Fish took on the head coaching job for the St. Michael-Albertville boys’ hockey team this year, and he has the Knights off to a 4-1 start after a victory Dec. 14. That’s almost to the win total for each of the past two seasons for the Knights, which play in the stacked Lake Conference.

“I don’t think there’s a better conference in the entire country, right, like Edina and Wayzata and Eden Prairie and all these really good teams that you have to play every night,” Fish said. “So I said, ‘hey, I’m gonna give this one a shot.’ They’re obviously struggling, and I want to get that program back up to where it should be, because it’s a great community, like that community over there is growing.

“It’s a lot of younger families. The youth program is strong, and everything is looking good. But for whatever reason, we’re losing kids at the high school level, whether it be to Rogers or (St. Cloud) Cathedral or Benilde (St. Margaret’s) or wherever else. And so for me, it was wanting to get that program back to where it should be, which is to be in a state, state-contending team, right? Like, we (St. Michael-Albertville) beat Moorhead that year in 2018, and it was unbelievable, like it was one of the coolest things ever to watch that group and how hard they worked.”

Fish returns after leading Orono programs to state
STMA went to state in 2018, but after that section-final win over Moorhead, the Knights haven’t enjoyed the same level of success. An assistant with the Knights from 2014 to 2018, Fish left for Orono where he turned the girls’ program into a state power, though it took time, and then led the boys’ program to state the past two seasons.

“And for me, coaching girls’ hockey was maybe, probably, the best thing in my coaching career, even with all the stuff that I’ve already done early in my coaching career, but teaching the why behind the game is huge, and the girls just wanted to know why I was telling him to do that,” Fish said.

“So I obviously knew my stuff wasn’t one of those things where they didn’t trust that, but they didn’t trust why I was teaching it. So … after we figured that part out, it was just like, ‘OK, let’s go.’ So, then we just turned that thing into an absolute powerhouse, like, they’re still really good.”

Now, he’s taking those lessons back to STMA, where the Knights opened the season in style — a wild 6-5 overtime win over Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids on Nov. 26 where the Knights blew a 5-1 lead at one point, allowing four third-period goals.

“The first game was full of ups and downs and many firsts for a lot of our team, not only the players but also a couple of our coaches’ first games also,” said Knights senior defenseman Jack Johnson said. “We showed how skilled we can be and how hard we can play in the first two periods. But in the third we also showed we have a young team that is learning everyday. In the end we pulled out the win with a couple of those younger players’ help but the biggest swing in our play came with the speech Fish gave us before the overtime period.”

New coach, raised expectations
Johnson and junior forward Tanner Esterberg see the Knights program turning already with a team that has only four seniors. Esterberg noted that the expectations are different now, too, as a team and individuals.

“The rest of the season expect many more wins to come, but not every game is gonna be our best and obviously we play hard teams, but we aren’t focused on winning every game, we are focused on the section games that matter as long as we play the best we can the other games that’s all that matters,” Esterberg said. “Fish has made me much better as a player because right away he got to know me and realized that yelling at me isn’t going to help, and he just lets me be me while still teaching me things, and it’s given me a lot of confidence to go out and put the puck in the net the way I like to play.”

Besides Fish teaching the game, he backs up his experience from his playing days, which included time at Anoka between 2001-03 where he won a state title in 2003. He followed that up with a two-season stint in the NAHL with the Minnesota Blizzard where he put up 64 points between 2003 and 2005. Fish then played Division III hockey at Wisconsin-Stevens Point where he tallied 90 points in four seasons from 2005 to 2009.

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All Images by Jeff Wegge and Jonny Watkins

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The post 2018 Boys Class AA QF Gallery appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Notes and quotes from Day 1 of the Class AA state tournament

By Declan Goff and Brian Halverson [table id=8 /]

No. 1 Edina vs. Lakeville North

Edina’s top line impresses in quarterfinal win.

It was hard to tell if the Class AA quarterfinal matchup between the Lakeville North Panthers and Edina Hornets was a hockey game or a track meet.

It was as if Edina had rockets glued to their skates in their 7-1 win over Lakeville North.

Speed Kills

Edina’s top line of Sammy Walker, Jett Jurgens and Mason Nevers have been terrorizing opponents with speed and goals all season. Every time the trio headed towards the net, Lakeville north just couldn’t keep up with them.

“You just can’t teach speed,” Nevers said who finished with two goals in the win. “When you can outskate teams for three periods it’s really special.”

Panthers coach Trent Eigner was well aware just how dangerous Edina can be with open space.

“You give a really good offensive team and you make them comfortable and loose, (I mean) good luck.”

Edina senior forward Sammie Walker’s goal and four assists led the Hornets to a 7-1 Class AA state quartefinal win over Lakeville North. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

The Sammy Walker Show

Edina senior Sammy Walker put on a clinic. With incredible quickness and a compass for the net, Walker was orchestrating offense all game long. He finished with five points points: one goal and four assists. With his team on the penalty kill, Walker skated coast-to-coast, deked out an opposing player at neutral ice and skated in untouched to beat Panthers’ goaltender Will Johnson to put Edina up 3-0 in the first period.

“The D stepped up on me, so I didn’t have a lot of options,” a humbled Walker said. “I just kind of threw it out to the middle and beat him to the puck and then the rest is history.”

Walker was drafted by the Tampa Lightning in 2017 NHL Draft and will also be playing college hockey for the University of Minnesota this fall.

Jett all the way

Walker’s linemate Jett Jungles is also having a phenomenal season. He came into the tournament with 23 goals and the junior ended up netting two more to go along with two assists in the team’s win. His first came on the power play and his second tally was on a 2-on-0 with Walker feeding Jungles a puck which he rifled to the back of the net.

“Yeah I was really picking if I should pass it back or not,” Jungles said. “Because I was like, I should give Sammy a goal – but I just got it and we both finished it off. It was a good play by Sammy.”

Like Walker, Jungles will also be playing college hockey, but at Northern Michigan. However he isn’t expected to join Grant Potulny’s Wildcats until the 2019-20 season.

— By Declan Goff

No. 3 Duluth East vs. St. Michael-Albertville

Mr. Hockey finalist Garret Worth’s hat trick leads Duluth East to a win over St. Michael Albertville.

The Duluth East Greyhounds marched to a 5-0 win over the St. Michael Albertville Knights in the quarterfinal round.

A potent offense and stellar goaltending set up the Greyhounds for a date with the Edina hornets in the semifinal round.

A hat trick for Duluth East’s Garrett Worth drove the Greyhounds past St. Michael-Albertville 5-0 in the Class AA state quarterfinals. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

Worth It

Worth has been scoring goals all season long. Entering the tournament, Worth, a finalist for Mr. Hockey, had 42 goals in 28 games this season. So go figure he that the senior continued his scoring trend with a hat trick. His first goal was a snipe from the slot, his second goal came when he buried a loose puck in front of the crease and his third was a tipped slap shot. It was a little bit of everything.

“To see that first one go in right away, I think that’s what jump started us,” Worth said. “We came out a little flat to start the game and we weren’t getting much chances and much quality looks. We stuck with it and Kleive came up big in the net and the puck started filling in for us.”

Unsung Hero

Obviously Worth and the Greyhounds offense was essential to the team’s win, but you have to give credit to Duluth East netminder Parker Kleive who pitched a shutout making 28 saves. Greyhounds coach Mike Randolph had high praises for his goaltender to make up for the team’s slow start.

“He earned that shutout,” Randolph said. “We were sloppy in a lot of areas of our game. I thought we came out a little anxious. And I thought as the game went on and we got stronger and stronger.”

Everyone loves Cake

It’s not exactly a secret that some fans pick on other schools who have a slew of students that come from high-income families. Which is exactly what was on Worth’s mind when asked why he’s excited to take on Edina in the semifinal round.

“It’s going to be an exciting game. I mean It’s Edina vs. East in the Xcel there’s nothing better than that,” Worth stated, with a big grin on his face. When asked to expand on that he replied, “It’s East and Edina, you kidding? It’s the cake from the north and cake from the south.”

— By Declan Goff

No. 1 Minnetonka vs. Hill-Murray

The Skippers scored early and then often, particularly in the first period, and cruised to a 6-2 win over the Pioneers.

Sophomore Bobby Brink scored twice as seven different Minnetonka players found their way to the score sheet. The two teams combined for three shots on goal in the first 5:53 of the game with all three finding the back of the net.

The Skippers celebrate the first of two Bobby Brink goals in the second period of Minnetonka’s 6-2 Class AA state quarterfinal win over Hill-Murray. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

Rapid Response

Joe Molenaar gave the Skippers a quick 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game, but the Pioneers wasted little time netting the equalizer. Just 1:26 later, Hill-Murray senior Michael Fleischhacker beat Minnetonka goaltender Charlie Glockner to draw the Pioneers even again.

Not to be outdone, the Skippers showed they could play the quick answer game and beat the Pioneers at it in the process.

Sophomore defenseman James Miller’s goal 1:34 later to put the Skippers back out in front for good.

“One of our statements is, you’ve got to work harder after a goal, and that was disappointing,” Lechner said. “Hats off to Minnetonka, they worked harder after we scored.”

In the second, Hill-Murray’s Joseph Quast cut the Skippers’ lead to two with a sharp angle shot from the goal line to Glockner’s left at the 6:04 mark. But it took Brink just 25 seconds to score his first goal of the game for a 5-2 Minnetonka lead.

“We’ve been doing that all year,” Goldsworthy said. “I think we have resilient kids and we’ve been preaching next shift all year, whether we score or we get scored on.”

Department of Offense?

Miller’s goal was the first of his varsity career and he celebrated accordingly. Teammate, and fellow defenseman, Grant Docter, was among the happiest Skippers to be there the see it.

“We shoot a lot together and I’ve always wanted to see him get that first one so that was awesome,” Docter said. “He had a good celly too so it was good to see him get that first one and pull that big celly out of nowhere.”

Docter and defense partner Josh Luedtke finished with three assists each, sharing assists on three of Minnetonka’s goals to give the Skippers’ blue line a seven-point night. The duo finished plus-4 on the night and were not on the ice for either Hill-Murray goal.

Extra Special Teams

Brink’s shorthanded goal with 59 seconds to play was the 14th such goal for the Skippers this season against just 12 power play goals allowed. Minnetonka notched its 27th power-play goal of the season on Luke Loheit’s tally midway through the opening period.

The Skippers kept the Pioneers scoreless on three power-play opportunities, including a five-minute major boarding penalty to Loheit early in the third.

“We’ve got some kids, if you give them some space in an odd-man situation, you can score some goals,” Goldsworthy said.

No. 4 St. Thomas Academy vs. No. 5 Centennial

Cougars overcome 2-0 deficit and stage third period rally to upset Cadets 3-2

True Believers

Goals by Cade Huntley and Ben Stucker gave St. Thomas Academy a two-goal lead after one period and the Cadets appeared to be in control after goaltender, and Frank Brimsek Award finalist, Atticus Kelly withstood an early surge by Centennial. But appearances are deceiving according to Centennial coach Ritch Menne.

“Even if it had gotten to 3-0 I don’t think our guys were panicked,” Menne said. “We’ve got some firepower, we’ve got some great goaltending, we’ve got great defensemen and it’s an extremely tight group of players that truly love one another.”

Cougar Comeback

After Carter Wagner got the Cougars on the board in the second, Jack Menne’s shorthanded goal midway through the third tied the game at 2-2. Then with just 3:32 left in regulation, Hayden Brickner pounced on a rebound and fired a shot past Kelly for Centennial’s first lead.

“I think it got down to almost what goalie was going to make the last big save,” St. Thomas Academy co-coach Greg Vannelli said. “When they made that save on the first shift of the third period, on a 2-on-1, that was huge and then for us to give up a shorthanded goal … those two things, I think, decided that third period.”

Centennial goalie Travis Allen makes one of his 33 saves in the Cougars 3-2 Class AA quarterfinal win over St. Thomas Academy. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

The Big Save

The save Vannelli referred to was Centennial goalie Travis Allen’s tremendous stop on STA’s Ray Christy just 30 seconds into the third period.

“Just saw white [jerseys] and did a quick prayer,” Allen said when asked what he remembers of the play.

Allen, who split time with Bryce Crowley in the Cougar crease this season, stopped the final 24 shots he faced and 33 overall to give his team a chance. “We’re not sitting here this season if he hasn’t been as great as he’s been,” Jack Menne said of Allen.

Signature Win

Centennial came to St. Paul with an 0-3-1 record against tournament participants, losing to Duluth East and twice to Edina while tying Hill-Murray. That changed on Thursday and the Cougars have a chance to add to that win total against Minnetonka on Friday night.

“Our guys are battle-tested, they’re resilient, they’re positive, they support one another,” Ritch Menne said. “It’s a terrific group that’s had success all the way up and maybe they’ll get a little recognition after tonight.”

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