Apple Valley High School parking lot is large.  Last night it was packed.  At 5:00 PM it was half full as basketball fans turned out for the big event of the winter season, a national broadcast of the Eagles hosting a Chicago Prep school starring to Duke University players to be.  The game started at 7:00 PM.  By 6:30 cars were being parked on the blocks surrounding the school.

At St. Paul Academy’s Drake Arena, parking was not a problem.  The college prep school has an enrollment of less than 400 students and had less than 300 people at their game with Blake last night.  SPA has played high school hockey for most of the schools over 100 years in existence.  The Spartans fielded their first hockey team in 1905.  It is believed to be the first high school hockey team in the state.  The hockey fans at Drake last night were quiet subdued despite the action on the ice.  Few seemed to realize that this Spartan team could start a new reign in Section 4A hockey this year. 

Realignment Benefits

It was noted here this past summer that St. Paul Academy benefitted greatly when Minnesota State High School League announced the 2013-2014 hockey sectional alignments.  After years of toiling in Section 4A behind St. Thomas Academy, the Spartans are the favorites in the early season to advance to the state Class A tourney next March.

Realignment moved a number of top competitors out of Section 4A.  Chisago Lakes and Spring Lake Park were moved to Section 5A and now are co-favorites to make the state from that section.  Perennial Class A state champs, St. Thomas Academy, opted to play Class AA hockey this year and left.  Two schools that moved in, St. Paul Johnson and St. Paul Como, played Class AA in 2012-2013 and have opted to play Class A this year.  Both Johnson and Como are struggling in the early season.

That leaves Minnehaha Academy, Achiever Academy (with the Thompson boys), and Totino-Grace as the favorites along with SPA this year.  But last night game between SPA and Blake was more about pride between two private schools that simply want to beat each other, something SPA has done only once in the last five years (and 10 games).

The Teams

Blake went into last night’s game with a 2-3 record.  The Bears have struggled in the opening season games the past few years since posting a 6-0-1 record in 2010-2011 on their way to 22-4 record.  SPA went into the game last night with a 4-0 record beating Irondale, New Richmond WI, Mahtomedi, and Simley.  That equaled last year’s start when the Spartans posted their first winning season since the 2008-2009 season.

Both are veteran teams.  Last night, SPA suited 12 players from last year’s team that posted a 17-9 record and finished second in the Tri-Metro Conference.  They also suited 6 ninth graders and 1 one eighth grader.  Blake suited 15 players from last year’s team and one eighth grader (Jack Lagerstorm) and one ninth grader (Johnny Hartfiel).  Both Lagerstorm and Hartfiel are YHH top 50 peewee A picks.  Lagerstorm in 2012-2013 and Hartfiel in 2011-2012. 

The Game, Trying the fly

Blake’s game plan became clear early in the first period.  On the breakout from their zone, the Bears were looking to hit the far wing on the fly hoping to beat the SPA defense on a solo to the net.  Regardless of the success of the long pass, the Bears would carry on with their attack and put two forwards on the puck trapping the Spartans' defense in the corners.  The Blake wings would challenge the Spartan defensemen trying to move the puck by taking the center and net side areas away forcing the defense to the corner.  The Blake center would become the second man in the two man fore check.

The strategy worked allowing the Bear defense at the blue time and space to move the puck or take the shot.  The Spartans tried to counter by moving the puck quickly behind the net from side to side often making three or more passes trying to catch the Bear center out of position.

For most of the first period, Blake held SPA in the Spartans’ half of the ice.  The Spartan’s could gain some pressure, but once inside the Bears’ zone, the Blake defense boxed the Spartan forwards out of the sweet spot in front of the Bears’ net, forcing the Spartans to take odd angled shots.  Once the Bears gained puck control in the Blake zone, they broke out easily.  A simple pass to a wing on either board, a couple of steps by the wing, and a long pass to the far side and Blake would be on the attack again.

At the three minute mark, that is how Blake scored.  The Bears’ Coleman Dressen took the pass, beat the SPA defense trying to pinch, and soloed in to score.  It was the only goal in first period.  Blake led 1-0 at the start of the second period.

Role Reversal

SPA came out of the locker room on took the ice with a 1:08 minute power play to open the second period.  The Spartans didn’t score, but they reversed the game flow and took control of the game.  For the next five minutes the Spartans were the attacker.  Blake had shifted its fore check keeping two forwards high and sending one low to attack the defense carrying the puck.  The Spartans’ broke out easily beating the Bears fore check.  It resulted in two SPA goals.

The first goal was scored by SPA’ Drew Blackmun at the 10 minute mark.  Blackmun’s goal tied the game 1-1.  The second goal was scored thirty seconds later.  It came after a Blake breakaway failed to score.  SPA turned the rebounding puck into a breakaway down the right boards catching the Bears’ defense out of position.  The first shot rebounded of Blake’s goalie Santini into the sweet spot in front of the Bears net.  SPA’s Matt Dahlseide trailing the play rapped the puck into the open left side before Santini could react.  SPA led 2-1.

SPA's lead lasted less than two minutes.  At the 7 minute mark, Blake launched an attack off a rush where the forwards were delayed by the SPA defense.  The first forward put the puck squarely on SPA goalie Parker.  Parker stopped the hard shot, but could not control the rebound.  The puck bounced into the slot where a second Blake forward picked up the puck and fired another hard shot as he swept by Parker.  Parker made the second stop, but the puck rebounded again to the slot.  The Bears’ Johnny Hartfield took the third rebound coming down the slot to bury the puck in the net.  Hartfield’s shot tied the game 2-2.  It was a power play goal.  The second period ended in a tie.

It is a wrap

Both teams started the third period determined to win the period and the game, but SPA’s aggressive play resulted in a penalty less than two minutes into the period.  Thirty seconds into the power play, Blake’s Mark Lyman beat the goalie on a wrap around.  SPA’s goalie Parker lost sight of the puck behind the net on his right side.  Before he could react, Lyman made a quick move from the right to the left corner and slide the puck in the net.  The Bears led 3-2.

It was a simple play and though the Spartans would come back to tie the game later in the period, it took the edge of SPA’s play in the third period.

Blake drew two successive penalties after Lyman’s score.  The second led to a rush and an SPA goal aided by a stickless Blake defender.  On the power play, SPA had worked the puck into the left faceoff circle.  A Blake defender attempted to block a shot with his stick and lost it.  SPA’s Blackmun put the puck on the Blake goalie and bounced into the sweet spot to Mick Sullivan.  Sullivan’s shot was stopped and the rebound bounced to the stickless Blake defender who tried to drive the puck wide with his skate.  Instead it bounced back to Sullivan in front of the Blake goalie for the score.  SPA had tied the game 3-3 with 11 minutes to go in the game.

Two minutes later, Blake scored the game winner.  Blake’s Thomas Blease poked a rebounding puck off a right side attack on the SPA goalie Parker into the SPA goal to Blake ahead 4-3.

The remaining nine minutes of the game was played at an up tempo pace with both teams moving the puck.  SPA had one good scoring chance on a solo that Blake’s goalie Santelli stopped.  In the end, Blake’s defense late in the game kept the Spartans to the outside on their attacks and controlled the game.  The Bears’ Cade Gleekel got an empty netter with 9 seconds left to end the scoring 5-3.

What’s Next?

SPA plays North St. Paul Saturday and Totino Grace a week later.  The Spartans will head to Roseau the day after Christmas to play in Roseau’s Holiday Classic Tourney.  They draw the host Rams in their opening quarterfinal game.  Blake plays Orono on Saturday and then plays in the Schwan Cup the day after Christmas.  They play Austin in their opening quarterfinal game.