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Hockey Day Minnesota has become an annual event that draws statewide attention and it will be held Jan. 25 in Shakopee.
The River Lakes boys hockey team will not take part in that event, but got an opportunity on Dec. 27-28 to play outdoors in the Essentia Health Winter Classic at The Lights Rink in West Fargo. The Stars got the invitation during the offseason when activities director Mitch Dorr received an email.
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“He sent me an email and asked me if we’d be interested in this,” River Lakes head coach Zach Johnson said. “I asked my assistant coach and we immediately said yes. Apparently, if we’d waited another 10 or 15 minutes, we probably wouldn’t have been able to go up there. It was just a really fun opportunity to do something different.”
Fortunately, the weather cooperated. Johnson said it was about 38 degrees when River Lakes played Fargo North on Dec. 27 and in the low 30s when the Stars played Marshall on Dec. 28.
“They’ve got a really good system there to keep the ice as good as it can be outdoors,” Johnson said. “The weather couldn’t have been better temperature-wise. It was a little bright on the second game, so we had to switch ends in the first and second periods halfway through to level the playing field for the goalies, who had some sun in their eyes.”
River Lakes scored twice in the third period and junior forward Parker Welz scored three minutes into overtime to lead the Stars to a 3-2 win over Fargo North on Dec. 27.
“I don’t much about the Fargo teams, but Fargo North — from everything I heard — is a pretty solid team,” Johnson said. “We had a nice comeback win against them in the first game and we played really well against Marshall and had one of our most consistent games.”
The Stars beat Marshall 10-3 on Dec. 28.
River Lakes (7-2-2) has won three straight (going into Friday’s game against Breckenridge/Wahpeton) and is ranked No. 19 in Class A in the Let’s Play Hockey state coaches poll.
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“We’ve just been working on playing consistent,” Johnson said. “When we do that, we’re a really good team and tough to play against. We’ve got a couple nice ties with St. Cloud (2-2) and Sartell (2-2).
“When you’re looking at it and we’re 7-2-2 to start the year, that’s exactly what we were wanting,” said Johnson, whose team was 15-10-2 last season. “We’re trying to get these guys to believe that they can do this game in and game out and not just a game here and there. We’re focusing on the consistent part of our game, the little details that go into making a quality win.”
Senior forward Blake Schultz has 14 goals and 25 points, junior forward Jaiken Mackedanz has 13 assists and 17 points, junior forward Parker Welz has 10 goals and 14 points and senior defenseman Jace Griffin has nine assists and 12 points to lead River Lakes offensively.
Junior Will Robinson (6-2-1, 3.98 goals-against average, .845 save percentage), senior Hawken Swanstrom (1-0-1, 2.31, .908) and sophomore Devin Swanson is pushing them for playing time. Robinson is a transfer from St. Michael-Albertville.
“We think we have three quality goaltenders that are in the mix to be that No. 1 guy,” Johnson said. “It’s up to them to see who’s going to be that guy at the end of the year.
“Will Robinson has played well. Hawken Swanstrom is a senior who has played well. Then we’ve got a young goaltender in Devin Swanson who is playing really well on the JV and is starting to get some looks on the varsity. We’re confident in all three.”
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