Colin Schmidt had a problem. 

The senior forward and Minnesota commit wasn’t scoring, which was unfortunate because the 6-foot-5 forward possess all the tools of a goal-scorer’s goal-scorer. 

Schmidt had totaled just two goals in the first five games of the 2017-2018 season, but picked the most pivotal moment to notch his third, rifling a shot past Class 2A, Section 6 rival Cretin-Derham Hall’s George Maguire to lift the Trojans to a 5-4 overtime victory. 

“Individually I’ve been a little snakebit,” Schmidt said after the game. 

“I haven’t been too down on myself,” Schmidt added. “I felt like I’ve been getting enough chances, where the numbers should average themselves out.”

Wayzata coach Pat O’Leary said that Schmidt draws a certain level of confidence from his role on the team as a primary scoring threat. 

“If you’re a scorer, or you’re a leader of a team at any level, you go through slumps,” O’Leary said. 

“(Leaders) like to score goals, so when they do it, I think all the rest of their game elevates.” 

Numbers concerning Wayzata’s power play weren’t on the Trojans’ side entering Saturday’s game, as the Trojans (3-2-1) had scored on just 8.7% of their chances before converting on multiple tries on Saturday. 

“I think it’s just confidence,” Wayzata coach Pat O’Leary said of his team’s success with the man-advantage in the win, adding that when Trojan standouts Schmidt the Griffin Ness are statistically productive, the rest of the team feeds off that energy.   

“I don’t care if it’s the NHL or Peewees, if your top guys are scoring, you’re going to play better,” O’Leary explained. “If not, you’re going to struggle.”

The Trojans did struggle on the penalty kill, surrendering multiple goals to the Cretin-Derham Hall (4-1-1) power play unit. Senior forwards Joe Buckingham and Joey Gimberlin each scored twice for the Raiders, who are ranked No. 8 in the latest Class 2A state coaches’ poll.

Ness scored twice for the Trojans, while Tommy Leisen and Tommy Bergsland each chipped in a single goal.