Rocket Hockey John Marshall / Lourdes Girls High School Hockey 2009 - 2010 Season Traditions thrive D outdoors in the valley. D4 SportsThursday, November 12, 2009 HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS HOCKEY / SEASON PREVIEW HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL / STATE PLAYOFFS AT A GLANCE What happened: Down to the The Dodge County girls hockey team went 18-8 last season, ending its season with a 1-0 quarterfinals double-overtime loss to Lakeville North in the Three games at Regional Sports Stadium Section 1AA playoffs. Goalie Anna Hunter had Will momentum continue? 63 saves in that game. Sam Milbrett carried 40 STATE QUARTERFINALS What’s next: Hunter times for 194 yards and three Class AAA and the Wildcats are touchdowns, leading No. 4 seed hoping to win their • Kasson-Mantorville (11-0) Waseca to a 27-26 win over first playoff game this Minneapolis Washburn in the vs. Waseca (8-3), 6 p.m. Satur- season. They open the Section 2AAA championship game day, at Lakeville North season a week from after trailing 26-12 at halftime, Class AA thanks to four first-half turnovers. today, on the road at St. (By the way, Milbrett now has • Caledonia (11-0) vs. Water- Paul United. Their first 1,633 yards and 20 touchdowns in ville-Elysian-Morristown (10-1), 7 home game is Nov. 21 11 games.) It was the first state p.m. Friday at Rochester Region- against Worthington. football playoff berth in Waseca’s al Sports Stadium. history. Can the Bluejays, who Class A started the season 2-3 but have • Blooming Prairie (10-1) vs. Freshman Anna Hunter won six in a row, stay with New Ulm Cathedral (11-0), 3 starts her second year as powerful No. 4-ranked Kasson- goalie for Dodge County. Mantorville? Waseca upended p.m. Saturday, at Rochester No. 6-ranked Belle Plaine in the Regional Sports Stadium. Scott Jacobson, [email protected] section semifinals. Nine-Man • Grand Meadow (10-1) vs. Return to glory? Nicollet (8-2), noon Saturday, Grand Meadow reached the 1987 at Rochester Regional Sports Prep Bowl. The Superlarks came Stadium. in second in (11-man) Class C after losing to Minneota, which won the unexpectedly early this year? The second of what would be three Greyhounds beat Springfield twice straight state championships. Can this season, in the season opener Grand Meadow win in Saturday’s and in the section title game, for quarterfinals against Nicollet Springfield’s only losses. and earn a shot in the semifinals, where a Prep Bowl berth is at stake? If so, the ninth-ranked Underrated? Young, but improving Superlarks will need to be sharp; Is Waterville-Elysian- bonus, Hunt- loss for the Wildcats. their semifinal opponent would Morristown better than No. 10 (its Dodge County goalie er’s intelli- Because Dodge County is a be either No. 2-ranked Clinton- state poll ranking) in Class AA? gence might co-op made up of Byron, Hayfield, Graceville-Beardsley or No. 3 The Buccaneers were ranked has been playing play the big- Kasson-Mantorville and Triton, Verndale. C-G-B was runner-up sixth on Oct. 2 when they lost gest factor in the state high school league uses to Houston in last year’s Prep 20-19 to United South Central; since first grade her standout the combined enrollment of all Bowl and Verndale has been to they outgained USC and gave up a By Ben Pherson play. four schools when classifying the finals five times since 1987, touchdown on return of a fumble [email protected] “Funda- it for the playoffs. That bumps winning two state championships. recovery, yet still could have mentally, Dodge County into Class AA with Like many of her teammates won after scoring a touchdown she’s sound,” the big schools. on the Dodge County girls hockey Repeat of history? with 1:04 left but fell short on the Gunderson “That’s a huge challenge for conversion. That’s the only loss for team, Anna Hunter is young, Blooming Prairie’s opponent said. “But us,” Gunderson said. “Schools like W-E-M, which dominated Triton in driven and pressing toward a sub- her biggest Saturday is New Ulm Cathedral, stantive goal. Triton are included in our co-op, the Section 2AA title game. Could strength is but we haven’t had a girl on our which is ranked No. 1 in the state Hunter and the rest of the Wild- the state’s No. 1-ranked and two- Hunter one-on-one or high school team from Triton for Class A poll. NUC was No. 1 in cats want to win a playoff game, time defending state champion in breakaway six years. We have one girl from the state entering last year’s state something the Dodge County girls Caledonia Warriors have a situations. She doesn’t give up Hayfield and two from Byron, and quarterfinals, too, but committed surprisingly strong opponent on program has never done. five turnovers and lost 20-8 to goals there. She has very, very we count those enrollments. But their hands? If that happens this season — Springfield. Can the Blossoms good instincts. She reads a player, we look at it as a challenge.” or any time in the next four sea- send the top-ranked team home — Craig Swalboski and she anticipates what they’re Of course, it’s hard not to take a sons, really — Hunter will play a going to do. I think that’s because peak at how teams in Section 1A big part in it. Grand she’s so smart; she’s a 4.0 student.” are doing. Last year, Dodge County Just a freshman, Hunter is Hunter said she’s been playing beat Northfield, which was the No. Meadow QB Dodge County’s starting goalie. Caleb hockey since first grade, and she 1 seed in the Section 1A playoffs. That’s a role she filled last year tried on her goalie pads for the Leichtnam The Wildcats also had a 1-0 lead as an eighth-grader, too. first time in fifth grade. over Red Wing in the third period leads his Dodge County coach Jeremy “One day at practice, one of the Superlarks before falling 2-1. The Wingers Gunderson said it didn’t take long girls said she didn’t want to play went on to finish third at the Class into to see Hunter had the makings (goalie) any more, so I volunteered, A state tournament. Saturday’s of a top-end netminder. By mid- and it just stuck,” Hunter said. “We’re right there with the best Nine-Man season, Gunderson said an area As an eighth-grader last year, in Class A,” Gunderson said. he thought might be a question state Hunter, who lives in Hayfield, The Wildcats finished 18-8 mark had turned into a corner- quarterfinal had a 2.2 goals-against average last season. They’re banking on stone because of Hunter’s out- against and a .916 saves percentage. improvement in 2009-10, despite standing play in net. Nicollet at Her high point came in the post- an extremely young roster, made the “She’s improved 110 percent season, when she recorded 63 up mostly of seventh-, eighth-, Rochester from where she was two years saves in a 1-0, double-overtime ninth- and 10th-graders. ago,” Gunderson said. “She’s a Regional loss to Lakeville North. “Winning a playoff game is the great athlete. She’s in a great That close playoff setback ultimate goal,” Hunter said. “And Sports family of athletes, too. Her brother shows exactly how far the Dodge we’d like to go further than that if Stadium. was a captain for the Dodge County program has come over possible. We’re young, but we’re County boys team years ago, and P-B file photo the past few years, Gunderson getting the hang of it.” her parents are really athletic.” said. In the past, that game easily While her athleticism is a could have been a double-digit Page D3: Girls hockey previews. Not everything is positive at Gopher Nation PHERSY: Hey Feldy, let’s Michigan Tech, Alaska- There is still plenty of Up next in... go with rapid fire again ... Anchorage and the Gophers talent on the Hawks’ roster. Are you getting sick of the show up about 20 times each They have a hill to climb positive spin Tim Brewster on their schedule the rest to win the MnJHL, but the Sports puts on everything? I mean, of the year if they want to Hawks seem to play their there’s something to be said reach the playoffs. … Twins best when the postseason about a guy who can find the catcher Joe Mauer won a starts. And one thing we positive in everything. But at Gold Glove this week. Is he know about coach Nick Friday some point, you just throw the A.L. MVP? Fatis: He’ll have this team Swim preliminaries up, don’t you? PHERSY: Yes. Do you in championship form by FELDY: Yes, multiple need me to say more? Mauer the end of February, or Section One, Class AA times. The last straw in won another batting title, he’ll work himself into the girls swimming gets un- ground trying. … Cowboys convincing myself that he won a Gold Glove, and der way today at the Rec Brewster is a complete this season he added power (6-2) at Packers (4-4) on phony came after the Gophs to his arsenal. Maybe I’m a Sunday. As Vikings fans, Center, and we’ll have loss to Illinois last Sat- homer, and maybe the East who do we want to win this the first-day results.