The Three Key Door for Mounds View
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…
Access all of Prep Hockey
Continue reading this article and more.
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. Today is a special feature for me, as I will be looking at my old alma matter, Mounds View, and what their specific keys will be for a great season.
Key #1: Johnny Conlin Johnny Conlin 5'9" | Forward Mounds View | 2024 State MN ‘s Senior Sendoff
A top player on this Mustang hockey team since his sophomore season, Johnny Conlin Johnny Conlin 5'9" | Forward Mounds View | 2024 State MN has been a cornerstone on this hockey program for years now, and will need to put up his best season yet to keep this team as competitive as possible. In 2022-2023, Conlin earned All-Conference honors thanks to a stellar 61 point season that stemmed from 25 goals and 36 assists, all figures that led his team. He’s already cracked 100 points on his varsity career, and still has one more winter left to add to this total. Conlin will mostly be supported by Sam Schulte, a junior who has a knack for scoring. Schulte had 46 points in 2022-2023, a figure that was second on his team and among the highest across the state for defensemen. Schulte and Conlin are entering their junior and senior seasons, respectively, and this means they should be at their absolute best this coming winter. Don’t get me wrong, both of these guys have already put up unbelievable numbers, but the stars are aligning in a way that is too rare not to capitalize off. These are two of the best scorers at their respective positions Mounds View has ever seen, and them only being a year apart is the icing on the cake. With Conlin and Schulte both entering this year as upperclassmen, this team seems poised to have a devastating attack and a rock solid defensive unit that will be anchored by these two stars. However, stars can only align for so long. Conlin is a senior this year, so it is imperative the Mustangs make the most of the limited time they have with these two guys leading the charge.
Key #2: A New Goalie
Aidan Petrich was a big time bright spot for the Mustangs last year, a varsity veteran who came in and showed out in his final campaign for the Mustangs. He put up an excellent .916 save percentage, won 10 games, and even got to partake in a 22 save shutout against rival school Irondale, a game he certainly won’t be forgetting for a while. Petrich was one of the best to do it between the pipes for Mounds View, but as this key implies, he won’t be around for the upcoming 2023-2024 season. This vacancy in the net has to be the biggest question mark for the Mustangs so far. They have a star leading their attack with Johnny Conlin Johnny Conlin 5'9" | Forward Mounds View | 2024 State MN , and a really nice defensive corps that Sam Schulte and Landon Mazzocco will take the helm of, a duo that can both score and defend with the best of them. A goalie seems to be the last missing piece Mounds View needs to finally complete the puzzle, and as it stands now, Owen Lee will likely get the nod to man the net. The rising senior played on-and-off last season, mostly learning behind Petrich, but he did score a pair of wins and suffered no losses as a starter. Lee has a big challenge looming ahead of him, but also one athletes tend to love. Whether he likes it or not, Lee seems to be the X-factor for the Mustangs’ prolonged success throughout this upcoming regular season.
Key #3: Ending a Longstanding Drought
The Mounds View hockey program hasn’t put up a winning season since their 2016-2017 campaign, meaning it has been six consecutive years since the Mustangs were able to break the .500 threshold. Naturally, this is a problem for any program to have, as sustained losing to this degree is hard to shake once it takes hold of a team, especially in such a competitive state for hockey. The Suburban East has been ruled by White Bear, Stillwater, and Cretin Derham-Hall for the last decade or so, and these teams have all played a part in keeping the Mustangs down. Even so, Mounds View came oh-so close to shaking off their slump last season, as they posted a 12-13-1 record and even took a 17-win Champlin Park program down to the wire in the playoffs. Although Mounds View didn’t win this game, it sure indicates their roster can hang with some of the better teams in Class AA. The Mustangs are bringing back the majority of last season’s roster, and if their top skaters spent the offseason improving together, this team could be due for a breakout year.
What Lies Behind the Door: When it comes to hockey, Mounds View has admittedly had some trouble finding a foothold in the Suburban East and the surrounding Metro as a whole, but things seem to be looking up for the Mustangs. They have Johnny Conlin Johnny Conlin 5'9" | Forward Mounds View | 2024 State MN and Sam Schulte entering their prep primes, and some solid supporting pieces to help out in both the offensive and defensive zones. If this team can string together some wins and finally break their winning season drought, they could be in a good spot to do some damage once the postseason comes rolling around.