Minnesota’s Comprehensive Goalie Guide: Central Lakes Conference
My goalie search across Minnesota has revealed a lot of things regarding teams and their respective goaltenders in the net, but one striking observation I’ve noticed is the correlation between good teams and the quality of protector they have in…
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Continue ReadingMy goalie search across Minnesota has revealed a lot of things regarding teams and their respective goaltenders in the net, but one striking observation I’ve noticed is the correlation between good teams and the quality of protector they have in the net. Sure, there are some outliers to this, but odds are if you have a good goalie, your team benefits greatly from it. This list seemed to support that theory to some extent, although there were some surprises amidst the rankings of the Central Lakes Conference. Let’s take a look.
Sartell-St. Stephen: Noah Hacker Noah Hacker 5'9" | Goalie Sartell | 2024 State MN
A returning starter who received the brunt of the playing time last year, Noah Hacker Noah Hacker 5'9" | Goalie Sartell | 2024 State MN has the chops to be his squad’s main guy for another year, as indicated by his successful 2022-2023 campaign. In 27 games for the Sabres, Hacker had a 17-7-3 record, saved 838 shots, and posted four shutouts to go with an impressive .920 save percentage. These numbers, combined with Sartell’s success in the win department, all point to the return of Hacker in 2023-2024, as the team plays great under him. Expect Hacker to take most of, if not all of the minutes in net for his squad.
Alexandria: Jackson Cavers
Jackson Cavers doesn’t have a slew of experience or any signature games like Hacker, but he has put himself in a good position to take over the starting job on the Cardinals now that his competition has graduated. Cavers played in seven games for Alexandria this past season, mostly against middling competition. Nonetheless, he played well for a goalie thrust into the action, accumulating an .883 save percentage through these contests and even picking up a shutout versus Willmar. As Cavers enters his senior season, the numbers he put up last season will likely be topped thanks to another year of experience, and the guy should have a great opportunity to take this position for himself.
St. Cloud: Ben Glaesman
Already the main guy for St. Cloud, Ben Glaesman should have an easy breezy preseason on his way to reclaiming his spot in the net. During a 20 game junior year, Glaesman saved 546 shots, notched a singular shutout, and posted a respectable .900 save percentage. In my opinion, this should be enough for him to earn back the job, but his 6-12-2 record is admittedly a little concerning, and the Crush are graduating four of their top five scorers, which could lead to a little more pressure in the defensive zone compared to last season. Nonetheless, it is Glaesman’s job as it stands now, and he controls how long he’ll hold it for.
Fergus Falls: Open Contest
Fergus Falls had a solid 14-11-2 season that was muddied by poor conference play that stuck them in the middle of the Central Lakes Conference standings. Their goalie was Ben Swanson, a three year varsity starter who capped off his varsity career with a solid 2022-2023 outing in which he went 13-10-2 with a .906 save percentage. Unfortunately for the Otters, Swanson has ridden off into the sunset, leaving the position wide open for whoever wants it the most. Swanson’s replacement will have little to no varsity experience, which should make for an interesting 2023-2024 season. As it stands now, Brady Metcalf is the favorite for the spot, as he was the only goalie aside from Swanson to receive any varsity reps last season.
Brainerd: Ryan Gerlich
Brainerd struggled last year, finishing with an 11-13-3 record paired with a fifth place finish in the conference. They also went with a tandem goalie approach that saw mixed results. On one hand, both goalies performed pretty well. Senior Brody Lund had a respectable .892 save percentage, and junior Ryan Gerlich’s .910 mark was great considering this was his first year getting significant varsity time. On the other hand though, the goalies combined for a losing record, and the Warriors were first round exits in the Section Tournament, winning the play in against St. Cloud, but falling in the first round of the tourney to Moorhead. Lund has graduated, meaning the spot is now all Gerlich. He’ll take over the reins entirely in 2023-2024, and should post more solid stat lines for his team along the way.
River Lakes: Carson Cronquist
The Stars had a rough 2022-2023 campaign, finishing in the bottom half of the conference while also posting a losing record to boot. On top of this, they had their fair share of struggles in the net, as neither of the two goalies they played could crack a .900 save percentage, and both posted losing records. However, Carson Cronquist has experience, and he is entering his third varsity season as a main contributor in net. The rising senior slightly regressed in 2022-2023, as his .875 save percentage was a few points down from the .898 mark he put up the year prior. To be fair to Cronquist though, that can also be attributed to him losing his top defenders from 2021-2022, a unit that helped make his transition to varsity go quite smooth. After two years of splitting time, Cronquist should finally be penciled in as the main guy this coming year, and it will be interesting to see where this opportunity takes him.
Sauk Rapids-Rice: Open Contest
After a dismal 8-17-1 season in which Sauk Rapids-Rice allowed over five goals per game, it it clear this team needs a complete overhaul at all positions, not just in the net. To make matters worse, the Storm are graduating a handful of their top defensemen, leaving their incoming goalie to be even more exposed than they were last season. I hate to say this team is in trouble before the season even starts, but things are looking bleak over in Sauk Rapids. Hopefully, they can prove me wrong and have themselves a great year.
Willmar: Open Contest
Willmar’s defensive woes were gnawing at their sides all season in 2022-2023, making life miserable for everyone in a Cardinals uniform. Their pair of goalies allowed an average of 5.68 and 6.15 goals per game, causing their collective save percentage to flirt with the low .800’s in the process. Similar to Sauk Rapids, this rough year doesn’t fall on any one individual or position group, and it will take a village to bring this team back from the brink.