Offseason breakdown No. 25: Simley

With most sports on hold and the 2020-21 season still months out, it’s time to take a look at teams from all over the State of Hockey and examine what happened this past season and what’s ahead. The next team we’re breaking down is Simley.

How last went season

The Spartans had a rough go of it in the early part of the season as they lost five of their first six contests. From there, however, things turned around. Simley went 11-8 the rest of the season. That included a three-game win streak in January and a key 3-2 win against South St. Paul.

When all was set and done, Simley had a 12-13 regular-season record. They headed into Section 3A play as an underdog as the Spartans headed on the road to take on Tartan. Simley failed to pull off an upset as its season came to a close in the section quarterfinals.

Who’s gone and who’s back

The Spartans’ success last season was driven by senior leadership. Each of the team’s top-three point getters were seniors. That includes Shane Prifrel (20 goals, 16 assists), Trent Peterson (13G, 14A) and Carter Robinson (4G, 10A). Hunter Sandnas also graduates after manning the net for Simley and posting a .887 save percentage.

One player who will likely have to step up in a big way for the Spartans is Cooper Bollmann. He finished with the fourth most points on the team as he registered 7 goals and 6 assists.

What to expect next season

Based on the departures of three top scorers and a starting goaltender, it’s going to take some serious reloading for Simley to even equal what the team did during the 2019-20 season. But crazier things have happened.