Stars, Studs, and Sleepers: Warroad Edition
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There is plenty of dizzying discourse on the ever changing world of sports vocabulary, but I’ve decided to pull some good old fashioned terminology for this series. A star is the go to guy on the team, more times than…
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Continue ReadingThere is plenty of dizzying discourse on the ever changing world of sports vocabulary, but I’ve decided to pull some good old fashioned terminology for this series. A star is the go to guy on the team, more times than not their best all around player. A stud usually supports the star, and has plenty of fine tuned skills in their own right. A sleeper is a guy you might not hear the student section fawning over, but his coaches and teammates are well aware of how much he contributes. In this new series here at Prep Hockey, I’ll be predicting each team’s star, stud, and sleeper heading into the 2024 season, starting with a town synonymous with the sport.
The Star: Carson Pilgrim Carson Pilgrim 5'9" | Forward Warroad | 2024 State MN , Center
Taking over the reins of a team that went 29-1-1 and placed 2nd in state no easy feat, but it looks like Carson Pilgrim Carson Pilgrim 5'9" | Forward Warroad | 2024 State MN may be best suited for this task. The rising senior out of Warroad amassed a staggering 92 points in only 31 games, including 52 goals. This average of nearly three points per game is unbelievable at any level of hockey, much less against some of the best prep talent in the nation. On paper, Pilgrim is phenomenal, and on tape, he looks even better. The 5-foot-10, 155 pounder is usually the fastest guy on the ice, and this stellar skating gets him plenty of space to shoot. And shoot he does. As aforementioned, he scored over 50 goals this past season, and this was primarily thanks to a gnarly wrist shot that opposing goalies couldn’t track if their life depended on it. Pilgrim snaps the puck into the net with surprising force, yet still paints the corners with lethal precision, making him a terrifying presence past the blue line. This guy is clearly set to be Warroad’s next big thing, especially now that Jayson Shaugabay has graduated, the only player on the Warriors to outpace Pilgrim in terms of scoring. The University of North Dakota commit has one prep season left to play out, and he will hope to captain his squad back to the Xcel Energy Center for yet another state tournament appearance.
The Stud: Murray Marvin-Cordes Murray Marvin-Cordes 5'8" | Forward Warroad | 2024 State MN , Right Wing
Pilgrim’s partner in crime and the second strongest returning scorer for Warroad, Murray Marvin-Cordes Murray Marvin-Cordes 5'8" | Forward Warroad | 2024 State MN will have to help his teammate fill some big shoes now that a handful of seniors are gone and graduated. The right winger already has two solid varsity seasons under his belt, and this experience will come in handy as he prepares to settle into his final season as a Warrior. During his junior campaign, Marvin-Cordes put up a well balanced stat line that consisted of 25 goals and 28 assists, with nearly a fifth of his goals coming on the power play. He likes to play fast, and his speed can take teams out of a game within the first period, as many of Warroad’s lopsided victories started off in dominant fashion. His breakneck pace on the first line when paired with Pilgrim and Shaugabay was special to see on the ice, and Warroad will certainly miss having a triad of electrifying forwards. However, two of the big three will be back for another season, meaning most of the pieces are still in place to revitalize an offense that scored nearly five and a half goals per game this past winter. If Marvin-Cordes and Pilgrim can build up another forward to plug into their relentless pace of play, another trip to the state title game seems almost inevitable.
The Sleeper: Broden Hontvet, Defenseman
An underclassmen who got significant ice time on one of the best prep teams in the country? Yep, Broden Hontvet is the real deal. The freshman phenom played in nearly all of the Warriors’ contests this past year, amassing nine points off mostly assists in the process. With scary good scorers like Pilgrim and Marvin-Cordes returning for another year, Hontvet probably won’t see many opportunities to put the puck in the net, but that’s not an issue for this guy. As the lone freshman on a team of mostly upperclassmen this last season, Hontvet knew his role, executed it without a hitch, and helped bring his team to within one goal of a state title. His tape might not jump out at you like his offensive minded teammates, but anyone who knows hockey understands how important a guy like Hontvet is to have. He keeps attackers in front of him thanks to his smooth skating and long frame that allows him to jut his stick out and poke the puck away. With three more years to sharpen his skills and fill out his 6-foot-1, 160 pound frame, I bet we see Hontvet’s game take some major strides forward this next season.
The Bottom Line: Coming off back-to-back years in which the Warriors have fallen short in the state championship game, the three headed snake of Pilgrim, Marvin-Cordes, and Hontvet will look to finally break the title game curse and bring some rings back up north to Warroad.