Holy Family Catholic coach Noel Rahn is fully aware that his team’s Wright County Conference schedule is not a Murders’ Row of opponents.
 
The Fire’s conference opponents so far during the 2017-2018 season have a combined record of 25-25-2, meaning that the three games played in the Tradition Hockey For Life Classic in Prior Lake carry a little extra weight than one might expect from a post-Christmas slate of games.
 
“That’s why this has been a great tournament,” Rahn said on Saturday afternoon.
 
“We’ve been able to play three quality opponents and with our conference schedule we’ve been able to (trim) that down a little bit to have a lot of games against nonconference opponents.”
 
Saturday’s foe wasn’t just another nonconference adversary.
 
The Fire, ranked No. 7 in the latest Class 2A state coaches’ poll, faced 2017 Class 2A state runner-up Moorhead, which entered the game on a three-game winning streak and was ranked No. 8.

After Moorhead took a 1-0 lead into the third period thanks to a goal by junior forward Isaac Henkemeyer-Howe, the Fire (10-2-1) finally ignited, scoring twice while relying on a transition offense centered on playing pucks off the boards into the neutral zone.
 
“We’re not the most skilled team, but we’ve got guys who really have good motors that like to get up and go,” Rahn said.
 
“Getting pucks in behind their defense is one of our biggest things we like to do.”
 
Moorhead’s Nolan Westra tied the game with 11:03 to play in regulation, a deadlock that was broken less than two minutes later by Holy Family Catholic’s Cole Wilson, who banged in a rebound to give the Fire a 3-2 lead.
 
Senior goaltender Conan Hayton shut down the Moorhead attack in the game’s waning minutes, earning the win with 30 saves and completing the three-game stretch with 71 stops in 77 chances.
 
“A lot of shots,” Hayton said after the game with a grin of his nine consecutive periods in three days. “We got way stronger (throughout the weekend),” Hayton added.
 
Fire senior defenseman and St. Cloud State commit Brady Ziemer finished the game with a goal and two assists and credited his forwards for turning his passes and shots from the blue line into points.
 
“I was just getting the puck up to my forwards and letting them do the work,” Ziemer said.

“They were getting behind the (defense) and working well and getting shots to the net.”
 
Ziemer, a four-year varsity contributor, echoed his coach’s views on relishing a tougher nonconference schedule.
 
“It’s hard to come back from the conference games and then playing in big games like this,” Ziemer said.
 
“Getting these wins really help with section seeding.”
 
The Fire’s road to state runs through the gauntlet of Section 2-2A, which includes No. 2-2A Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, and Chaska.