Prep Hockey’s End of Season Report Card (Part 2)
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Warroad (25-6): A- A team that never seems to have a down year, Warroad had yet another outstanding season that came just short of a state title. The Warriors finished as the third best team in Class A, and this…
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Continue ReadingWarroad (25-6): A-
A team that never seems to have a down year, Warroad had yet another outstanding season that came just short of a state title. The Warriors finished as the third best team in Class A, and this accomplishment was the combined effort of great skaters across the board. As expected, Carson Pilgrim Carson Pilgrim 5'9" | Forward Warroad | 2024 State MN had a brilliant senior campaign to wrap up an excellent prep career. The North Dakota commit boasted 70 points on the season, including seven in the state tournament alone. Another senior who ended their career on top was ironman goalie Ben Norris Ben Norris 5'11" | Forward Benilde-St. Margaret's | 2024 State MN . He started all 31 games for the Warriors between the pipes, finishing his season with four shutouts and 2.14 Goals Against Average. Defenseman Ryan Lund Ryan Lund 6'2" | Defense Warroad | 2024 State MN also had a great year, scoring 44 points of his own on top of anchoring the defense. This Warroad squad was dominant throughout the year, and although it wasn’t able to finish the season with a state title, the Warriors had an excellent 2023-2024 campaign nonetheless.
Cretin-Derham Hall (19-11-1): A-
Although the Raiders did not have the best regular season record compared to other teams on this list, this team still had an excellent season, and it is one worth celebrating. While Cretin entered the postseason with a 14-10-1 record with middling expectations statewide, they more than exceeded those with multiple thrilling victories. A game winning goal in overtime by Marcus Matyas kept Cretin’s tourney hopes alive in the section semifinals, and if that wasn’t enough, the Raiders had a second overtime victory in the postseason, this one coming in the state tournament. A double overtime thriller against Centennial was ended by the stick of Max Anderson, who buried a puck in the back of the net to finish out the game. The Raiders would eventually fall to Chanhassen, but would sitll finish the season on a strong note, a third place finish in Class 2A with a win over Grand Rapids. Cretin had its ups and downs throughout the season, but make no mistake, the Raiders ended their 2023-2024 campaign on a high note.
Orono (22-9): A-
Fresh off a state tournament appearance in 2022-2023, Orono punched yet another ticket to the Xcel Energy Center thanks to a deep roster with plenty of guys who can bury the puck in the net. While there wasn’t really a “definitive” star of the team, Orono had 14 skaters finish with double digit points in the net, an impressive feat that indicates there were no puck hogs on this roster. It isn’t a coincidence that leading scorer Jackson Knight’s points mostly came from assists, as this one-for-all mentality was a big reason Orono made it so far in the postseason. While Orono tended to lean on its diverse attack during the postseason, it was the defense that stepped up in its last game of the season. In the Class A consolation final against a stacked Northfield attack, Orono stepped up to the challenge. Despite being outshot 26-23, the Spartans were brilliant, blanking Northfield and leaning on a lone goal from Trey Landa to finish the game with a 1-0 victory. Orono goalie Peyton Anderson picked up his fourth shutout, and the Spartans finished their season with a big win.
Centennial (21-8-2): A-
The last team to round out the ‘A-‘ rankings across the state, Centennial capped off a great year with a Class 2A consolation victory, a 3-2 win over Elk River/Zimmerman that came down to the final five minutes of play. Heath Nelson was the hero of the game, burying the game winner late in the third period, and just like that, Centennial ended its excellent 2023-2024 campaign with a big win. Throughout the entire season, the Cougars were an explosive team that leaned heavily on its loaded attack. Heath Nelson and Harper Searles finished with 70 and 74 points on the year, respectively, and that was just two guys who could put up points. Aside from that dynamic duo, Centennial had a 40+ point scorer in Austin Peterson and a 37 point performance from Alex Clampitt. Even with this explosive attack, the Cougars were no slouches in the net, either. The tandem approach of Easton Cody and Gavin Schann paid dividends as both goalies possessed plenty of wins and save percentages each north of .920, an outstanding feat for a duo on the same team. The Cougars had an outstanding year, and their state tournament run on top of an outstanding senior class were memorable to say the least.