The Hastings Raiders boys hockey team entered a difficult week sitting at 4-3 on the season, knowing the margin for error was slim against two tough opponents. By the end of the week, Hastings had dropped a pair of games, falling 3-0 on the road to Chisago Lakes on Dec. 16 and then returning home to suffer a 7-0 loss to Hill-Murray on Dec. 18. The losses moved the Raiders to 4-5 overall, a record that does not fully reflect the effort put in against strong competition.
The week opened Tuesday night at Chisago Lakes Arena, where Hastings ran into a hot Wildcats team that entered the game at 4-2-2. The Raiders had chances early, but the puck did not bounce their way, and Chisago Lakes capitalized on its opportunities in the first period. Zach Carlson opened the scoring at 4:45 of the first, finishing an even strength chance to put Hastings in an early hole. Less than four minutes later, Landon Kerkow doubled the lead, again at even strength, and the Wildcats carried a 2-0 advantage into the first intermission.
Hastings settled in during the second period and played a more structured game, but Carlson struck again just over two minutes in, giving Chisago Lakes a 3-0 cushion. Despite the score, the Raiders continued to work and generated nine shots in the second period, their best offensive frame of the night. Power plays were plentiful, as Hastings went 0 for 6 with the man advantage, unable to find a way past Wildcats goaltender Jacob Schaeppi, who finished with a 20-save shutout.
The third period was scoreless, a testament to the Raiders defensive effort late in the game. Goaltender Charlie Stoffel was a steady presence in net, stopping 25 of 28 shots and keeping Hastings within reach. Defensively, players like Drew Mamer, Michael Kennedy, and Blake Weber logged important minutes as the Raiders tried to slow down Chisago Lakes top scorers. Hastings finished with 20 shots, showing flashes of offensive zone pressure, but could not break through.
Thursday night brought another challenge, this time at Hastings Civic Arena against a Hill-Murray team that came in with a 3-1-2 record. From the opening faceoff, Hill-Murray controlled the tempo, firing 23 shots in the first period alone. The Pioneers scored three times in the opening frame, with goals from Brady Morrell, Chaz Lentz, and Gavin Godbout, quickly putting Hastings on its heels.
Hill-Murray continued to press in the second period, adding two more goals in a span of 13 seconds early in the frame. Easton Salscheider and Ryland Demars found the back of the net to extend the lead to 5-0. Hastings struggled to generate sustained offense, managing just three shots in the second period as the Pioneers clogged the neutral zone and limited clean entries.
The third period followed a similar script, with Hill-Murray adding a power play goal from Caden Zasada and a late even strength tally by Aeson Kiley. Hastings finished the night with 14 shots, while Hill-Murray poured 52 pucks on net. Nick Smelser handled the goaltending duties for the Raiders, turning aside 45 shots despite the final score, and continued to battle through heavy traffic and rebound chances.
Even in a tough loss, the Raiders did not lose their composure. Players like Jack Woodwick, Lukas Niederkorn, and Jonas Schauer continued to compete along the boards and in the defensive zone, while younger skaters gained valuable experience against one of the state’s deeper lineups. Discipline was also improved compared to earlier games, as Hastings was whistled for just two penalties.
The Raiders now head into a brief break, looking to reset and regroup before a busy stretch of games after the holidays. Hastings will travel to South St. Paul for the Premier Tournament for the first game of a multi game tournament on Saturday, Dec. 27 at 6:45 p.m., then return home to face Hopkins on Jan. 3 at 2:00 p.m. The Raiders will also host South St. Paul on Jan. 6 at 7:00 p.m. before heading to the NSC Super Rink to take on Irondale on Jan. 8 at 7:30 p.m.