MN Hockey Mag Special Tournament Edition

New Prague
When New Prague opened up its defense
of a Section 1A title with seven straight
victories this winter, all looked well.
But the Trojans lost four of their next five games, scoring one or
fewer goals in three of them. Suddenly, a repeat section title didn’t
appear such a sure thing. Coach Chris Lonke had to get his veteran
team back to what earned its first-ever state berth the year before —
strong defense in front of goaltender Conner Wagner (19-8-0, 2.13,
.912). New Prague responded with back-to-back shutouts of North St.
Paul and Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato and proceeded to run roughshod
through the rest of the Section 1A slate. In nine section games, the
Trojans were a perfect 9-0-0, outdistancing the field and earning the
top seed.
Senior defensive captain Casey Busch (5-14-19) anchors the blue
line. He’s a smooth-skating defenseman who plays in all situations,
along with athletic shut-down defender Jake Klein (1-6-7).
Of course, scoring goals in bunches didn’t hurt
either. Led by junior Alex Gregor (31-24-55), a
rugged and aggressive player with state tournament
experience, the Trojans finished off the regular
season with 23 goals in three games and added 14
more in the section playoffs. It’s a right time for the
offense to get hot, with a tough quarterfinal matchup
against defending Class 1A champion East Grand
Forks up first at the X.
Conner Wagner
Beyond Gregor’s team-high 31 goals, only two other Trojans scored
in double-figures, however, senior Ben Witt (13-31-44) and junior
Zach Davis (16-24-40).
With back-to-back state tournament appearances now in Lonke’s
pocket, he’s building a powerhouse at New Prague. The next step is to
improve on last year’s surprise third-place finish.
— Tim Kolehmainen
20-7-0
Quick Facts
Section: 1A
Conference: Wright County
Past State Appearances: 2014, 15
Head Coach: Chris Lonke
Home Rink: New Prague Community
Center
Road to the X
Date Opponent W-L-T
Nov. 21 at St. Cloud Cathedral W 6-2
Nov. 29 NORTHFIELD W 3-2
Dec. 2 at Red Wing W 3-2
Dec. 4 MANKATO WEST W 6-0
Dec. 9 at Holy Family W 3-2
Dec. 11 ROCH. LOURDES W 2-1
Dec. 16 WACONIA W 3-1
Dec. 18 ORONO L 0-2
Dec. 20 at Hermantown L 1-6
Dec. 23 ALBERT LEA W 5-0
SSP PREMIER TOURNEY (Dec. 26-29)
Dec. 26 Bloom. Jefferson L 0-3
Dec. 27 Hastings L 3-4
Dec. 29 North St. Paul W 6-0
Jan. 6 at Litchfield/DC W 10-0
Jan. 13 DELANO L 1-7
Jan. 16 MOUND-WESTONKA W 6-1
Jan. 20 at Hutchinson W 3-2
Jan. 22 at Waconia W 6-0
Jan. 27 at Orono L 1-2
Jan. 30 LITCHFIELD/DC W 3-1
Feb. 3 HOLY FAMILY L 1-8
Feb. 5 at Delano L 1-4
Feb. 7 at Rochester Lourdes W 3-2
Feb. 10 at Mound-Westonka W 7-0
Feb. 13 HUTCHINSON W 13-3
SECTION 1A PLAYOFFS
Feb. 19 ROCH. LOURDES W 2-1
Feb. 21 Faribault W 8-4
Feb. 25 Northfield W 2-1
2015 Minnesota state high school boys’ hockey tournament guide
Tim Kolehmainen / Breakdown.zenfolio.com
LEADERS
# Name Gr G-A-Pts
10 Alex Gregor 11 31-24-55
8 Ben Witt 12 13-31-44
7 Zach Davis 11 16-24-40
14 Ryan O’Rourke 12 7-15-22
5 Casey Busch 12 5-14-19
# Name Gr GAA SV%
1 Conner Wagner 12 2.13 .912
Puck Heaven trivia
Q In what year was the first
Minnesota state boys’ high school
hockey tournament conducted and
what city and building hosted the
inaugural event?
23