The Hastings Raiders boys hockey team entered the week with an 11-8-1 record, sitting third in the section, and facing a busy stretch that included three games in six days. Hastings opened the week at home on Monday, Feb. 2, hosting Rochester Century/John Marshall, then traveled Thursday, Feb. 5, for a conference game at St. Thomas Academy, before closing the week Saturday, Feb. 7, with a section and conference matchup at Mahtomedi. With the regular season winding down, each game carried added weight as the Raiders worked to sharpen their play heading toward the postseason.
Hastings hosted Rochester Century/John Marshall on Monday night at Hastings Civic Arena in a 7 p.m. puck drop. The opening period set an even tone, with Hastings getting on the board first at 3:08 when Jonas Schauer scored at even strength off a pass from Carter Hanson. Rochester answered later in the period to tie the game 1-1. Hastings held an early edge in shots, outshooting Rochester 8-4 in the first period, and the Raiders carried steady energy into the first intermission.
The second period turned the momentum toward the visitors. Rochester Century/John Marshall scored once at 13:19 to take a 2-1 lead, and Hastings struggled to generate offense as the period went on. Hastings recorded just four shots on goal in the second period, while Rochester fired 15 shots, forcing Hastings goalie Charlie Stoffel to make several key saves to keep the game close. Despite a brief Hastings power play earlier in the period, the Raiders were unable to convert and went into the third period trailing by one.
The third period opened with another Rochester goal at 2:47, followed by a fourth goal at 9:04 that pushed the lead to 4-1. Hastings responded quickly, as Lukas Niederkorn scored at 9:04 with assists from Isaac Meyers and Brecken Fullerton to cut the deficit to 4-2. Hastings pressed late and finished the period with 16 shots on goal, but could not close the gap further. Rochester finished with 12 shots in the third, and Hastings was unable to capitalize during late pressure.
Hastings finished the game with 28 shots on goal compared to Rochester’s 31. Hastings took three penalties for six minutes, while Rochester had one minor penalty for two minutes. Hastings went 0 for 1 on the power play. Goals for Hastings came from Schauer and Niederkorn, with assists credited to Hanson, Meyers, and Fullerton. Stoffel stopped 27 of 31 shots in goal.
The Raiders returned to the ice Thursday, Feb. 5, traveling to St. Thomas Ice Arena for a conference matchup against St. Thomas Academy. The first period saw Hastings under pressure early, as St. Thomas Academy controlled play and scored once at 5:25. Hastings managed just four shots on goal in the opening period, while St. Thomas Academy put 12 shots on net.
The second period widened the gap. St. Thomas Academy scored three times, including two goals in a 28 second span late in the period. Hastings generated eight shots in the second but could not find the net and trailed 4-0 entering the third period.
The third period continued to tilt in favor of the home team. St. Thomas Academy added two more goals and held Hastings without a shot on goal in the final period. Hastings finished the game with 12 total shots, while St. Thomas Academy totaled 46. Hastings did not record any penalties, and St. Thomas Academy took one minor penalty. Hastings went 0 for 1 on the power play. Nick Smelser made 40 saves on 46 shots in goal, while St. Thomas Academy earned the shutout.
Hastings closed the week Saturday afternoon with a section and conference game at Mahtomedi’s St. Croix Rec Center, with a 2 p.m. start. The first period proved difficult for Hastings, as Mahtomedi scored three times on 21 shots. Hastings managed seven shots in the opening period and trailed 3-0 after one.
The Raiders showed pushback in the second period. Hastings cut into the lead at 12:36 when Jonas Schauer scored a power play goal, assisted by Will Savage and Carter Hanson. Hastings recorded 12 shots in the second period and held Mahtomedi scoreless, keeping the game within reach.
In the third period, Hastings continued to battle and added another goal at 13:22 when Rylan Krauth scored at even strength off passes from Schauer and Lukas Niederkorn. Hastings finished the period with four shots, while Mahtomedi had eight. Hastings pressed late but could not find the tying goal.
Hastings finished with 23 shots on goal to Mahtomedi’s 41. Hastings took three penalties for six minutes, while Mahtomedi was assessed four penalties for 11 minutes. Hastings went 1 for 3 on the power play. Goals came from Schauer and Krauth, with assists from Savage, Hanson, and Niederkorn. Charlie Stoffel stopped 38 of 41 shots in net.
Hastings will close the regular season on the road, traveling to Rochester Mayo on Friday, Feb. 13, for a 7 p.m. game at the Rochester Graham Arena Complex.
The Raiders class change from AA to A also means a section change. The Raiders are now in Section 4A which Mahtomedi leads at 13-9-2 overall and 5-0 in section games. Chisago Lakes Area is second in the section at 14-6-3 and 5-1 in the section. Hastings sits in third at 11-11-1 overall and 7-3 in the section. Right behind the Raiders is Irondale/St. Anthony at 11-10-1 / 7-0 and South St. Paul at 11-12-1 / 7-5. The Section and Class change also makes it very difficult to know how section seeding will go. Previously, the Raiders were always the odd team out in the section with the majority of the section teams in the same conference and the Raiders being in a different conference. The section teams always seemed to stick together in the voting and Hastings suffered for it. Now, the seeding process will need to be discovered this weekend after the final game of the season.