With 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 Prairie…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inWith 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 Prairie Centre.
How last season went
It was a sluggish start to the 2019-20 season for the North Stars as they dropped seven of their first nine games. That certainly made the rest of the season an uphill climb of sorts.
Prairie Centre did the best it could to right the ship as they went 7-7-1 the rest of the way. Among those wins came a pair against Willmar and another regular season sweep of Park Rapids. At 9-14-1, the North Stars entered the postseason with a bit of a challenge on their hands, especially in Section 6A, which houses powerhouse programs such as St. Cloud Cathedral.
In the play-in round, Prairie Centre found some success as it edged Breckenridge/Wahpeton 3-2 in to advance to the quarterfinals. Unfortunately for the North Stars, their reward for winning was a date with the Crusaders. Prairie Centre could not pull off the upset and saw its season end there.
Who’s gone and who’s back
One of the highlights of the season for Prairie Centre was the emergence of Eli Fletcher. Only a freshman, Fletcher hit the ground running with a goal in nine of his first 10 games of the season. He finished the year with 32 goals and 12 assists, the top point-getter on the team. Brady Cline is also set to return after a 21-point season last year (11 goals, 10 assists).
Andrew Bick, Preston Sorenson and Jacob Zollman all contributed to the offensive punch of the North Stars and all three are now alumni of the program. They combined for 14 goals and 35 assists. Also gone is graduating senior and starting goaltender Isaiah DeFoe. He posted a .877 save percentage in his final season of high school hockey.
What to expect next season
It will be interesting to see the growth of Fletcher with how much success he had as only a freshman. If he can keep that going, it should elevate the entire team’s success. If Prairie Centre wants to make a jump next season, avoiding such a slow start will be key.