The Three Key Door for Warroad
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Every team in the state, whether it is a defending state champion or a struggling squad, starts their season out with a door that stands between them and success. Nonetheless, every team is just as capable of unlocking their potential…
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Continue ReadingEvery team in the state, whether it is a defending state champion or a struggling squad, starts their season out with a door that stands between them and success. Nonetheless, every team is just as capable of unlocking their potential through an interwoven combination of skill, strategy, leadership, and coaching. In this new series kicking up here for Prep Hockey, I will be taking a look at the three keys each and every team in the state needs to open up the door that stands between them and a great year by their unique standards. The Warroad Warriors, a top tier squad coming off a 29-1-1 year, will be getting the feature today.
Key #1: Attack, Attack, Attack
Warroad has some great defenders on their roster, but this team has always been known for its relentless offensive firepower that keeps opposing teams on their heels all game. Last season, two of the four skaters across the state who eclipsed the 90 point mark donned Warrior jerseys. Jayson Shaugabay and Carson Pilgrim Carson Pilgrim 5'9" | Forward Warroad | 2024 State MN put up 96 and 92 points, respectively, making them without a doubt the best offensive duo in the state. Pilgrim was the main goal scorer with 52, and Shaugabay assisted many of these en route to the state-leading 63 assists he would amass, enough to get him drafted in the 4th round by the Tampa Bay Lightning. An NHL product and a North Dakota commit on the same line is absurd at the high school level, and it seemed as if the Hockey Gods had to intervene by splitting them up this year. Shaugabay is onto greener pastures now, leaving the Warrior attack in a fractured state. However, there are plenty of guys ready to fill in. Murray Marvin-Cordes Murray Marvin-Cordes 5'8" | Forward Warroad | 2024 State MN amassed 53 points last year en route to being the third offensive option for a stacked Warroad squad. Ryan Lund Ryan Lund 6'2" | Defense Warroad | 2024 State MN also put up a surprising 47 points as a defenseman, and the 6-foot-3, 200 pounder should see his offensive opportunities expand once the puck drops this winter. Sure, Shaugabay is gone for good, but Warroad has plenty of guys ready to step into the fray. Pilgrim will have to lead the charge, but he can rest assured knowing he has plenty of backup.
Key #2: Get on the Goalie Hunt
Hampton Slukynsky is a unicorn in every sense of the word. Last season, the Warroad senior led the state in wins with 28, was fourth in save percentage with a stellar .941 mark, and shut out nearly half of the teams unfortunate enough to face him in the net. Yet another NHL draftee from this stacked 2022-2023 Warrior roster, Slukynsky was one of only 26 goalies worldwide selected in this years draft, going in the fourth round to the Los Angeles Kings. He set all kinds of prep hockey records, and now he is going down the professional pathway, on the opposite coast of his old teammate Shaugabay. But while the Warrior attack will press on with the majority of their main core, the goalie position has a vacancy so wide open I can only speculate who will man the net for this team. Slukynsky proved to be a double edged sword. When you got a guy this good, it makes no sense to play anyone else. At the same time though, no other Warrior goalie was gaining experience for Slukynsky’s inevitable departure. So while Warroad had a superb season with Slukynsky between the pipes, they will be left scrambling to find a suitable replacement for the looming season ahead.
Key #3: Remember Who Spoiled the Near-Perfect Season
Having a short memory is an idea so engrained into athletics it makes its way into sports media. “Be a goldfish,” is a popular Ted Lasso quote that embodies this concept, best explained as moving past a mistake so it doesn’t bog down performance. While I do believe there is some truth to this, I think in Warroad’s case, they should remember the team that wrote them out of the history books. The Warriors were 29-0-1 heading into the state title game, looking to become one of the few teams across any prep sport that can cap off an unbeaten season with a ring. After going up 4-2 midway through the third period, it looked like Warroad could play conservatively for the final 12 minutes, then celebrate accordingly when the job was finished. Then Mahtomedi scored, making it 4-3. Warroad countered, going back up two. With six minutes to go and down a pair of goals, Mahtomedi score two unanswered before the final horn to force overtime, the tying goal coming with just 80 seconds left to play. The third period had started 3-2 in Warroad’s favor, but after a flurry of goals from both sides, it was an even 5-5 heading into OT. Once the Warriors were caught out of position after a faceoff in their own zone, it was over. Mahtomedi put the nail in the coffin eight minutes into overtime, and Warroad’s season was over. Hopefully, that painted the picture as to why this loss stung so much for the Warriors and their fans. Instead of simply forgetting about this, I say the team should build off it. The Warriors are aware of who sullied their unbeaten season, and if they can capitalize off an inevitable grudge match, there won’t be a team in the state that can stop them.
What Lies Behind the Door: Warroad was one shot away from winning the state title, but at the end of the day, it was Mahtomedi that got the best of them. The Warriors had a near perfect season spoiled at the last minute, and that has got to sting. What stings a little less, most likely, is the fact that they are bringing back so much talent for the 2023-2024 campaign. This team has the pieces to make it back to the state title game, and if they can find a suitable Slukynsky replacement on top of putting Pilgrim square in the spotlight, this team should be right back at the X with another chance for a championship.