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KASSON — Gryffon Funke and Caeden Smith bear in mind the nerves.
They bear in mind a packed Dodge County Ice Enviornment.
They bear in mind Matt Donovan’s two objectives and Brody Lamb’s three factors.
And so they keep in mind that Dodge County’s win towards Mankato West — in Dodge County’s first-ever look within the Part 1, Class 1A boys highschool hockey championship recreation — despatched the Wildcats to a different place they’d by no means been earlier than: The Tourney.
Funke and Smith have been freshmen three years in the past when the Wildcats beat Mankato West 4-3 within the 2021 part title recreation performed in Kasson, because the COVID-19 pandemic shifted playoff video games to house websites and stored most followers out of the stands on the state event.
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“Simply studying to at all times keep constructive and at all times keep assured,” Funke stated of what he realized from the leaders on the 2021 Wildcats. “Seeing these guys at all times keep constructive and simply have enjoyable on the ice, that’s one thing that I took from watching them.”
Tonight, Funke and Smith will get one other likelihood to play in a piece championship recreation, when the No. 2-seeded Wildcats (19-7-1) face top-seeded Northfield (21-4-2) at 7 p.m. on the Rochester Recreation Heart.
The winner goes to the Class 1A state event, March 7-10 on the Xcel Power Heart in St. Paul.
Dodge County final went to state in 2021.
“It was only a actually nice alternative. The rink was full of a ton of followers that evening,” stated Smith, who was a freshman defenseman on that Wildcats part title group that went on to position second at state. “It was actually good to be round these guys on that group, good leaders. They actually introduced that group collectively.
“And I realized from these veteran defensemen that once you make a mistake it’s a must to simply leap proper again in there, play bodily and play quick.”
Funke and Smith, now seniors, are the veteran leaders this time round, the one gamers on this yr’s Wildcats group who have been on that state event group. Funke (44 objectives, 73 factors) is the group’s second-leading scorer behind junior Brett Ludvigsen (29 objectives, 76 factors). Smith (4 objectives, 12 factors) is a bodily presence on a robust defensive corps..
“Caeden’s a giant, sturdy child,” Wildcats co-coach Bryce Wilcox stated. “I’ve identified him since he was a freshman. He retains (opponents) to the surface and he has such a protracted stick and he can stretch and he’s so sturdy together with his arms, that he retains guys to the surface and makes positive nothing will get to the center of the ice.
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“When he performs bodily, it brings an entire different aspect to his recreation.”
Whereas the Wildcats have a few standouts who have been on the ice in a piece title recreation and on the state event three years in the past, they’re solely centered proper now on making an attempt to cease the group that went to state from Part 1 final yr. En path to successful the 2023 part title, the Raiders took out Dodge County 6-1 in a piece semifinal recreation.
“It’s positively going to be an excellent recreation, a tricky matchup, they’ve been ranked the entire season,” Funke stated of Northfield, “however we’re assured in ourselves. We’re going to enter it with as a lot confidence as we are able to, management what we are able to management and the result shall be what it’s.”
Northfield’s prime scorers are again from final yr’s title group they usually picked up this yr the place they left off. Jake Geiger (26-38—64), Cayden Monson (20-35—55) and Kam Kaiser (36-19—55) create a difficult matchup for any opponent. That trio of seniors has mixed for 82 objectives and 174 factors this season.
“Now we have to you should definitely play the physique towards them,” Smith stated, “gradual them down, attempt to make them deplete their vitality and win the puck battles within the corners.”
Seniors Ben Geiger (23 factors) and Ty Frank (18 factors), and sophomore Bridger Riley (19 factors) can produce offense from the again finish for the Raiders. Junior Max Frank (13-3-1, 1.61 goals-against common, .921 save share) has began each playoff video games in purpose after sharing the web with senior Trey Shimota throughout the season.
The excellent news for the Wildcats is that they’ve been by means of two very fast-paced playoff video games to get thus far, beating Waseca 5-3 within the quarterfinals after which successful an up-and-down recreation towards La Crescent-Hokah 4-3 within the semifinals, a recreation through which the Lancers pressured arduous for the total third interval. Northfield gained its first two part playoff video games by scores of 9-2 and 8-1, beating Faribault within the quarterfinals and Albert Lea in Saturday’s part semifinals.
“That simply reveals us the totally different tempo of the playoffs and that something can occur within the playoffs,” Funke stated. “With that quick tempo of a recreation, for our youthful guys to have the ability to get that underneath their belts earlier than the part championship recreation, that’s going to be huge for us.”
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Wildcats goalie Jackson Roethler (17-7-1, 3.05, .891) was at his greatest late within the recreation towards the Lancers, ending with 25 saves. Dodge County will possible want one other excellent recreation from the senior to get previous the Raiders.
“He’s been taking part in very well,” stated Wilcox, who performed in and gained two part championship video games as a defenseman at Rochester Century, in 2005 and ‘07. “The primary shot has been his each time and that’s the place our ‘D’ have to return in and need to be huge and powerful in entrance of the web. Now we have to ensure they don’t get second and third alternatives.”
A have a look at the numbers behind the groups within the Part 1, Class 1A boys hockey championship recreation:
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