The Raiders opened the holiday week on Nov. 25 with a long night on the road, skating into Bloomington and running into a Jefferson group that struck fast, struck often, and never let Hastings find its footing, falling 5-0. The scoring came early and created a gap the Raiders spent the rest of the night trying to close. Against Dodge County, Monday night at home, the outcome was heavily tilted in favor of the Raiders who came out on top 6-2.
At Bloomington, Hastings worked to slow things down as the game moved along, kept the middle of the ice cleaner in the second, and showed some steadiness in the third, but Jefferson’s early burst held up as the difference in a 5 to 0 final.
The Raiders tried to counter with structure, shifting into shorter passes through the neutral zone and leaning on steady shifts from players like Tyson Werner, Michael Kennedy, and Drew Mamer. Forwards Brecken Fullerton and Blake Weber worked to generate energy, chasing pucks in deep and trying to spark a bounce. The group skated with more purpose as the game progressed, and even with the numbers on the official sheet lacking some details, Hastings did push the play in spurts and spent stretches of the second period in the offensive zone. The middle frame stood out as their best defensive effort of the night, with cleaner coverage, better sticks in lanes, and no scoring from either side.
Goaltender Nick Smelser handled all 51 minutes for Hastings, a full night’s work in net as the Raiders settled into a more disciplined game after the rough start. Jefferson added a final goal in the third period, but Hastings kept the rest of the game under control and limited the Jaguars’ chances as the clock wound down. The Raiders penalty kill was not officially tested, with no data reported on either side.
Even on a night without scoring, the Raiders had bright spots in their effort level. Every team has nights where the scoreboard does not match the work put in, and this one will likely be filed under that category. Hastings tightened up as the game progressed, showed some grit in the defensive end, and continued to skate with purpose even when the hill got steep.
The Raiders bench stayed engaged, lines kept rolling, and the group treated the final two periods as a chance to build better habits. As the schedule moves along, those details can matter as much as the early season results, and Hastings will look to turn the lessons from this one into a more complete effort the next time they take the ice.
The third game of the season brought Dodge County to town on Dec. 1. The Wildcats were no match for the Raiders who delivered the kind of response every coach hopes to see after a tough loss. The Raiders controlled the pace from the opening drop and carried it all the way through a 6 to 2 win over Dodge County. The building had a lively feel as Hastings found its stride, moved the puck with confidence, and spread the scoring across the lineup.
The night began with a power play strike from Finn Zaruba, who buried a feed from Jonas Schauer and Carter Hanson to give Hastings a quick boost. The Raiders kept the momentum rolling on the next shift with Schauer finishing another crisp play, set up again by Hanson with help from Will Savage. Those early goals set the tone for a first period where Hastings dictated the pace and used its skating to force Dodge County onto its heels.
The second period belonged to the Raiders. Isaac Meyers pushed the lead to three, and not long after that Andrew McGraw found the net off a setup from Drew Mamer. The building lifted again when Hanson finished a well-executed rush with assists from Weber and Schauer, giving Hastings a 5 to 0 advantage and full control of the game. Dodge County broke through later in the period with a goal from Camryn Koch, but the Raiders carried a comfortable lead into the third.
Hastings answered quickly in the final frame, with Weber cashing in on a play started by Schauer who was fresh out of the penalty box and Zaruba. Schauer had a breakaway with Weber right on his heels. The initial shot by Schauer was stopped by the Wildcat netminder but Weber was right there to cash in on the rebound to put the Raiders up 6-1.
Dodge County added one more late from Gabe Coshenet, but by then the Raiders had the game firmly in hand and continued to skate with purpose through the closing minutes.
Schauer’s night stood out with a goal and three assists, while Hanson added three points of his own. Zaruba and Weber each posted multi point efforts, and the Raiders showed the kind of line depth that can drive success as the season moves forward. Stoffel handled all 51 minutes in net and finished with 22 saves, steadying things when Dodge County pushed back and giving his team the foundation it needed to play aggressively.
Hastings also showed improvement on special teams, converting one of four power play chances while holding Dodge County scoreless on its lone opportunity. The Raiders took only one minor penalty, kept their structure intact, and managed the game with a calm that stood out after the chaos of the previous outing.
Hastings 6, Dodge County 2. Hastings goals were scored by six different Raiders; Zaruba, Schauer, Isaac Meyers, Andrew McGraw, Hanson, and Weber. Stoffel made 22 saves on 24 shots for a .917 save percentage.
At 1-2 on the young season, the Raiders look to keep the winning alive when they host back-to-back Section 4A foes, Tartan and Simley. Both games will start at 6:30 p.m. with Tartan in town on Dec. 4 and Simley on Dec. 9. The boys then head up to West St. Paul to take on conference foe Two Rivers on Dec. 11 at 7:00 p.m.