They’ll only face each other once this season, Minnetonka head coach Sean Goldsworthy wouldn’t mind going head-to-head with St. Thomas Academy more often. 

Goldsworthy would love to face the Cadets, ranked No. 5 in the latest Class 2A state coaches’ poll, for more than half of his team’s allotted 25 regular-season games. 

“I actually feel like they’re one of the teams in the state that we (feel) like we’re looking in the mirror,” Goldsworthy said after the Skippers thumped the Cadets 4-1 at the Bloomington Ice Garden on Friday night. 

“It’s a very similar team,” Goldsworthy continued. “Systematically, how they’re coached. They’re a fun team to play against. In a perfect world, I’d like to scrimmage those guys about 10 or 15 times.”

Goldsworthy and his Skippers, the defending Class 2A state champions, made the most of the one shot at the Cadets, pumping 44 shots on net and dominating puck-possession in their season-opening victory with four different players tallying goals. 

Mason Hendrickson scored the first goal of the game midway through the first period, a goal that was initially credited to Mack Motzko, who quickly dismissed his first alleged score in a Minnetonka uniform after transferring from St. Cloud Cathedral. 

“I actually didn’t get it,” Motzko said when asked about his faux-finish. “Hendrickson got it. I think it was his goal.”

Although Motzko handed the credit to Hendrickson, the junior forward made his presence felt for three full periods, slicing through the St. Thomas Academy zone on numerous offensive rushes and placing himself squarely in the slot in the Cadet zone. 

Motzko’s performance was indicative of shaken-off nerves, which he understandably felt while making the transition to Minnetonka after this father (former St. Cloud State head men’s hockey coach) Bob took the University of Minnesota post. 

“It was kind of a tough summer because you’re leaving all your biddies and you’re moving to a whole new place,” Motzko said. “But these guys, the coaches, everyone at school has done a great (of) making me feel comfortable,” Motzko added. “It feels like home now.”

Hendrickson, who (has now) finished with a goal and assist in the win, has also found a new home, as Goldsworthy said he'd asserted himself as one of the Skippers’ primary contributors. 

“Last year he was one of our fourth-line guys that we spotted in and did some penalty-killing,” Goldsworthy explained. “Now Mason is on special teams, he’s out on a regular shift,” Goldsworthy continued. “It’s his year.”

In addition to Hendrickson, senior forward Jack Bayless, junior forward Braedon Lacomy, and sophomore forward Griffin Streeter notched goals for the No. 1-2A Skippers (1-0), while senior goaltender Charlie Glockner concluded the win with nine saves on ten shots. 

Junior forward Will Soderling scored the lone goal of the loss for the Cadets (0-1), who were missing standout senior forwards Brendan McFadden and Luke Herzog. McFadden is a running back, and Herzog is a linebacker for the Cadets’ undefeated football team that is competing in the Prep Bowl on Saturday.