Minnesota’s Comprehensive Goalie Guide: The Big Nine (Part 1)
As I slowly but surely reach the halfway point in my statewide deep dive at the goalie position, I finally reached the titan sized conference that is far bigger than its name implies. The Big Nine Conference spans across southern…
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Continue ReadingAs I slowly but surely reach the halfway point in my statewide deep dive at the goalie position, I finally reached the titan sized conference that is far bigger than its name implies. The Big Nine Conference spans across southern Minnesota, and despite its name, contains 12 teams. Because of the sheer size of this conference, I’ll be breaking this one up into two parts, starting with the top half of the conference. So without further adieu, let’s take a look at each team’s projected goalie heading into the 2023-2024 season.
Northfield: Open Contest
Northfield has a dilemma at the goalie position that I have noticed across plenty of top tier teams. They had a superstar senior in Keaton Walock, and he helped guide his squad to the Big Nine conference title thanks to his .932 save percentage, 10 shutouts, and 23-6 record, all numbers that solidified him as one of the top goalies in the state. He was named a finalist for Goalie of the Year by Youth Hockey Hub, and was named to the Class A All-State Tournament Team thanks to his performance at the Xcel Energy Center. After securing all kinds of accolades and rewriting the Northfield hockey record books, Walock will be moving on from the prep level, leaving the Raiders without any proven goalie heading into 2023-2024. It will be interesting to see who takes the reins for the team, and whoever’s number is called will have big shoes to fill once the season kicks off.
Rochester Century: Kyle Lappi
Rochester Century had a trio of goalies they sent out into the net during the 2022-2023 season, all of whom saw relatively equal playing time. Two of these three are graduated now though, leaving rising junior Kyle Lappi as the de facto starter heading into the winter. During the 12 games in which he was the main guy last year, Lappi had a 5-7 record, an .888 save percentage, and let in roughly three goals per game. While these aren’t eye popping numbers, Lappi did this as a sophomore in an environment where experience and learning were the key priorities for the young athlete. Now, he will enter his junior year with some experience, confidence, and the chance to be the main starter for his team. As it stands currently, I expect Lappi to be manning the net when this coming season kicks off.
Rochester Mayo: Mikah Nelson
Rochester Mayo was anchored by Nicholas Weick this past season, a senior goalie whose consistency and ability to win kept his number penciled into the starting lineup week in and week out. Out of 27 games Rochester Mayo played, Weick was in the net for all but two of them, but this is where Mikah Nelson’s story begins. The reserve goalie had a 2-0 record with a .905 save percentage for his junior campaign, solid numbers that prove his ability to hang with varsity level competition. While a larger sample size would be more ideal in terms of gauging this kid’s skill, it’s hard to knock a pair of wins and a save percentage north of .900. Due to this, I got Nelson as the main guy in the net once the puck drops this winter, and I’ll be following this guy closely throughout the season to see how his senior campaign pans out.
Owatonna: Brennan Sletten Brennan Sletten 6'1" | Goalie Owatonna | 2024 State MN
Splitting time with senior Porter Kuchenbecker during the 2022-2023 season, Brennan Sletten Brennan Sletten 6'1" | Goalie Owatonna | 2024 State MN is finally set to take the position over and be the main guy for his team this winter. During a year in which an 11-13-2 Owatonna team struggled to string together wins, Sletten was one of the lone bright spots for his squad in terms of both saving the puck and securing victories. His 9-5 record paired with four shutouts and a .919 save percentage are all great metrics for a goalie, and this performance allowed him to edge out Kuchenbecker and take the brunt of the starts at goalie for himself as last season progressed. Now an established goalie who has the stats to prove it, Sletten will likely be Owatonna’s starter from the season opener to however far they go in the postseason.
Albert Lea: Ledger Stadheim
A peculiar case of a developing goalie whose inconsistency was overshadowed by a noticeable clutch factor, Ledger Stadheim was Albert Lea’s rock solid reserve who could step in and win his team a game even when he didn’t necessarily play his best hockey. In seven starts for the Tigers, Stadheim had an admittedly underwhelming .872 save percentage that was paired with allowing nearly three and a half goals per game. However, he also went 6-1 as a starter, and at a closer glance, it’s clear that a bad game or two weighed down his final stat line heavily. In arguably his best varsity game thus far, Stadheim played solid hockey against offensive powerhouse Rock Ridge, saving 40 shots on his way to helping the Tigers secure a narrow 6-4 victory. Clearly, this kid has potential, and it will be worth watching how his senior season pans out in the net once this winter season gets going.
Mankato East/Loyola: Brody Kunst
Mankato East/Loyola was bogged down with varying degrees of competition that made it hard for greener varsity athletes like Brody Kunst to find a rhythm at their respective positions. One week, this kid is putting up an easy shutout against Mound Westonka, then all of the sudden he’d have to play a State Tournament qualifying team like Luverne. These factors, when combined with inconsistent play on the defensive end and general varsity inexperience from Kunst, were big reasons why the sophomore had just a .865 save percentage and a 9-12 record in the net. I bet Kunst sees some big improvements to his game as he enters his junior year and gets a little more comfortable being between the pipes for his team.