Rock Ridge Wolverines
Head coach: Ben Johnson, second season
Key departures: G Ian Kangas (2.67 GAA, .909 save percentage); D Nick Troutwine (14-0—23); D Braden Tiedeman (1-8—9); D Tyler Lamourea (2-3—5); Evan Skelton (0-1—1)
Key returners: Sr. F Dylan Hedley (11-15—26); Sr. F Isaac Flatley (9-11—20); Sr. F Ryan Manninen (9-9—18); Jr. D Sam Troutwine (4-4—8); Soph. D Derik Dahl (0-1—1)
Outlook: The Wolverines won 14 games in their first year combining the programs of Virginia and Eveleth-Gilbert, falling to Hibbing/Chisholm in the Section 7A quarterfinal to end the season.
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Coach Ben Johnson will have to replace goaltender Ian Kangas as well as Rock Ridge’s top four defenders this season.
The Wolverines do return their top point scorer in senior Dylan Hedley as well as forwards Isaac Flatley and Isaac Manninen. The only defensemen with experience returning this season are junior Sam Troutwine and sophomore Derik Dahl, but Eveleth and Virginia both had strong Bantam teams that will bring much needed skill to Rock Ridge.
“We have a lot of young talent coming through,” Johnson said. “Even though we’re going to be a young team, we have a lot more skill than we probably had last year and the competition is extremely stiff now that we’ve combined.”
Johnson said the team should have more speed and size this year compared to last year and he thinks the team could take a leap in its second year of existence.
“We have some big boys on our team, a bunch of guys over 6 feet that can move and are in shape,'' Johnson said. “It’s still an unknown, but we have a lot of confidence we can have a good season in season two. We’ve had a chance to work out over the summer and the guys have gotten to know each other better — last year was a lot of moving parts with combining.”
ROCK RIDGE
(home games in ALL CAPS; games at Eveleth Hippodrome marked (E), games at Iron Trail Motors Event Center marked (V))
Nov. 29 — GREENWAY (V), 7 p.m.
Dec. 3 — ALBERT LEA (E), 3 p.m.
Dec. 6 — at International Falls, 7:30 p.m.
Dec. 9 — WARROAD (E), 7 p.m.
Dec. 13 — at Duluth Denfeld, 7 p.m.
Dec. 16 — LITTLE FALLS (E), 7 p.m.
Dec. 17 — ST. CLOUD CATHEDRAL (E), 3 p.m.
Dec. 20 — at Superior, 7 p.m.
Dec. 28 — at Hibbing/Chisholm, 7 p.m.
Dec. 30 — CAMBRIDGE-ISANTI (E), 3 p.m.
Jan. 6 — MINNEAPOLIS (V), 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 — INTERNATIONAL FALLS (V), 7 p.m.
Jan. 13 — at Providence Academy, 7 p.m.
Jan. 14 — at Mound Westonka, 3 p.m.
Jan. 17 — at North Shore (SB), 7 p.m.
Jan. 21 — PRINCETON (V), 3 p.m.
Jan. 24 — CLOQUET-ESKO-CARLTON (V), 7 p.m.
Jan. 26 — DULUTH DENFELD (V), 7 p.m.
Feb. 3 — at Brainerd, 7:15 p.m.
Feb. 4 — at Sartell-St. Stephen, 3 p.m.
Feb. 7 — at Hermantown, 7 p.m.
Feb. 10 — PROCTOR (V), 7 p.m.
Feb. 11 — at Pine City Area, 3 p.m.
Feb. 14 — HIBBING/CHISHOLM (V), 7 p.m.
Feb. 16 — at Greenway, 7 p.m.
RECORD: 14-11-1
Nov. 30 — at Greenway, L, 4-3
Dec. 3 — at Hibbing/Chisholm, L, 1-4
Dec. 10 — at Warroad, L, 6-0
Dec. 11 — at Lake of the Woods, W, 6-0
Dec. 14 — DULUTH DENFELD, L, 6-2
Dec. 21 — SUPERIOR, W, 2-1
Dec. 28 — MOUND WESTONKA, W, 6-1
Dec. 29 — at Thief River Falls, L, 4-1
Dec. 30 — Crookston, W, 9-0
Jan. 4 — DULUTH EAST, L, 5-3
Jan. 7 — at Bloomington Kennedy, W, 3-0
Jan. 8 — at Minneapolis, L, 3-2
Jan. 15 — PROVIDENCE ACADEMY, T, 3-3
Jan. 18 — NORTH SHORE, W, 10-0
Jan. 22 — at Princeton, W, 1-0
Jan. 25 — at Cloquet-Esko-Carlton, L, 3-0
Jan. 27 — at Duluth Denfeld, W, 6-2
Jan. 31 — INTERNATIONAL FALLS, W, 6-0
Feb. 3 — at International Falls, W, 8-2
Feb. 5 — SARTELL-ST. STEPHEN, L, 3-1
Feb. 8 — HERMANTOWN, L, 5-1
Feb. 11 — at Proctor, W, 2-1
Feb. 12 — PINE CITY AREA, W, 10-3
Feb. 15 — HIBBING/CHISHOLM, W, 4-0
Feb. 17 — GREENWAY, W, 3-2
Feb. 23 — HIBBING/CHISHOLM, L, 4-2
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