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WILLMAR — Ridgewater College student-athlete Elliot Domagala spent much of his Christmas break during his freshman year watching his three younger siblings play hockey in Luverne.
Elliot’s middle brother, Maddux Domagala, was in the midst of a stellar junior year where he eventually finished with 35 goals and 40 assists in 30 games. His youngest brother, Mallachi Domagala, was playing for Bantam A. Elliot’s sister, Willow Domagala, skated on the Girls 12U team.
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Domagala, then a freshman outfielder for the Ridgewater baseball team, realized that simply watching hockey from the stands was not enough.
The former three-sport athlete, football included, had an itch to get back on the ice.
Willmar had the perfect scratch for it.
Domagala reached out to Payton Ruter, the head coach of the Willmar WarHawks of the NA3HL, hoping to join the team.
Ruter offered Domagala a week-long tryout, and by January 10, 2025, the right-handed forward played in his first game as a WarHawk and eventually skated in 18 games.
Domagala is the first athlete to play for the Ridgewater baseball team and the WarHawks, according to Ruter.
“We have a great group of guys on both sides,” Domagala said.
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Domagala aspired to play in the North American Hockey League after high school.
But, with that plan not panning out, his time was ticking for a new one.
Domagala emailed a bunch of four-year college baseball programs to no avail.
His next, last-minute idea was researching junior colleges.
That is how Domagala came across Ridgewater, a Minnesota community and technical college serving more than 5,300 students between its Hutchinson and Willmar campuses and online programs.
It was not too long before Domagala and Warriors baseball head coach Tyler Hebrink connected.
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Hebrink had a feeling that Domagala, who hit .406 his senior season, could provide an immediate impact for his Warriors in the outfield.
Domagala’s offer was soon on the table.
He accepted.
Domagala cracked Ridgewater’s lineup and helped the Warriors advance to the Region XIII tournament as a freshman. He hit .244 with 22 hits, 21 runs and 19 RBIs in 27 games.
“Elliot’s a really good baseball player,” said Hebrink, who expects Domagala to be a key contributor in his upcoming sophomore season. “He’s crucial to our team.”
Hebrink was aware of Domagala’s passion for hockey, but when his freshman approached him about playing for the WarHawks, he needed to know more details.
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The seventh-year head coach had never run into the idea of one of his athlete’s playing hockey for Willmar.
Hebrink, who did not know much about the NA3HL’s rules, told Domagala he could play for the WarHawks as long as his baseball eligibility was not in question.
With the NA3HL being an unpaid league, Domagala got the green light from Hebrink and that stood as long as he followed through on his Ridgewater obligations.
Domagala made it work and he helped the WarHawks clinch a postseason berth in its final regular-season game of the 2024-25 season.
Yet, with Hebrink, concerns about injury never impacted his decision on allowing Domagala to play.
“I never really got too nervous about it because Elliot is a tough kid,” Hebrink said. “Every day he showed up to practice and was ready to go.”
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Ruter heard about Domagala through a Wednesday night hockey league before the 6-foot, 190-pound right-handed skater reached out to him.
Domagala, who registered 20 goals and 30 assists in 27 games his senior year, tallied 53 goals and 64 assists in 83 career games at Luverne.
“Just by looking him up and doing background research and watching some film, I could tell that Elliot would help us out,” said Ruter, who is in his third season as head coach. “We could see toward the tail end of last season that he was going to be a very special player for us.”
Domagala, an alternate captain who jumps between first- and second-line center, has recorded 14 goals and 13 assists in 36 games of Year 2 with the WarHawks, who are 14-20-2-0 and fifth in the West Division. He plays a clean, but aggressive, game and is utilized often in power-play situations.
Elliot’s brother, Maddux, a senior who has 39 goals and 39 assists in 23 games, skated in 13 games with Willmar this fall, pitching in with two goals and an assist.
Maddux stayed with Elliot while in Willmar.
“My last time playing with Maddux was my senior year, which was not that long ago, but I thought I probably wouldn’t play with him again,” Elliot said, “and then he made the tough decision to quit football and spend time up in Willmar and I loved playing with him again. Our family coming to watch us was a good time.”
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Between baseball, hockey and school, Domagala also works at Jake’s Pizza in Willmar twice a week.
His busiest days can feature hockey practice in the morning, an afternoon nap, work shifts into the evening and baseball practice into the night.
Domagala usually tries to get ahead on his school duties while he has downtime between pizza deliveries.
“There are not many kids that would be able to do that and that’s not a knock on other kids,” Hebrink said. “Elliot’s work ethic is obviously through the roof, and not only that, he’s going to school too, so he’s got to take care of his classes and he’s a 3.3 GPA kid.”
Ruter added, “Elliot has a great work ethic. He’s very calm, cool, collected. Not a lot gets him worked up or frazzled. Elliot’s a guy who puts his nose down to the grindstone and just does the work. He’s been an awesome guy for us at Willmar.”
And, as for the future, Domagala plans to attend a four-year institution, but he is not exactly set on what the future holds for baseball or hockey.
“I just kind of roll with the flow,” Domagala said. “I’m just going to play it out and explore my options.”
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