and receiving without slowing down.

In other words, elevate your comfort zone.

If your summer hockey is mostly competitive games, you won’t get enough super-fast reps to improve speed, quickness and agility. Summer competition is great, but it reinforces present habits, and that’s not fast enough to increase your speed.

Consider that if you’re a defenseman, you will rarely skate super-fast in games. The smarter you are, the fewer times you need to skate full speed, because you skate only as fast as the competitive situation dictates.

If you’re a forward, video analysis shows you probably accelerate for only 1.5 seconds, then decelerate when you’re headed in the right direction, and accelerate again when the situation changes. This is certainly not an adequate stimulus to increase your speed.

Let’s Play Hockey @LetsPlay_Hockey March 21 Maple Grove HS senior forward Sam Huff has committed to @GopherHockey. He had totals of 23-46-69 in 28 games this season.

March 21 3 Minnesota natives have signed pro contracts so far: RPI F Parker Reno (Edina) Maine D Eric Schurhamer (St. Paul) Omaha D Luc Snuggerud (EP) March 21 St. Thomas F Thomas Williams (Alexandria, MN) has been named a finalist for the Sid Watson Award (best Division III men's hockey player).

March 20 In his first weekend back in the USHL with Green Bay, @MrHockeyAward winner Casey Mittelstadt (Eden Prairie) named USHL Forward of the Week.

March 20 East Ridge HS sophomore D Addi Scribner has committed to Ohio State.

March 17 2 Minnesota natives named First Team Division III AllAmericans: St. Thomas F Kathryn Larson (Shoreview), UWRF F Dani Sibley (Monticello) March 17 UW-River Falls F Dani Sibley (Monticello, MN) was named the 2017 Laura Hurd Award winner as the best women's hockey player in Division III. March 17 Sibley recorded totals of 27-38--65 in 29 games this season, leading the nation in assists and SHG March 17 A pair of @GopherWHockey Minnesota natives were named Division I All-Americans: D Lee Stecklein (Roseville) F Kelly Pannek (Plymouth)

Are off-ice sprints a major priority?

Sprints are underrated because gurus can’t make money by saying, “Go sprint.” They need expensive gimmicks to sell their programs, yet sprint acceleration is highly related to skating acceleration. I can – I have – and I will supply the evidence. Those with gimmicks cannot.

Does your strength training improve explosiveness or is it just isolated slow strength?

Explosive jumps are also highly related to skating acceleration (also an evidence-based claim), and the bonus is they increase strength and muscle mass as surely as a body-building program. When you do sets of repeated non-stop jumps, the instantaneous peak forces are greater than you could ever attain with squats (6-8 times your body weight)! No question, tradi-

tional strength exercises like squats are valuable when coordinated with jumps, so include many one-legged jumps, some sideto-side like skating and always using good skater’s knee bend.

Add a slide board at home. It’s easy to build and returns the favor by lengthening and widening your stride. Focus on knee bend and swing your arms naturally.

Is much of your program specific to skating?

Chip Kelly, while he was the Oregon football coach, famously said, “If someone visits our training any time of year – if they can’t tell right away that our identity is SPEED SPEED, we’re having a bad day, and we’ll make changes.” Well, if someone visits your training this summer and can’t tell that you’re working to be a powerful skater, are you having a bad day? Speedskating workouts are a good model. You’ll see a lot of hip abduction, which is side-to-side force like skating. If this is missing in your offseason program, add it right away.

You have one adolescent life – only a few years to improve skating speed and quickness. Your goals will only be achieved if you get it right as soon as possible. Demand the BEST hockey training program, because you will invest your BEST effort.

4

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey

www.letsplayhockey.com

Skating in the offseason

By Andy Ness So the offseason is here, now what? We know we need to skate and train but what should we do? What should we focus on?

The first thing that we have to understand is that after a long season, certain things start to happen in our skating. The most common technique flaws that start to show their head after a full season are lack of knee bend, choppy stride and a skater being bent over at the waist.

The majority of practices in the winter are designed to work power play, breakouts, forecheck, D-zone, etc. In the offseason, we must get back to working on our individual skill such as shooting, puck-handling, passing, and of course, skating.

What should we do first? As summer approaches, we will have a number of pro and college skaters that will be doing privates and small groups. With these groups, we will always start with edges and balance.

Challenging edge and balance drills are the key. Getting the skater to build a strong base and have a solid edge into the ice is the overall goal.

The same applies with balance. We need to get the skater to get down low and in a

position in which they will eventually become comfortable lower than 90 degrees.

Most of this can be done slowly focusing on just the technique.

These skaters will not have to play competitively for a long time, so getting back to the fundamentals is crucial. This will take some time and repetition, but it is key to begin building a strong skating foundation again.

We will then progressively work through all of the skating skills at a very slow speed.

The whole idea is based around technique.

Throughout a one-hour lesson, I will typically focus on three skills at a time and work ceaselessly on technique. The skater must make sure the pushes are in the right direction, the upper body is under control, the edges are solid into the ice, and most importantly, the knee bend is low enough.

Skating skills should be worked on progressively. What this means is that you would not teach a stride and then go to back crossovers immediately after. Picking and matching skills is always a good idea when starting to work technique. Continue doing this slow until the skater is really getting comfortable with his/her form and tech-

nique.

Remember, working on a skill incorrectly fast is only reinforcing bad habits. I use the analogy of a golf drive. Anyone can go out and swing a golf club as hard as they can over and over, but if their technique is horrible, nothing is going to change and you are only reinforcing a horrible golf swing. Practicing only makes permanent, so make sure you are doing the skills properly.

After I see that the skater’s technique is strong and efficient, we will then begin to start doing some overspeed. Overspeed has been a buzzword of late and is a fantastic tool if done properly. If you are doing overspeed, you are skating out of your comfort zone. The idea is that eventually you will build a new comfort zone that is even faster and quicker. For example, if you are doing crossovers at full speed, you are trying to get your feet moving so fast that you may fall or lose the puck (if you are carrying one). The repetition of doing these skills will get you faster, but again, make sure technique stays sound at this speed.

Finally, we will do what is called overload.

Overload is similar to technique work, but the drills that are done are longer in dura-

The Let’s Play Hockey Expo is set for March 9-10, 2018 at the St. Paul RiverCentre.

Follow Let’s Play Hockey on Twitter @LetsPlay_Hockey

tion with a few different skating skills implemented in one drill. With the older skaters, we will add a weight vest (in the photo) to make sure the knees stay bent and focus on strengthening the skater’s legs. These drills typically last about 30 seconds. The skater is always striving to be at 90 degrees with their knee flex and exaggerating every push from their edge. At the end of the drill, the skater will get about a 60-90 second rest. depending on the number of skaters.

This is how we always finish our practice.

We always save about 15-18 minutes at the end to do this; again a great way to work the skater at the end.

Now you can have an idea of what skaters can and should do to improve their skating in the summer. Now is the time to work and really focus on getting better. Remember, all people are created with an equal opportunity to become unequal. The hard work will pay off.

Andy Ness is the head skating and skill coach for the Minnesota Wild. He has also been an assistant skating instructor for the New Jersey Devils, the University of Minnesota men’s and women’s hockey teams and the U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey Team.

‘Like’ Let’s Play Hockey on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ letsplayhockey

Our PPar ar tner artner tnerss

Let’s Play Hockey 13 7th Street S. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 phone: (320) 333-3279 E-mail: letsplay@letsplayhockey.com E-mail team articles, photos and scores to editor@letsplayhockey.com Founded in 1972 by Bob Utecht ISSN 0889-4795 Publisher Bryan Zollman • (320) 333-3279

Managing Editor Kevin Kurtt • (952) 288-9319

Metro Delivery Metro Distribution

Graphic Design David Terry

LET’S PLAY HOCKEY (LPH) is a newspaper devoted to covering all levels of hockey. LPH is published 29 times per year — once monthly in June, July, August and September; three times in October; and weekly November through April. Deadlines for news and camera-ready advertising are Mondays preceding each issue. Advertisements to be typeset must be in LPH office by the preceding Friday. All editorial copy, advertisements and photos remain the property of LET’S PLAY HOCKEY. LPH reserves the right to edit submitted stories and letters to the editor for length, grammar, punctuation and clarity.

29-issue subscription rates (U.S. funds): $60 one-year, third-class delivery $102 two-year, third-class delivery $105 one-year, first-class delivery $115 one-year, Canadian delivery

Assistant Editor Beth Kurtt Columnists Jack Blatherwick, John Hamre, Kevin Hartzell, Rob LaPrade, John Russo Contributors Jeff Hall, Tim Kolehmainen, Josh Levine, Mark Lichtenfeld, Kim McCullough, Andy Ness, Andrew Vitalis, Pete Waggoner Photography Mike Thill, Christine Wisch, Nick Wosika

Additional copies or back issues may be purchased by sending $3 to the LPH office. Send subscription inquiries, address changes and/or payments to: LET’S PLAY HOCKEY 13 7th Street S. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 or call (320) 333-3279 with questions.

The opinions expressed in LET’S PLAY HOCKEY are not necessarily those of Let’s Play Hockey or Z Media, Inc., but of the individual columnists themselves.

No articles or features may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher or the editor of Let’s Play Hockey. ©2017 Z Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

LPH is online at www.letsplayhockey.com

March 23, 2017

www.letsplayhockey.com

5

Inside Minnesota Hockey www.minnesotahockey.org Minnesota Hockey, an affiliate of USA Hockey, is the governing body of youth and amateur hockey in Minnesota and the premier developer of hockey players in the state.

With over 67,000 registered players and coaches, it is the largest state governing body for amateur hockey in the United States.

Congratulations to the 2017 Minnesota Hockey State Champions The 2017 Minnesota Hockey season has finished with another great weekend of state tournaments. Congratulations to all of the teams that participated this weekend, including the 2017 State Champions! We hope you have numerous memories that will stick with you for years to come.

2017 Minnesota Hockey State Champions Tournament Junior Gold A Junior Gold B Junior Gold 16U Bantam AA Bantam A Bantam B PeeWee AA

Champion Minnetonka Moorhead Minnetonka Blue White Bear Lake Edina Edina Green Chaska/Chanhassen

Tournament PeeWee A PeeWee B 19U 15U A 15U B 12U A 12U B

Champion Johnson/Como/North St. Paul Edina Green Edina Andover Anoka-Rogers Edina Wayzata Blue

Age-appropriate speed training

By Mike Doyle The game of hockey is all about speed.

However, for parents looking to improve their child’s speed on the ice, it’s important to remember the “game” aspect of the equation, especially when it comes to offseason exercise.

Mike Boyle, who served as the head strength and conditioning coach at Boston University for 15 years before co-founding Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning, thinks the most important thing is to get kids active.

“Our kids are way too sedentary; they’re way too inclined to sit in front of a television and play a video game,” Boyle said. “We need to encourage our kids to play and to go outside.”

Laying down a foundation of early athleticism and continuing that as a child progresses is the best approach for longterm athletic development. Prior to 11, or Peewee age, Boyle said the emphasis should be placed on general athleticism and multisport play.

“When they get to 11-12, they can start to formalize training a little bit and start teaching, what we call the Learn to Train period,’” Boyle said. “This is when you start teaching how to do a squat and how to do a lunge. We start teaching the exercises that

It’s not the same thing. As a parent, we might think, ‘This is what made me good at my job,’ and then we try to apply that to a child.”

So, to train those speed muscles, the best approach is to be creative and make it fun and competitive.

are going to become the building blocks of what we want to do later.”

Run, Run, Run It may sound like an oversimplification, but fast, explosive runners make fast, explosive skaters. However, Boyle cautions of trying to turn a child into a super athlete at too young of an age.

“We don’t want to be in the childhood stealing business; I think that’s what people can get into, even in my profession,” Boyle said. “The big thing is realizing we’re dealing with children and we have to be careful that we’re not inserting the value system that we would use, say, to make a better company to try and make a better athlete.

Make It a Contest Creating a competitive environment – at any age – turns training into fun. Exchanging “sprints” for “relay races” is a great way to get young athletes to have a good time while improving speed.

“Speed and quickness will come from relays and racing,” Boyle said. “Again, you can run sprints with kids and call it relay races and suddenly kids don’t mind running sprints.”

Start with 10 tennis balls (or fewer if you have fewer racers) and place a bucket 20 feet away from the starting position. Divide the competitors into two teams and have them, one-at-a-time, run to the bucket and drop in a tennis ball and run back to the line before their teammate can do the same.

First team to fill up the bucket with all their balls wins.

Make Time for Play Time “Just playing” is something that increases overall athleticism. Gaining balance and coordination, at any age, will only help when a child begins increasing speed and quickness. If a child is uncoordinated, when formalized training is introduced, they might have a tougher time adapting than their counterparts.

“The popularity of these American Ninja Warrior shows has really brought playground play back to these kids, in terms of monkey bars and jumping back and forth between things,” Boyle said. “The important thing to understand about children is that we want play.”

Boyle recently bought his 11-year-old son a pogo stick, and added examples such as bike riding, rollerblading, jump rope and hopscotch, as great ways for kids to be kids while being active. While that might not directly impact speed or quickness, all those summer activities teach coordination and balance in a fun, unsupervised activity.

“Our desire as adults is to impose our adult values onto children and we have to be sure that we realize children are not mini -adults,” Boyle said. “So, they want to play. They want to throw things, and kick things and pick things up. We should be encouraging them to do that stuff.”

But my kid loves hockey ...

By Todd Smith So your child loves hockey. Awesome! Do they also love it so much that they want to play year-round?

Dr. Heather Bergeson is a hockey mom, and like many, has difficulty in deciding how much hockey is too much hockey for her two children. It’s especially hard when the kids love it so much and want to play all the time.

Bergeson is also a leading expert in the field of sports specialization and the effects it has both physically and mentally. She is a physician at TRIA where her focus is in pediatric sports medicine and women’s health.

Specializing in one sport can have numerous downsides such as increased injury risk, a high rate of burnout and a lack of overall athleticism. Minnesota Hockey spoke with Dr. Bergeson about specialization in youth hockey today.

Minnesota Hockey: How does specialization negatively affect young hockey players?

Dr Bergeson Well, I think it Dr.. Heather Bergeson: can affect kids in a variety of ways. One, they don’t have the opportunity to play other sports or do other things. They might be missing their true calling. But if they are spending all this time on hockey they will never find out. Two, we know that the kids that specialize early burn out quickly. The nice thing about playing the sport of the season is that it makes them hungry to come back and play hockey again. If you haven’t played hockey year-round then you’ll have the drive and passion. If you don’t have the love of the game anymore, the drive, the motivation that is needed to keep playing, you’re going to burn out.

Minnesota Hockey: One of the biggest downsides from a physical

standpoint of playing the same sport is the occurrence of overuse injuries.

At TRIA, what sort of overuse injuries are you seeing?

Dr Dr.. Bergeson Bergeson: The majority are the acute injuries: shoulder separations and dislocations, clavicle fractures and concussions. A lot of what we’re seeing now is hip injuries.

That is an overuse injury. These kids start to play when they are really young. They’re in that stride position when they are young and there can be some abnormal mechanics that predispose the kids to developing problems in the hip. More and more hockey players we’re seeing now have hip pain because of overuse and partly because of the biomechanics of how they are moving.

We’re seeing that a lot of hockey goalies are having hip pain due to the butterfly position.

signs of burnout that parents should look for?

Dr Dr.. Bergeson Bergeson: The signs of burnout can be really subtle. It’s a small change in health and attitude. One, the kids are frequently complaining about being injured when there really isn’t a lot of objective evidence that they are, in fact, injured. So, the kid might feign injury when it’s more of an emotional thing. When they are worried about their play or making a mistake, sometimes they will feign an injury. Sometimes the kid doesn’t have the insight to be able to express that they’re burned out. So, it comes out in other ways. Second, you’ll see a kid not try as hard at practice, or they’re not wanting to even go to practice or they’re complaining about other symptoms like joint pain. As parents, it’s important that we ask the right questions.

Minnesota Hockey: What are some

THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE SPONSORS

Continued on page 28

6

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey

www.letsplayhockey.com

Lee Stecklein’s charmed hockey life

By Dave Schwartz Let’s Play Hockey Contributor

Let’s Play Hockey photo by Mike Thill

Success sometimes comes to those who least expect it. And no one expected the career that she’s had less than University of Minnesota senior blueliner Lee Stecklein.

“No. Not even a little bit,” Stecklein said with a chuckle. “I knew that I was going to ‘The U’ and that they had won a national championship, but I didn’t realize how much of a big deal that was. I didn’t think about actually getting to win one.”

Certainly not in her first year at the U of M, but not only did she win a national title in her first season, her Gopher team went undefeated that year to win it all. After five years, and many more titles since that, it was that season that she says sticks out.

“We set the bar so high that it’s always going to stick out to me,” Stecklein said. “I mean the bar didn’t drop in the years that followed either, but that one, I realized then that I had made the best choice that I could make. That’s when I realized how lucky I was to be here and to be experiencing the things I was experiencing.”

Her charmed hockey career is anything but luck. Stecklein is one of the most successful and humble people you’ll talk to and often takes very little credit for what she does. By all accounts, she is as hard of a worker on the ice as she is off of it. Even as we spoke on a Tuesday night, she was taking a break from grading papers as a teacher’s assistant for a “Marketing Channels” class. She is an entrepreneurial management and marketing major at the U of M and although she doesn’t know exactly what that will lead to once her college career is over, she’s sure it will involve some sort of sports. Because, as she says, it’s hard to picture herself not being involved with sports.

In addition to all of that, Stecklein was

Minnesota senior blueliner Lee Stecklein (Roseville, Minn.) won three NCAA titles during her career as a Gopher.

the captain of this year’s Gopher women’s hockey team, a job she took very seriously.

She’s wanted to be a Gopher and play for the U of M for as long as she can remember ... which tends to be a common theme with players that come to the school. That is always the reason, she says. It was just so easy to buy into a system that leads to so much success.

“It’s the history of the program,” Stecklein said of Minnesota’s success in women’s hockey. “Most of the girls are from Minnesota, so they are willing to do anything to become a Gopher. And once they are Gophers, they’re willing to do anything to help the team. I have been really lucky to have some really great teammates who always set that example. So when I came in my freshman year and to have the senior and junior class be as amazing as they were, it taught me and others in my class to try and set that example for others.”

One of her closest teammates that first year is now her assistant coach, Bethany

Brausen, who knew pretty quickly that Stecklein was not just an asset on the ice, but in the locker room as well.

“It was her unwavering consistency,” Brausen said. “In the game of hockey, it is hard to be great in every game. Lee goes above and beyond and is excellent in every game. She relies on sound defensive play, exceptional positioning and intelligence to consistently be the best defenseman on the ice. That is extremely rare. I would say I saw leadership abilities from Lee early on. She is very consistent and confident in who she is. She is a reliable teammate and truly wants the best for the team.”

Those same qualities were why Stecklein was the second-youngest member of the U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey Team at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Not only was she thrilled to be there (and collect yet another accolade – a silver medal), she was downright shocked when she made the team.

“I was so ready to go back to the Gophers (for the rest of the season). I never anticipated something different. And then from there I wouldn’t have imagined making the final roster,” Stecklein said. “When I heard my name called, I think I looked shocked, because I remember Julie Chu reaching over to me and rubbing my back and saying ‘Yes, Lee, you actually did make it.’”

The Olympics were a great experience for the (then young) Stecklein. The experience was one of the many that carved her into the hockey star that she is today. She’ll likely be a mainstay on the Olympic team for years to come, but as for her Gopher career, it ended last week in a manner not fitting of the winner that she is. The Gophers were beaten by Clarkson in the national semifinals, leaving Stecklein to take off her Gopher jersey for the final time in defeat – something that she had rarely done in her time in maroon and gold. She almost had to do it in the first round of the NCAA tournament, but the Gophers pulled off a 1-0 win over in-state rival UMD. So last week, as she was approaching what would be the final week of her college career one way or another, she was still emotionally preparing herself for the end of a dream that was a lifetime in the making.

“It just seems like I have been a Gopher for so long and if I wasn’t a Gopher I was dreaming of being a Gopher. It’ll be really hard for all these seniors and me,” Stecklein said amidst long thoughtful pauses. “It’s hard because it’s a goal with an end. You can do it (play for Minnesota) for a very long time, but it was a great four or five years.”

Few make the most of that time like Lee Stecklein has. But don’t take her word for it, because you won’t be able to. She’ll show it every time she dons the red, white and blue from now on. Always with maroon and gold flowing through her veins.

Did you play on a true team this year?

By Josh Levine Let’s Play Hockey A wise coach once told me that a true team is so difficult to attain that most play on very few, if any, throughout their hockey careers. He was right. My own experience showed me that while I had played with many different jerseys, I had only been on a few true teams.

What is a true team? It is a group that puts the individual interests beneath those of the team, that stays humble in its triumphs, that strengthens its bonds during adversity, and that develops relationships that will often last for a lifetime. Not an easy task to accomplish.

It is so difficult to be on a true team because it requires that all players, not just a majority, buy into the team’s vision and goals. This alone stops most groups from forming into a team.

A true team also requires parental encouragement, support and leadership.

When the chips are down, do the parents encourage their players to help the team come together, or do they too begin to point blame?

A true team also isn’t just a team that wins well together. There is so much more to it. What does a teammate do when another player is bullied at school? Does

Follow Let’s Play Hockey on Twitter @LetsPlay_Hockey

each other.

At first glance it might have seemed like a negative situation. I couldn’t have been happier! These players were family, and losing a lot hurts. It would have been worse (in my opinion) to have come into the locker room and seen everyone perfectly happy about the situation. Like a close-knit family, these players would forgive each other’s angry tone (which they did about 20 minutes later!). I knew they were passionate about the game and would show up the next day to fight just as hard or harder to improve.

Did you play on a true team this past season? If you didn’t, add it to your list of goals. It is the most special of experiences in this game, and unlike wins and losses, the relationships you make while playing on a team will continue to grow the rest of your life. he stand up for his teammate or let it slide?

When a player is facing challenges outside of the rink, do players recognize the signs and look to help their friend? What happens when the team loses a game and one player was clearly at fault for the deciding goal?

One of the teams I coached in the past never became a true team, but there were some players who poured everything they had out on the ice for each other. There was

‘Like’ Let’s Play Hockey on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ letsplayhockey

a mini-team within the whole. One day after a devastating loss (we had many of these), two of my players were crying and yelling at each other. It wasn’t prideful yelling – they weren’t saying “I’m better.” They weren’t blaming each other for the loss. They were just frustrated and were expressing that with

Josh Levine is the Assistant Coach of the Bloomington Jefferson Girls Varsity Hockey team, owner of The Fortis Academy and founder of fortishockey.com. Follow Fortis on Facebook and Instagram facebook.com/ thefortisacademy and Instagram.com/ thefortisacademy.

HOCKEY REFEREE CAMPS Online & Personal Training Systems Exclusively for Hockey Referees Year Round Training - JOIN NOW

Buy the “Band of Brothers” T-Shirt at UO Store FREE POWER SKATING VIDEOS ONLINE Go to: www.UltimateOfficials.com

2nd Annual Rushmore Cup 2017-RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA

NORTH MINNESOTA

VOYAGEURS

SOUTH MINNESOTA

FIGHTING SAINTS

IOWA STING

NEBRASKA BUGEATERS

NORTH DAKOTA SIOUX

EAST SOUTH DAKOTA

BEEF

WISCONSIN PACK

June 9-11 Minor & Major Squirt (06/07), Minor Peewee(04/05) June 16-18 Major Peewee (04/05), Minor & Major Bantam(02/03)

Four days of fun playing hockey & seeing the sights See Mt Rushmore, the Badlands, RepƟle Gardens, & more

The Perfect Hockey sĂĐĂƟŽŶ͊

763-242-9575 RegistraƟon Deadline-April 12th

www.northlandhockeygroup.com

8

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey

www.letsplayhockey.com

A hockey game I will remember forever

By Andy Hudson As a hockey referee, we often witness criticism, abuse and unsportsmanlike behavior. This was not the case with the two teams I was fortunate to officiate yesterday. Here's an email I sent to the youth hockey organizations involved in a game I will remember forever: Dear Omaha and Lincoln Youth Hockey Associations: I officiated the Big Bear Gateway tournament in St. Louis this past weekend and was one of the referees for the Bantam championship game. The teams involved in the game were the Omaha Lancers 14U and the Lincoln Stars 14U. As was explained to us prior to the game, the Lincoln Stars were borrowing one of the Omaha goalkeepers for the entire weekend due to an injury to their regular goalkeeper.

The Tournament Director informed us that

the teams had agreed to switch goalkeepers halfway through the game, so that both Omaha GKs could play half the game for their normal team. This was an unusual situation, but we were happy to comply as both teams were very cooperative with this arrangement prior to puck drop. As expected, during a stoppage of play at the midpoint of the game, both goalkeepers skated to the bench, put on their opposite colored jersey, and resumed play … now facing shots from their peers with whom they had been teammates just moments prior. There were sticktaps from players and cheers from parents as the goalkeepers took their positions with their “new” teams.

Other than above, nothing unusual happened in the game. In fact, the pace was excellent, the coaching was positive and the level of play was skilled and exciting. It was an evenly-matched contest and one that exhibited the ebb and flow of a typical hockey game. Lincoln carried the play early

in the contest taking the lead, but Omaha came out on the front skate in the third period for a come-from-behind tournament championship win. The players played … the coaches coached … the parents cheered … and we, as referees, were allowed to do our job as officials; all without complaints, arguments or disputes.

At the end of the game, before the players lined up to shake hands, the entire Omaha team skated over to their teammate who played GK for the Lincoln team during the second half of the game. It was a scene that I’ve seen hundreds of times: teammates comforting the losing netminder by tapping him on the pads and patting him on the top of his head. However, this time the gesture was more meaningful and emotional, as they were comforting and acknowledging the goalkeeper of their opponents’ team.

I have been a hockey referee for 29 years and have had the privilege to officiate at all

levels, from mites to minor professional.

When I am involved in a game that exhibits the sportsmanship, mutual respect and all the positive elements that this sport provides, I feel it is important to celebrate and applaud the individuals involved. So, please share this note with the coaches for both teams and perhaps they will pass it on to their parents and players.

Congratulations to your organizations, your coaches, your players and your parents for demonstrating excellent sportsmanship, teamwork and cooperation. This game was truly an example of all the positive aspects of hockey. I feel proud to have been a small part of such an uplifting occasion. Thank you coaches. Thank you players. And thank you parents. Yesterday’s game was one I will never forget.

Respectfully, Andy Hudson

Why we do this: Transformational coaching

By Hal TTear ear se earse As coaches, we are privileged to spend time with our players throughout the season. In some cases, for several seasons.

Then, a new group of players move through and the process starts all over. For me, it has been over 2,000 players that I have worked with as a coach. It is natural to perhaps not remember all of them as the years go by, but I have learned in recent years that they do not forget. I have always

tried to have a positive impact on my players as athletes and people. Sometimes I wonder how well I have done. Every now and then I get a report card.

Earlier this season, following the game of the high school team I currently coach, the father of an opposing player stopped to chat with me. His son is a high school senior that was playing against our team. He reintroduced himself to me and of course I remember coaching him in the USHL in the early 80’s.

We chatted about players that were part of that team as he has kept in touch with many of them. We reminisced about one player in particular who made it to the University of Minnesota and had a great college career, but over the years slid into drugs, alcohol and then sadly passed away.

Poor life choices. Many of us were there to help, but it did not slow the slide.

Then John looked at me and told me that he still remembers many of the things I taught him about hockey and life. He credits

me with being one of the most influential people in his life and helped him become who he is today.

I had to take a deep breath, not sure what to say. I was and am humbled that he felt as he does and that he took time to share that with me.

We hugged and then he and his son went home.

For more from longtime coach Hal Tearse, go to mminnesotahockey.blogspot.com.

www.letsplayhockey.com

Let’s Play Hockey

March 23, 2017

9

Officially Speaking: Reffing with legends Getting an assignment to work the Wayne Gretzky Fantasy Camp seemed cool on paper.

As far as I knew, I’d be officiating games consisting of middle-aged adults, with the offchance of maybe seeing The Great One if he happened to show during my assigned games. And even though I was working nearly 12 hours daily for my real job, I had to squeeze in the Gretzky camp, just to see what was going on.

Arriving at the Ice Center at 11 a.m., on an 80-degree Tuesday morning, I quickly peeked into the North Rink to see what was happening. Guys in Oilers jerseys of course.

But then, my gaze was automatically directed to a referee. A helmetless zebra – with a nameplate on his back.

Hoggarth, it said.

My brain flashbacked 25 years. Then, I saw the guy’s face. There was no doubt, even before I locked on the NHL patch.

Ron Hoggarth!

What was going on? It couldn’t be. So I checked back at the South Rink No way. Another helmetless referee. An NHL patch.

Dan Marouelli!

Insane. Impossible. These NHL vets skating on the same choppy surface hosting my late-night lumberjack leagues.

Time was racing. I still had to dress. Off to the ratty officials’ room.

Ten minutes later, Marouelli walks in. And then Hoggarth. In the local guys’ room. As if they belonged.

Shocked, I maintained just enough composure to introduce myself. Both referees were donning their official NHL sweaters.

They knew it was cool. But there wasn’t the slightest air of haughtiness. Hockey guys, of course.

Naturally, being the OS writer, I wanted to get their takes on the game. Meaning officiating, of course.

Now most OS readers know this column abhors the standardization of linesmen in particular. You know, the 6-foot robots with half-aquariums on their heads and not a hint of expression either.

I mentioned this to Hoggarth. He totally agreed. He explained that when the NHL stripped the officials of their nameplates, they took away their personalities in the process. And Marouelli concurred it was a shame. Which means there will never be guys like Ray Scapinello racing through the ranks. The league has become too corporate. Standardized. Andy Van Hellemond winking at the camera on national TV? Never again. Television and social media killed the

Mark Lichtenfeld

The author with longtime NHL referees Dan Marouelli and Ron Hoggarth.

fun.

Continuing my inquiry, I asked the guys about the four-official system. I told them that’s also taken away the flair of the game.

You know, the referee hustling up-and-down the ice for all he’s worth. It made the game appear even faster. And it was great to have one official in charge.

Marouelli agreed, but said two referees became a necessity because of the size of players. “There just isn’t enough room to maneuver,” he explained, which totally makes sense. And Hoggarth, breaking into the league in 1971, really understood the dilemma. Guys now average six inches taller and 50 pounds heavier. But the rink dimensions never changed.

To my dismay, the first game of my doubleheader was scheduled as a two-man. Me and another veteran. No NHL referee. But what looked boring on the schedule turned fantastic real quick.

Skating pre-game, I’m slogging through the neutral zone when the players start coming onto the ice. I’m seeing weird names on the jerseys. You know, Carbonneau, Hull, Savard. I skate up to the guy with the Savard #18 uniform. He’s got a half-cage. Whatever. It’s a fantasy camp – players want to imitate their heroes.

I beam through the mask. I see the piercing eyes. The scar on the chin.

“It’s you!” I exclaim. “I’m from Chicago.

Had season tickets in the 80’s.”

“That’s great,” says Savard, all smiles.

“You’ve got to do a spin-o-rama,” I plead. “Like that one in the playoffs against the North Stars.”

“Oh you should have seen yesterday’s game,” he says. “Fooled a guy right out of his pants.”

Turns out my first game fielded an NHL all-star team vs. a camp participant’s team which also included an additional five NHL stars. I’m talking Ed Meo in goal with a mask out of the 1960s. Dave Semenko looking ferocious with an Oilers stocking cap. Brett Hull on wing. Haley Wickenheiser on defense. And Marty McSorely and Grant Fuhr behind the bench.

And there I am, getting the centers lined up for the opening drop.

That’s Guy Carbonneau on my right. I’m about to drop the rubber for Carbonneau.

You can see what type of day this was going to be. And it was great.

But there was another game, too. A semifinal between two teams of non-NHL camp participants.

And to my good fortune, the next slot was scheduled for a three-man. Me and another local guy on the lines.

And Dan Marouelli in the middle.

OK, that’s about as close to the NHL as I

could possibly get. And the best part was that this was a tough, fast-paced game, not a snowflake scrimmage. Marouelli had to be sharp. And he was. He skated smooth, always in position and skating smart. He was vocal, ordering guys to play clean, to watch the lane – no doubt the same way he would holler at guys in the NHL. He was totally into the game, yet barely breaking a sweat (that I could see), even as the middle guy.

But the best part was that he called the game the way I like. He let the guys play. He didn’t call certain infractions that a younger ref would have definitely whistled down. He set the standard early and no one had any beefs.

And he let my partner and I know that we hustled well. That meant a lot.

It was probably the best adult game I have ever seen in this town.

Returning to the refs room, Hoggarth was there, preparing for the next game. But these NHL refs, being old-time hockey guys, weren’t through. Suddenly, Hoggarth is taking out 8 x 10 action shots of him pointing at Gretzky in a 1990 Kings game, and he’s personally autographing the pictures for us local refs. He even signed my gold-covered USA Hockey rulebook. And in the middle of all this, Mike Krushelnyski busts into our room and brings in a half-dozen beers and five Stanley Cup rings which he lets us all try on. And then Pat Flatly trots in and introduces himself. I probably shocked him when I said I always watched the Islander games on WOR when he and Pat LaFontaine came up.

OK, I never did get to meet Gretzky. But he didn’t forget us. All of the local referees working the camp were invited to the Thursday night gala at the Bellagio. And it was unreal. There were at least 50 NHL stars there, including Hoggarth and Marouelli. I’m talking Jarri Kurri, Bernie Nicholls, Ray Whitney, Mike Keenan, etc.

Gretzky and his father were keynote speakers, of course. They were the headliners. But the fact that we were invited, with wives, was a testament to old-style hockey mentality. No one’s head gets away from them.

What an experience. Naturally, the paying campers had a great time at the Fantasy League, but the truth is that us local referees couldn’t have had a better experience.

Even if some of us didn’t get to skate with Gretzky.

Questions and comments can be sent to editor@letsplayhockey.com, via Twitter @OSpeaking or through the Let’s Play Hockey Facebook page.

www.letsplayhockey.com

11

March 23, 2017

NAHL.com

INSIDE THE NAHL NAHL News & Notes

Blackmun commits to Northeastern The Aston Rebels announced that forward Drew Blackmun has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey for Northeastern University. His commitment begins in the fall of 2017. Blackmun, 21, is fourth on the team with 40 points (16 goals and 24 assists), and he has a +24 +/-ratio. The Rebels’ assistant captain has played in the most games in franchise history with 109. The 60, 175-pound Minneapolis native recently played in the 2017 NAHL’s Top Prospects Tournament where he had three points (2 goals and 1 assist) in two games for the East Division team.

“I instantly fell in love with Northeastern and everything that it had to offer,” stated Blackmun. “There are so many good things to say about it. The coaching staff is very passionate, and they truly care about their players. The campus is beautiful, and they offer top notch academics. Matthews Arena is filled with so much history, and I’m very excited to step on that ice as a Husky. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my family, friends and coaches for their support through the years. I also would like to sincerely thank coach Coombs and the Rebels organization for all of their help,” concluded Blackmun.

“I’m very happy for Drew,” stated Rebels’ head coach Joe Coombs. “He is a terrific hockey player and leader. Most importantly, he is a terrific person. He has an incredible work ethic and epitomizes the Rebels. Northeastern is getting an all-around quality player and person. Drew has worked extremely hard. He deserves this. I couldn’t be prouder of him,” concluded Coombs.

Carroll commits to Minnesota State The Aberdeen Wings announced that defenseman Andy Carroll, fresh off his performance at the 2017 NAHL Top Prospects’ Tournament, has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Minnesota State. Carroll, 20, is in his first year with the Aberdeen Wings this season. The 5-10, 172-pound

defenseman has played in 49 games acquiring 35 points on five goals and 30 assists.

Carroll was selected to and played in the 2017 NAHL Top Prospects’ Tournament for the Central Division team and was a +2 in two games at the event.

Before playing for the Wings, Andy played four seasons with Northfield High School in Minnesota. During that time, he played in 94 games and had 54 points (13 goals, 41 assists). He also spent time with the Sioux Falls’ Junior Stampede AAA last season.

“Andy Carroll is everything the Aberdeen Wings want in a player and a person. Andy brings the work ethic needed to excel at the next level. He is a high character kid that wants to improve each and every day.

The Mavericks are getting a quality player and a first class individual,” said Wings’ Head Coach Scott Langer.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to play Division I college hockey at Minnesota State Mankato. I want to thank the Odde Family, Coach Langer, Coach Bohn and the rest of the Aberdeen Wings Organization for helping me get to this point,” said Carroll.

Singerhouse commits to UWRF Going to school close to home is something that Amarillo Bulls’ forward Charlie Singerhouse always had in the back of his mind. That’s why it was an easy decision when he decided to announce where he will play NCAA hockey the next four years.

The Amarillo Bulls announced that Charlie Singerhouse has committed to play NCAA Division III hockey at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls for the 2017-18 season.

Singerhouse is a native of Hudson, Wis., located just minutes from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Campus. He will join former Bulls’ Alumni Kyle Gattelaro and Mitchell Vanderburg on the Falcons’ roster, that also includes several other players who suited up in the NAHL. Singerhouse played in New Jersey two years ago and in each of the last two years has played in Amarillo.

“My house is 10 minutes from the campus,” he said. ”I originally thought about going out east to play but then decided to go back to my roots and return home to Wisconsin. My parents will be excited because they can attend every game.”

Singerhouse was originally tendered by the Bulls out of the NAPHL. Singerhouse had played three years in the NAPHL for the New Jersey Jr. Titans’ 16U and 18U teams.

In his second season in Amarillo, he has netted 11 goals and 18 assists for 29 points in 51 games. Last year, the 6-1, 173 pound power forward picked up 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points in 59 games with the red, gold and blue.

Singerhouse said he has been speaking to the River Falls’ coaching staff for quite awhile about becoming part of their program. “I’ve only heard great things about the program,” he said. “They recently got new top-of-the-line athletic facilities, so it made the decision easy to go there. My Dad also attended the school so I get to join him on that list. I also visited the campus during both breaks we had this season and felt very comfortable there and they anticipate me playing a big roll on the team.”

Charlie Singerhouse’s tough-nose, twoway style of hockey has made him an instant hit with fans in the Texas Panhandle.

That gritty style of play is something he grew up doing. “I think I play how I was raised,” he said. “My brother played in the same style and would stand up to anybody. My dad was also built in the same mode. They both taught me that’s the way I should play.”

2016-17 NAHL College Commitments Aberdeen Wings Andy Carroll Tucker DeYoung* Carson Dimoff Kevin Fitzgerald Trystan Isenhour Nicholas Jenny Logan Jenuwine Shawn Knowlton Matt Ladd Gage Mackie Josh Passolt* Gavin Payne* Andrew Sinard Joey Strada

Minnesota State Army St. Lawrence St. Cloud State Colorado College Robert Morris Western Michigan Air Force Colorado College Arizona State Western Michigan RPI Miami Arizona State

Amarillo Bulls Brandon Bussi Charlie Combs* Steven Ipri Bobby Kaiser* George Mika Coale Norris* Charlie Singerhouse Jeff Solow

St. Lawrence Bemidji State Mercyhurst Massachusetts Massachusetts Ferris State UW-River Falls Merrimack

Aston Rebels Evan Bell* Drew Blackmun Dom Garcia Dallas Gerads * Gvido Jansons Brennan Kapcheck Dustin Manz Shane McMahan Ryan Solomon Jensen Zerban

Merrimack Northeastern Arizona State Minnesota State Arizona State American Int’l Lake Superior State Minnesota State Northeastern Air Force

Austin Bruins AJ Drobot Tanner DuFault Jake Kucharski Justin Misiak Dan Petrick Jan Stefka

Maine St. John’s Providence Michigan Tech Northeastern American Int’l

Bismarck Bobcats Matthew Barry Tobias Fladeby Nick McKeeby Matej Murin Cameron Smith Will Ulrich Mitchell Walinski

Holy Cross American Int’l Western Michigan American Int’l Dartmouth Air Force Niagara

Coulee Region Chill Jackson Charlesworth Billy Duma Alex Falconer Shane Kuzmeski Cale List Steven Quagliata Jacob Schmidt-Svejstrup Isaac Theisen

Northern Michigan Air Force Air Force Clarkson UMass Lowell UW-Stevens Point Maine Air Force

Fairbanks Ice Dogs Robert Blueger Julius Marva Aaron McPheters

Lake Superior State Alaska-Anchorage Alaska-Anchorage

Janesville Jets Joey Abate Chris Dodero Colin Felix Jack Gates Kip Hoffman Adrian Holesinsky Michael Maloney Jakov Novak Cole Paskus Derek Schaedig Zach Solow Carson Vance* Blake Wareham

Wisconsin American Int’l Massachusetts Colorado College Alaska-Anchorage Maine Brown Bentley UMass Lowell Harvard Northeastern Western Michigan Canisius

Johnstown Tomahawks Filips Buncis Dalton Hunter Zac Robbins* Hayden Rowan

Arizona State Mercyhurst Connecticut Yale

Kenai River Brown Bears Lucas Carroll UW-Stout Lone Star Brahmas Justin Addamo Alec Calvaruso Drake Glover Pete Kessel Simon Loof Max Prawdzik John Zimmerman

Robert Morris Colorado College Alaska Anchorage Holy Cross Merrimack Boston University Army

Minnesota Magicians Travis Brown Pierce Crawford* Hunter Lellig Vitaliy Novytskyy*

Michigan Tech Notre Dame Minnesota Duluth American Int’l

Minnesota Wilderness Ashton Calder Bradley Johnson* Western Michigan Luke Kania Lake Superior State Nicholas Olczyk Aurora Tristan Rostagno Bowling Green Tyler Vold Michael Zuffante Corpus Christi Ice Rays David Baskerville Canisius Minot Minotauros Nathan Bryer Mercyhurst Alex Adams Cam Burggrabe Northern Michigan Eric Dop Jake Durflinger * Denver Tyler Jeanson Cody Fleckenstein Army Reid Stefanson Logan Gestro Canisius Mason Krueger Army New Jersey Titans Dryden McKay* Holy Cross Nicholas Boyagian Tomas Vomacka Connecticut Todd Goehring Brookings Blizzard Paul Cotter Chase Gamelin Jake Gwillim * Brandon Kruse

Lake Superior State Bemidji State Brown Colorado College Michigan Tech Bemidji State Bentley Air Force Bowling Green Colgate UMass Lowell Sacred Heart Sacred Heart

Jordan Kaplan Oskar Stromberg

Sacred Heart American Int’l

Northeast Generals Cameron Smith

Dartmouth

Odessa Jackalopes Jaden Anderson Jake Levin Ryan MacKellar Connor Wood Levin Wunder Cooper Zech Zach Zech

Lake Superior State Air Force UW-Stevens Point Alabama-Huntsville Alabama-Huntsville Alaska UW-Stevens Point

Shreveport Mudbugs Croix Evingson Eriks Zohovs

UMass Lowell UMass Lowell

Springfield Jr. Blues Aiden Beck Matthew Cassidy Jason Dhooghe * Fletcher Fineman Jordan Greenfield-Flemon Ryan Leibold Matt Long Grant Meyer * Garrett Nieto D.J. Petruzzelli Luke Picek Brian Rigali * Mike Robinson Jack Summers

Canisius Quinnipiac Wisconsin Union Norwich Army Canisius Canisius Lake Superior State Quinnipiac Aurora Connecticut New Hampshire Brown

Topeka RoadRunners Marshall Bowery John DeRoche Max Harper Brent Hill Michael Latorella Luka Maver * Quinn Preston * Brendan Rons Marcus Russell Trevor Zins*

Air Force Quinnipiac Air Force Maine Ohio State American Int’l Ohio State Michigan Tech Michigan Tech UMass Lowell

Wichita Falls Wildcats Austin Albrecht Jeff Baum* Jonathan Bendorf Kevin Charyszyn* Jared Dempsey Seamus Donohue Evan Moyse Aleksi Poikola Garrett Van Wyhe* CJ Walker

Massachusetts Providence RPI Clarkson Army Michigan Tech Ohio State Michigan Tech Army Minnesota State

Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights Joe Campolieto Union Dorian Dawson Brown Paul DeNaples Penn State Jacob Hamacher* RIT Zach Satalino* Lawrence Grant Valentine Miami * NAHL Alumni Robbie Beydoun* Colin Burston* Dakota Raabe* Tyler Rockwell

Michigan Tech Brown Michigan Michigan Tech

2016-17 NAHL Standings & Stats Central Division Team GP x Minot 55 MN Wilderness 54 Brookings 53 Aberdeen 54 Bismarck 54 Austin 54

W 35 29 27 26 26 20

L 16 19 21 23 26 27

OTL 4 4 4 3 1 2

SOL 0 2 1 2 1 5

PTS 74 64 59 57 54 47

GF 180 175 174 165 170 161

GA 145 162 172 168 189 187

DIFF 35 13 2 -3 -19 -26

PCT 0.673 0.593 0.557 0.528 0.500 0.435

PIM 1075 831 874 1055 1243 933

East Division x Aston x Johnstown x New Jersey x W-B/Scranton Northeast

53 53 53 55 54

41 35 33 26 3

9 14 17 25 48

2 3 1 1 3

1 1 2 3 0

85 74 69 56 9

183 180 205 166 102

95 127 158 175 264

88 53 47 -9 -162

0.802 0.698 0.651 0.509 0.083

929 1515 1136 890 1355

Midwest Division y Janesville 52 MN Magicians 54 Fairbanks 55 Coulee Region 51 Springfield 53 Kenai River 55

38 29 28 26 23 11

10 20 24 23 26 42

0 3 2 2 3 2

4 2 1 0 1 0

80 63 59 54 50 24

201 165 159 185 151 110

134 149 156 186 164 212

67 16 3 -1 -13 -102

0.769 0.583 0.536 0.529 0.472 0.218

921 613 915 811 643 1154

86 69 64 64 48 44 41

181 168 155 164 146 149 159

126 129 134 166 171 182 203

55 39 21 -2 -25 -33 -44

0.754 0.651 0.604 0.604 0.462 0.415 0.387

1115 973 1087 1388 1466 831 1194

South Division y Lone Star 57 42 x Shreveport 53 32 Corpus Christi 53 28 Wichita Falls 53 29 Odessa 52 21 Amarillo 53 17 Topeka 53 18 x - clinched playoff berth

Leading Scorers PLAYER George Mika Caleb Schroer Frankie Melton Paul Cotter Kevin Fitzgerald Mitchel Slattery

TEAM AMA COU SHV BRK ABD MNM

13 2 0 16 2 3 17 4 4 18 4 2 25 5 1 26 8 2 30 4 1 y - clinched divisioin

P F F F F F F

GP 53 50 53 52 54 48

G 28 22 33 24 21 19

A 34 35 22 30 32 34

PTS 62 57 55 54 53 53

12

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey

www.letsplayhockey.com

Update Cole Barney gets call to NAHL The Wooster Oilers announced that defenseman Cole Barney has been called up to the NAHL to play for the Odessa Jackalopes for the remainder of the 201617 season. Barney, 19, is in his first season playing junior hockey. The native of Fort Wayne, Ind., signed a tender with the Odessa Jackalopes earlier this season.

Barney has played in 46 games for the Oilers in the NA3HL. He posted 12 goals and 21 assists for a total of 33 points in his rookie season for the Oilers. Barney was the second-leading scorer for the Oilers this season. Barney also recently played in the 2017 NA3HL Top Prospects’ Tournament for the Green team (East/Midwest Divisions) where he had two points in three games played. Prior to playing in the NAHL and NA3HL, Barney has played the past three seasons in the NAPHL for the Esmark Stars 18U and 16U teams from 2013-16.

“Cole’s high level of competitiveness brought a whole new game to our team this season" said Head Coach/Assistant GM Aaron Hernandez. “His hard work and dedication both on and off the ice were a clear example of why he was so successful. We worked together every day and his development is a true testament to what type of athlete and person he is. He has a very bright future and on behalf of the en-

tire Wooster Oilers organization, we wish him only the best.”

Express moving to Niagara Falls Just hours after being officially eliminated from the NA3HL playoffs, the Lockport Express of the NA3HL announced officially that it will no longer call the Cornerstone CFCU Arena in Lockport, N.Y., its home ice. The Express are moving to the Hyde Park Arena in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Lockport General Manager Frank Vecchio, who also took over as head coach midway through the 2016-17 season, stated the following: “The opportunities to grow our program at Hyde Park are tremendous because we will have a youth program, as well as rink management that wants to work hand-in-hand with us so that we can all enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship for years to come. We are very excited for this opportunity. We will most certainly miss the friends we made in Lockport, our sponsors and most of all, our fans. We will be reaching out with exciting and fun ideas to have our fans from Lockport continue to attend our games at Hyde Park,” said Vecchio.

The Express were eliminated from the NA3HL postseason when the Roc City Royals beat the Syracuse Stampede, 1-0, at the Morrisville State College Complex, southeast of Syracuse.

NA3HL.COM @NA3HL NA3HL

Leading Scorers • Regular Season PLAYER TEAM P Martins Vitolins LGB F Oskar Lindberg LGB F Conor Landrigan BNG F Dominik Bogdziul BNG F Ryan Reifler BNG F Brandon Corey RCY F Tyler Uravage BNG F

GP 46 46 45 42 47 47 44

G 53 52 52 43 36 61 30

A 110 97 70 76 64 33 62

PTS 163 149 122 119 100 94 92

Defenseman Scoring • Regular Season PLAYER TEAM P Danny O’Donnell GFL D Ricky Regala LGB D Austin Azzinnaro MIS D Conor Cunningham NAS D Jacob Peterson TEX D Connor Busch MNE D

GP 47 46 44 46 47 33

G 20 14 9 13 15 13

A 46 47 47 37 32 33

PTS 66 61 56 50 47 46

Save Percentage • Regular Season PLAYER TEAM GPI Andrew Kormos MET 23 Kyler Ayers GFL 18 Salvatore Lauretta BNG 26 Steven Schmitt BNG 21 Jake Gwillim MET 21

MINS 1359 996 1531 1232 1196

W-L-OTL-SOL 23-0-0-0 15-0-1-0 26-0-0-0 18-1-0-1 21-0-0-0

GAA 0.93 1.33 1.72 1.85 1.35

SV% .959 .945 .941 .936 .935

Goals-Against Average • Regular Season PLAYER TEAM GPI Andrew Kormos MET 23 Kyler Ayers GFL 18 Jake Gwillim MET 21 Salvatore Lauretta BNG 26 Tyler Myers TEX 31 * bold indicates Minnesota native

MINS W-L-OTL-SOL SV% 1359 23-0-0-0 .959 996 15-0-1-0 .945 1196 21-0-0-0 .935 1531 26-0-0-0 .941 1837 24-5-1-0 .932 * More stats on NA3HL.com

GAA 0.93 1.33 1.35 1.72 1.83

Women’s Update WCHA.com •

@WCHA_WHockey •

WCHAWOMENSHOCKEY

Wisconsin’s Ann-Renée Desbiens wins Patty Kaz Wisconsin senior goaltender Ann-Renée Desbiens, who has staked her claim as one of the sport’s all-time greatest during a record-setting run in the Badger net, has won the 2017 Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the top player in NCAA Division I women’s ice hockey. She becomes just the third goaltender to earn the award in its 20-year history, while she is the fifth honoree from the University of Wisconsin and the seventh recipient from the women's WCHA. Desbiens capped a remarkable career with a stellar senior campaign. She led the country with an 0.71 goals-against average, a .963 save percentage, 29 wins, an .886 winning percentage (29-2-4) and 17 shutouts. Desbiens, who collected backto-back shutouts in the NCAA tournament, has not allowed more than two goals in a game all season; in addition to her 17 clean sheets, she has yielded just a single goal in 11 other contests.

The La Malbaie, Québec native has backstopped Wisconsin to its second-consecutive WCHA regular season title and its third-straight Final Face-Off crown. The Badgers topped the national polls since the preseason, thanks in large part to Desbiens' 9-1-3 record, 0.83 GAA, .965

Desbiens joins a prestigious list of alltime WCHA recipients of the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award. The previous winners from college hockey’s premier conference are: Minnesota's Krissy Wendell in 2005, Wisconsin's Sara Bauer in 2006, Wisconsin’s Jessie Vetter in 2009, Wisconsin’s Meghan Duggan in 2011, Brianna Decker in 2012 and Minnesota’s Amanda Kessel in 2013.

save percentage and five shutouts in 13 games against ranked opponents.

Desbiens’ shutout against Boston College in the Frozen Four semifinals was the 55th of her collegiate career, further extending her all-time NCAA record. She set the mark with her sixth clean sheet of the season, surpassing the previous standard of 43 set

by Minnesota's Noora Räty between 201013. Additionally, her 0.89 career goalsagainst average and .955 save percentage stand as NCAA records. Desbiens was 9914-19 in her 122 games in a Wisconsin

uniform; her victory total is currently the second-most in NCAA Division I women's history, matching Mercyhurst’s Hillary Pattenden (2009-12) and fellow Badger Alex Rigsby (2011-14) for second.

A three-time member of the WCHA AllAcademic Team, Desbiens has been accepted into the Wisconsin School of Business to begin her Integrated Master of Accountancy degree. She has also made a tremendous impact in the Madison community, volunteering with the Badger Life program and at the Veterans’ hospital.

Cr o w ell named Coach of the YYear Cro ear For leading Minnesota Duluth to a 25-75 record and into the 2017 NCAA tournament, Maura Crowell has been named the CCM/AHCA University Division Women's Coach of the Year for 2016-17. Crowell, in just her second year as a Division I head coach, led UMD into the WCHA Championship Game before bowing 4-1 to Wisconsin, the No. 1 team in the nation. Her squad reached the conference final by virtue of a 2-1 double overtime win over the University of Minnesota, whose second place regular season finish was one spot ahead of the Bulldogs. Minnesota got revenge with a 1-0 season-ending defeat of UMD in the NCAA Quarterfinals. Crowell’s twoyear record in Duluth is 40-28-6 and her career mark is 136-88-14.

March 23, 2017

www.letsplayhockey.com

13

AAU JUNIOR HOCKEY Insider AAUICEHOCKEY.ORG • WSHL.POINTSTREAKSITES.COM

WSHL Playoff update – Division Quarterfinals #3 Ontario def. #6 San Diego, 2-0; advances to play Valencia The San Diego Sabers put up a good fight in both games, but the Ontario Avalanche advanced to the Western Division Semifinals in a two-game sweep. The Avalanche posted a solid, persistent, win in Friday’s series opener, outshooting the Sabers in all three periods and out-scoring them, 2-1, in each frame for a 6-3 final. San Diego’s Mason Kohn scored 4:27 into the second period to tie the game, 2-2, but Alex Bouchard restored Ontario’s lead just 1:43 later and Manual Mancha added the first of two goals he scored in the game, to put the Avs up 4-2, with 1:29 left in the period. It held up as the game-winner.

Three unanswered goals in the second period gave the Sabers a 3-1 lead going into the third period of Game 2, but the Avalanche counter-punched – hard – with three goals in a span of 1:23 mid-way through the period. An empty-netter made it a 5-3 final. That kind of quick-strike response will no doubt give Ontario confidence if they find themselves in a tight spot later in the playoffs. Six different players scored for the Avalanche, who out-shot San Diego, 21-5 in the third period. #4 Las Vegas def. #5 Fresno, 2-0; advances to play Long Beach The Fresno Monsters gained steam in the second half of the season, looking more like the Monsters’ teams of the past, but the Las Vegas Storm showed that there has, in fact, been a shift in the power structure of the Western Division with a two-game sweep for their first-ever playoff series win.

Vili Lappalainen gave the Monsters a 3-2 lead late in the second period of Game 1, but J. C. Lachapelle came up with a huge goal for the Storm with 18 seconds left in the period to take the wind out of Fresno’s sail going into the second intermission.

Las Vegas came out flying in the third period to take the game, 7-4. Melwin Thorsson put them back in front at 5:36, and Nikita Pintusov scored the next two goals to give the Storm a three-goal lead. Pintusov, Lachapelle and Jeffery Morgan all scored twice for the home side and Spencer Kozlowski made 32 saves.

Four different skaters scored for Fresno, including Lappalainen and Kaleb Many Fingers, who gave the Monsters a 3-2 lead late in the second period. Nick Gary made 32 saves for the Monsters before getting lifted in the third period.

Lachapelle had two more goals, and Amandus Laukkanen collected three assists in a series-clinching 9-2 Storm win on Friday. Facing elimination, Fresno out-shot their hosts 17-6 in the opening period, but Kozlowski stopped 16 of 17 shots while Las Vegas scored on three of their six. The Storm scored five unanswered goals in the third period to put the game away. #3 Butte def. Bellingham, 2-0; advances to play Southern Oregon After playing “playoff hockey” for over a month, the Bellingham Blazers got to play actual playoff hockey, and gave the Butte Cobras a run for their money, despite winning 17 fewer games during the regular season and losing all six games of their season series.

The series ended in dramatic fashion as Petr Panacek scored with five seconds left in regulation to give Butte a 3-2 win in Game

2 and put the Cobras through to the next round. Bellingham’s Alexander Olson made 18 of his 38 saves in the third period, but could not keep the Cobras from getting the goal they needed.

Panacek also assisted on the other two Butte goals.

Panacek had three assists in Butte’s 5-3 win in Game 1, including Jan Marcilis’ game-winner. Trey Caldwell scored twice for the Cobras and Earl Webb matched that production for Bellingham. #5 TTahoe ahoe def. #4 ances Vancouv er er,, 2-0; adv advances ancouver to play Idaho The Tahoe Icemen are making the most of their first playoff appearance in four years, making quick work of the Vancouver Rangers with balanced scoring and stellar goaltending. This one will go in the books as the “road” team winning, but the series was played at South Tahoe Ice Arena.

The two teams came out trading chances right from the opening puck drop in Game 1, but the first period was almost scoreless.

The Rangers out-shot the Icemen, 19-15, but Artur Pavliukov kept everything out of the Tahoe net and the Icemen actually took a 1-0 lead into the locker room thanks to an Andrew Romani goal with 1:19 left in the period.

Gabel Longshore scored twice in the middle frame as the Icemen went out to a 4-2 lead, then completed his hat trick with the first of three more Tahoe goals in the third period as the Icemen pulled away for a 7-3 win. Justin Poirier assisted on all three of Longshore’s goals, as well as Romani’s ice breaker.

The Rangers were fighting to keep their season alive in Game 2, and when Alex Mitsionis scored just 30 seconds into the game, you have to believe it put some added jump to Vancouver’s step, but the Icemen matched their intensity and answered with four first-period goals to lead, 4-1, after 20 minutes.

A Colton Langowski goal 36 seconds into the second period made it 5-1, and the Rangers were never able to recover. Tahoe

one. David Karlsson entered the Cheyenne goal in relief in the first period, and made 49 saves the rest of the way, but it was too late. Casper built a 5-0 lead after 20 minutes and went on to win, 9-0. Lukas Lojka (2-1-3) and Tim Baskin (2-1-3) each scored twice and Dmitry Kuznetsov (1-3-4), acquired mid-season from the Stampede, had a four-point game against his former team.

went on to a 10-5 series-clinching win with Langowski putting up the hat trick this time and Pavliukov making another 54 saves.

Matthew Psasas, a trade deadline acquisition from Valencia, scored two goals and assisted on a third for the Icemen. #3 Utah def. #6 Superior Superior,, 2-0; advances to play Colorado The Utah Outliers have carried their strong play from the second half of the season into the playoffs, out-scoring the Superior RoughRiders, 12-2, in a two-game sweep.

Maxim Gromov scored two goals, and assisted on Bogdan Kvatov’s game-winner as the Outliers won Game 1, 4-1. Utah held the RoughRiders to 20 shots on goal and Marcus Rudhage handled all but one – by Superior’s Alex Meisner, who got Superior within a goal midway through the second period. Alexander Puurunen also scored for Utah, beating Superior’s Ashton Opperman (32 saves) to give the Outliers a three-goal lead in the third period.

Superior’s Adam Albert scored early in the second period to tie Game 2, 1-1, but Puurunen restored the Utah lead just 16 seconds later and the Outliers never looked back in an 8-1 win. Zach Dornseifer (2-1-3) scored twice and Rudhage had only to just make 13 saves. #4 Casper def. #5 Cheyenne, 2-0; advances to play Ogden Despite this being a 4-5 match-up, the Casper Coyotes dominated the Cheyenne Stampede, out-scoring them, 17-1, to move on in the Mountain Division playoffs. Eight different Coyotes scored in their 8-1 win in Game 1. Sven Zinsli had one of the goals and also picked up three assists.

It was still a one-goal game midway through the second period, but Casper scored four times in the final 10:02 of the period to break the game open. Casper netminder Adam Andersson was sharp when tested, stopping 27 of 28 shots.

The Stampede generated 37 shots on goal in Game 2, but Andersson stopped every

#3 Wichita def. #6 Dallas, 2-0; advances to play Oklahoma City The Dallas Snipers took the Wichita Jr. Thunder to sudden-death overtime in Game 2 of their Mid-Western Division Quarterfinal series, but Wichita’s Peter Cicmanec scored a highlight reel goal to clinch the series for the Jr. Thunder.

The Snipers hung in Game 1 well into the second period, never leading, but staying within a goal. Wichita’s potent offense finally broke through, however. Two goals late in the second period, then two more early in the third, put the game away in a 7-3 Jr. Thunder win.

Zach Balodis scored to break a 1-1 tie in the first period, and dished out three assists in the game. David Good also had three helpers and Oskar Gullstrom (2-1-3) scored twice for Wichita. Alexander Moustakis made 36 saves for Dallas – including 15 in the first period to help the Snipers weather the storm early and stay in the game. Erik Spath made 19 saves for the Jr. Thunder.

Moustakis refused to let Dallas go quietly in Game 2. He made an amazing 68 saves on 70 shots in regulation, and recorded two more saves in OT, before Cicmanec’s winner. After a scoreless first period, Sterling Cooper gave the Snipers a 1-0 lead 4:31 into the second. It looked like Dallas was going to take a one-goal lead into the third period, but Oskar Gullstrom tied it up in the final minute of the period.

Gullstrom struck again, 6:28 into the third, to give Wichita their first lead of the game. The Snipers didn’t fold though as they came up with the tying goal from Alexander Yunanov, then Moustakis kept the Jr. Thunder off the board for the final 10:08 of regulation. Cicmanec’s goal came 3:12 into sudden-death and Wichita advanced. Adam Conkling tended the twine for the Jr. Thunder, making 32 saves. #4 Springf ield def. #5 TTulsa, ulsa, 2-0; Springfield advances to play El Paso Springfield hit double-digits in both ends of their two-game sweep of Tulsa. The Express were in control of Game 1 all along, but didn’t break the game open until the third period, scoring six times and winning, 10-2. Robin Jansson had a hat trick for the Express and Mike Sauer picked up four assists. Michael Crawford (2-2-4) also had a big night for Springfield and Bailey Stephens stopped all 24 shots he faced through two periods, allowing two goals late in the game and finishing with 29 saves. Anthony Podder and Bogdan Shleev scored the Tulsa goals.

Things were over pretty quickly in Game 2. The Express led 5-0 after one period and rolled to a 14-2 win. Tyson Klingspohn scored a hat trick for Springfield. Other big point producers were Crawford (1-5-6), Sauer (1-4-5) and Jacob Dumont (2-1-3).

Express netminder Bailey Stephens even got into the act collecting three assists.

14

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey

www.letsplayhockey.com

Three area teams earn NCAA Tournament bids Three teams from the Upper Midwest – Minnesota, Minnesota Duluth and North Dakota – have been awarded berths to the NCAA Hockey Tournament. The three teams are in two of the four regions. The four regional champions will advance to the 2017 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four which will be held April 6 and 8 at United Center in Chicago.

Minneso ta: The Big Ten regular-season Minnesota: champion Gophers return in 2017 to the NCAA Tournament with its 37th appearance – setting a new NCAA record for all-time appearances by a program. The No. 1 seed for the Northeast Regional at SNHU Arena in Manchester, N.H., Minnesota (23-11-3) opens the national tournament against future Big Ten foe Notre Dame (21-11-5) on Saturday.

The Gophers are 27-15-3 all-time against Notre Dame, including a 1-0 mark in NCAA tournament games (a 5-2 regional win during the 2003-04 campaign). Saturday’s matchup marks the fifth-straight season the two future Big Ten rivals have met, while Lucia is a Notre Dame alum. An NCAA-best 37 national tournament berths continues a record-breaking 2016-17 campaign for the Gophers who became the first team in NCAA history to win six-straight regular-season conference championships earlier this year.

Minnesota Duluth: For the third consecutive year and fifth time in the last seven seasons, Minnesota Duluth has secured a

Minnesota Duluth wins NCHC Frozen Faceoff

spot in the NCAA Tournament and this Friday will pay a visit to the Scheels Arena in Fargo, N.D., for the West Regional. UMD (25-6-7), the tournament’s No. 2 overall seed, will face Ohio State (2111-6).

UMD and Ohio State have met on seven previous occasions, -- but never in the postseason -with the last coming on Nov. 2, 2013 (a 4-2 Buckeye win in Columbus, Ohio). The Buckeyes are coached by Steve Rohlik who spent 10 years as UMD assistant coach (2000-10) under Bulldog bench boss Scott Sandelin.

The NCAA Tournament berth is the 11th ever for UMD and marks the first time any Bulldog club has made five national appearances in a seven-year stretch. UMD has compiled a 16-11-0 lifetime record in the NCAA Tournament and a 10-5-0 mark since head coach Scott Sandelin’s arrival in 2000-01.

North Dakota: Dakota The University of North Dakota (21-15-3), which will host the NCAA West Regional this weekend in Fargo, has earned the region’s No. 3 seed and will host Boston University (23-11-3) in one of two regional semifinals on Friday at Scheels Arena. North Dakota is the defending national champion and will be making its 15th straight NCAA Tournament appearance, the second-longest streak in NCAA Division I men’s hockey history. Only Michigan, which went to 22 consecutive tournaments from 1991 to 2012, had a longer streak in the history of the sport. It will be UND’s 32nd NCAA Tournament appearance overall.

UND advanced to the NCHC Frozen Faceoff championship game where it lost 4-3 to Minnesota Duluth on Saturday in Minneapolis. UND last faced the Terriers in the 2015 NCAA Frozen Four semifinals in Boston, a 5-3 BU victory. UND leads the alltime series 12-10-2 (.542) and the two teams have split their six previous NCAA Tournament meetings.

UPDATE USPHL.com @USPHL USPHL

National Collegiate Development Conference launches for 2017-18 UMD won its first conference playoff title since the WCHA Final Five in 2009.

On a night when power play opportunities seemed boundless, it was only fitting that the outcome was ultimately decided by a man advantage goal. UMD right winger Anderson did the honors, scoring on a 5-on3 power play with 51 seconds left in regulation to lift the Bulldogs to a wild 4-3 victory over North Dakota in the title game of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference Frozen Faceoff. It was one of five power-play goals the two longtime rivals combined on in front of a crowd of 10,297 at Target Center in Minneapolis. The conference playoff championship was the fourth ever for the Bulldogs, with the last coming in 2009 while UMD was a member of the WCHA. UMD (25-6-7) survived what could have been a disastrous opening 20 minutes as it headed into the first intermission down only 1-0 despite killing off penalties for almost half (9:52) of the period. North Dakota (2115-3), which converted one of its four-man advantage chances during that period, outshot the Bulldogs 16-4, but some standout defensive work (16 blocked shots) and key stops by netminder Hunter Miska kept the damage to a minimum.

Reenergized, the Bulldogs struck for three goals within 58 seconds early in the second period and held a 9-0 shots’ advantage through the first six minutes. Senior Dominic Toninato, who scored once in

UMD’s 5-2 takedown of Western MIchigan in Friday’s semifinals, started the flurry by banging in Anderson’s rebound at the 1:30 mark before Riley Tufte went top-shelf on UND goaltender Cam Johnson 17 seconds later to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead.

Sophomore Adam Johnson followed up those two even strength goals with a powerplay tally off a wicked wrister for his 17th goal of the season. North Dakota cut the deficit to 3-2 with Tyson Jost’s one-timer with the Bulldogs down two men at 9:00 of the second period and then tied it with 2:46 to play in the third on another 5-on-3 power play. Anderson delivered the knockout blow with his 10th goal of the season, giving the Bulldogs their program-best sixth consecutive victory over North Dakota.

“I’m really excited for our team – we certainly earned it tonight,” said head coach Scott Sandelin. “It wasn’t easy, for sure, but this group again has that character and resiliency all year long. We killed off a huge 5on-3 during the first period (defenseman Neal Pionk received a five-minute major for charging) and that gave us a huge lift.”

Toninato, Miska and Pionk were named to the six-member NCHC Frozen Faceoff All-Tournament Team, as was senior Alex Iafallo, who also landed the Most Valuable Player Award after collecting one goal and three assists on the weekend.

The National Collegiate Development Conference, a unique, tuition-free Junior hockey division geared toward Division I collegiate development/placement and beyond, will drop its first puck in September with 11 organizations committed to offering junior hockey players from around the world a platform to develop their skills and become the college hockey stars of tomorrow. Players who desire to stay closer to home in the East, or who have a desire to frequently showcase their skills in front of the dozens of NCAA Division I schools in the East, will now have a tuition-free option and the ability to compete in what will become a pipeline for training, development and NCAA Division I advancement.

With 56 percent of Division I schools in the NCDC’s footprint, the scouting and development opportunities will increase significantly. Last year, the USPHL had more than 300 college commitments in its payto-play model, and the league plans on that number steadily growing as its ability to move players to the NCDC arrives.

The NCDC makes the long wished-for option of tuition-free hockey on the East Coast a reality,” said Commissioner Jeff

Nygaard. “It’s always been a good idea but it has taken the commitment and business savvy of the current group of owners to move it forward.”

“We also listened to college coaches who want to recruit prospects in their backyard so they can more efficiently develop relationships with prospects and monitor their developmental progress. The USPHL is excited to be part of yet another college advancement solution for high-level players.”

The founding NCDC teams are the Boston Bandits, Junior Bruins, Connecticut Jr. Rangers, Islanders Hockey Club, Jersey Hitmen, New Jersey Rockets, Northern Cyclones, PAL Junior Islanders, Rochester Monarchs, South Shore Kings, and Syracuse Stars.

Player Acquisition Teams participating in the National Collegiate Development Conference have eight Tenders which will be used to secure player rights for players not in a particular team’s organization. A Tender is a mutual agreement that is signed by both the player (parents of the player if under 18 years of age) and the organization.

Players who are not signed to a Tender will be eligible for the NCDC Futures’ Draft (2001 & 2002 birth years), or the NCDC Entry Draft to be held in May 2017. Players not signed to a Tender or drafted by a member club will have the opportunity to participate in team-specific tryout settings in order to earn their spot in a franchise.

www.letsplayhockey.com

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey

15

Five finalists announced for 2017 Mike Richter Award Let’s Play Hockey and the Herb Brooks Foundation have announced the five finalists for the 2017 Mike Richter Award, which honors the most outstanding goaltender in NCAA men’s hockey. The fourth annual award will be presented at the 2017 NCAA Men’s Frozen Four in Tampa, Fla. Michael Bitzer • Bemidji State • Junior The WCHA Player of the Year and an All-WCHA First Team selection, Michael Bitzer led the Beavers to the WCHA regular season championship while leading the conference in goals-against average (1.71), save percentage (.932), shutouts (6) and wins (22, tied with Michigan Tech’s Angus Redmond). A native of Moorhead, Minn., he posted a 22-14-3 overall record and ranks first in the nation in goals-against average, games played (39), minutes (2355:22), tied for first in shutouts, third in save percentage and tied for seventh in wins. The junior netminder played in all but two games this season for the Beavers, allowing two goals or less 29 times. Bitzer stopped 30 or more shots in nine games this season, and posted a .930 or better save percentage in 20 games. A Hobey Baker Award top 10 finalist, Bitzer is an exercise science major at Bemidji State.

Tanner Jaille Jaillett • Den Denvver • Junior The NCHC Goaltender of the Year and a member of the All-NCHC First Team, Tanner Jaillet backstopped top-ranked Denver to the NCHC regular season title while leading the conference in save percentage (.930), goals-against average (1.82) and wins (24, tied with UMD’s Hunter Miska). The native of Red Deer, Alberta., owns a 24-5-4 record and ranks third in the nation in goalsagainst average, tied for fourth in wins, and fifth in save percentage and winning percentage (.788). Jaillet has posted five games with 30 or more saves and has notched a .930 or better save percentage in 19 games this season. The NCHC Player of the Month for January and four-time NCHC Goalie of the Week has started all but six games this season and has allowed two goals or less 29 times. Jaillet is a business information and analytic major at Denver.

Hunter Miska • Minnesota Duluth • Freshman Hunter Miska is a member of the NCHC All-Conference Second Team and was a finalist for both the NCHC Goaltender of the Year and NCHC Rookie of the Year Awards.

A native of Stacy, Minn., Miska owns a 244-5 record and ranks second in the nation in winning percentage (.803), tied for fourth in wins (24) and shutouts (5), 19th in goalsagainst average (2.23) and 22nd in save percentage (.917). In backstopping thirdranked Minnesota Duluth to second place in the NCHC regular season and first place at the NCHC Frozen Faceoff, Miska posted nine games with 30 or more saves, including a career-high 38-save effort in a 3-1 win at Denver on Dec. 10. Miska has posted a .930 or better save percentage in 14 games this season and is 11-4-7 in one-goal games on the year. Miska is a business major at UMD. Cal Petersen • Notre Dame • Junior Cal Petersen backstopped the 12thranked Fighting Irish to within one point of a share of the Hockey East regular season championship while leading the conference

coaches. The finalists and winner are selected by a committee of coaches, scouts and members of the media.

Past winners: 2016 Thatcher Demko (Boston College), 2015 Zane McIntyre (North Dakota), 2014 Connor Hellebuyck (UMass Lowell) NOTES: There are four Americans and one Canadian among the finalists • The five finalists represent three different U.S. states – Minnesota with two, followed by Iowa and Michigan with one each • One Canadian province is represented – Alberta • Conference breakdown – NCHC 2, Atlantic Hockey 1, Hockey East 1, WCHA 1 • The finalists include one senior, three juniors and one freshman.

2017 Mike Richter Award Finalists Name Michael Bitzer Tanner Jaillet Hunter Miska Cal Petersen Charles Williams

School Bemidji State Denver Minnesota Duluth Notre Dame Canisius

Year Junior Junior Freshman Junior Senior

in save percentage (.928) and shutouts (6), and earning First Team All-Hockey East honors. A native of Waterloo, he owns a 21-115 overall record and ranks tied for first in the nation in shutouts, fifth in saves (1,007), seventh in minutes played (2191:55) tied for ninth in save percentage, 12th in goals-against average and wins, and 19th in winning percentage (.635). The junior netminder has started every game and played all but 19 minutes this season for the Irish, allowing two goals or less 23 times. He has stopped 30 or more shots in 15 games this season and has posted a .930 or better save percentage in 16 games. A finalist for the Hockey East Player of the Year Award, Petersen has started 87 consecutive games, dating back to a 5-1 win over Maine on Feb. 7, 2015. A fifthround pick (129th overall) of the Buffalo Sabres in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Petersen is a management consulting major at Notre Dame.

Charles Williams • Canisius • Senior (graduate transfer) The Atlantic Hockey Player of the Year and an All-AHC First Team selection, Charles Williams led the Golden Griffins to their first AHC regular season championship while leading the conference in goals-against average (1.82), save percentage (.943), shutouts (6) and saves (1,016). A native of Canton, Mich., he posted a 21-7-5 overall record and ranks first in the nation in save percentage and shutouts, tied for third in goalsagainst average, fourth in saves and tied for 12th in wins. The graduate transfer netminder played in all but five games this season for the Griffins, allowing two goals or less 25 times. Williams stopped 30 or more shots in 15 games this season, including a career-high 46 in a 2-2 tie at Air Force on Jan. 14. The six-time AHC Goalie of the Week honoree posted a .930 or better save percentage in 21 games. A Hobey Baker Award top 10 finalist, Williams is a master’s degree candidate in sport administration at Canisius.

The finalists combine for a 1.94 goalsagainst average, a .930 save percentage and a grade-point average of 3.45.

The 2017 Mike Richter Award will be presented at ESPN’s #CawlidgeHawkey event at Kitty O’Sheas in Chicago, on Friday, April 7 (7 p.m.), featuring John Buccigross and

W-L-T 22-14-3 24-5-4 24-4-5 21-11-5 21-7-5

GAA 1.71 1.82 2.23 2.14 1.82

SV% .932 .930 .917 .928 .943

SO 6 0 5 6 6

Barry Melrose. Fans are encouraged to attend the event, which will feature a Q&A, giveaways, autographs and lots of college hockey talk. More details will be announced next week.

Candidates for the Mike Richter Award were determined by nominations from all 60 NCAA Division I men’s hockey head

Mike Richter (left) presented the 2016 Mike Richter Award to Boston College’s Thatcher Demko.

16

March 23, 2017

Apollo Oase Apple Valley Peewee C

Tate Hentz Minnetonka Junior Gold 16U Blue

Kieran Kurtt Chaska/Chanhassen Mite West Gold

Let’s Play Hockey

Song that best describes you

Favorite place I’ve gone on vacation

“We’re Not Gonna Take It” – Twister Sister

Swimming with dolphins and sea turtles in Hawaii

“Tunnel Vision” – Justin Timberlake

Bahamas

“Hall of Fame” – The Script

Florida

www.letsplayhockey.com

If I could be one famous person Favorite player in for a day the NHL day,, I would be ...

Olympic speedskater Apolo Ohno

Alex Ovechkin

Scrimmaging with my team and family when we get on the ice early

Connor McDavid

“The Bois”

Nick Bjugstad

Playing with my Gold Stinger teammates

(because I like to skate really fast)

Dwayne Johnson

Nick Bjugstad

Thing I’ll miss most about the hockey season

Want to be featured in Under the Helmet? E-mail your name and team/level to editor@letsplayhockey.com. Players chosen to participate will receive a short e-mail survey.

Follow Let’s Play Hockey on Twitter @LetsPlay_Hockey

The Let’s Play Hockey Expo is set for March 9-10, 2018 at the St. Paul RiverCentre.

‘Like’ Let’s Play Hockey on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ letsplayhockey

www.letsplayhockey.com

Let’s Play Hockey

March 23, 2017

17

“Make everyone look good” makes Minnetonka Junior Gold A state champions

By Rodd Wagner Through the whole season, Head Coach Tom Wright gave the Minnetonka Junior gold A Warriors a singular piece of locker room advice: “Your job is to make every other person in this room look good.”

They all looked good Sunday night wearing medals and the victors’ red caps after the Warriors beat White Bear Lake, Wayzata and two-time reigning champions Edina to capture the Minnesota Junior Gold A championship. Minnetonka took a three-goal lead midway through the second period of the final game, then hung on in the third as Edina scored two goals and came within inches of a third. It was Minnetonka’s first championship since 2013 and only its fourth title overall in the division.

The march to the title was no cakewalk.

Minnetonka entered the tournament at Edina’s Braemar Arena ranked second in the state with a 20-4-0 record. Edina held the top slot with a record of 21-0-3 and the edge in fair-play points. The Warriors had been beaten three times by Edina and once

by Wayzata in regular season and tournament play, but had also beaten Edina once and Wayzata twice. “We realized that the playoffs constituted a new season where anything can happen,” said the coach.

The players credit their ultimate success to a combination of personal bonds formed during the season or over their youth playing careers, kicking a soccer ball around before games to stay loose, not taking themselves too seriously and following their coaches’ advice to give other players a chance to shine. “We don’t have any allstars on the team,” said senior defenseman James Stratton. “We all get along and we all like each other. Our team works well together and we’ve got good chemistry.”

“The seniors established a play-as-a-team mindset early on and we played that way for the rest of the season,” said junior forward Alex Traxler.

While the Warriors beat White Bear Lake 4-0 in Friday night’s first round, Minnetonka failed to get on the scoreboard against Bears’ goalie Ben Belisle until 4:23 in the second period. Belisle blocked 44 shots on goal over the three periods of play. Warrior goalie Garrison Hill, who was in net the full tournament for Minnetonka, stopped 11 shots to earn the shutout. White Bear Lake went on to beat Lakeville and Stillwater to take the consolation championship.

In Saturday night’s semifinal, the Warriors didn’t draw blood against Wayzata goalie Jackson Fazendin until a power play 10:13 into the first period, when senior forward Graham Harber fired from just in front of the blue line and senior defenseman Jacob Schuldt deflected it into the net. The Warriors expanded their lead less than two minutes later when, again with a man advantage, Harber and junior Alex Traxler exchanged four passes left of the Wayzata goalie before Harber passed it to senior Royce Lund, who had space right of the goalie and immediately fired for the goal.

Minnetonka took what turned out to be an insurmountable lead two-and-a-half minutes into the second period when senior William Coffey skated through center diagonally to the right and dropped off the puck for close-following senior Will Hohman, who found a gap over Fazendin’s left shoulder.

Wayzata cut into the lead a little over seven minutes later on a goal from Ty Gardner, assisted by Collin Koenen. But less than a minute-and-a-half after Wayzata’s goal, Minnetonka returned the lead to three when junior Charlie Wagner chased and wheeled on a puck headed toward the blue line, ringing it back to senior Jacob Hermann behind

Bottom row (l-r): Jacob Neuman, Graham Harber, Will Hohman, Garrison Hill. Middle row (l-r): Ryan Oppegaard, Max Stenberg, Luke Falconer, Charlie Wagner, Will Coffey, Jacob Hermann. Back row (l-r): Assistant Coach Bruce Twaddle, James Stratton, Charlie Quinn, Royce Lund, Jacob Schuldt, Assistant Coach Dave Aanenson, Mason Dunlap, Alex Traxler, Head Coach Tom Wright. Not pictured: Jack Schechtman, Will Graupmann, Nate Konen.

the net, who fed it to senior Max Stenberg, waiting for the pass in front of new goalie Zachary Klaiman. Stenberg punched it in.

Wayzata cut the lead to two goals again 9:34 into the third period when Gardner scored a second time, with assists from Koenen and Matt Martinson. The score re-

mained 4-2 until time expired. Wayzata went on in the tournament to take third place by beating Blaine.

Edina reached the championship with a Friday 12-1 blowout over St. Louis Park and a 1-0 squeaker against Blaine on Saturday.

Having been beaten by Edina three times

earlier and having won only once, none of the Warriors were guaranteeing a victory, but they believed that if they could play as well as they had the night before, they had a strong chance.

“They beat us during the season, but skillwise they were no better,” said senior Royce Lund. “ It was just a matter of knowing we could win.”

“At the beginning of the Edina game, there were nerves and there was that electricity,” said Schuldt. “But I wasn’t worried, not because I knew we were going to win, but because I knew after coming this far we were going to play our hearts out.”

In the locker room, Wright and assistant coaches Dave Aanenson and Bruce Twaddle reminded the Warriors of the success they had through the season. “Regardless of the outcome, you will remember this game the rest of your lives,” Wright told them. “Play hard, distribute the puck and have fun.”

Edina brought strong pressure early in the first period, maintaining the majority of puck possession, keeping it in Minnetonka’s zone, and firing repeatedly at the Warrior goalie, but, as sportscaster Sam Slagle said Continued on page 28

18

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey

www.letsplayhockey.com

Minnesota Youth Hockey Scoreboard Junior Gold A State Tournament Quarterfinals Blaine 5, Stillwater 4 Edina 12, St. Louis Park 1 Minnetonka 4, White Bear Lake 0 Wayzata 4, Lakeville 2 Semifinals Edina 1, Blaine 0 Minnetonka 4, Wayzata 2 Championship Minnetonka 3, Edina 2 Third-Place Game Wayzata 6, Blaine 1 Consolation Semifinals Stillwater 4, St. Louis Park 0 White Bear Lake 4, Lakeville 2 Consolation Final White Bear Lake 4, Stillwater 2

Junior Gold B State Tournament Quarterfinals Edgcumbe 2, Minnetonka Black 0 Elk River 2, Eastview 1 Moorhead 5, St. Thomas Academy 3 Wayzata Blue 3, Bloomington Jefferson 2 Semifinals Elk River 3, Edgcumbe 1 Moorhead 5, Wayzata Blue 4 Championship Moorhead 3, Elk River 1 Third-Place Game Wayzata Blue 4, Edgcumbe 2 Consolation Semifinals Minnetonka Black 5, Eastview 3 St. Thomas Academy 3, Bloomington Jefferson 0 Consolation Final St. Thomas Academy 6, Minnetonka Black 1

Junior Gold 16U State Tournament Quarterfinals Lakeville 5, Blaine 2 Minnetonka Blue 2, Minnetonka Black 1 Prior Lake 4, Elk River 3 Stillwater 5, Eden Prairie 1 Semifinals Minnetonka Blue 3, Lakeville 0 Stillwater 5, Prior Lake 2 Championship Minnetonka Blue 4, Stillwater 0 Third-Place Game Prior Lake 5, Lakeville 2 Consolation Semifinals Eden Prairie 3, Elk River 0 Minnetonka Black 5, Blaine 4 Consolation Final Eden Prairie 2, Minnetonka Black 1

Bantam AA State Tournament Quarterfinals Blaine 3, Eden Prairie 2 Osseo/Maple Grove 3, Cloquet 2 Stillwater 5, Lakeville South 0 White Bear Lake 4, Moorhead 0 Semifinals Osseo/Maple Grove 4, Stillwater 3 White Bear Lake 2, Blaine 1 Championship White Bear Lake 5, Osseo/Maple Grove 2 Third-Place Game Stillwater 3, Blaine 0 Consolation Semifinals Lakeville South 5, Cloquet 0 Moorhead 4, Eden Prairie 3 Consolation Final Moorhead 5, Lakeville South 3

Bantam A State Tournament Quarterfinals Edina 3, Duluth East 1 Greenway 10, Chaska/Chanhassen 6 MAML 1, Alexandria 0

Orono 9, Northfield 0 Semifinals Edina 4, MAML 3 Orono 5, Greenway 3 Championship Edina 2, Orono 1 Third-Place Game Greenway 6, MAML 4 Consolation Semifinals Alexandria 5, Duluth East 1 Chaska/Chanhassen 1, Northfield 0 Consolation Final Alexandria 4, Chaska/Chanhassen 3

Bantam B1 State Tournament Quarterfinals Edina Green 4, Bemidji 0 Edina White 7, Lake of the Woods 1 Elk River 2, Buffalo 0 Orono 4, St. Cloud Red 0 Semifinals Edina Green 3, Orono 2 Edina White 6, Elk River 2 Championship Edina Green 3, Edina White 2 Third-Place Game Orono 4, Elk River 3 Consolation Semifinals Buffalo 4, Lake of the Woods 2 St. Cloud Red 3, Bemidji 0 Consolation Final St. Cloud Red 3, Buffalo 2

PeeWee AA State Tournament Quarterfinals Chaska/Chanhassen 5, Edina 3 Osseo/Maple Grove 6, Moorhead 0 Wayzata 6, Lakeville South 1 Woodbury 5, Hermantown 1 Semifinals Chaska/Chanhassen 3, Woodbury 2 Osseo/Maple Grove 7, Wayzata 1 Championship Chaska/Chanhassen 3, Osseo/Maple Grove 2 Third-Place Game Wayzata 3, Woodbury 2 Consolation Semifinals Edina 7, Hermantown 1 Lakeville South 2, Moorhead 1 Consolation Final Edina 3, Lakeville South 2

PeeWee A State Tournament Quarterfinals Edina 5, Duluth Denfeld 1 JCNSP 3, Warroad 2 Mound Westonka 6, Sartell 2 Osseo/Maple Grove 3, Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato 2 Semifinals Edina 3, Mound Westonka 2 JCNSP 4, Osseo/Maple Grove 0 Championship JCNSP 4, Edina 2

Third-Place Game Edina White 5, Elk River 0

Championship Anoka-Rogers 6, Rochester 2

Consolation Semifinals Red Lake Falls 4, St. Cloud Red 3 Sartell Blue 3, Crookston 2 Consolation Final Red Lake Falls 7, Sartell Blue 2

Third-Place Game Minneapolis 3, Osseo/Maple Grove 2

Girls 19U State Tournament Semifinals Edina 7, Blaine 0 Osseo/Maple Grove 4, White Bear Lake 3 Championship Edina 3, Osseo/Maple Grove 1 Consolation Final White Bear Lake 2, Blaine 1

Girls 15U A State Tournament Quarterfinals Andover 4, Minnetonka Black 1 Edina Green 6, Grand Rapids/Greenway 1 Osseo/Maple Grove 5, Rochester 3 Proctor/Hermantown 2, Blaine 0 Semifinals Andover 8, Proctor/Hermantown 1 Osseo/Maple Grove 3, Edina Green 2 Championship Andover 2, Osseo/Maple Grove 0 Third-Place Game Edina Green 5, Proctor/Hermantown 0 Consolation Semifinals Minnetonka Black 3, Blaine 0 Rochester 3, Grand Rapids/Greenway 1 Consolation Final Minnetonka Black 3, Rochester 0

Girls 15U B State Tournament Quarterfinals Anoka-Rogers 7, Sartell-Sauk Rapids 0 Minneapolis 4, Armstrong/Cooper 1 Osseo/Maple Grove 3, Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato 0 Rochester 6, Blaine/Spring Lake Park 0 Semifinals Anoka-Rogers 3, Minneapolis 1 Rochester 5, Osseo/Maple Grove 4

Consolation Semifinals Armstrong/Cooper 5, Sartell-Sauk Rapids 1 Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato 3, Blaine/Spring Lake Park 2 Consolation Final Armstrong/Cooper 2, Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato 0

Girls 12U A State Tournament Quarterfinals Andover 12, Roseau 0 Anoka-Rogers 1, Stillwater 0 Edina 3, Alexandria 0 North Wright County 4, Osseo/Maple Grove 0 Semifinals Andover 5, Anoka-Rogers 3 Edina 7, North Wright County 1 Championship Edina 2, Andover 1 Third-Place Game North Wright County 2, Anoka-Rogers 1 Consolation Semifinals Alexandria 4, Osseo/Maple Grove 2 Stillwater 5, Roseau 1 Consolation Final Alexandria 4, Stillwater 1

Girls 12U B State Tournament Quarterfinals Cloquet 4, Buffalo 2 Inver Grove Heights 4, Luverne 3 Osseo/Maple Grove 3, Coon Rapids/Champlin Park 2 Wayzata Blue 4, Hibbing 1 Semifinals Osseo/Maple Grove 3, Cloquet 0 Wayzata Blue 4, Inver Grove Heights 3 Championship Wayzata Blue 1, Osseo/Maple Grove 0 Third-Place Game Inver Grove Heights 3, Cloquet 1 Consolation Semifinals Coon Rapids/Champlin Park 2, Buffalo 1 Luverne 3, Hibbing 1 Consolation Final Luverne 1, Coon Rapids/Champlin Park 0

Orono Bantam B1 takes third at state tournament

Third-Place Game Mound Westonka 5, Osseo/Maple Grove 4 Consolation Semifinals Sartell 2, Duluth Denfeld 1 Warroad 5, Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato 4 Consolation Final Warroad 5, Sartell 2

PeeWee B1 State Tournament Quarterfinals Edina Green 3, Red Lake Falls 2 Edina White 9, Crookston 1 Elk River 7, St. Cloud Red 0 Moorhead Black 3, Sartell Blue 1 Semifinals Edina Green 5, Elk River 1 Moorhead Black 3, Edina White 2 Championship Edina Green 5, Moorhead Black 1

Pride, passion, and dedication ... it took all three for the Orono Bantam B1 team to capture third place at the state championships last weekend in Prior Lake. The team went undefeated in both District 3 and Region West play to get to State and lost only one game in the postseason (8-1-0).

Orono won big against St. Cloud Red (40) in their first game of the state tournament, had a heartbreaking loss to Edina Green in game two (3-2) and won the thirdplace game in a spirited 4-3 OT win against Elk River.

The season record of 36-6-1 was truly amazing given that the team lost the first

three games of the season. Team scorers in the tournament included Aaron Brekken (2), Mason Thedans (2), Nolan Tichy (2), George James (1), Cooper Klaers (1), John Meskan (1) and Dylan Rash (1).

The team was led by captains Dylan Rash, Nolan Tichy and Will Walz. The rest of the team included Conner Anderson, Shea Anderson, James Baran, Aaron Brekken, Jake Gherardi, Finn Grandy, George James, Cooper Klaers, AJ Lopez, John Meskan, Finn Rohrer, Mason Thedans, and Joe Williams. The team was coached by John Klaers, Woody Rash and Richard James.

www.letsplayhockey.com

Edina Bantam A wins state championship

An exciting weekend of play at the Minnesota Hockey State Bantam A Tournament in Marshall culminated in a state championship title for the Edina Bantam A team.

The Hornets opened the tourney against Duluth East on Friday night. The game was tight all along, but Edina put in an emptynet goal in the third to solidify their victory 3-1.

Edina and MAML faced each other for the semifinal game on Saturday. The fast-paced game was back-and-forth, forcing the teams into two overtimes. The Hornets came out on top, 4-3, to move on to the final round.

For the championship match-up, Edina found themselves facing off with the two-

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey

time defending state Bantam A champions, Orono. This was the third meeting for the two teams this season, with Orono winning the previous two in close games. Edina found the net midway through the first period, but Orono answered with a goal to tie it up. The Hornets persevered and got the go-ahead goal in the third to clinch the victory and the 2017 championship.

The Edina Bantam A team finished the season with a record of 40-4-3.

The dedicated coaching staff worked hard to develop the team’s skills, as well as character, and can proudly wrap up a successful year with a well-deserved state championship title. Congrats to Edina Bantam A!

Moorhead Junior Gold B wins state title

19

Minnetonka Blue captures Junior Gold 16U state title

Minnetonka Junior Gold 16U Blue had a great season, finishing 13-3-6. Minnetonka went into the state tournament with the fourth seed. They knew if they played their best they’d have a shot, but would have to beat very good teams like Stillwater, Lakeville, Prior Lake and our other Minnetonka team.

After winning game one of the state tournament in a nailbiter against the other Minnetonka team, 2-1, Tonka Blue faced the No. 1 team in state, Lakeville. The kids were up for the challenge and came out hard and with great goaltending from Josh Brown. Tonka was able to hold off a very talented Lakeville team and pull out a 3-0 win.

Facing Stillwater in the final was going to

be no easy task. Tonka only managed to tie Stillwater this year and lose the other two games. But like the day before, Minnetonka Blue was able to get out to a quick lead with a goal by Tate Hentz on his second shift of the game. Then Liam Johnson added a goal to give Tonka a 2-0 lead not much later in the period. Minnetonka was able to add to that with a defensive breakdown by Stillwater’s defenseman which gave Quinn Schrepel a breakaway to add to the lead, making it 3-0. Stillwater is a very wellcoached team and everyone knew they would not go away easily, but the Minnetonka boys played great, Brown shut the door and Tonka added an empty net goal by Tate Hentz, his second of the game to take the state championship!

Edina PeeWee B1 Green takes state championship

Top row (l-r): Assistant Coach Steve Schmitz, Assistant Coach Matt Graczyk, Nick Graczyk, Jack Sorem, Andrew Joing, Ryan Andor, Colin Dorsey, Assistant Coach Todd Joing, Head Coach Jeff Sorem. Second row (l-r): Peter Giertsen (top), Ryan Sever (bottom), Ethan Deal, Alex Carlson, Wyatt Schmitz, Joe Kolar, Henri Denault, Joe Schmidt.

Bottom row (l-r): Goalie Alex Savage, John Knowles, Bill Martin, Goalie Braxton Schroepfer

Moorhead Junior Gold entered the State Tournament with a record of 21-7-5. They were not ranked all year in Let’s Play Hockey.

Moorhead entered the State Tournament on a 10-game winning streak, during which time they won the Junior Gold Tournament in Hudson, Wis. Moorhead won the Region Tournament beating Duluth twice to secure their berth to the State Tournament. The team was comprised of nine seniors, three juniors, and six sophomores. Moorhead battled injuries throughout the season and spent numerous hours on the road to play games.

In the first round of the State Tournament, they played No. 5 St. Thomas Academy, winning 5-3. The semifinal game was against No. 6 Wayzata Blue which Moorhead won 5-4 in overtime. In the championship game, they played top-ranked Elk River whom they

had played twice during the regular season with a 1-0-1 record, only winning 3-2 and tied 1-1. They knew they were going to be in for a tough match against the Elks.

Moorhead prevailed and won the game 3-1 to become state champions.

Moorhead had one motto they carried with them throughout the State Tournament: “Teams win with great teammates, not great players.” This was Moorhead’s third consecutive appearance at state tournament, placing fifth and third in years prior. There was one common goal amongst the team: to work hard, play as a team and become state champions. It has been over 20 years since an outstate team had won the Junior Gold State Championship. Moorhead is proud to end the drought. Congratulations, Moorhead Junior Gold!

Edina Green won the PeeWee B1 State Championship with a 5-1 victory over Moorhead Black at Dakotah Arena on Sunday, March 19. It was a total team victory with five different players scoring, 10 with points and very solid defense and goaltending.

The game started out scoreless through the first period and a half with both teams exchanging chances that were thwarted by stellar goaltending and defense on both ends of the ice. The stalemate finally broke when Colin Dorsey found John Knowles alone in the neutral zone. He went to the net, beating one defender and just managed to poke the puck past the goaltender as he was being taken down by another. The second period ended with the Hornets holding a slim 1-0 advantage.

Then the floodgates opened with Edina scoring three times in the first five minutes of the third period. At about one minute in, Ryan Andor brought the puck into the zone and fired a hard shot. Schmitz went hard to the net and put away the rebound for the second goal. About a minute and a half later,

Jack Sorem brought the puck up ice and into the offensive zone, then left a nice drop pass for Henri Denault who cut to the slot and fired one into the back of the net to make it 3-0. A little later, Sorem got the puck out of the defensive zone with a nice pass to Denault, who brought it into the zone and managed to make a great pass, with the defense all over him, to Peter Giertsen who buried it with a nice shot and it was 4-0 Hornets. With about four minutes left in the game, Bill Martin fed Alex Carlson for the breakout from the defensive zone. Carlson hit Dorsey who brought the puck into the zone with speed and sniped a pretty topshelf goal. Moorhead broke the shutout with about one minute remaining to make the final score 5-1.

Goaltender Alex Savage played a terrific game for the Hornets with strong support from his defensive teammates in front of him. Edina Green finished the season with an amazing 48-1-2 record, with one loss and two ties to their rivals and friends on the Edina White team who had an outstanding season as well.

20

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey

Anoka-Rogers 15U B wins state championship

Front row (l-r): Kailey Sornberger, Mallory Ramstad, Breeka Jaramillo, Morgan Verke, Taylor Lundy, Elise Kirchen.

Second row (l-r): Maddie George, Ally Johnson, Lizzy Palumbo, Katie Collier. Back row (l-r): Coach Sornberger, Coach Ramstad, Katie DeVora, Taylor Bloch, Avery Wilson, Emma Rooks, Karly Sundeen, Coach Johnson, Coach Wilson.

Last weekend, the Anoka-Rogers’ girls’ team won the 15U B State Championship against Rochester at the St. Cloud MAC arena. The Anoka-Rogers’ girls were 19-1 during the regular season, ranked No. 1 most of the season in Let’s Play Hockey and swept through the region playoffs two weeks ago with victories of 5-1, 5-1 and 53 to reach the State Tournament.

Friday’s first game in State was against Sartell and the Anoka-Rogers’ team was led

by Katie Devora’s hat trick to give them a 70 shutout. Saturday’s game was a much tighter affair as the girls faced a solid Minneapolis team. With solid two-way play from Avery Wilson, a couple of timely goals from Morgan Verke and a three-assist game from Kailey Sornberger, the Anoka-Rogers team advanced to the championship with a 3-1 victory.

The championship game pitted the Anoka-Rogers’ girls against No. 3 Rochester, who knocked off No. 2 Osseo/Maple Grove to reach the finals. The game started off on a sour note with Rochester drawing first blood at the nine-second mark of the first period. Rochester increased their lead to 20 towards the end of the first period. Playing

from behind was a position the team hadn’t experienced often during the season, but they re-focused their efforts with the help and leadership of a strong coaching staff.

The tide started to turn in the second period when Emma Rooks gathered a Lizzy Palumbo pass and scored to put AnokaRogers on the board. In close succession, Anoka-Rogers tallied second and third goals

by Sornberger and Ally Johnson to take a 32 lead into the locker room at the end of the second period.

The third period saw continued pressure by the Anoka-Rogers’ squad and at the 38second mark, Mallory Ramstad and Katie Collier assisted on Rooks’ second goal of the day. Taylor Lundy and Taylor Bloch added goals midway through the third to take a commanding 6-2 lead. Defensemen Elise Kirchen, Karly Sundeen and Maddie George came up strong towards the end of the game and goaltender Breeka Jaramillo withstood 38 Rochester shots to secure the victory for Anoka-Rogers. In the end, it was a team victory that saw the culmination of all the hard work and effort the girls had put in throughout the season!

www.letsplayhockey.com

Chaska/Chanhassen captures PeeWee AA state title

The Chaska/Chanhassen PeeWee AA hockey team are State Champions! The team started the weekend as the No. 1 seed and the top team in the state. CC played Edina on Friday and after starting out with a commanding lead, allowed Edina back in into the game. They beat Edina 5-3.

On Saturday, CC played Woodbury. They had the lead all game until Woodbury put one away with just 14 seconds left to tie it up and send the game to overtime. Gavin Nahan had the game winner!

On Sunday, CC was up against Osseo/ Maple Grove. A rival all season, it was no surprise these teams were the two left

standing. After going down 2-0 early, CC clawed their way back and tied the game up in the third period to send the game into overtime. With 4.47 seconds left in OT, Zach Seltun brought the puck wide into OMG’s zone and passed over to CC’s leading scorer and assistant captain Trey Fechko who netted the overtime winner in the upper right corner.

There have been only a handful of CC teams in the past to ever make the state tournament, but this is the first PeeWee AA team to ever win it. Congratulations to the team.

Edina 19U captures state championship Andover 15U A captures state championship

Top row (l-r): Alex Hymanson, Kathryn Merta, Maran Wagner, Ratika Chakrabarti, Katilyn Mortenson, Megan Germaine (C), Coach Mick Graff. Middle row (l-r): Coach Corrine Pollock, Alyssa Carlson, Min Choi. Bottom row (l-r): Sarah Welch, Goalie Maddy Koss, Maddie Egan, Molly DeVoe (C), Lauren Olson, Gretta Bolstad, Uma KumarMontei, Mimi Anderson. Not pictured: Rachel Chandler, Shania Hicks.

The Edina 19U team won their first round game over fourth seed Blaine 7-0, and went on to defeat Osseo/Maple Grove in a hardfought battle to win the state championship game on Sunday, March 19. Scoring for the Hornets in the championship game to tie it up 1-1 was Lauren Olson. Gretta Bolstad had the go-ahead goal (scored short-

handed!) and credit to Maddie Egan for sealing the deal, making the final score 3-1 with an empty net goal!

The team thanks everyone involved, especially parents, the Edina association, Minnesota Hockey and hosts, District 8 for a great, season-ending weekend.

The Andover 15U A girls took home the state championship this past weekend at Doug Woog Arena. They defeated Minnetonka Black 4-1, Proctor/ Hermantown 8-1 and finally Osseo/Maple Grove in the championship game by a score of 2-0. The competition was extremely talented and incredibly tenacious, but with

a lot of focus, hard work and some good fortune, the 15U A team from Andover was able to finish their season with the ultimate prize.

Congrats on a great season to an amazing group of girls, a fantastic coaching/manager staff and a very supportive parent group.

www.letsplayhockey.com

Johnson/Como/NSP captures state PeeWee A title

Polar Devil Nation erupted last Sunday at Fogerty Arena in Blaine, Minn., as the last couple of seconds ticked off the scoreboard in the PeeWee A state championship game.

This playoff run for Johnson/Como/North St. Paul was not for the faint of heart.

It all started with a four-goal, come-frombehind victory over Cottage Grove in the district championship game (5-4). Then, in the East Regional, the squad was down 2-0 to Mounds View/Irondale and came back and won 3-2. In the Regional semis, the boys found themselves down 2-1 to the Titans from Tartan late in the third. But once again, the cardiac kids somehow scored two goals in the last few minutes to take down their neighborhood rival 3-2.

The Regional Championship was a little payback and their only stumble in the postseason as they blew a 3-1 lead to Edina and fell 4-3. The bounce-back of this team was on display four hours later, as they whooped up on Minnetonka 5-1, out-shooting the Skippers 48-13 and punching their ticket to the State Tourney!

The first round game was against No. 2 Warroad who had a few studs that could really shoot the biscuit. In fact, it only took the Warriors two minutes to get on the board. The Polar Devils answered five minutes later as Brent Gulenchyn tickled the twine on a power play. He was assisted by Riley Skuza. It was 1-1 after one.

In the second, JCNSP took advantage of another power play as Big Sean Smith let one fly from the point into the upper corner.

Leo Gruba with the D-to-D feed got the helper. With four minutes left in the period, Gruba entered the offensive zone and used the Warroad D man as a screen to snap off a quick low shot and beat the Warrior goalie five-hole! JCNSP went into the locker room up 3-1.

The third period was all Warroad as they peppered goaltender Damian VanDanacker relentlessly. Warroad did get one by, but “no mas” said the Polar Devils netminder as he swatted away 33 shots en route to a 3-2 victory and onto the semifinals.

In the semis, the North East Siders took on the Leaf Birds from Osseo/Maple Grove.

It didn’t take long for the Boys in Black and Vegas Gold to get on the board as Gruba scored unassisted 52 seconds in on a beautiful weaving and winding rush.

In the second, OMG took four penalties in a three-minute span, but to their credit, held off the onslaught of firepower from the Polar Devils’ power play. With just over two minutes left in the second, Skuza scored on a wicked wrister! He was assisted by Tony Yocum who showed great peripheral vision on the play.

In the third, with seven minutes left, OMG went off for holding. The Polar Devils’ power play redeemed themselves and stuck the

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey

“Frozen Fork” in the Leaf Birds as lucky number 13, J.P. Yocum, turned on the jets and beat the defense to put JCNSP up 3-0.

To say the bench erupted is an understatement. Then for good measure, Gulenchyn scored on a nice feed from Hayden Pelletier.

4-0 Final.

The boys were headed to the championship. The title game was a East Regional final rematch with Edina. This game was speed against speed as the puck traveled both directions early and often. Both goaltenders played solid first periods as the score was a draw at 0-0.

Edina caught the Polar Devil defense flatfooted and put one past VanDanacker 13 seconds into the second. Then trailing for the fifth time late in a postseason game, the Polar Devils, never let ‘em see ya flinch, mystic came to life again. Just 2:34 after the Hornet goal, Tony Yocum tapped in a rebound from the F3 position down low on an initial shot from the speedy winger Josh Semlak. The Polar Devil checking line of Big Matt Maidl and Hunter Fischbach kept the Hornet onslaught at bay with a solid game in both ends of the rink. A minute and a half after Yocum’s goal, it was Fischbach all alone in the F2 high slot to give JCNSP a 21 lead after two periods. A young set of firstyear defensemen, Matthew Marah and Alex VanDell, held their own against a tough Edina team that wouldn’t quit.

The third period was one that won’t be soon forgotten by all those from St. Paul’s North Eastside. At 4:37 into the final frame, Fischbach muscled in a loose puck in front of the Edina net. But the Hornets buzzed right back less than one minute later, beating VanDanacker for only the fourth time in the tournament.

With 3:44 remaining, the Polar Devils took a tripping call. This brought the entire Edina section to their feet. We were set for the final everyone had hoped for. The moms were so nervous they weren’t sure if they would cry or get nauseous. With just over two minutes to play, first-year center Riley Skuza took it end-to-end up the bench side, protecting the puck on the backhand, cut the D low and buried a shorthanded goal through the five-hole. The Polar Devil faithful about brought the roof down.

Edina pulled their goalie for a 6-on-4 advantage and VanDanacker extinguished a final flurry to give JCNSP their first PeeWee A title. A remarkable finish for 13 guys that played with character and class from October until March.

The team voted VanDanacker (aka DVD) as the tournament MVP. He had one shutout and a 1.33 goals-against average in the Tourney. The final record for the St. Paul Johnson/Como/North St. Paul Polar Devils was 49 wins, 4 losses and 1 tie.

21

Edina Green wins Bantam B1 state championship

Top row (l-r): Head Coach Steve Maciosek, Assistant Coach Mike Potts, Ryan Gallaher, Haakon Rondestved, Brady Klemmensen, Assistant Coach Mitch Cowger. Middle row (l-r): Hank Stechmann, Henry Valner, Tommy Hiniker, Billy Kozlak, Noel Rahn, Jacob Pechman. Bottom row (l-r): Dominic Cook, Nick Hibino, Drew Morgan, Tucker Canon, Nick Dokman, Ryan Ressman, Jack Richardson.

The Edina Bantam B1 Green team, under head coach Steve Maciosek, won the 2017 Minnesota Hockey Bantam B State Tournament on Sunday, March 19 in Prior Lake with a 3-2 victory over Edina White. That makes this back-to-back state titles for Maciosek and Edina at the Bantam B1 level.

Sunday’s game was a battle between both Edina teams, in which Edina White had a slight series lead over Edina Green throughout the season. The scoring started right away by winger Hank Stechmann, a minute into the game, lighting the lamp early for Edina Green with a fantastic individual effort by winning the race to the puck and taking it to the net. Later in the first period, Edina White evened up the score 1-1 with just over a minute left. The second period was full of penalties from Edina Green where they killed off a 5-on-3 and a fiveminute major. The score remained tied after two periods of play.

With both Edina teams being ranked No. 1 all year, this was going to be a showdown in the final period. The main question was which team would score first? And can the other team battle back? Edina White, with their fast start and speed, struck first with a goal by Marc Lund just two minutes into the third period.

Both teams would battle back and forth throughout the final period to gain some momentum until Nick Hibino scored by crashing the net and finding the rebound with just four minutes remaining in the game.

With Hibino’s goal, several players on the team found an extra gear they didn’t know they had in them. The next couple of shifts were led by hard-working captain Ryan Gallagher, winning the race to the puck and

Follow Let’s Play Hockey on Twitter @LetsPlay_Hockey

passing it to Haakon Rondestvedt at full speed, splitting both defensemen and creating a breakaway where he buried the puck past Edina White’s goalie to give Edina Green a 3-2 lead with only 2:57 left to play.

With less than three minutes left in the game, Edina Green was able to continuously win races to the puck and not allow Edina White to set up in the zone, which ultimately led to their 2017 Minnesota Hockey State Championship in Prior Lake.

Coach Maciosek and his staff, Mitch Cowger and Mike Potts, knew they had a really strong, powerful and highly skilled team as soon as the season started. With that being said, the coaches held their team to a high standard of play throughout the season and in practices. With many split practices with Edina White, making those players compete against each other, raised the player’s skill level throughout the year.

The team was backed by two goalies, Dominic Cook and Drew Morgan, and a fast, strong defense core which only allowed 1.36 goals against all year. This took a lot of pressure off the team and allowed the coaches to focus on the little things each player could improve on to become better players. Giving each player personal attention to focus on their own strengths and weaknesses really helped bring the team together and was a recipe for success this season.

This team had a hard work-ethic and drive to succeed throughout the whole season.

Their drive and determination at the rink led them to the top of District 6 and onto a state title. They never let the success get to their heads and never let a loss kill their spirit.

‘Like’ Let’s Play Hockey on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ letsplayhockey

22

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey

Wayzata Blue earns 12U B state championship

Wayzata Blue captured the Minnesota Hockey Girls 12U B State Championship last weekend, defeating Hibbing 4-1, Inver Grove Heights 4-3 and Osseo/Maple Grove Black 1-0.

Players: #2 Ella Englund, #3 El Sara Duopu, #4 Cassidy McCollins, #5 Rachel Osmek, #6 Mari Turrittin, #7 Maya McCollins, #8 Ava Abrahamson, #9 Ava Wasserman, #10 Tatum Pfleider, #11 Raina Sanders, #12 Megan Lidbeck, #13 Amelia Heath, #14 Allie Mateski, #15 Anika Swenson, #16 Megan Griffin, #17 Katherine Crawford, #30 Ellie Wasserman. Head Coach: Brett Abrahamson. Assistant Coaches: PJ McCollins, Craig Sanders, Steve Mateski, Travis Zorn. Manager: Dottie Noah.

Edina 15U A Green finishes third at state tournament

The Edina 15U A Green squad finished a stellar season on a high note, defeating a talented Proctor/Hermantown team by the score of 5-0 to capture third-place honors at the 15U A state tournament. The Hornets ended the season in similar fashion to how they played all year, with a potent but balanced scoring attack, coupled with stingy defense and shutout goaltending.

Congratulations to all the Edina players for a great season!

Front row (l-r): Tella Jungels, Lucy Bowlby, Sophia Doll, Gwen Hendrikson, Sarah Swann. Second row (l-r): Morgan Brothers, Lauren Uihlein, Amy Terwilliger. Third row (l-r): Lily Hendrikson, Vivian Jungels, Elise Charette, Kelly Collins, Brooke Greeley, Hannah Chorske. Players not pictured: Theresa DeCesare, Sadie Schreiner.

Coaches: Keith Jungels, Mark Rasmusson, Tom Helvick, Erik Hendrikson. Team manager: Lisa Uihlein

www.letsplayhockey.com

Minnetonka 15U A Black claims state consolation crown

Entering the State Tournament, Minnetonka 15U A Black was seeded to play Andover, a team with only two losses on the season, but one of them was earlier in the season to Minnetonka at the Edina Cake Eater Tourney. Tonka was ready to play, but to their credit, Andover withstood everything thrown at them, especially in the first period. After the second period, Minnetonka trailed 2-1. Tonka came out hard again in the third period, forcing the play in their end.

It just wasn’t meant to be that day as Andover bent but never broke. They gained a 3-1 lead and an eventual empty net goal, pushing Minnetonka into the consolation bracket and Andover towards the championship they would later win.

In the next game, Minnetonka was set to play a very strong and determined Blaine team that showed a never-quit attitude all year. The Minnetonka girls are best when they play penalty-free hockey and fly on the forecheck and roll three lines and five defensemen. This is exactly what happened in the Blaine game, outshooting them 3713 and scoring three unanswered goals for the shutout and a chance at the consolation championship.

The final game was going to be against a team Tonka had become very familiar with and have the utmost respect for. This was

the fourth meeting with Rochester, having won two and losing in Districts to them in overtime just two weeks prior. Tonka knew they needed to bring their speed to them early to send a message, and it worked.

Minnetonka got to every loose puck and just never gave them a chance to get their game in motion. End of two periods: Minnetonka 2, Rochester 0. Just two weeks ago, Tonka had the same two-goal lead and let them back in it in the third period for that overtime loss. Minnetonka came out flying just like at the start of the game and scored late in the period to seal the win with their second 3-0 shutout in two days.

Minnetonka finished the season having played nine periods of great hockey with only four penalties in the tournament. Tonka had an overall record of 36-16-1 and had seven losses in their first 14 games, playing the toughest schedule the team could put together. This was a team that was so fun to coach and watch, especially the second half of the season with their amazing team speed. Only three teams at the 15U A level get to finish the season with a win; we were very happy to be one of them.

John Meredith, Head Coach; Chad Laroche, Tony Alvarez, assistant coaches; Abby Andvik, goalie coach

Wayzata Junior Gold B Blue takes third at state tournament

White Bear Lake 19U takes third at state tournament

Congratulations to the White Bear Lake 19U girls! We are proud to bring together girls from all over to make up our team. From out-of-town tournaments to South Dakota, pizza & wings after practices, sleepovers and crazy trips to Walmart, these girls have tons of fun and make life-long friendships. Thank you to all of the coaches who support the 19U programs in their district.Go Bears!

Bottom row (l-r): Catie Nelson, Kayla Borglund, Kami Schillinger, Camryn Peirce, Emily Klein, Amy Larson, Taylor Hanson, Ali Unger. Top row (l-r): Head Coach Denny Schouveller, Assistant Coach Hannah Stewart, Shelby Sonmor, Ellie Bernard, Kaylee Payne, Mallory Roeske, Megan Pumper, Ally Lee, Kelly Elletson, Haley Djock. Not pictured: Assistant Coach Ken LaClair.

What a weekend! After battling in playdowns to earn a spot in the State Tournament, Wayzata Junior Gold B Blue came away with a definitive third-place spot.

The weekend started with Friday’s battle against Bloomington Jefferson. At the end of three periods, the score was tied and during double overtime, JGB Blue scored for a 3-2 win. Saturday’s game against Moorhead proved to be another nailbiter.

The team was behind most of the game but fought hard and came back in the third pe-

riod to tie it up with only a minute left on the clock. So to overtime we go once again where Moorhead scored to win this game in a heartbreaking 5-4 loss. Sunday’s game against Edgcumbe was no less exciting. After coming back from a two-point deficit, JGB Blue came out strong in the third period and ended up winning the game 4-2.

JGB Blue is comprised of six seniors, five juniors, two sophomores and one freshman. The weekend was a great finish to a great season.

www.letsplayhockey.com

Rochester 15U B girls show focus, tenacity at State

When it comes to State contenders, not often is the focus on the southern part of the state. The Rochester 15U B girls definitely got the attention of the northern teams at the state tournament this year.

Rochester started the season this year with a short roster, losing girls to high school teams. “We saw a lot of girls go up to high school this year that played at this age group last year, and we saw the impact they had on those teams,” Coach Guy Gallaugher said.

The team was short a goaltender and had to start the season with one of their forwards stepping up to fill the role. “Abbey Goodman stepped up early on and filled our void at goaltender. She did an incredible job for just picking up the pads and jumping in net,” said Coach John Renn.

A few weeks into the season, two girls decided to return to the 15U B level. Natalie Kielty and Cassidy Gowin returned to fill the roster to the final 15 players. Cassidy filled the goaltender spot and Natalie filled the forward lineup. “Picking up a couple of girls to fill the lineup really helped us to achieve the depth we needed to complete our team,” Gallaugher said.

As the season progressed, the team’s success started to come to light. Rochester finished top seed in their district and was on a roll, picking up wins against some of the toughest competitors in the state. The team went 3-1 at regionals, picking up a number three seed in state. They allowed only four goals in four games, outscoring their opponents 17-4 in regional play.

Rochester has a strong defensive core.

As time progressed, the team’s goals against kept dropping with the improvement of the defensive core and goaltending.

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey

“Quality teams are built on a strong defense.

Not only did the girls show they had the ability to play D, but also were able to provide great offensive capabilities, too,” Gallaugher said.

The team’s ability to put pucks in the net improved also. “Our top line definitely impressed. We have given them the basics, but they have run with their creativity to amaze us all. You can’t teach that kind of chemistry. These girls just fit their roles and what a sight to watch,” Renn said.

The depth continued with the second and third lines playing strong and giving the team the backbone to succeed. “The fact that you can rely on your second and third lines to hold their own against our opponents’ top lines is huge. To have that kind of depth is what makes a team,” Gallaugher said.

Rochester advanced to the State Tournament winning their first two games against Blaine 6-0 and Osseo/Maple Grove 5-4 (OT). “The Osseo game we took a 4-1 lead only to let them back in the game. The girls showed real tenacity to overcome a 5-on-3 penalty kill in overtime then dug deep and pulled off the win,” Renn said.

Rochester opened the championship game against Anoka with a goal just nine seconds into the first period. “To score early on like that shows the kind of focus this team has,” Coach Curt Arcand said.

Rochester scored again in the first period to lead 2-0 at the end of one. Anoka responded with three goals in the second and another three in the third to defeat Rochester. “Although we were not able to accomplish the biggest goal, these girls proved they can play with anyone in the state. We were incredibly proud of their efforts and rewards that it produced,” Galluagher said

Wayzata PeeWee AA takes third at state tournament

Congratulations to the Wayzata PeeWee AA for their third-place finish in the State Tournament.

Wayzata won a thrilling third-place game against a great Woodbury team with a 3-2 win in o ver time. The TTrr ojans ffinished inished the season with a recor d of 35-1 7-5. record 35-17-5.

Players: Beau Altman, John Mattson, Mason Moree, Cashen Naeve, Sloane Matthews, Gavin O’Connell, Adam Marshall, Reece Gardner, Carter Theissen, Andrew Streeter, Turner Fairchild, Tristan Sarsland, Ryan Gearen, Max McCollins, Wyatt Carlson, Anthony Tomczik, Will Ingemann. Head Coach: Derek Krueger. Assistant Coaches: Jeff Marshall, Matt Bergland, Mike O’Connell, Derek Link.

23

North Wright County takes third at 12U A state tournament

North Wright County capped an amazing season with a third-place finish in Cloquet at the 12U A state tournament. The Riverhawks beat Osseo/Maple Grove in the quarterfinals, lost to eventual champion Edina in the semis and beat an excellent Anoka/Rogers team in five OT’s to capture third place. What an epic game!

Rosemount Squirt B Blue wraps up excellent season

Rosemount Squirt B Blue wrapped up the District 8 Squirt B regular season championship with a tie in their last game against Lakeville North. The team outscored Woodbury Royal 44-41 in points with a 141-1 District record, losing only one fair play point all season. The championship earned them the top seed going into the District 8 Squirt B Flight A Tournament.

The team went undefeated in pool play, beating Eastview 5-2, Lakeville South 3-0 and Cottage Grove 5-2. This put them in the championship against Woodbury Royal who made it into the championship by winning a three-way tie with Woodbury Black and Lakeville North.

Rosemount led the championship game 1-0 and again 2-1 before Woodbury scored five straight goals to win the game 6-2. Four out of their six goals were on power plays.

Rosemount ended the season 33-9-2. In addition to finishing District 8 Champions

for the regular season and in second place in the District 8 Flight A Tournament, the team took home four more tournament trophies. They finished in second place in the Wayzata Freeze Tournament, fourth place in the Eden Prairie Shootout, first in the Salute to Hockey Tournament and second in the Minneapolis Cup. Despite the disappointment of losing the District tournament, the team held their heads high with not only the success in winning throughout the season, but also the success of becoming a true team and making memories and friends to last a lifetime.

Rosemount Squirt B Blue Roster: 1 Brad Taylor, 6 Tate Sickman, 7 Reid Barrett, 8 Luke Goodlund, 9 Connor Cote, 10 Jackson Heusinkveld, 11 Brylee Koenck Proeung, 12 Dylan Hekrdle, 13 Isaac Berberena, 14 Joseph Kegley, 15 AJ Clark, 17 Graham Feyen, 18 Ryan Erzar, 20 Colby Liebaert, 22 Cal Nitti.

24

Tournament Calendar

March 23, 2017

www.letsplayhockey.com

2016-17 Let’s Play Hockey Tournament Calendar All invitational tournaments held in Minnesota must first go through a district tournament coordinator before being sent to the Vice President of tournaments, Tim Sweezo, for final approval. The list below is of Minnesota Hockey tournament coordinators for each district. Please call them if you need information about a certain tournament.

District 1, Tom Mickus (651) 489-3394; District 2, Jake Reinseth (651) 336-8243; District 3, Chad Nicholls (952) 544-0808; District 4, Kris Hohensee (507) 360-6787; District 5, Jeff Carlen (320) 274-3509; District 6, Cory Townsend (612) 940-6675; District 8, Zac Dockter (612) 735-9703; District 9, Troy Marquardt (507) 384-7386; District 10, Mark Osmondson (612) 747-8308; District 11, Clark Coole (218) 728-8000; District 12, Craig Homula (218) 744-5566; District 15, Aaron Erickson (701) 367-0090; District 16, Mark Elliott (218) 766-4433; Senior Women, Nancy Wefler (763) 537-7837.

Tournament entrants from outside Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, be informed that Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota Squirt, Peewee, and Bantam youth teams will likely have some players up to six months older than the USA Hockey age guidelines for those classifications.

Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota are using a July 1 age cut-off date while USA Hockey is using a January 1 age cut-off date. If you are concerned about this issue, you should contact the tournament director immediately to determine whether or not you should register for the tournament.

MARCH 2017 24-26 Bradford, ON: Bradford Blue & Gold Classic, Tyke, Minor Novice, Novice, Minor Atom, Minor PeeWee, PeeWee, Minor Bantam, Bantam. HL, Select, MD; Contact (877) 702-5701 or (905) 827-3541 or weekendhockey.email@ gmail.com or visit www.weekendhockey.com 24-26 Hayward, WI: Men’s Over 40 Tourney & Men’s Great Fire Tourney; Contact Jill Gajewski (715) 634-4791 or haywardsports@cheqnet.net or visit www.haywardsportscenter.com 24-26 Jamestown, ND: Battle of the Prairie AAA Tournament, 2004/05, 2006/07; Contact Jeff Romsdal (701) 2697636 or Kent Sortland (701) 320-1497 or krs@ purehockeyskills.com or visit www.purehockeyskills.com 24-26 Mitchell, SD: Adult Men’s; Contact Al Huls (605) 941-6195 or al.shawna.huls@gmail.com or visit www.mitchellmarlins.com

24-26 River Falls, WI: Fat Boys (Old Timers); Contact Doug Black at ddblack@vector1776.com 24-26 Somerset, WI: Spartan Senior Mens, Over 40, Over 30, Open Division; Contact Dan Gilkerson (715) 2222448 or dgilkerson@somersethockey.com or visit www.somersethockey.com 31-2 Blaine, MN: AAA Opener, AAA Boys Open 2009/08, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001; Contact randy@northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.aaatournaments.com 31-2 Crookston, MN: 2003 Boys, 14U Girls; Contact Elliot Bates (218) 4700423 or crookstonhockey@gmail.com.

Online registration available at crookstonbluelinehockey.com 31-2 Sioux Falls, SD: AAA Opener, AAA Boys Open 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001; Contact randy@ northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.aaatournaments.com

APRIL 2017 6-9 Twin Cities, MN: Ignite the Ice Tournament, Boys AAA 2009-2002; Call (952) 920-8826 or visit www.unitedaaahockey.com 7-9 Alexandria, MN: Alexandria Blizzard 2017 Hockey Fest, Boys 2008; Contact Matt Johnson at matt@alexandriablizzard.com or visit www.alexhockeyfest.com 7-9 Blaine, MN: Stick It To Cancer, Women’s A, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3 and Girls Youth U8 Open, U10 Tier 1 &2, U12 Tier 1 & 2, U14 Tier 1 & 2, U 16 Tier 1 & 2, U 19 Tier 1 & 2; Contact Kristi King (763) 785-5649 or kking@superrink.org or visit www.superrink.org 7-9 Crookston, MN: 09/10, 8U Girls; Contact Elliot Bates (218) 4700423 or crookstonhockey@gmail.com. Online registration available at www.crookstonbluelinehockey.com 7-9 Duluth, MN: Battle By The Bay Girls AAA, 8U, 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U; Contact Marc Franta (651) 775-9076 or mfranta@live.com or visit www.northernstorm.net 7-9 Sioux Falls, SD: AAA Opener, AAA Boys Open 2009/08, 2007, 2006, 2005; Contact randy@ northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.aaatournaments.com 7-9 St. Cloud, MN: AAA Opener, AAA Girls Open 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U; Contact randy@ northlandhockeygroup.com or visit aaatournaments.com

7-9 Twin Cities, MN: Early Trailblazer AAA Tournament, Boys 2003-2009; Contact dan@midwesthockey.net or (763) 225-7320 14-16 Scarborough, ON: 46th Annual Shamrock Select Hockey Tournament, Tyke to Under 21, HL, Select, MD; Contact (877) 702-5701 or (905) 827-3541 or weekendhockey.email@ gmail.com or visit www.weekendhockey.com 20-23 Twin Cities, MN: 22 nd Minnesota Meltdown AAA Tournament, Boys Invite and Open 2008-2002, Girls AAA 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, 19U; Contact Eric Knutsen (952) 920-8826 or eric.knutsen@showcasehockey.com or visit www.showcasehockey.com.com 21-23 Alexandria, MN: Alexandria Blizzard 2017 Hockey Fest, Boys 2007; Contact Matt Johnson at matt@ alexandriablizzard.com or visit www.alexhockeyfest.com 21-23 Chicago, IL: Chicago Cup Tournament Series: Chicago Spring Classic, Squirt through Midget: House, B, A, AA, High School Varsity & JV; Contact MYHockeyTournaments (855) 898-4040 or jbabin@ myhockeytournaments.com or visit myhockeytournaments.com 21-23 Crookston, MN: Boys 2007; Contact Elliot Bates (218) 4700423 or crookstonhockey@gmail.com. Online registration available at www.crookstonbluelinehockey.com 21-23 Green Bay, WI: Cheese Cup, U16, 2002, 2003, 2004; Contact Jay Boxer (920) 403-2000 or jboxer@ netnet.net or visit www.cornerstoneicecenter.org 21-23 St. Cloud, MN: Mountain Dew Blast, AAA Boys Open 2009/08, 2007, 2006; Contact randy@ northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.aaatournaments.com 21-23 St. Louis, MO: Mite/Squirt/PeeWee/Bantam/ Midget, AA/A/B/House; Register online at www.ultimatetournaments.net or contact John (630) 336-6160 27-30 Madison, WI: Capitol City Cup, AA/A/B Boys U18, U16, Bantam, PeeWee, Squirt, AA/A/B Girls U16, U14, U12; Register online at www.capitolcitycup.com 27-30 Twin Cities, MN: Shock Doctor Shootout, Boys AAA 2009-2002; Call (952) 920-8826 or visit www.unitedaaahockey.com 28-30 Alexandria, MN: Alexandria Blizzard 2017 Hockey Fest, Girls U12; Contact Matt Johnson at matt@ alexandriablizzard.com or visit www.alexhockeyfest.com 28-30 Crookston, MN: 10U Girls, 12U Girls; Contact Elliot Bates (218) 4700423 or crookstonhockey@gmail.com.

Online registration available at crookstonbluelinehockey.com 28-30 Moorhead, MN: Elite AAA Showcase, Girls 19U & 16U; Contact admin@rivercityhockey.com or register at www.rivercityhockey.com 28-30 St. Cloud, MN: Mountain Dew Blast, AAA Boys Open 2005, 2004, 2003; Contact randy@ northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.aaatournaments.com

MAY 2017 4-7 Madison, WI: Capitol City Cup, AAA U15, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07; Register online at www.capitolcitycup.com 4-7 Twin Cities, MN: Stars and Stripes Hockey Tournament, Elite and Open, Boys U16, 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, Girls U8, U10, U12, U14, U16 Tier 1 & 2; Contact Steve Mularky (952) 746-9033 or stevem@mnmadehockey.com or visit www.mnmadehockey.com 5-7 Alexandria, MN: Alexandria Blizzard 2017 Hockey Fest, Boys 2006; Contact Matt Johnson at matt@alexandriablizzard.com or visit www.alexhockeyfest.com 5-7 Blaine, MN: Mountain Dew Blast, AAA Girls Open 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, Boys Open 2001; Contact randy@northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.aaatournaments.com 5-7 Crookston, MN: Boys 2004; Contact Elliot Bates (218) 4700423 or crookstonhockey@gmail.com. Online registration available at www.crookstonbluelinehockey.com 5-7 Grand Forks, ND: Boys 05, Boys 06; Register at www.reahockeyacademy.com 5-7 Green Bay, WI: Cheese Cup, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008; Contact Jay Boxer (920) 403-2000 or jboxer@ netnet.net or visit www.cornerstoneicecenter.org 5-7 Nashville, TN: Music City Tournament Series: Nashville Spring Classic, Squirt A, PeeWee A, PeeWee AA, Bantam A; Contact MYHockeyTournaments (855) 898-4040 or jbabin@myhockeytournaments.com or visit myhockeytournaments.com 12-14 Blaine, MN: Walleye Chop, Men’s A,B,C,D, Novice, 40-plus, 50-plus, Women’s A, B, C; Contact Brandon Koontz (763) 717-3210 or bkoontz@superrink.org or visit www.superrink.org 12-14 Crookston, MN: Boys 2005; Contact Elliot Bates (218) 4700423 or crookstonhockey@gmail.com. Online registration available at www.crookstonbluelinehockey.com 12-14 Grand Forks, ND: Boys 03 Elite, Boys 03 Open, Boys 04 Elite, Boys 04 Open; Register at www.reahockeyacademy.com 12-14 St. Louis, MO: Mite/Squirt/PeeWee/Bantam/ Midget, AA/A/B/House; Register online at www.ultimatetournaments.net or contact John (630) 336-6160 12-14 Twin Cities, MN: Spring Stampede AAA Tournament, Boys 2002-2009, U16, U18; Contact dan@midwesthockey.net or (763) 225-7320

Tournament Calendar

www.letsplayhockey.com 18-21 Twin Cities, MN: MN Independent AAA Hockey Classic, Boys Invitational and Open 18U, 16U, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, Girls AAA 19U, 16U, 14U, 12U, 10U, 8U; Contact Bob Capra (952) 920-8826 or rwcapra@msn.com or visit www.eastonaaa.com 19-21 Alexandria, MN: Alexandria Blizzard 2017 Hockey Fest, Girls U10; Contact Matt Johnson at matt@ alexandriablizzard.com or visit www.alexhockeyfest.com 19-21 Chicago, IL: Chicago Cup Tournament Series: MYHockey Tournaments Spring Classic, Squirt through Midget: B, A, AA, High School Varsity & JV; Contact MYHockeyTournaments (855) 898-4040 or jbabin@ myhockeytournaments.com or visit myhockeytournaments.com 19-21 Crookston, MN: Boys 2006; Contact Elliot Bates (218) 4700423 or crookstonhockey@gmail.com. Online registration available at www.crookstonbluelinehockey.com 19-21 Grand Forks, ND: Boys 07, Girls 10U, Girls 12U, girls 14U; Register at www.reahockeyacademy.com 19-21 Sioux Falls, SD: ChampZ Cup, 2003-2007; Contact Arianne Zieske (605) 359-4059 or Arianne@legendhockey.com. Register at www.legendsi.com 19-21 St. Cloud, MN: Mountain Dew Blast, AAA Boys Open 2002; Contact randy@northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.aaatournaments.com 19-21 Twin Cities, MN: Mountain Dew Blast, AAA Boys Open 2009/08, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003; Contact randy@northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.aaatournaments.com 26-28 Duluth, MN: Female Elite Prospects, 16U & U19 AAA girls; Contact Kevin Mudrak at (218) 522-1375 or kmudrak@yahoo.com or visit www.mnfemalehockey.com

JUNE 2017 1-4 Duluth, MN: Battle By The Bay Boys AAA, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007/08; Contact Carissa Haala (218) 590-6246 or haala01@hotmail.com or visit www.northernstorm.net 2-4 Alexandria, MN: Alexandria Blizzard 2017 Hockey Fest, Boys 2005; Contact Matt Johnson at matt@ alexandriablizzard.com or visit www.alexhockeyfest.com 2-4 Crookston, MN: Boys HS, Girls HS; Contact Elliot Bates (218) 4700423 or crookstonhockey@gmail.com.

Online registration available at www.crookstonbluelinehockey.com 8-11 Rapid City, SD: Rushmore Cup, Minor Squirts, Major Squirts, Mino PeeWees (Boys 10U, 12U); Contact dave@northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.northlandhockeygroup.com.com 9-11 Alexandria, MN: Alexandria Blizzard 2017 Hockey Fest, Boys HS; Contact Matt Johnson at matt@ alexandriablizzard.com or visit www.alexhockeyfest.com 10-12 Twin Cities, MN: Girls Shock Doctor Shootout, Girls AAA U10-U19; Call (952) 920-8826 or visit www.unitedaaahockey.com 15-18 Blaine, MN: International Hockey Cup. Boys’ AAA, 02-08/16U/18U, Contact Spencer Arvold at (763) 7173234 or sarvold@superrink.org or visit www.superrink.org 15-18 Rapid City, SD: Rushmore Cup, Major PeeWee, Minor Bantam, Major Bantam (Boys 12U, 14U); Contact dave@northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.northlandhockeygroup.com.com 23-25 Blaine, MN: NHG Cup, AAA Boys Open 2009/ 08, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001; Contact randy@northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.aaatournaments.com 23-25 Maple Grove, MN: NHG Cup, AAA Girls Open 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, 2001; Contact randy@ northlandhockeygroup.com or visit aaatournaments.com 23-25 Sioux Falls, SD: Wings & Sauce Toss, 2003-2007; Contact Arianne Zieske (605) 359-4059 or Arianne@legendhockey.com. Register at www.legendsi.com

22-23 Blaine, MN: Patriot Cup STP Festival, Boys and Girls Tier 1 (varsity) and Tier 2 (JV, Bantam, U15); Contact Kristi King for girls (763) 785-5649 or kking@superrink.org or for boys contact Rob Loftus (763) 717-3895 or rloftus@superrink.org or visit www.suerrink.org 23-25 Sioux Falls, SD: Legend Cup, 2003-2007; Contact Arianne Zieske (605) 359-4059 or Arianne@legendhockey.com. Register at www.legendsi.com 28-30 Alexandria, MN: Alexandria Blizzard 2017 Hockey Fest, Boys 2003; Contact Matt Johnson at matt@ alexandriablizzard.com or visit www.alexhockeyfest.com

AUGUST 2017 3-6 Blaine, MN: International Hockey Cup, Girls AAA Tier 1 & 2, U8, U10, U12, U14, U16, U19; Contact Kristi King (763) 785-5649 or kking@superrink.org or visit www.superrink.org 3-6 Twin Cities, MN: 3rd State of Hockey Showdown AAA Tournament, Boys Invite and Open 2008-2002; Contact Eric Knutsen (952) 920-8826 or eric.knutsen@showcasehockey.com or visit www.showcasehockey.com.com 4-6 Alexandria, MN: Alexandria Blizzard 2017 Hockey Fest, Boys 2002; Contact Matt Johnson at matt@alexandriablizzard.com or visit www.alexhockeyfest.com 4-6 Sioux Falls, SD: Combat Cup, Boys Open 2009/ 08, 2007, 2006, 2005; Contact Randy Peake (763) 744-8610 or randy@northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.aaatournaments.com 11-13 Blaine, MN: Double Bender, Mens B, C, C2, D; Contact Brandon Koontz (763) 717-3210 or bkoontz@superrink.org or visit www.superrink.org 11-13 Eden Prairie/Chaska, MN: Breakaway Bash, 2003 through 2009 and U12 & U10; Contact Tara (952) 2216459 or tournaments@breakawayhockey.net or visit www.breakawayhockey.net 11-13 Twin Cities, MN: Combat Cup, Boys Open 2009/ 08, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001; Contact Randy Peake (763) 744-8610 or randy@northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.aaatournaments.com 11-13 Twin Cities, MN: Combat Cup, Girls Open 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U; Contact Randy Peake (763) 744-8610 or randy@northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.aaatournaments.com 17-20 Twin Cities, MN: 14th Easton Cup AAA Tournament, Boys Invite and Open 2008-2002, Girls AAA 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U, 19U; Contact Eric Knutsen (952) 920-8826 or eric.knutsen@showcasehockey.com or visit www.showcasehockey.com.com 18-20 Sioux Falls, SD: Combat Cup, Boys Open 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001; Contact Randy Peake (763) 744-8610 or randy@northlandhockeygroup.com or visit www.aaatournaments.com 24-27 Twin Cities, MN: MN Summer Finale AAA Hockey Classic, Boys Invitational and Open 18U, 16U, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, Girls AAA 19U, 16U, 14U, 12U, 10U, 8U; Contact Bob Capra (952) 9208826 or rwcapra@msn.com 25-27 Twin Cities, MN: Summer Round Up Tournament, Boys 2002-2009, U16, U18. Girls U10-U16; Contact dan@midwesthockey.net or (763) 225-7320

SEPTEMBER 2017 29-1 Blaine, MN: Red Solo Hockey Cup’ Men’s and Women’s, Men’s B, C, C2, D, Women’s B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3; Contact Brandon Koontz (763) 717-3210 or bkoontz@superrink.org or visit www.superrink.org

JULY 2017 7-9 Alexandria, MN: Alexandria Blizzard 2017 Hockey Fest, Boys 2004; Contact Matt Johnson at matt@ alexandriablizzard.com or visit www.alexhockeyfest.com 7-9 Blaine, MN: Double Bender Men’s Adult, Men’s B, C, C2, D; Contact Brandon Koontz (763) 717-3210 or bkoontz@superrink.org or visit www.superrink.org 14-16 Alexandria, MN: Alexandria Blizzard 2017 Hockey Fest, Girls HS. Contact Matt Johnson at matt@ alexandriablizzard.com or visit www.alexhockeyfest.com 15-16 Blaine, MN: Patriot Cup 3v3, Cross ice 3 v 3 games, Mites 5&6, Mites 7&8, Squirt A & B, PeeWee A & B, Girls 8U/10U/12U; Contact Spencer Arvold (763) 717-3234 or sarvold@superrink.org or visit www.superrink.org 21-23 Alexandria, MN: Alexandria Blizzard 2017 Hockey Fest, Boys HS; Contact Matt Johnson at matt@ alexandriablizzard.com or visit www.alexhockeyfest.com 21-23 Duluth, MN: Northern Exposure AAA Hockey Tournament, 2000/01, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008; Contact Kasey Yoder (651) 432-1840 or kaseyyoder@ gmail.com or visit www.northernexposureaaahockey.com

NOVEMBER 2017 17-19 Blaine, MN: All-American Girls, Youth Girls 10UA, 10UB, 12UA, 12UB, 15U; Contact Kristi King (763) 785-5649 or kking@superrink.org or visit www.superrink.org Note: To list your tournament in this calendar, simply contact Let’s Play Hockey at (320) 333-3279. No portion of the tournament calendar may be copied, reproduced, or transmitted without written permission from Let’s Play Hockey and its publisher.

Tournament entrants from outside Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota, be informed that Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota Squirt, Peewee, and Bantam youth teams will likely have some players up to six months older than the USA Hockey age guidelines for those classifications.

Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota are using a July 1 age cut-off date while USA Hockey is using a January 1 age cut-off date. If you are concerned about this issue, you should contact the tournament director immediately to determine whether or not you should register for the tournament.

March 23, 2017

25

Play Like a Girl!

We HEART the Bloomington Cupid Classic!

Bloomington hosted 48 10U & 12U girls teams during a 5 day tournament between 2/1-2/5. The tournament consisted of 700 girls playing 100 games at 8 rinks! The excitement peaked on Sunday, 2/1 with 4 championship games. Champions were 12UA: Orono Westonka, 12UB: Assiniboine Park (Canada), 10UA: Champlain Park/Coon Rapids, 10UB: Rosemount.

Registration Opens on 6/1/17 for 2018 Cupid Classic (Jan 24-28, 2018)!

Register at www.bloomingtonhockey.com.

www.letsplayhockey.com

Let’s Play Hockey

Fergus Falls Squirt A ends season with a trophy

March 23, 2017

27

Centennial Bantam B2 Red wins District 10 title

Players: Brayden Berg, Andreas Bramscher, Nathan Reff, Luke Fenstermacher, Gage Holeman, Blake Dewberry, Nicholas Vacinek, Colin Simonson, Gabriel Spiess, Carson Magsayo, Trenton Pehrson, Ashton Slotsve, Emmett Walley, Tyler Turcotte. Coaches: Tom Simonson, Rob Berg, Matt Fenstermacher, Steven Vacinek. Manager: Chris Reff.

The Quality Circuit Fergus Falls Squirt A team competed in the Squirt International Tournament in Fargo. The team paired up with a previous competitor, Eden Prairie, in their first game. Eden Prairie is a tough team with skill that ranked sixth in the state. The Otters worked their defensive angle and ended up spending some time in the penalty box. Their mission was to end this game with a lower score than the past game.

Mission complete.

The next game, they faced another metro team – Minnetonka. The Otters came out ready to play and Michael Schmidt scored an unassisted goal with 2:18 left in the first period. Goalie Ryan Nelson played a strong game only letting two sneak past his quick glove. The third period allowed the Otters to rally and get on the board at the 8:59 mark with a stealthy unassisted goal by Shane Zierden. Brayden Nelson quickly slipped another one past the Minnetonka goalie at the 7:27 mark after receiving a nice pass from Griffin Babolian. Though the Otters did not come out with a win, they moved across the ice with teamwork and precision.

Saturday brought yet another match-up with a metro team – Mound Westonka. The Otters quickly let Mound Westonka know who they were dealing with by nabbing a power-play goal that Jack Welde soared past the goalie after a nice pass from Dakota Komestakes. Welde finished off the period with an unassisted goal with only 11 seconds left in the period. The second period wasn’t heavy in goals, but in penalties from both teams. They both were aggressive, realizing the fairly equal match between the teams. In the third period, Zierden caught a pass from Welde to sink another for the Otters. Welde ended the period with another unassisted goal, earning him a hat trick. Though the Quality Circuit Squirt A ended with a 5-4 loss, they played an amazing game.

After playing all metro teams, the Otters faced a season regular in Detroit Lakes. They came out ready to play and quickly reminded the Lakers of who they were dealing with.

First came a power-play goal at the 9:36 mark for Welde after a pass from Leighton Buckmeier. Luke Norgard put some muscle into a shot after passes from Brayden Nelson and Gavin Goepferd. Brayden Nelson was back at it in the second period after another pass from Goepferd. Zierden lobbed another one in after passes from Welde and Buckmeier. Brayden Nelson had another shot glide through with 2:57 left. The third period started and ended with power-play goals from Buckmeier, assist from Welde, and Davis Shol with assists from Goepferd and Komestakes. Otters got a win at 7-0.

Otters advanced to the consolation championship game of their bracket for the Squirt International, facing another regular season rival – Little Falls. The rivalry is deep during the regular season and there seemed to be more at stake with the trophy waiting in the wings. Zierden set the tone at the 10:43 mark of the first. Back at it in the second period, Zierden scored again to put the Otters up 2-1. Welde sealed the fate of going home with hardware and ended the game with a 3-1 win over Little Falls.

It has been an honor to watch the Quality Circuit Squirt A team skate with passion, drive and heart all season. We would like to thank coaches Greg Buckmeier and Ryan Polzin for their time this season. To our amazing sponsors, Quality Circuits, we thank you and all of the boys especially loved seeing you at the games cheering them on.

Your sponsorship went above and beyond this year. Parents, your time and dedication doesn’t go unnoticed, working the game jobs, being a taxi and an ultimate fan of these boys. To the players – Davis Shol, Brayden Nelson, Ryan Nelson, Shane Zierden, Leighton Buckmeier, Jack Welde, Gavin Goepferd, Luke Norgard, Michael Schmidt, Griffin Babolian, Sam Dirkman and Dakota Komestakes – thank you for being dedicated, loving the game and giving it your all. We look forward to watching you all on and off the ice through your high school years. Otters are Always Otters

The Centennial Bantam B2 Red team took first place in the District 10 tournament with a victory over Elk River Red at Fogerty Arena on Sunday, Feb. 26. Their road to the championship included an upset win over No. 2 seed Elk River Black in the quarterfinals. Gage Holeman scored the game-winning goal with 18.8 seconds left in regulation. The semifinal match-up

against Andover went into overtime in a 11 tie, and Centennial advanced with a goal from Nathan Reff. In the exciting and hardfought championship game, Centennial goalie Tyler Turcotte stymied the Elks with a 27-save shutout, carrying the team to a 2-0 victory.Congratulations to the D10 Champion Cougars!

Apple Valley PeeWee C wins District 8 championship

Congratulations to Apple Valley Pee Wee C District 8 Hockey Champions! The Eagles defeated Sibley Area 7-1 and Woodbury 4-2 to win their pool at the District 8 Playoff Tournament on March 8-12. In the nailbiter games that followed, Apple Valley scored two buzzer-beaters at the end of the second and third periods to pull ahead of Eastview 43. The Eagles then earned a pair of consecutive shorthanded goals in the third period of the championship game against South St. Paul. With a final score of 3-2, the Eagles claimed the district title. Thank you to our families and fans for your support throughout the season. GO EAGLES!

Andover 12U A takes second at state tournament

Andover 12U A finished in second place at the 2017 Minnesota Hockey State Tournament, defeating Roseau 12-0 and Anoka-Rogers 5-3 before falling 2-1 to Edina in the championship game.

28

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey

www.letsplayhockey.com

Minnesota Hockey continued from page 5 Minnesota Hockey: One of the best ways to beat burnout is by playing more sports. How can playing multiple sports help a young hockey player?

Dr Dr.. Bergeson Bergeson: Playing any sport will help a hockey player become a better overall athlete. It helps to play any other sport because you’re using your muscles in a different way.

So, cycling, Nordic skiing, soccer and lacrosse are great. These sports will move the body in a different way and keep it strong and build up endurance.

But parents should know that playing multiple sports has to be done right.

Overscheduling things can be just as big of a problem. Sometimes parents think they are doing the right thing by having their kid play multiple sports but they are playing all

of them at the same time. When kids are playing multiple sports all at the same time is also when we see overuse injury problems.

Minnesota Hockey: But sometimes a kid really does just want to play one sport.

Dr Dr.. Bergeson Bergeson: Absolutely. There are some kids who are really driven. It’s all driven by them. They have a real passion for the sport, and if they say, ‘I’ve tried soccer. I want to focus on hockey.’ As a parent, you have to decide what the best thing is for your kid.

Minnesota Hockey: So, if a kid wants to play hockey year-round what are your limits?

Dr Dr.. Bergeson Bergeson: If kids are exercising more

hours per week than years that they are old, then there is an increase for injuries. So if your kid is 12 years old, they should not be participating in more than 12 hours in that sport. They should have off-days, too. They still need time off for rest and recovery.

Minnesota Hockey: When is it OK, or kids tto o specialize in if e er,, ffor evv er hockey?

Dr Dr.. Bergeson Bergeson: Once your child is around 14 years old they are physically and emotionally ready to specialize in hockey. However, it is still preferable to have them play multiple sports to avoid overuse injuries and garner all the benefits of sport diversity.

young athlete?

Dr Dr.. Bergeson Bergeson: The most important thing is to set boundaries. Just because others might be playing hockey year-round doesn’t make it the right thing for your child. Really look for the signs of burnout. Every parent thinks they’re doing the right thing and trying to provide the best opportunities for their kids. But it can be misguided. We should put just as much emphasis on the things in their lives to make them a well-rounded person and not just as a well-rounded athlete.

Minnesota Hockey: How can parents be a good advocate for their

Minnetonka JGA continued from page 17 during the live streaming of the game from Braemar, “they can’t bump it past Hill as he’s standing tall in that crease.” It took over four minutes before the Warriors took their first shot on goal.

With the puck back in Edina’s possession moments later, Macs Balcer drove hard toward the net, taking a shot that was blocked

by Minnetonka’s Hill, then crashed into the goalie and dislodged the net. “Any time you run into an opposing goaltender, it might knock him off his game just a little bit,” said Slagle, anticipating Edina would retain its upper hand. “Tonka’s got to shake things up. I don’t have the formula for them, but they’re not real effective now.”

It was therefore a bit of a surprise attack when less than two minutes later, 6:11 into the first, Wagner skated the puck through center up the right side, dumped it in behind the net, where Stenberg fed it along to Schuldt on the left. Schuldt fired, drawing goalie Sam Balow and leaving the net exposed for Hermann to punch it in. “This Edina team has been all over Minnetonka, and then – boom! – it’s Minnetonka with one on the board!” Slagle announced. “I cannot believe it!”

“We knew we would need more than that to hold them off,” said Schuldt after the game. The Warriors got a little more breathing room in the last half minute of the first period, when Stenberg scooted the puck past Edina defenseman Ben Perunovich along the blue line in front of the Edina bench, rushed around him, and drove to the net for an unassisted, backhand goal. “They (Edina) have had all the opportunities in the world, some class A ones, and they just couldn’t put it together,” Slagle said at the end of the second period.

Minnetonka got the last of its cushion, what would turn out to be the game-winning goal, 4:13 into the second period, when Traxler ringed it around to Harber against the boards on the right. Harber skated the puck to that side of the net, where Traxler

jabbed it several times until it squeezed past the pipe. “A lot of hockey left to play,” said Aanenson as the Zamboni began resurfacing. None of the Warriors expected they would blank Edina.

Edina’s comeback started 7:04 into the third period when Edina’s Parker Wakefield fired a puck fed to him by teammate Ben Anderson over the shoulder of Hill. Edina cut the lead to one with 4:30 remaining in the game when Wakefield took a shot that was blocked, then poked the puck away from the Warriors’ Lund as he began skating the other way. Edina’s Andrew Kromer wheeled on it, sending it through the legs of Hill.

Wright called a time out to give his players a brief rest. He didn’t give them much advice. “The boys did most of the talking that time,” he said.

Edina’s best chance to tie the game came with 1:10 remaining, they having pulled their goalie, when Max Page’s shot on goal was stopped only by Hill’s toe. The puck dribbled toward but not over the line and the ref shot his arms out to the side to signal no goal.

Hill had his stick knocked away from him in the final minute of play. Lund passed the goalie his skater’s stick and played the last seconds without one. Despite the six skaters, Edina was unable to create a serious scoring chance against the now oddly equipped netminder.

When the clock ran out, the Warriors threw their sticks and gloves in the air and piled on their goalie.

“In the beginning of this season, I didn’t know what to expect,” said Schuldt. “I knew and had played with most of these guys before, but every hockey team is different and you need a pretty special combination of guys to have a good year. These kids exceeded every expectation. You couldn’t have gotten a better group of guys. From the first games up in Duluth, we were a team, and that’s hard to come by. I love this team and wouldn’t trade my time on it for anything in the world.”

After the second- and first-place medals were awarded, and the state trophy held high and skated toward the fans, Minnetonka stayed on the ice, taking photos with each other and family members.

Edina players went to their locker room.

Except one.

Andy Kromer, who scored Edina’s second goal, waited for the commotion to calm and then made his way to each Minnetonka player, shaking his hand, and congratulating him on the win.

“Such a class act!” a hockey mom from one of the other Minnetonka teams wrote on Facebook. “I noticed it. It brought tears to my eyes and I emailed the coaches last night that he (and his parents) should be

commended for his integrity! This was beyond impressive!”

“I don’t know that I could have done that,” one of the Warriors remarked.

The four Minnetonka juniors who will return to the team next season are already thinking about what they need to do to claim back-to-back championships. They will either get that trophy or an opportunity somewhere along the way to follow the Edina player’s example of sportsmanship in defeat.

Rodd Wagner is a business author, columnist for Forbes, sports photographer and (full disclosure) the father of a Minnetonka Warriors player. Twitter: @Rodd_Wagner

Luverne 12U B wins state consolation championship

Inver Grove Heights 12U B takes third at state tournament

Congratulations to the Inver Grove Heights 12U B team on an amazing season and a third-place finish at the state tournament!

Luverne is a small town in the southwest corner of Minnesota with a population of 4,700. Luverne has two girls’ hockey teams, the 12U B team and high school varsity team.

This season, the Luverne Cardinals 12U B team consisted of three 12-year-olds, four 11-year-olds, two 10-year-olds and three 9year-olds. After the girls “graduate” from 12U, they move up to the varsity team. The 12U B team has faced much adversity due to their young age and small numbers, but

these girls have always worked hard and in the last few years their hard work has paid great dividends.

In 2016, the 12U B team made their first appearance at regions in Luverne 12U B hockey history. In 2017, this team won the championship in District 4, went on to win the championship in the American Region, and brought the state consolation championship home. The Luverne 12U B team ended their season with a record of 27-2-3.

www.letsplayhockey.com

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey

29

E-mail your hockey stories and photos to editor@letsplayhockey.com.

The next edition of Let’s Play Hockey comes out Thursday, March 30.

The deadline for the next edition of Let’s Play Hockey is Monday, March27.

The 29th annual Let’s Play Hockey Expo is set for March 9-10, 2017 at the St. Paul RiverCentre.

‘Like’ Let’s Play Hockey on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ letsplayhockey

Follow Let’s Play Hockey on Twitter @LetsPlay_Hockey

SUBSCRIBE TO AMERICA’S NO. 1

THE PUCK STOPS HERE

HOCKEY NEWSPAPER LET’S PLAY HOCKEY is the longest running hockey newspaper in America, serving the largest youth hockey market in the United States. ...covering all levels of boys and girls, men’s and women’s hockey, including youth, prep, college, junior, professional and Olympic hockey.

Now in our 44th season!

YES! Start my subscription to LPH now!

NAME ADDRESS

APT.

CITY

Send form with check or money order to: 13 7th Street S., Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Or for more information Call (320) 333-3279 or E-mail letsplay@letsplayhockey.com.

STATE

ZIP

One-year subscription (29 issues) for $60

Two-year subscription (58 issues) for $102

Special first-class delivery (29 issues) for $105

One-year Canadian subscription for $115 (U.S. funds, please)

Visa Signature

M/C

Card #

Expiration Date

30

March 23, 2017

Let’s Play Hockey Rankings

www.letsplayhockey.com

key.com. outh hoc key rank er? Send an e-mail tto o edit or@le tspla yhoc Want tto o be a yyouth ranker? editor@le or@letspla tsplayhoc yhock hock

HS BOYS AA FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

GRAND RAPIDS Moorhead Eden Prairie Holy Family Catholic Lakeville South St. Thomas Academy Maple Grove Hill-Murray Stillwater Area Centennial Edina Elk River/Zimmerman Lakeville North Duluth East Minnetonka Prior Lake White Bear Lake Roseau St. Michael-Albertville Wayzata

HS BOYS A FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

BANT AM AA BANTAM FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

WHITE BEAR LAKE Osseo/Maple Grove Stillwater Blaine Moorhead Lakeville South Cloquet Eden Prairie Minnetonka Andover St. Cloud Edina Centennial South St. Paul Wayzata Minneapolis Eastview Elk River Rosemount Rochester

MINNETONKA BLUE Stillwater Prior Lake/Savage Lakeville Eden Prairie Minnetonka Black Elk River Blaine Centennial Black St. Thomas Academy

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

BANT AM A BANTAM FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

JUNIOR GOLD 16U FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

HERMANTOWN Monticello/A/ML Delano Breck St. Cloud Cathedral Northfield Mahtomedi East Grand Forks St. Paul Academy Alexandria Greenway Hibbing/Chisholm Sartell-St. Stephen St. Paul Johnson Totino-Grace Minneapolis Minnehaha Academy Orono Blake Luverne

HS GIRLS AA FINAL

EDINA Orono Greenway MAML Alexandria Osseo/Maple Grove Chaska/Chanhassen Park Cottage Grove Duluth East Eveleth-Gilbert East Grand Forks Owatonna Albert Lea Minnetonka Northfield Roseville JCNSP Coon Rapids St. Paul Capitals River Lakes

EDINA Osseo/Maple Grove White Bear Lake Blaine

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

BANT AM B1 BANTAM FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

GIRLS 19U FINAL 1 3 2 4

EDINA Blaine Eden Prairie Hill-Murray Maple Grove Minnetonka Cretin-Derham Hall Elk River/Zimmerman Centennial Farmington Forest Lake Chaska/Chanhassen Eastview Roseau White Bear Lake Lakeville South Brainerd/Little Falls Mounds View Grand Rapids/Greenway Hopkins/Park

EDINA GREEN Edina White Orono Elk River Minnetonka St. Cloud Red Buffalo Lake of the Woods St. Peter/Le Sueur Eagan Moorhead Black Morris/Benson Grand Rapids Bemidji Brainerd Mahtomedi Sauk Rapids Forest Lake Litchfield/D-C Eveleth-Gilbert/ME Gold

ANDOVER Osseo/Maple Grove Edina Green Minnetonka Black Rochester Wayzata Blue Proctor/Hermantown Blaine Grand Rapids Eden Prairie

JUNIOR GOLD A FINAL

BLAKE Breck St. Paul United Warroad Delano/Rockford Proctor/Hermantown Northfield Alexandria Mound Westonka East Grand Forks Red Wing Princeton Hibbing/Chisholm Thief River Falls New Prague Moose Lake Area Hutchinson Fergus Falls South St. Paul Mahtomedi

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

MINNETONKA Edina Wayzata Blaine White Bear Lake Stillwater Lakeville St. Louis Park Centennial Eden Prairie

JUNIOR GOLD B FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

MOORHEAD Elk River Wayzata Blue Edgcumbe St. Thomas Academy Bloomington Jefferson Minnetonka Black Eastview Edina Green Orono

PEEWEE AA FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

GIRLS 15U A FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

HS GIRLS A FINAL

CHASKA/CHANHASSEN Osseo/Maple Grove Wayzata Woodbury Edina Lakeville South Andover Stillwater Moorhead Hermantown Prior Lake/Savage Eastview Lakeville North Mahtomedi St. Cloud Champlin Park Eden Prairie Roseau Hastings Sibley

GIRLS 15U B FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

ANOKA/ROGERS Rochester Minneapolis OMGHA Black Armstrong/Cooper Litchfield/D-C Blaine/SLP Sartell Minnetonka Edina

NCAA D-III MEN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

NCAA D-III WOMEN FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

PEEWEE A FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

JCNSP Edina Mound Westonka Warroad Osseo/Maple Grove Sartell Litchfield/D-C Duluth Denfeld Dodge County Mounds View/Irondale Forest Lake Minnetonka Tartan Bloomington Jefferson Alexandria Spring Lake Park St. Paul Capitals Little Falls Inver Grove Heights Thief River Falls

EDINA Andover North Wright County Alexandria Anoka/Rogers Stillwater Osseo/Maple Grove Roseau Orono/Westonka Eastview

2018 Let’s Play Hockey EXPO March 9 & 10

PLATTSBURGH Adrian Gustavus Adolphus Norwich UW-River Falls Emira Middlebury St. Thomas Lake Forest UW-Eau Claire

PEEWEE B1 FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

GIRLS 12U A FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

NORWICH St. Norbert Adrian UW-Stevens Point Trinity Hamilton Endicott Oswego Hobart Augsburg

EDINA GREEN Moorhead Black Edina White Red Lake Falls Elk River Grand Rapids St. Peter Stillwater Mounds View/Irondale Farmington Sartell Blue Waconia Woodbury Black OMGHA Black St. Cloud Red Crookston Chaska/Chanhassen STMA Gold Forest Lake Morris/Benson Silver

GIRLS 12U B FINAL 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

WAYZATA BLUE OMGHA Black Inver Grove Heights Luverne Cloquet Coon Rapids/CP Buffalo Litchfield/D-C Hibbing/Chisholm Edina Black

ZUCKER’S BREAKAWAY BACKHANDER

FEBRUARY 18 vs. NASHVILLE

DON’T MISS THE NEXT MOMENT. JOIN THE WARMING HOUSE,

A WAITING LIST FOR SEASON TICKETS. 651.222.WILD TICKETS.WILD.COM/SEASON