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When Warroad plays Roseau in hockey, it is a big deal.

The atmosphere is charged, the stands are packed, and expectations are high. The two communities have a lot of respect for each others hockey programs. On the night of January 2nd, when the Varsity girls teams squared off, the crowd was exceptionally large. After a tough fight, the Warriors of Warroad came out on top by a score of 9-5.

What had some people buzzing however was the play of one particular line of the Lady Warriors. Genevieve (Geno) Hendrickson, a junior, her sister Talya Hendrickson, a freshman, and Sydney Phaneuf, a junior, had racked up a remarkable 19 combined points. Geno had 4 goals and 2 assists, Talya had 2 goals and 5 assists, and Sydney had 2 goals and 4 assists, Quite an amazing accomplishment! The 3 girls had only recently been put together on the same line by coach Izzy Marvin, The trio will certainly grab the attention of future opponents.

When Jeremy and April Hendrickson left behind their home in Albert Lea, MN, and their families, and a successful concrete business in 2013, it certainly involved risk and sacrifice. But, they had a passion for hockey, and what better place to head to than Hockeytown, USA- Warroad, MN? They have not regretted their decision.

Besides Geno and Talya, the Hendricksons have an 11 year old son, Casey, who plays on a top ranked A squirts team for Warroad. Casey had a 6 point game against International Falls earlier this year. The family spends a lot of time at the arena (the Gardens) and feels it is their home away from home. They relish every minute fulfilling their passion.

Warroad provides a great environment for those pursuing hockey . Sydney Phaneufs family had also come to Warroad from Mountain Iron, MN two years ago because of the hockey program. Besides being linemates, the 3 girls also attend a Bible study together led by Olympic gold medalist Gigi Marvin.

The Lady Warriors are having a very successful season and are currently ranked 2nd in the state in class A . They have their sights set on a state championship and this team and community have an exciting road ahead!

The post Warriors Triple Threat appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Taking on five players that were cut from Eastview’s program, the Lakeville South Bantams have overcome adversity since day one.

This group of young men were put into a very tough situation and have proven hard work, heart and hustle pay off. Earning the title of Champions in Hudson Wisconsin this weekend. The boys lit the lamp 18 times over the three-game tourney and the stingy goalie, Colin Yackel, only allowed two goals in three games.

“Getting the kids to gel into a team and firing on all cylinders has been just great to be a part of,” says Head Coach Scott Wasilowski. The team is made up of former district 8 rivals Eastview and Lakeville South boys.

In the 14 games they have played, the team has scored 123 goals for and only allowed 19!! The powerhouse offense is led by Cullen Ryan, Luke Meyer and Mason Sender. The stingey hard-checking team is spearheaded by the physical play of first year bantams Wyatt Ronn and Luke Wasilowski who average six hits per game, each! The stellar goaltending is a one-man show starring Colin Yackel. Yes, from the legendary hockey family and cousin to Wild goalie Alex Stalock.

The sky’s the limit for this group of boys. The strong work ethic and the ability to overcome some tough challenges of merging the kids from two rival programs into one cohesive unit has been awesome to watch.

— Submitted by Scott Wasilowski

The post A Winning Mix appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

— Submitted by Jonathan Corbett

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Bulldogs, Huskies expected to be on front lines of NCHC supremacy battle

By Mick Hatten

St. Cloud State’s Jimmy Schuldt. Photo by Jeff Wegge.

For the first five seasons of the NCHC, the two men’s hockey programs from the state of Minnesota have been in the thick of the race for a lot of hardware. Expectations are that will remain the same this season.

Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State are travel partners in the conference, which means they play one another four times a season at a minimum. St. Cloud State has won two NCHC regular season titles and played in three NCHC championship games and Minnesota Duluth has played in two NCHC championship games.

Between the teams, they’ve played in six NCAA regional championship games in the last five seasons.

Now throw in that now former Bulldogs assistant coach Brett Larson was named the Huskies’ new head coach in the offseason and the rivalry figures to continue to heat up.

“Both teams have had some success in the last five years and the games will be good,” Scott Sandelin, who is beginning his 19th season as Bulldogs head coach and has 18 players returning. “It will be unique for both Brett and I when we play.

“I went through that when I coached against (former head coach) Dean (Blais) at North Dakota,” said Sandelin, a former North Dakota assistant coach. “I told him I still would throw a water bottle at him if I had to. (Brett and I) will talk before and after and in between (games). He’s competitive and I’m competitive.”

Larson, a former Minnesota Duluth captain, had two stints as Sandelin’s assistant coach with the Bulldogs. He was on the Bulldogs’ bench from 2008-11 and 2015-18 and concluded each tenure with national titles, first in 2011 and again last spring. Between those two stints, he was an assistant coach at Ohio State where he helped recruit several of the players that played in the Frozen Four in April only to be beaten by UMD in the semifinals.

This will be his first stint as a college head coach. But Larson has also inherited a roster with 21 returners from a team that won the NCHC regular season title, played in the NCHC championship game and was the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament before being upset by Air Force in the first round.

“I don’t know if there’s been any major surprises yet, but it’s more excitement and the biggest excitement is over how good of kids there are in the locker room, getting to know them and seeing what the culture is like and how committed they are to the program and each other,” Larson said. “It shouldn’t come as a surprise with how well the program has been doing.”

The similarities between St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth have become a bit more pronounced to Larson since he accepted the job in April. Larson and his assistant coaches – Mike Gibbons and Nick Oliver – have gotten verbal commitments from 11 players.

“There were a lot of kids I was recruiting at Duluth that I told to forget about everything I was telling them before,” Larson said with a smile. “But it’s been fun because Mike Gibbons used to use the line of, ‘Hey Lars, you and I shop in the same aisle all the time (recruiting),’ because we’d be bumping into each other everywhere.

“It’s a similar player and a similar kid that the schools recruit.”

Minnesota Duluth has played in the last two national championship games and surprised many on its way to the national title last season. The Bulldogs got off to a 2-7 start in the NCHC after having to replace their starting goalie, five of the team’s top six defensemen and the bulk of their scoring from the previous season.

But Hunter Shepard, who is from Cohasset and entering his sophomore season, had a .940 save percentage and 1.52 goals-against average in the last 25 games of the season to help the Bulldogs win the title.

“Minnesota Duluth won a national championship and what got their team going was when Shepard took off as goalie,” said Andy Murray, a former NHL coach who is beginning his eighth season as head coach at Western Michigan. “We can talk about (the Bulldogs’) unbelievable defense and everything and they matured. But they got goaltending … and that’s huge.”

Shepard returns in goal as a sophomore and so do the Bulldogs’ top six defensemen from last season, led by Scott Perunovich, a sophomore from Hibbing. Perunovich was the NCHC Defenseman of the Year, a first team All-American and the national Freshman of the Year last season.

“We stress a defensive game and we’re going to be hard to play against,” said Bulldogs senior forward Parker Mackay, whose team won their last three NCAA games by identical 2-1 scores. “At the same time, we need to work on our offensive side of the game as well. We’ve got to be able to score more goals than our opponent and we can’t just focus on our defensive strengths.

“At the same time, it’s definitely a good starting point for us.”

Voters in the NCHC preseason poll of the media that cover the conference agree. The Bulldogs received 20 of the 27 first-place votes and were picked to win the regular season conference title.

St. Cloud State received six first-place votes and was picked to finish second. While there may be an unknown for the Huskies with a new head coach, St. Cloud State got another boost in the offseason when defenseman Jimmy Schuldt decided to return for his senior season.

Schuldt, a first team All-American from Minnetonka, turned down a bevy of offers as an undrafted free agent to be a captain for St. Cloud State for the third straight season.

“I couldn’t wait to get back to school and that’s the biggest thing that tells me that I’m in the right place,” Schuldt said. “Everyone I’ve talked to who went back and played their senior year, they said, ‘You can’t replace it.’

“So far, it’s been awesome. My roommates are like my brothers. My teammates are some of my best friends. That’s not something I’d have forgiven myself for if I would have signed.”

Schuldt is also looking forward to trying to defend the NCHC regular season title, battling against Minnesota Duluth and trying to make a deeper run in the NCAA playoffs.

“It’s going to be a battle for all the teams in our conference,” Schuldt said of the NCHC, which has had the last three national champions (North Dakota in 2016, Denver in 2017, UMD in 2018). “Our conference is so deep and so tight together.

“We’re the team that plays UMD twice (in series) every year no matter what, so that rivalry in itself is huge, particularly with the accolades that both of our teams have had in the past year.”

Schuldt and Huskies senior forward Robby Jackson were named to the Preseason All-NCHC team. Perunovich and Shepard were also named to the team. The other two players named to the team are Colorado College forward Nick Halloran and Western Michigan forward Wade Allison.

In the preseason poll for the NCHC race, after the Bulldogs and Huskies, North Dakota was picked to finish third, followed by Western Michigan, Denver, Colorado College, Nebraska-Omaha and Miami.

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(Article provided by Heartland Hockey Camp)

The Heartland Hockey Camp recently competed in the 2018 European Hockey Classic, in Zell am See, Austria, the week of October 2-7, 2018. The tournament featured teams from the following countries; Canada, USA, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland & Hungary.

First row; Carl Swaggert, Larry Herrboldt, Kevin Milbery, Kim Newman, Gunnar Moberg, Fred Paul & Eric Blank. Second row; Jude Boulianne, Joey Brown, Bruce Falk, Steve Jensen, Larry Stordahl & Rich Lund

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College Provides Minnesota’s Path to NHL

By Nate Ewell, College Hockey, Inc.

Like each grade in school, the various levels in a young hockey player’s career provide the skills and knowledge necessary for success at the next step.

Few places in hockey is that step-by-step approach more evident than a Minnesotan’s path to the NHL. For each of the last 58 Minnesotans who have reached the NHL, the march to the top of the sport has included development at the NCAA level.

That path produces great results at each rung of the ladder. Year after year, Minnesota produces more NHL players than any other state. Not surprisingly, it produces the most NCAA Division I players as well, as players coming out of the state’s community-based model are ready to make an impact at the college level.

“The best state at producing hockey players is Minnesota,” said Rand Pecknold, who has led Quinnipiac to two NCAA championship games as head coach. “Nothing even comes close to touching the Minnesota youth and high school model.”

The 2017-18 season saw Minnesotans Travis Boyd (U. of Minnesota), Steven Fogarty (U. of Notre Dame), Shane Gersich (U. of North Dakota), Blake Hillman (U. of Denver), Justin Holl (U. of Minnesota), Justin Kloos (U. of Minnesota), Vinni Lettieri (U. of Minnesota), Alex Lyon (Yale), Casey Mittelstadt (U. of Minnesota), Neal Pionk (U. of Minnesota Duluth), Tucker Poolman (U. of North Dakota), Mitch Reinke (Michigan Tech), Nick Seeler (U. of Minnesota), Dominic Toninato (U. of Minnesota Duluth), Andy Welinski (U. of Minnesota Duluth) and Adam Wilcox (U. of Minnesota) make their NHL debuts.

It was a remarkable influx of NHL talent all from one state. That group also showed the far-reaching impact Minnesotans have in the NCAA ranks. It’s not just the five in-state schools that benefit from NCAA talent, as 50 of the 60 Division I programs boasted at least one Minnesotan in 2017-18.

That should continue as teams prepare to drop the puck in 2018-19. In the state, returning All-Americans like Scott Perunovich (U. of Minnesota Duluth), Jimmy Schuldt (St. Cloud State) and Tyler Sheehy (U. of Minnesota) are prepared to lead their teams. Outside the state lines, national title contenders like Notre Dame (four Minnesotans) and Ohio State (three) are fueled in part by contributions of players from the state.

The post College to Pros: Minnesota’s Well-Worn Path appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Guest contributor, Jim Morin, recalls the close game with one of the best high school teams in Canada.  As the Buzzers from Toronto, a Catholic high school in Ontario, methodically dismantled both public and parochial high school teams in Minnesota in the late 60’s, little St. Agnes pushes back in a game for the ages.  Photos provided by Jim Morin.

Can a loss still be a win? 

The Int’l H/S Series Program

That’s how the St. Agnes Aggies High School hockey team from St. Paul, MN, felt in 1968 after “The World’s Greatest High School Team”, the Buzzers from St. Michael’s of Toronto, Canada, beat them 2-0.

In 1968 Canada was so dominant in hockey that 96% of the 313 players on the 12 NHL teams came from Canada, versus only 2% (6 players) from the USA.  St. Michael’s College School was a storied Toronto institution offering grades 8-13 for over 833 boys.  The Buzzers played as a Junior B team and had churned out over 120 professional hockey players by 1968, with many more since. 

The much smaller St. Agnes High School had a total enrollment of 528 students with about an even mix of boys and girls.  But that year St. Agnes was mighty in hockey, with a 10-0 record that would grow to 21-2 at year’s end, their only other loss being in the Parochial State High School Tournament Championship game.

This story is inspired by the 50th anniversary of the Buzzers versus Aggies hockey game played on January 7, 1968, recalling how a small school from St. Paul stretched to reach competitive stature with the Canadians.  Despite losing the game to the better team, the Aggies whole-hearted play helped show the way for future USA players to compete with the best and develop much further into the collegiate and professional ranks.

This was not the Buzzer’s first trip to St. Paul

St. Michael’s is under the direction of the Basilian Fathers.  In 1966, they got together with the Brothers of the Christian Schools who direct Cretin High School in St. Paul, and a hockey game series idea was born.  The Buzzers were so deep and talented that they nonchalantly signed up to play a leading public high school on Saturday and two leading parochial schools on Sunday, back to back!

Two games on the same day was not a problem for the Buzzers as they were accustomed to NHL style rules for checking all over the ice, 20-minute periods and playing 47 games a year, later cut back to 36 games for 1968.  When they arrived in St. Paul they were already 16-4-3 in their Junior B League.

In contrast, Minnesota high schools at that time only played about 20 games a year.  Checking was only allowed in the defensive zone from the red line back.  The change from 12-minute to 15-minute periods occurred for the private schools in 1968 and was authorized for public schools in 1971.  The rule expanded to 17-minute periods in 2003.  So, at that time, the Buzzers would have three times the annual amount of game ice-time experience as MN high school players.

The first two trips to St. Paul in ’66 and ’67 were mostly uneventful as St. Michael’s beat Hill and Cretin by scores of 13-0 and 4-0 the first year and won in closer games by two goals each game the following year.

The Buzzer’s 1968 schedule in St. Paul consisted of three games.  The first game on Saturday night was International Falls High School versus St. Michael’s.  The legendary International Falls powerhouse team from Northern Minnesota was rated the #2 team in the state at the time.  International Falls High School would go on to win their Region 7 and qualify for the 1968 State High School Hockey Tournament, but that night they were no match for St. Michael’s who won decisively by the score of 7-1.

The next day, Sunday afternoon’s opening game was St. Michael’s versus Cretin High School.  The Buzzers had no trouble with Cretin, firing 40 shots on goal and easily winning 5-0.   

As the 7,000 fans settled into their seats in the St. Paul Auditorium in downtown St. Paul, the stage was set for the marquee game of St. Michael’s versus St. Agnes.

Exceeding Expectations

The next day’s newspaper called it “the best high school hockey game in St. Paul this season.”

St. Michael’s had advantages in both depth and age, using three lines, five defensemen and two penalty killers, and had six of their seventeen players already age eighteen.  St. Agnes had only one eighteen-year old and planned to skate just eight of their key players – three defensemen and interchange five players on the lines. 

St. Agnes’s coach, Don Joseph, could only offer a strategy to play a very physical game.  “I told them to get out there and hit them, out-check them, out-muscle them, get all over them.  They did and played their best.  We had to play the body, which was the only way we could slow them down.  Our defensemen did a fine job and the wings back checked well too.”

Joseph’s strategy was music to the ears of his defensemen.  The three key Aggie defensemen were Mike Mallinger, Jim Morin and Rory Anderson.  All three had two-way experience on the football team, with Morin at fullback/safety and Mallinger and Anderson at offensive/defensive tackle, so physical contact with size was no problem.

Aggies first line of Ken Gese, Jerry O’Connor and Larry Doyle

Jerry O’Connor at center led St. Agnes with 16 goals and 13 assists, with Larry Doyle and Ken Gese on the wings.  St. Michael’s first line of Larry Fullan, John Noble and Brian Galbraith had amassed 118 points in 21 games, with Fullan accounting for 30 goals and 30 assists.

Nine of the Aggie seniors had been skating together on the high school team since their sophomore year.  They were confident playing as a team, but facing the intimidating Buzzers for the first time caused them to grip their sticks a little tighter on the opening faceoff.  When the puck dropped, the very physical game quickly chased away any butterflies, as St. Agnes “smashed the Buzzers at every turn, knocking them on their backs or splattering them against the boards.”  St. Mikes fought back just as hard, as it seemed to not make a difference on how hard they were hit, they kept coming back for more.

For two and a half periods the teams battled evenly back and forth. 

O’Connor and Gese thought the Aggies had a goal only to have it called off for a man being in the crease.  And a bullet shot from Mallinger clanged harmlessly off the pipe.  “There were some shots I was sure would go in, but they didn’t”, said Aggies Coach Joseph.

The Aggies learned some new tricks from the Buzzer’s Canadian hockey heritage.  For example, the Buzzer’s response to being checked often was to give the opponent a “face wash”, rubbing their smelly glove in the checker’s face. 

Action Photo in the Pioneer Press

Morin was face washed near the end of a period and spent the entire time between periods trying to relocate his contact lens from the upper reaches of the eyeball down to where it belonged.  Instead of relaxing and eating oranges he could only stand in front of a locker room mirror, with sweat pouring out of every part of his body, trying to coax the contact lens in place.  Fortunately, by the time the Zamboni finished its duties, the contact returned safely to the correct position.  The next period St. Agnes just hit them all the harder – with gloves up too for protection if necessary.

The turning point came midway through the third period when the Aggies’ Morin (hidden in the picture above) and the Buzzer’s Boland got mutual penalties for a tussle in front of the goal. 

With both teams playing only four skaters, the additional open ice worked to the Buzzer’s skating advantage and Paul Regan scored their first goal. Fifty seconds later they added an insurance goal by Larry Fullan.

The final moments were a blur as St. Agnes pulled their goalie Tom Bilder with 42 seconds left and St. Michael’s a man short.  The biggest difference turned out to be the Buzzer’s goalie John Marks as he stopped almost sure-thing goals and withstood the final flurry.   Although each team ended up with 19 shots, Marks stopped them all.

“I would have been happy with just one goal, it was an exciting game.  They laid a lot of weight to us.  St. Agnes sure was up, and Mallinger showed he could play on any of our Junior B’s in Toronto,” said St. Michael’s coach Vic Sluce.

A hint at USA hockey evolution?

St. Agnes deployed a tough, physical game to counter the Canadian’s speed.  This technique proved to be necessary and a good bridge to the future but was not a sufficient strategy for long term success.  This game showed that better skating ability was needed to be more competitive.

For example, Bobby Orr from the Boston Bruins was entering his second year of play in 1968 as he went on to completely change the way hockey, and defense in particular, was played.  Typically, defensemen would stick to checking, passing and moving up only as far as the opponent’s blue line.  Orr added offensive mobility to defense as he gracefully skated all over the ice and brought the puck up on rushes. 

The shift to emphasizing skating was never more apparent than with the USA Olympic success at Lake Placid in 1980.  Herb Brook’s style of play emphasized skating along with hitting to stay with the Russians and to win the Gold Medal.

Another measure of this progression is that today, in 2018, 26% of the players on the 31 NHL teams are now from the US.   A poetic measure is that Tom Younghans, an Aggie freshman on the 1968 team, went on to become a hockey standout at the University of Minnesota, and played seven years in the NHL.

On January 7, 1968, the team from Canada did what they were expected to do and won the game.  However, St. Paul’s St. Agnes team played a transcendental, hard fought and mostly even game, showing that future Minnesota and USA talent could rise to the Canadian level of hockey play.

1968 was the last trip the Buzzers made to St. Paul.  St. Michael’s and St. Agnes played arguably one of the greatest games between Canadian and USA high schools as they battled each other to the end for the sheer fun of playing hockey.

The Players

St. Michael’s Buzzers

• Paul Regan, John Noble and Ian Williams played college hockey at Notre Dame, with all three reaching the top ten all-time total scoring and goals scored at ND.
• Larry Fullan played college hockey at Cornell and reached the NHL Washington Capitals.
• At least five other Buzzers played college hockey with some reaching CHL and AHL professional teams.

St. Agnes Aggies

• Jerry O’Conner and Mike Mallinger played college hockey at Colorado College, Mallinger reaching the USHL Milwaukee Admirals
• Jim Morin played college hockey at Notre Dame
• Larry Doyle played college hockey at St. Mary’s College
• John Monogue played college hockey at St. Thomas
• Rory Anderson played college hockey at Lakewood State
• Tom Younghans played college hockey at the University of Minnesota and seven years in the NHL with Minnesota North Stars and New York Rangers

Sources

St. Michael’s 1968 yearbook and website
St. Agnes 1968 yearbook
St. Paul Pioneer Press and Dispatch 13 articles: January 1966 (1), 1967 (2), 1968 (10)
Minneapolis Star 1 article: January 1968
NHL.com
Quanthockey.com
Hockeydb.com
Notre Dame Hockey Guide

About the author

Morin started playing hockey at age five on St. Paul’s Como Lake.  After St. Agnes High School he played for two years at the University of Notre Dame.  For over ten years Morin coached his son and daughter in the Edina Youth Hockey system and continued to learn more about skating technique.  Morin is looking forward to skating with his grandchildren.

The post A Game to Remember appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Results for boys’ tournament -Final round 2017

Here are the results for all the Schwan’s Cup games played on Thursday, December 28. All the boys’ championship games were played today, with all title games at Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota campus and the other games at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine.

Here is a summary of the boys’ championship scores at Ridder Arena on Thursday:

Open: Simley 3, University School of Milwaukee, Wis. 2.

Bronze: Hudson, Wis. 7, Minnehaha Academy 2.

Silver: Cretin-Derham Hall 9, Minneapolis 2.

Gold: St. Thomas Academy 3, Minnetonka 3. (St. Thomas Academy won overtime shootout.)

The girls’ tournament began Thursday December 28, with the first two days at the Schwan Super Rink and championship games at Ridder Arena on Saturday, December 30. The scores and stats for the girls will be covered in a separate news release.

Boys’ Gold High School Division (at Ridder Arena)

Tuesday, December 26, 2017:

Game 1: (Quarterfinal #1) St. Thomas Academy 3, Burnsville 0.

Game 2: (Quarterfinal #2) Eden Prairie 5, St. Michael-Albertville 1.

Game 3: (Quarterfinal #3) Hill-Murray 4, Centennial 4. (Hill-Murray wins overtime shootout)

Game 4: (Quarterfinal #4) Minnetonka 5, vs. Edina 2.

Wednesday, December 27, 2017 (at Ridder Arena)

Game 5 (consolation): St. Michael-Albertville 5, Burnsville 2.

Game 6 (consolation): Edina 5, Centennial 2.

Game 7 (Semi-final #1): St. Thomas Academy 5, Eden Prairie 4 (overtime).

Game 8 (Semi-final #2): Minnetonka 4, Hill-Murray 2.

Thursday, December 28, 2017:

Game 9 (consolation): Centennial 6, Burnsville 3.

Game 10 (consolation championship): Edina 5, St. Michael-Albertville 1.

Game 11 (third place): Hill-Murray 4, Eden Prairie 4. (Hill-Murray won overtime shootout)

Game 12 (championship): St. Thomas Academy 3, Minnetonka 3. (St. Thomas Academy won overtime shootout.)

Boys’ Gold division highlights:

Ben Helgeson recorded two goals and an assist in Hill-Murray’s overtime shootout win over Eden Prairie in the third place game. The game will go into the record books for both teams officially as a 4-4 tie. Helgeson’s goal with just 28 seconds remaining in the third period tied up the game and sent it to overtime.

Jett Jungels’ two goal and one assist effort led Edina to a 5-1 over St. Michael-Albertville in the consolation championship.

Centennial never trailed in their 6-3 seventh-place game victory over Burnsville. Jack Menne had two goals, and Lucas McGregor and Carter Wagner three assists apiece for the winners.

Rob Christy scored on the fourth round of the overtime shootout to secure the Gold Division title for St. Thomas Academy. The Cadets and Minnetonka had ended regulation time tied 3-3 and the overtime period went scoreless. Minnetonka had come back from a one-goal deficit with two third period goals by Bobby Brink, the last just 1:54 from the final buzzer.

Boys’ Silver High School Division (at the Schwan Super Rink)

Tuesday, December 26, 2017:

Game 1: (Quarterfinal #1) Cretin-Derham Hall 4, St. Louis Park 3.

Game 2: (Quarterfinal #2) Breck 4, Buffalo 3.

Game 3: (Quarterfinal #3) Mahtomedi 7, Mounds View 0.

Game 4: (Quarterfinal #4) Minneapolis 5, St. Cloud 3.

Wednesday, December 27, 2017 (at the Schwan Super Rink)

Game 5 (consolation): St. Louis Park 4, Buffalo 3.

Game 6 (consolation): St. Cloud 9, Mounds View 4.

Game 7 (Semi-final #1): Cretin-Derham Hall 5, Breck 1.

Game 8 (Semi-final #2): Minneapolis 3, Mahtomedi 1.

Thursday, December 28, 2017:

Game 9 (consolation): Buffalo 5, Mounds View 0.

Game 10 (consolation championship): St. Cloud 9, St. Louis Park 5.

Game 11 (third place): Mahtomedi 4, Breck 2.

Game 12 (championship): Cretin-Derham Hall 9, Minneapolis 2.

Boys’ Silver division highlights:

Jake Braccini’s three goal, one assist effort led Buffalo’s 5-0 win over Mounds View in the consolation game.

Cole McCarver’s hat trick led Mahtomedi’s 4-2 win in the third place game, besting Breck.

St. Cloud won the consolation championship game, 9-5 over St. Louis Park. St. Cloud’s scoring was led by Brad Amundson’s two goal, one assist effort. Riley Dvorak notched two goals for the losers.

Cretin-Derham Hall dominated Minneapolis 9-2 to win the Silver Division championship. The Raiders spread their scoring among eight different players. Joe Buckingham had two goals for the winners.

Boys’ Bronze High School Division (at Schwan Super Rink):

Tuesday, December 26, 2017:

Game 1: (Quarterfinal #1) Spring Lake Park 9, Bloomington Kennedy 5.

Game 2: (Quarterfinal #2) Minnehaha Academy 6, Northfield 4.

Game 3: (Quarterfinal #3) Hudson, Wis. 6, St. Paul Academy 0.

Game 4: (Quarterfinal #4) Rogers 1, Mankato East 0.

Wednesday, December 27, 2017 (at Schwan Super Rink):

Game 5 (consolation): Northfield 6, Bloomington Kennedy 4.

Game 6 (consolation): St. Paul Academy 2, Mankato East 1.

Game 7 (Semi-final #1): Minnehaha Academy 2, Spring Lake Park 2 (Minnehaha Academy wins OT shootout to advance).

Game 8 (Semi-final #2): Hudson, Wis. 3, Rogers 0.

Thursday, December 28, 2017:

Game 9 (consolation): Mankato East 2, Bloomington Kennedy 0.

Game 10 (consolation championship): Northfield 3, St. Paul Academy 1.

Game 11 (third place): Rogers 4, Spring Lake Park 1.

Game 12 (championship): Hudson, Wis. 7, Minnehaha Academy 2.

Boys’ Bronze division highlights:

Cole Danielson and Jordan Halverson had two goals each to lead the Hudson Raiders to a convincing 7-2 championship win over Minnehaha Academy. Hudson outshot the Redhawks 46-11.

Parker Steindl and Brett Brochardt scored second period goals, and that was all Mankato East would need to defeat Bloomington Kennedy in the consolation game. Jack Causey got the shutout in goal for Mankato East.

Boys’ Open High School Division (at Schwan Super Rink):

Game 1: (Quarterfinal #1) Simley 9, Pine City 3.

Game 2: (Quarterfinal #2) Waconia 8, Cambridge-Isanti 2.

Game 3: (Quarterfinal #3) Marshall 5, Chisago Lakes 2.

Game 4: (Quarterfinal #4) University School of Milwaukee, Wis. 9, Princeton 0.

Game 5 (consolation): Pine City 4, Cambridge-Isanti 1.

Game 6 (consolation): Princeton 6, Chisago Lakes 0.

Game 7 (Semi-final #1): Simley 4, Waconia 1.

Game 8 (Semi-final #2): University School of Milwaukee, Wis. 6, Marshall 0.

Game 9 (consolation): Cambridge-Isanti 4, Chisago Lakes 3. 

Game 10 (consolation championship): Pine City 6, Princeton 0. 

Game 11 (third place): Marshall 5, Waconia 1.

Game 12 (championship): Simley 3, University School of Milwaukee, Wis. 2.

Boys’ Open division highlights:

Luke Miller and Nathan Schibilla each notched one goal and one assist to lead Cambridge-Isanti’s 4-3 win over Chisago Lakes in the consolation game.

Jamie Warrick and Walker Smith each recorded a goal and an assist to lead the scoring for Simley in their 3-2 championship win over the University School of Milwaukee.

Goalie Alex Laven recorded the shutout as Pine City defeated Princeton 6-0 in the consolation championship game. 5-1

Mason Plante’s three goals paced Marshall’s win over Waconia in the third place game.

Gold Division Box Scores:

Centennial               2   3   1   —   6  

Burnsville               1   0   2   —   3  

FIRST PERIOD — Scoring: Centennial – Menne (powerplay) (Wagner, Francis)  8:20. Centennial – Francis (shorthanded) (McGregor, Brickner)  10:03. Burnsville – Bernhagen (Tompkins, Ahcan)  12:00.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: Centennial – Wagner (Stuart, Francis)  4:58.

Centennial – Menne (powerplay) (McGregor, Wagner)  8:41. Centennial – Pierson

(Nelson, Wagner)  15:13.

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring: Burnsville – Inskeep (shorthanded) (Ahcan)  4:56.

Burnsville – Engum 6:10. Centennial – Brickner (McGregor)  16:43.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

Centennial               —   32  

Burnsville               —   20  

————————————————–

GOALIES

CENTENNIAL            MIN     S    SV  

Bryce Crowley        51:00   20   17  

BURNSVILLE            MIN     S    SV  

Conner Mauck         51:00   32   26  

Edina                    2   2   1   —   5  

St Michael-Albertville   0   1   0   —   1  

FIRST PERIOD — Scoring: Edina – Nevers (Brinkman, Vorlicky)  12:36. Edina –

Bishop (Malmquist)  13:18.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: St Michael-Albertville – Popowski (Spetz)  8:30. Edina – Jungels (Nevers, Boltmann)  13:27. Edina – Walker (shorthanded) (Jungels)

16:48.

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring: Edina – Jungels (shorthanded) (Brinkman, Walker)  0:19.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

Edina                    —   33  

St Michael-Albertville   —   28  

————————————————–

GOALIES

EDINA            MIN     S    SV  

Garrett Mackay       51:00   28   27  

STMA            MIN     S    SV  

Justin Damon         51:00   33   28  

Hill-Murray              1   1   2   —   4  

Eden Prairie             1   2   1   —   4

Hill-Murray won overtime shootout. 

————————————————–

FIRST PERIOD — Scoring: Hill-Murray – Helgeson (Moyer)  6:30. Eden Prairie –

Jensen 10:41.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: Eden Prairie – Lesko (Jensen)  3:37. Eden Prairie –

Mittelstadt (Pajor, Piechowski)  7:33. Hill-Murray – Oberle (powerplay)

(Helgeson)  10:44.

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring: Eden Prairie – Konin (powerplay) (Jensen, Smith)

12:21. Hill-Murray – Reifenberger (Fleischhacker)  12:53. Hill-Murray – Helgeson(Oberle)  16:32.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

Hill-Murray              —   30  

Eden Prairie             —   20  

————————————————–

GOALIES

HILL-MURRAY            MIN     S    SV   

Wyatt Vint           24:33   5    2   

Remington Keopple    26:27   15   14  

EDEN PRAIRIE            MIN     S    SV  

Ben Bullis           51:00   30   26  

Minnetonka               1   0   2   0    —   3  

St Thomas Academy        0   2   1   0    —   3 

St. Thomas Academy won overtime shootout.

FIRST PERIOD — Scoring: Minnetonka – Molenaar (Koethe)  11:37.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: St Thomas Academy – Foley (powerplay) (Matsui, ONeil) 1:50. St Thomas Academy – Matsui (Vega, ONeil)  4:36.

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring: St Thomas Academy – Vega (Holmes)  6:43. Minnetonka – Brink 7:39. Minnetonka – Brink 15:06.

OVERTIME – No scoring.

SHOOTOUT — Scoring: St Thomas Academy – Christy.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

Minnetonka               —   22  

St Thomas Academy        —   17  

————————————————–

GOALIES

MINNETONKA            MIN     S    SV  

Charlie Glockner     59:00   16   13  

STA            MIN     S    SV  

Atticus Kelly        59:00   22   19  

Silver Division Box Scores

Mounds View              0   0   0   —   0  

Buffalo                  1   2   2   —   5  

FIRST PERIOD — Scoring: Buffalo – Braccini 3:01.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: Buffalo – James (Huebner, Zelenak)  5:47. Buffalo –

Braccini (Braccini, Klein)  8:33.

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring: Buffalo – Braccini (Braccini)  4:22. Buffalo – Braccini 16:06.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

Mounds View              —   20  

Buffalo                  —   19  

————————————————–

GOALIES

MOUNDS VIEW            MIN     S    SV  

Luke Neary           51:00   19   14  

BUFFALO            MIN     S    SV  

Nathan Mueller       51:00   20   20  

St Cloud                 1   7   1   —   9  

St Louis Park            3   2   0   —   5  

FIRST PERIOD — Scoring: St Louis Park – Sorenson (Dvorak)  5:27. St Louis Park – Dvorak (Berry)  14:35. St Louis Park – Hand (Dvorak, Ryan)  15:46. St Cloud – Rieland (Weitzel)  16:44.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: St Cloud – Bulson (Lunderby)  0:19. St Cloud – Bach

(Richert, Davidson)  1:36. St Cloud – Olson 3:28. St Cloud – Davidson (Portz)

3:28. St Louis Park – Dvorak (Dvorak)  3:58. St Cloud – Amundson 5:31. St Cloud – Amundson (Rud)  6:20. St Louis Park – Baker (Berry)  14:47. St Cloud – Johnson (Davidson, Hormann)  16:29.

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring: St Cloud – Portz (Lunderby, Amundson)  7:20.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

St Cloud                 —   49  

St Louis Park            —   31  

————————————————–

GOALIES

ST CLOUD            MIN     S    SV  

Soren Faloon         51:00   31   26  

ST LOUIS PARK            MIN     S    SV  

Atticus Raasch       51:00   49   40  

Mahtomedi                1   1   2   —   4  

Breck                    0   2   0   —   2  

FIRST PERIOD — Scoring: Mahtomedi – McCarver (Ayd)  13:47.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: Mahtomedi – Paradise (Pilarski, Paradise)  1:58. Breck – Strom (powerplay) (Torgerson)  11:03. Breck – Torgerson (Madson)  16:59.

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring: Mahtomedi – McCarver (powerplay) (Dulak)  16:33.

Mahtomedi – McCarver 16:51.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

Mahtomedi                —   35  

Breck                    —   24  

————————————————–

GOALIES

MAHTOMEDI            MIN     S    SV  

Bailey Huber         51:00   24   22  

BRECK            MIN     S    SV  

Blaine Madson        51:00   35   31  

Minneapolis              0   1   1   —   2  

Cretin-Derham Hall       3   5   1   —   9  

FIRST PERIOD — Scoring: Cretin-Derham Hall – Gleason (powerplay) (Magnuson,

Buckingham)  4:34. Cretin-Derham Hall – Castro (Gimberlin, Benick)  8:51. Cretin-Derham Hall – Buckingham (Magnuson)  16:10.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: Cretin-Derham Hall – Gimberlin (Castro, Kramer)  1:37. Cretin-Derham Hall – Buckingham (powerplay) (Davison, Magnuson)  8:26. Cretin-Derham Hall – Brydges (extra attacker) (Gimberlin, Ryan)  10:04. Cretin-Derham Hall – Magnuson (powerplay) (Gleason, Davison)  12:52. Cretin-Derham Hall – Milosch (powerplay) (Castro, Brydges)  13:39. Minneapolis – Erickson (powerplay)(emptynet) (Gholl, Schueller)  15:37.

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring: Minneapolis – Erickson (powerplay) (Gholl, Eisenbeis) 0:52. Cretin-Derham Hall – Klein (Magnuson, Cummings)  16:16.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

Minneapolis              —   16  

Cretin-Derham Hall       —   43  

————————————————–

GOALIES

MINNEAPOLIS            MIN     S    SV  

Lucas White          51:00   43   34  

CRETIN-DERHAM HALL    MIN     S    SV  

George Maguire       50:30   15   14  

Bronze Division Box Scores

Hudson                   3   3   1   —   7  

Minnehaha Academy        1   1   0   —   2  

FIRST PERIOD — Scoring: Minnehaha Academy – Diem (Sedgwick)  2:10. Hudson –

Flattum (Carr, Danielson)  9:07. Hudson – Gornick (Schrank, Hanson)  10:28.

Hudson – Danielson (Lundeen)  12:01.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: Minnehaha Academy – Mullninix (shorthanded) 1:29.

Hudson – Danielson (Martin, Lundeen)  10:36. Hudson – Schrank (Hanson)  10:45. Hudson – Halverson (Lundeen, Martin)  12:27.

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring: Hudson – Halverson 10:50.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

Hudson                   —   46  

Minnehaha Academy        —   11  

————————————————–

GOALIES

HUDSON            MIN     S    SV  

Alex Cohen           51:00   11   9   

MINNEHAHA ACADEMY     MIN     S    SV  

Corey Hendrickson    51:00   46   39  

Mankato East             0   2   0   —   2  

Bloomington Kennedy      0   0   0   —   0  

FIRST PERIOD – No scoring.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: Mankato East – Steindl (Schulz)  1:05. Mankato East – Brochardt (powerplay) (Anderson, Guillemette)  3:33.

THIRD PERIOD – No scoring.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

Mankato East             —   34  

Bloomington Kennedy      —   18  

————————————————–

GOALIES

MANKATO EAST            MIN     S    SV  

Jack Causey          51:00   18   18  

BLOOMINGTON KENNEDY    MIN     S    SV  

Noah Hanson          51:00   34   32  

St Paul Academy          0   1   0   —   1  

Northfield               1   0   2   —   3  

FIRST PERIOD — Scoring: Northfield – Ringlien (Marvin, Blaha)  6:30.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: St Paul Academy – Appert (Zukowski)  7:22.

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring: Northfield – Van Zuilen (Halvorson, Jirik)  9:50.

Northfield – Jirik (Van Zuilen)  16:47.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

St Paul Academy          —   26  

Northfield               —   28  

————————————————–

GOALIES

ST PAUL ACADEMY            MIN     S    SV  

Thomas Kuriscak      51:00   28   25  

NORTHFIELD            MIN     S    SV  

Will Fink            51:00   26   25  

Open Division Box Scores

Chisago Lakes            0   2   1   —   3  

Cambridge-Isanti         0   1   3   —   4  

FIRST PERIOD – No scoring.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: Chisago Lakes – Zaruba (Johnson, Meierhoff)  10:20.

Chisago Lakes – Overgaard (powerplay) (Mehlhorn)  10:28. Cambridge-Isanti –

Olson (Schibilla)  15:00.

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring: Cambridge-Isanti – Ziebarth (Miller)  3:30. Cambridge-Isanti – Schibilla (powerplay) (Ziebarth)  14:17. Cambridge-Isanti – Miller (Beklin)  15:57. Chisago Lakes – Mehlhorn (powerplay) (Lindsey)  16:52.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

Chisago Lakes            —   29  

Cambridge-Isanti         —   27  

————————————————–

GOALIES

CHISAGO LAKES            MIN     S    SV  

Jesse Carlson        51:00   27   23  

CAMBRIDGE-ISANTI            MIN     S    SV  

Brody Nelson         51:00   29   26  

University School of Milwaukee            1   0   1   —   2  

Simley                                   1   2   0   —   3  

FIRST PERIOD — Scoring: Simley – Smith (Warrick)  5:06. University School

Milwaukee – Herzberg (Woods)  13:13.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: Simley – Roitman (Roche)  9:19. Simley – Warrick

(Carlson, Smith)  16:29.

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring: University School Milwaukee – Newton (emptynet) (extra attacker) (Malek, Roepke)  15:31.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

University School Milw   —   45  

Simley                   —   27  

————————————————–

GOALIES

UNIVERSITY SCHOOL     MIN     S    SV  

Frank Fee            33:29   23   20  

Patrick Kelly        17:31   4    4   

SIMLEY               MIN     S    SV  

James Royce          49:19   44   43  

Princeton                0   0   0   —   0  

Pine City                1   2   3   —   6  

FIRST PERIOD — Scoring: Pine City – Bergstrom (Wiener)  5:18.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: Pine City – Bergstrom (Miller, Zahradka)  5:21. Pine City – Stich 14:20.

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring: Pine City – Mikyska (Ryan)  2:54. Pine City – Zahradka (Johnson)  3:08. Pine City – Ryan (Wiener, Root)  8:00.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

Princeton                —   17  

Pine City                —   29  

————————————————–

GOALIES

PRINCETON            MIN     S    SV  

Ryce Thiel           51:00   29   23  

PINE CITY            MIN     S    SV  

Alex Laven           51:00   17   17  

Marshall                 0   4   1   —   5  

Waconia                  0   0   1   —   1  

FIRST PERIOD – No scoring.

SECOND PERIOD — Scoring: Marshall – Plante (powerplay) (VanDeVere, VanDe Vere) 2:40. Marshall – Welvert (powerplay) (Whyte)  3:08. Marshall – Holland (Hoff) 11:26. Marshall – Plante (powerplay) (Versaevel)  13:37.

THIRD PERIOD — Scoring: Waconia – Young (Yanik)  7:42. Marshall – Plante

(powerplay) (VanDeVere, Welvert)  12:09.

Shots on goal:

————————————————–

Marshall                 —   21  

Waconia                  —   26  

————————————————–

GOALIES

MARSHALL            MIN     S    SV  

Dominik Caspers      51:00   26   25  

WACONIA            MIN     S    SV  

Joe Huskey           51:00   21   16  

inal results and s

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True inspiration is a timeless thing, a very human event.  Technology does not inspire the human soul, though the human soul can — and does — inspire the creation of technology.  This is not a story about technology, but it is a story about timeless inspiration, achieved before the dawn of the “Information Age”.

This is a tale of the inspiration of the human soul, forged by the human soul of one visionary man, who, in turn, inspired the souls of 20 young men who, in turn, inspired the souls of an entire nation (at a time when such inspiration was desperately needed) and continues to inspire us 35 years later (and counting).

Sherman, set the way back machine to 1979, if you please.  Thank you.

1979, the PC is still 2 years away from its invention and far removed from its ubiquity.  In fact, as I write this (the old fashioned way, using pen and paper), the PC, as we knew it, has largely gone the way of the Dodo or the dinosaur marching toward extinction giving way to the now ubiquitous smart phone, by and large more powerful than the PC and fitting easily in the palm of our hand.

It is not the technology that has made the smart phone more powerful than the PC (or the room-sized mainframe computers of 1979), it is the humanity of the smart phone, via its ability to connect people.  Human connection is the power, and it existed long before the technological tools we enjoy and employ today.  Connection. Teamwork. Team. An inspiration that created a “miracle” that inspired because its product was far greater than the mere sum of its individual parts.

The “Miraculous Inspiration” was, and is, the ability to achieve. Not by eradicating individuals in order to form a group entity free of individualism, but by empowering a group of individuals to choose to form a community (a team) by employing their individual talents and inner drive (pronounced “passion”) to set their egos aside in the pursuit of a team goal, having no idea how inspirational it would be for decades to come (if not time immemorial).

In 1979, Herb Brooks (the chief architect of this “Miraculous Inspiration”), without the technology tools of today — PCs, smart phones, and the internet  — spent countless hours researching (the old fashioned way) the personnel he needed to create this community, this team, we look back on in deserving awe.  Coach Brooks probably studied at least 100 players (observing them in person, watching hours of film (yes, film), interviewing their coaches, and so on in order to select the 20 individuals he would be able to inspired to create his “miracle.”

As coach Brooks himself said, he wasn’t looking for “the best” players, he was seeking out “the right ones.”  He knew that he needed true individuals, people secure enough in themselves to be able to “check their egos at the door” and aspire to an ideal greater than themselves … to allow them to be inspired.  The sheer passion, dedication, vision, and inspiration coach Brooks displayed in the research end alone should be an inspiration to us all and not just as hockey fans, players, coaches, and those who champion the sport of hockey.

Coach Brooks then relentlessly pursued this goal (pun fully intended), unwavering in the courage of his convictions, and thereby inspired the USOC to back him (even though there were doubters among the committee members). Most importantly, he inspired 20 young men to accept his challenge, commit to his vision, embrace it as their own and overcome “impossible odds” to construct what we now know as the “Miracle on Ice.”

Those 20 young men — 19 of whom are still with us (minus only the one who wore #20. We miss you, Bob) — were so inspired that they not only shed their egos (not their individuality) at the locker room door. They committed to a practice and conditioning regimen that was virtually, if not totally (outside of the then Soviet Team), unheard of at that time.

From speaking with my (sadly) departed friend, Bob Suter, who lived this, “grueling” is an epic understatement.  Bob and I spoke of his experience on a few rare occasions, as he was incredibly humble and shied away from talking about “the miracle.”  Still, I cannot claim to truly understand the experience as I did not endure it myself.

Talk about commitment and work ethic!!  Those men (coaches, players, support personnel) chose to be inspired by a man who had a vision, a passionate commitment to that vision and, to the best of my knowledge, had no mission in mind to be an inspiration or possess such an inflated ego as to set out to make history.

As I understand it, coach Brooks was more or less awed by the fact that his vision and his boys had such an effect on our entire nation.  To him, it was “a hockey game” (speaking specifically with regard to the legendary Olympic bout with the seemingly inhuman Soviet squad).  It seems those 20 remarkable young men not only shared their coach’s inspiration, they also shared his awe in realizing what an inspiration they had become to their country; that is inspiring, in and of itself.

The aptly dubbed “Miracle on Ice” was ultimately achieved in Lake Placid, New York in February of 1980.  I had just turned 9 years old in late December of 1979.  I grew up in the far west suburbs of Chicago at a time when the Chicago Blackhawks touted the names of Bobby Hull, Tony Esposito, Keith Magnuson, and Stan Mikita on their roster.

As a kid, I did not understand hockey and, as a result, I really had no interest in the game (for which I kick myself in retrospect). Along came the Winter Olympics of 1980 and the infamous “Miracle on Ice.”  At that point in time, I had no idea of who coach Brooks, Bob Suter, Jim Craig and that marvelous group of men that team were, much less what they were all about. Or how they came together, how they forged themselves into the inspirational legend they are and how their example and achievements would inspire me to this very day (along with many of you who are reading this story).

Regardless of my youthful ignorance, and my lack of interest and lack of understanding of hockey (at that point in time), I knew there was something very special about them.  It was when I heard Al Michaels shout his immortal exclamation, “Do you believe in miracles?!?” that I began to take an interest in hockey.  The seeds of MY inspiration had been sewn.

Since that time, my interest in hockey has grown into a love for hockey and that love has developed into an absolute passion for the sport.  I know of no other sport that is so foundationally based, and built, on honor and passion.  To me, hockey is the consummate team sport.  Players that play for their individual stats fade away as quickly as the burst onto the scene and players that place their team first succeed long term and often achieve individual recognition as a result (see Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as shining examples).

What Coach Brooks, Craig Patrick, their staff and those 20 remarkable young men accomplished, against all odds, was nothing short of inspirational and it continues to inspire decades later, to this very day (and beyond).  Their achievement serves as a beacon to all of us, lighting for us the path to what we can accomplish through belief, commitment, hard work, and the courage to persevere as both individuals and members of a community/team.  I doubt any of those that “authored” the “Miracle On Ice” set out to inspire anyone, but inspire they did and still do over 35 years later.

The “Miracle on Ice” has been inspirational far beyond the game of hockey (and the creation of my passion for hockey individually).  The principles and lessons learned from coach Brooks’ vision, to the tireless work he invested in building his team, to the way he inspired his team, to the team’s hard work and dedication (on and off the ice), to their commitment to each other and the vision of their coach, right down to the invaluable support and sacrifices of the families of those same players and coaches (for all of the years it took to build them into the people they were, and are, on and off the ice), all of those lessons and principles can be applied to our everyday lives as individuals, members of communities (businesses, neighborhoods, social groups, teams, and families), and brothers and sisters of humanity.

The “Miracle on Ice” serves as an inspiration to me each and every day, in good times and challenging times alike.  In good times, I am reminded that there is always more I can do to contribute to my team, whatever that team may be.  In challenging times, I am inspired to keep going and never give up (kind of like the “killers” the boys endured after that pre-Olympic game in Norway).

Sometimes life’s conditioning drills don’t make sense and don’t seem even remotely fair at the time. However, they prepare us for the big game, making us capable of going the distance and having something left in the tank when that third period stares us down across the dot.

If those boys from 1980 could endure the gauntlet they ran to even prepare for that miraculous run for that “unattainable” gold medal, endure the ridicule they received from those that thought they had a hockey rink’s chance in Hades of doing anything more than being fodder and an embarrassment to the nation, and then work that miracle, how can I, how can any of us, ever give up, no matter what we face off against?

That is the essence of “Miraculous Inspiration.” Thanks to all of you who set this example for all of us … shot taken and goal scored.

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