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 Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato.…
Access all of Prep Hockey
Subscribe for access to all premium articles and rankings.
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 Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato.
How last season went
With three games left in the regular season, the Dragons were hovering around the .500 mark at 10-11-1. Though the goal was to eclipse that mark, things went poorly for Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato with three consecutive losses to end the regular season.
The Dragons had trouble in part because of their goals against per game average, which was more than four.
Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato did find success, however, with wins against Mankato East and Willmar.
Heading into a weaker Section 3A, the Dragons did enough to earn the No. 2 seed. Offense was the name of the game for Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato in the first two rounds of play as the Dragons bested Worthington 5-1 in the quarterfinals and won 7-4 against New Ulm in the semifinals.
In the section final, Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato struggled against Wright County Conference foe Hutchinson as the Tigers cruised to an 8-2 victory.
Who’s back and who’s gone
Jake Johnson and Alex Heinonen were key pieces for the Dragons last season but now have graduated and moved on after combining for 33 goals and 23 assists.
There is another duo — Mason Schroeder and Logan Bejon — who are set to return after combining for 22 goals and 23 assists.
In net, Cade Marquard graduated after posting a .884 save percentage in eight appearances. Meanwhile, Darby Halonen returns to the net after posting a .873 save percentage in 20 appearances last season.
What to expect next season
The defensive struggles for Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato is something the team is most certainly going to address so the Dragons can improve on last season. Though their record was eye-turning, they came within a game of the state tournament. It may not take a lot of adjustments to make that state tournament dream a reality in 2021.