If there’s a happy moment to pick out during St. Cloud Cathedral’s 11-2 mauling of Mankato East/Loyola, it may be attributed to a player that’s spent all season on the Crusaders’ fourth line. 

Sophomore Chandler Hendricks tipped in a shot with 11:47 to play in the third period, nothing his first goal of the season for the varsity team. 

“That was the best experience I’ve ever had in any sport I’ve played,” Hendricks said after the game. “I’m just so happy to be on this team with great guys.”

Those great guys surrounding Hendricks pounded the Cougars (14-14-1) for three periods on Wednesday, drawing first blood on a shorthanded goal by defenseman Reid Bogenholm.

Perhaps more impressive than the situation in which Bogenholm scored, is the St. Cloud Cathedral penalty kill formation that allowed him to sink below the Mankato East/Loyola face-off dots. 

Allowing three of four skaters to forecheck so deep in an opposing zone while killing a penalty is a luxury few teams have. 

“We have such high-end guys, we like to pressure,” Crusader coach Derrick Brown said. “We have really active ‘D’ as you saw,” Brown continued. “Sometimes, it’s a really wonderful thing, sometimes it makes you want to pull your hair out.”

Mankato East/Loyola coach Adam Fries said that his team hadn’t seen a penalty-killing unit that aggressive before. 

“We knew that kill they have was going to come hard, and w tried to prepare for that as best we could,” Fries said. “We’ve never faced a three-man penalty kill below the top of the circles all year, so that was tough for our kids to adjust to that quickly.”

The Crusaders (24-3-1) tallied three more goals in the first after Bogenholm’s and added five goals in the second and two more in the third.

Parker Anthony and Jake Schreiber each scored once in the loss for the Cougars. 

The high-flying trio of Mr. Hockey finalist Blake Perbix, Jack Smith, and Nate Warner each recorded four points, but the goal by Hendricks is the one that makes Brown smile. 

“As a coach, there’s nothing better,” Brown said, adding that all 20 Crusaders saw ice time during the game. 

“Personally, it’s rewarding to see kids have moments like that,” Brown added. 

“That’s what this is about. We’re not getting paid that well, so those things, that’s what makes this a lot more special.”