The Minnesota State High School Boy’s State Hockey Tournament is a special time of year. It’s always fun to watch the games and see who comes out on top on Saturday.
The CGS/Brian’s booth at the 2019 LPH Expo.
It’s also a busy time for the Carroll Goalie School. We are long-time exhibitors at the Let’s Play Hockey Expo, which is held in conjunction with the state hockey tournament. The sales rep from Brian’s Custom Sports, who sponsors our program, comes to town to show off the latest gear and help goalies with getting sized for Brian’s equipment they are looking for, whether it’s gloves, leg pads or chest protectors.
During this year’s expo, I also had the wonderful opportunity to visit with Mick Hatten from the Rink Live.
We recorded a 30-minute interview live from the Expo. We discussed all kinds of hockey topics including my playing days in Edina, what it was like playing for legendary Coach Willard Ikola, winning the NCAA title at Minnesota State and my work with the goalie school.
It’s was fun to share some stories with Mick and I certainly appreciated the opportunity to be on his show.
Every year at this time, the memories of playing in the Minnesota state high school hockey tournament come flooding back. I had the opportunity to play goalie in the eight-team state hockey tournament during my senior year at Edina-East High School in 1977.
The 33rd annual tournament was played at the St. Paul Civic Center, the historic old arena that featured the clear dasher boards. (Game program cost .75 cents).
The talented tournament field included Rochester John Marshall (22-2), Mounds View (23-1), Hill-Murray (22-2), South St. Paul (18-1-5), Minneapolis Southwest (15-7-2), Edina-East (22-1), Grand Rapids (19-3-1) and Roseau (23-0). The record for all the tournament qualifiers was an impressive 164-17-8.
In the opening round, we played the late game on Thursday night against Neal Broten, his brother Aaron and Busty Erickson from Roseau. The Rams were ranked number one in the state, we were second. We came into the game with only one loss on the season. I remember the ice was soft, the lights were bright and it was hot in the Civic Center.
From what I recall, there was some sort of mix-up before the game which led to both teams wearing their green uniforms for warm-ups. That issue was resolved before the start of the game as we took the ice in our white uniforms. For our game., there was a standing room only crowd of 17,409, which, at that time, was the largest crowd to ever watch a hockey game in Minnesota.
To be honest, a majority of the fans in the building were pulling for the northern Minnesota school, except for a couple of sections in the corner where the Hornet faithful were seated.
I was so excited to be there – achieving a goal I had been dreaming about since I first strapped on the pads as a peewee.
But I was also nervous, playing on such a big stage, in front of a record crowd and with thousands more throughout Minnesota watching the game on WTCN-TV with announcers Joe Boyle and Lou Nanne calling the game. Watch the highlights of this game.
Once the puck dropped, I couldn’t wait to make my first save. After that, I was able to settle down and focus on the task at hand.
It was a back and forth contest with both teams exchanging excellent scoring chances.
Teammate Bret Bjerken broke the scoreless tie a couple minutes into the third period. Another Hornet tally by John Donnelly a few minutes later sealed the 2-0 victory.
That set-up a semifinal showdown against the two-time defending state champions from Grand Rapids. Their team featured a number of future Division I hockey players including former University of Minnesota Head Coach Don Lucia.
This game turned out to be a shootout from the opening face-off. Grand Rapids built up a 4-2 lead in the second period before the Hornets came storming back with four straight goals to take the lead in the third. Grand Rapids added one late but we hung on to win it in electrifying fashion 6-5. Current University of Michigan Head Coach Mel Pearson scored two goals in that game for the Hornets.
With the win, we advanced to the finals to face Rochester John Marshall, a team we did not know a whole lot about. But what we did know was the squad from southern Minnesota could put the puck in the net and had one of the best goalies in the state in sophomore Paul Butters who would go on to play at the University of Minnesota.
Rochester scored on a breakaway 36 seconds into the title game and added another seven minutes later. But we battled back on goals from Dave Terwilliger and Tom Kelly to tie the game at 2-2 after two. But that was a close as we got. JM added two in the third to win it 4-2.
Even though our team lost in the championship game – playing in the state tournament was a wonderful experience and something I’ll never forget.
And if I ever need a trip down memory lane, I can pop in a DVD and watch the games from that memorable weekend in March.
***
Fourteen players on the 1976-77 Hornets team
would go on to play college hockey.
Name College
John Anderson Gustavus Adolphus College
Bret Bjerken Michigan Tech
Steve Carroll Mankato State
John Donnelly Dartmouth
Mark Gagnon Cornell
Paul Gagnon Notre Dame
Gordie Hampson Michigan
Scott Hampson Colorado College
Tom Kelly Colorado College
Mike Lauen Michigan Tech
Mel Pearson Michigan Tech
Steve Pepper Minnesota
Bill Peterson Hamline
Dave Terwilliger Minnesota
I had the opportunity to be part of two USA Hockey goalie clinics this past weekend, one in Duluth and one in Brooklyn Park. The clinics were designed to teach youth hockey coaches of all skill levels how to effectively work with and develop goalies.
Phil Osaer, USA Hockey’s ADM manager for goaltending, was among the presenters at the clinics.
The clinics included a series of classroom presentations as well as an on-ice sessions where the coaches ran a goalie practice with drills they developed at the clinics. They also had a chance to try various goalie-specific skating movements.
Presenters included:
Phil Osaer, USA Hockey ADM manger for goaltending
Emily West, USA Hockey ADM manager for female hockey
Paddy Elsmore, goalie coach for College of St. Scholastica women’s hockey team
Justin Johnson, former University of Minnesota men’s goalie coach
Brennan Poderzay, regional scout for USA Hockey’s National Development Program.
The clinics are latest in the series of initiatives focused on boosting the recruitment and development of goaltenders in Minnesota.
More than 60 coaches from Minnesota and Wisconsin attended the goalie coaching clinics.
This was a fun goalie reunion. Years ago, a young boy by the name of Dominik came to my goalie school as a 6-year-old. Even though he was new to the position, you could tell he was into it and he had a grand old time. Turns out, it was the only opportunity I had to work with him during his youth hockey days.
Dominik, now a sophomore in high school, and I in St. Cloud in early August.
Now fast forward to August 2017. Dominik and I are reunited on the ice in St. Cloud. He earned a spot at a goalie camp I was coaching at. It was great to see him after all these years!
Dominik is going to be a sophomore in high school this fall. It’s fun and rewarding to see goalies who I have worked with grow up, continue to develop their goaltending skills and love the game of hockey.
UPDATE: I wrote this story a few days before NHL draft in June. Lakeville’s Jake Oettinger was taken in the first round (26th overall) by the Dallas Stars. He became the highest drafted Minnesota goalie.
By Steve Carroll
It didn’t take long for Jake Oettinger to get hooked on being a goalie. In fact, all it took was one game after he had a chance to strap on the pads with his Farmington, Minnesota squirt team.
“I tried it, loved it and stuck with it,” he said. And he eventually would become the go-to goalie for his peewee team that won more than 50 games.
“I liked being able to have huge impact in every game and the spotlight that comes with being a goalie,” he said.
Oettinger play goalie for Farmington squirts.
In ninth grade, Oettinger moved to Lakeville North High School where he led the Panthers to a runner-up finish in the State Tournament in St. Paul.
“It was unbelievable,” he recalled. “Probably one of the most fun years of my life playing hockey, playing in state is such a cool experience.”
After his freshman year, he made the United States National Team Development Program in Michigan, where he spent to next two seasons. And he enjoyed plenty of success on those teams including leading his U.S. squad to a gold medal at the 2015 U18 World Championships.
“It was great,” he said. “It was difficult moving away from home, but it was definitely worth it. I’m really happy I went there.”And he also excelled in the classroom. He accelerated his academics so he graduated from high school in little over two years.
During his time in Michigan, he had developed into one of the nation’s most sought after high school goalies and had plenty of college scholarship offers to choose from.
He selected Boston University. “I went on a visit, loved the city and the coaches, the goalie coach, thought it would be a great fit and it was,” he said.
And he quickly earned the starting spot, playing college hockey as a freshman in what could have been his senior year in high school.
Oettinger played in 35 games for the Terriers, posting a 21-11-3 record, with 2.11 goals against average and a save percentage of .927. His outstanding play earned him a spot on the Hockey East All-Rookie Team and the All-Conference second team.
By far his favorite memory from the first season was beating North Dakota 4-3 in double overtime in the NCAA Regional Tournament, before a packed house in Fargo, North Dakota. Oettinger made 56 saves in that game.
Now fast forward to this summer, where the 6-4, 218 pound netminder is now an 18-year-old and a top pro prospect.
According to NHL Central Scouting, Oettinger is the number one rated North American goalie and projected to be picked late in the first round or early in the second round in this weekend’s draft.
If that happens, he would be the first Minnesota goalie taken that high in the NHL Draft.
“It’s going to be a once of a lifetime experience,” he said. “Really excited to have a ton of family and friends with me in Chicago. It’s going to be an awesome weekend.”
Oettinger has met with every NHL team but doesn’t know or care which club will select him.
“I’d love to play for any team,” he said.
But regardless of where he goes in the draft, Oettinger plans to return to Boston University this fall.
“I think I have a whole lot of unfinished business at BU, so I don’t really know yet when that time will come, (to turn pro). I know it’s going to have a lot to do with how hard I work and how good I play.”
#GOALIES#
Congratulations to former CGS student Sydney Rossman. She recently signed a contract to play for the Connecticut Whale of the National Women’s Hockey League.
Sydney Rossman attended the Carroll Goalie School early in her career.
Sydney participated in the Carroll Goalie School early in her career. She would go on to star at Minnetonka High School and Quinnipiac University.
ABOUT THE WHALE
Goaltender Sydney Rossman, a 2016 NWHL Draft pick of the Connecticut Whale and the 2015-16 ECAC Goaltender of the Year, has signed a one-year contract with the club.
“It was a really cool thing to get the contract offer to join the Whale and the NWHL,” said Rossman. “I was hoping to play for the Whale this upcoming season, but it wasn’t a reality until I got that email. It’s really great to continue my hockey career at a high level.
“Since I have teammates and friends on the four teams, I was at a lot of NWHL games in the last two years and was really impressed. The NWHL is all about the opportunity for women in pro sports. I’m excited to get a chance to be part of the league and help build its reputation in this early phase. I’m hoping that a lot of people come out in see us starting in October. I believe this season can have a huge impact on the future of the NWHL, and from here the league will grow stronger.”
While playing for the Whale, Rossman will teach her craft to young netminders at Pro Crease Goaltending – run by Quinnipiac’s men’s goaltending coach Jared Waimon. “I hope to start a program at Pro Crease dedicated to coaching women goalies,” said Rossman.
Rossman played four seasons at Quinnipiac University.
In addition to coaching and playing, Rossman will pursue an MBA at Quinnipiac.
The Minnesota native graduated from Quinnipiac in May with a degree in marketing. In her four-year college career, she was 52-13-11 with a 1.16 GAA and .938 save percentage. She has the school record for shutouts (26) and was selected as a Quinnipiac Scholar-Athlete. During her junior season, Rossman led the Bobcats to the ECAC Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. She was named the league’s Goaltender of the Year and was a finalist for ECAC Player of the Year.
Rossman won three Minnesota State High School Championships with Minnetonka High School. She attended three USA Hockey National Select camps and the USA Hockey U18 Women’s World Championship Team camp.
Gustavus women’s hockey sophomore goaltender Amanda DiNella (Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.) has been selected to the 2017 NCAA Division III CCM Women’s Hockey All-American West First Team, by the American Hockey Coaches Association.
She becomes the 15th player, fifth sophomore, and first goalie in Gustavus Women’s Hockey history to earn the prestigious honor.
Goalie Coach Steve Carroll with Amanda DiNella at 2017 NCAA Division III National Tournament.
Coach Steve Carroll is the goalie coach for the Gustavus women’s hockey team.
DiNella, a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Conference Team member, finished the regular season as the league’s goaltending champion, posting the MIAC-best save percentage (.947), goals against average (0.92), winning percentage (.813), and most shutouts with eight.
In 20 appearances and 17 starts, DiNella has compiled a record of 13-3-2. She owns an NCAA-best 1.08 goals against average and is tied for the most shutouts with eight. In addition, her .778 win percentage ranks eighth while her .944 save percentage ranks 13th. In 1,108:21 minutes played, DiNella has accumulated 329 saves and allowed just 20 goals on the season.
DiNella has backstopped a Gustavus defense that ranks sixth nationally in goals allowed per game (1.41). She is the first Gustie goaltender to post 13 wins since Lindsey Hibbard posted 16 wins in 2012-13 and is one shutout away from tying a program record of nine shutouts in a season, set by Breanna Scavo in 2007-08. DiNella has greatly exceeded her numbers from her freshman season, improving her win total from three to 13 while nearly cutting in half the number of goals allowed.
On March 10 at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, DiNella helped guide Gustavus to its first NCAA Tournament victory since 2013 as she registered a career-high 38 saves in the 3-2 NCAA Division II National Tournament first round win.
I grew up playing hockey in the Edina Association and made the switch to goalie during my last year of peewees. The coach of that team saw me playing goalie in a neighborhood floor hockey tournament during the summer and asked if I would be interested in playing goalie on skates. I said I would give it a try and he picked me to be one of the goalies on the “A” team.
Coach Carroll played goalie for the Edina-East High School Hornets.
After that season, I played two years of bantam “A” hockey before earning a spot on the Edina-East High School varsity squad. In high school, we made it to the state tournament during my senior season. We won our first two games (Roseau and Grand Rapids) in the tournament at the St. Paul Civic Center before falling in the championship tilt to Rochester John Marshall.
Nonetheless, it was quite the thrill and something I will never forget. Thanks for the magic of videotape, I have the games from back then and periodically watch them to rekindle the memories.
In fall 2016, the Edina Magazine contacted me about doing a feature story on my hockey career in the community and my goalie school, which is now in it’s 23rd season. The Carroll Goalie School holds a three-day clinic at Braemar Arena in Edina, the exact rink I learned to play the game in.
St. Paul, MN – July 14, 2016 – The Minnesota Hockey Board of Directors voted unanimously to purchase 300 sets of QuickChange goalie gear through Total Hockey for distribution to all member youth associations in the state.
Each of Minnesota Hockey’s 145 community-based associations will receive two sets of the gear, which are designed to provide all players the chance to try the goaltender position by easily pulling them on and off over standard player equipment. The order for all of the gear will total nearly $60,000.
Consisting of 24-inch leg pads and a padded goalie jersey, both of which are designed to fit over standard player equipment, the QuickChange gear will allow 8U skaters to become goaltenders in 60 seconds. In the matter of one practice, every player on a team can give the goaltending position a try. The pads include an extra-wide knee channel to accommodate standard shin guards while the jersey/chest protector features an extra-wide neck opening with a Velcro strap to be easily slipped over a player’s helmet.
“We applaud Minnesota Hockey’s huge step toward promoting more participation at the goaltender position by purchasing this QuickChange gear for its associations,” said USA Hockey American Development Model Manager, Goaltending, Phil Osaer. “As associations across the country have embraced the ADM as the premier method of developing players, this is the next logical step to producing more goaltenders in the future. More kids will be given the opportunity to try the position without their parents needing to make the commitment to purchase gear until much further down the line.”
USA Hockey has placed an emphasis on the goaltender position, an initiative that includes the appointment of a Goaltending Development Coordinator within each affiliate. Edina native Steve Carroll was named Minnesota’s first-ever Goaltending Development Coordinator on April 7. Carroll is tasked with working with goaltending coaches throughout the state, as well as developing grass roots programs such as Try Goalie Days and goaltending clinics, in addition to implementing the QuickChange initiative.
“This is a very exciting step taken by Minnesota Hockey,” said Carroll. “Regardless of community size or location, every association will be able to utilize this gear to familiarize kids with all positions in hockey. I fully expect more boys and girls in Minnesota to fall in love with goaltending, which will only benefit all aspects of the sport in our state.”
The QuickChange goalie gear will be distributed to Minnesota Hockey associations in November in order to be used for the 2016-17 season. Associations wishing to order additional sets should submit their order here.
At this year’s Let’s Play Hockey Expo in St. Paul, the Carroll Goalie School gave away hundreds of free paper goalie masks. The promotion was a huge hit as goalies of all ages grabbed a souvenir.
CGS shared a booth with our partners from Brian’s Custom Sports. They had equipment on display and a sales rep who was available to answers questions about their innovative gear.
