Posted: 12/2/04
Boys have high hopes, experience
By Luther Dorr
After two years of playing in the state tournament, a first-round loss by the PHS boys hockey team in section play put an early end to a 17-8-1 2003-04 season that otherwise wasn't bad.
Now the goal is to do better than that, said coach Todd Frederick, who has 15 letterwinners back from a team that finished second in the Rum River Conference at 8-2.
Frederick, saying the team to beat right now in the RRC is Chisago Lakes, could be labeled as guardedly optimistic about this season.
"A big positive so far [in scrimmages with six teams] is that we're deeper than we thought we would be," he said Monday, three days before the 7:30 p.m. opener with Cambridge at the local arena. "We have a lot of people competing.
"We're pretty big [Frederick counted off eight players of six feet or more] and quick, and we have good goaltending and experienced defensemen."
Senior Jared Culver is the No. 1 goalie, coming off a season with a 2.84 goals-against average and a save percentage of 90.7.
Juniors Sean Parkin and D.J. Erickson, both of whom played for the JV last season, are his backups.
"He should be a good goalie for us," Frederick said.
Seniors Ryan Cross and David Bran return on defense, as do juniors Vince Miller and Steve Sainio.
Junior Eric Schwab and sophomore Klayton George are competing to fill the fifth defensive spot, and senior Jacob McAlpine has been moved from a forward position to contend for that spot.
Cross had seven goals and 12 assists last season in 26 games as a defenseman. Miller had eight assists and Braun had six.
Senior Jacob Haataja (4 goals, 12 points) will center sophomore Jon MacRae (5 goals, 13 points) and junior Danny King (6 goals, 7 assists) on the first line.
Senior Brandon Pangerl (13 goals, 33 points) will center the second line that includes junior Bryan Osmondson (12 goals, 38 points) and freshman Ryan McElhone.
Sophomore Drew Ross will center senior Kyle Buffington (5 goals, 13 points) and junior Jake Chaffee (no points) on the third line.
McElhone and Ross haven't previously played varsity hockey.
The fourth line will include sophomore Patrick Jorgenson at center with junior Eric Johnson and sophomores Kris Macko and Alex Osowski competing for the wing positions on that line. Macko and Jorgenson have some varsity experience.
Captains are Buffington, Culver and Osmondson.
Frederick said the team has improved "tremendously" from the first scrimmage to the final three at Two Harbors last weekend where they took a quick 3-0 lead over South St. Paul.
A weakness for the team as the season opens might be special teams - both power play and penalty-killing groups, Frederick said.
"We haven't had much chance to work on them but we should have two good power-play units," he said.
While giving Chisago Lakes the nod as the Rum River Conference favorite, Frederick said, ëI'd like to think we're right there with them. And you know Dan [Voce] will always have Pine City ready to play.
"We obviously want to finish first in the Rum River and hope to get a better seed than we did last year in the section."
After the opener with Cambridge, one of seven teams Princeton will join with to form the new Mississippi 8 Conference in the fall of 2005, the Tigers will play Duluth Central here at 5:30 on Saturday and Sartell here at 7:30 on Tuesday.
Princeton Union-Eagle
P.O. Box 278
Princeton, MN 55371
Telephone: 763-389-1222
Fax: 763-389-1728