Minnesota’s Comprehensive Goalie Guide: Wright County Conference
This is the end of an era over here at Prep Hockey, as this will be the 18th and final conference I will be covering for this year’s goalie guide. The Wright County Conference sports six teams way out west…
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Continue ReadingThis is the end of an era over here at Prep Hockey, as this will be the 18th and final conference I will be covering for this year’s goalie guide. The Wright County Conference sports six teams way out west from the metro, and is unique due to having both Class A and Class AA teams within its ranks. Without any further delay, let’s get into the final conference for this series.
Holy Family: Adam Kimbrel
The lone Class AA school on this list, Holy Family has slews of talent across their roster, so much so that even their backup goalie Adam Kimbrel turned some heads this past year. The guy only appeared in five games, but his 4-1 record paired with a top notch .932 save percentage makes me wonder how he didn’t get more playing time last year. Kimbrel wasn’t just getting bailed out by the defense either, as he still faced 148 shots across these games, a number that shows he was getting plenty of action between the pipes. Holy Family graduated their starting senior goalie from 2022-2023, meaning Kimbrel should finally have his chance to shine.
Delano: Ethan Engelmann
Ethan Engelmann manned the net in what was mostly reserve work for Delano last season, with results that varied from week-to-week. There was his varsity season opener against Greenway where he got the win and saved 20 of 21 shots, but then there was also his game against Holy Family in which he let up 10 goals on only 36 shots. It’s hard to ask consistency of a backup when they are always coming off the bench cold, and if Engelmann can get into a flow next year, he could very well become a consistent force in the net for Delano.
Southwest Christian/Richfield: Jannes Kamp Jannes Kamp 6'5" | Goalie Southwest Christian/Richfield | 2024 State MN
The Stars seem to have another star on their hands in rising senior Jannes Kamp Jannes Kamp 6'5" | Goalie Southwest Christian/Richfield | 2024 State MN , and if one things for certain, the guy sure stands out on the ice. Listed at 6-foot-6 and weighing in at 208 pounds, Kamp is one of the largest players in the state, yet his athleticism is that of a skater half his size. The guy was an ironman, playing in all 26 games for his team and posting a 12-9-5 record with an impressive .921 save percentage, both career highs. Kamp’s larger than life presence has served his team well, and barring anything unexpected happening, he should have another year to man the net for the Stars.
Hutchinson: Lukas Heilman
Lukas Heilman was thrust into the action as a sophomore last year, performing especially well considering his underclassman status. He put up a 4-6 record with an .880 save percentage, and even picked up a shutout against conference opponent Mound Westonka. Now that he’s gotten his feet wet at the varsity level, Heilman should be set for a solid year between the pipes as Hutchison’s main guy.
Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato: Open Contest
A 16-9-2 squad that somehow finished second to last in the conference, the Dragons still had a solid year, thanks in part to senior goalie Travis Halonen, who played in all but one game for the team. As this series has proven time and time again though, having a dependable guy like this is both a blessing and a curse, as the Dragons will now need to throw either Ayden Cziok or Chase Zwilling into the fray, a duo who has less than two games of combined varsity experience manning the net.
Mound Westonka: Jack Moch
A 4-22 team with an average margin of defeat of over three goals isn’t an ideal team to step in and play goalie for, but to his credit, Jack Moch did all he could for the team in reserve duties for the White Hawks. He struggled at times, as to be expected of a goalie on a last place team, but he also showed flashes of greatness towards the end of the year, like a 40 save effort in the Section Playoffs against Waconia (Despite the great game, the team still lost 0-3). Moch made the best of a tough situation for a goalie, and he should be rewarded for it with a starting spot this coming winter.