The winter sports season is officially underway with the lady pucksters kicking things off nearly two weeks before the rest of the winter sports. The Raiders are packed with youth with four freshmen and three sophomores rewarded with seven of the 18 varsity roster spots. Eagan came to town to start the season handing Hastings what looks like a lopsided loss with the 4-0 final score, but that was not the story of the game. Hastings then rebounded nicely two days later at South St. Paul winning 3-2.
The season opener against Eagan was a much closer contest for the Raiders than a 4-0 loss looks like on paper. Senior Addison Lanning stepped into the starting varsity goalie role with a busy day against the Wildcats. Lanning faced well over 30 shots in the game and the Raiders defense did an outstanding limiting second chance goals for most of the game. Eagan scored on a weird bounce in the first period. Lanning was in position, and her defense surrounded her with solid protection, but a Wildcat poked at the puck which took a very strange, playoff like bounce over Lanning’s right shoulder into the net.
Eagan outshot Hastings by a lot in the first period. The full stats of the game were not readily available due to issues with the new reporting website hosted by the Star Tribune. Hastings only managed to log two shots on goal in the first period and Eagan was somewhere around 15. The second period was a much better period for the Raiders’ offense and the defense held strong for the entire period with Hastings outshooting Eagan 7-6.
With 15:50 left in the third period, the Raiders defense was unable to hold off the Wildcats barrage for the second goal of the game. Even though that first goal back in the first period still counts, it really should never have happened, but that is the story of puck luck sometimes. The second goal was well played by Eagan, as was the third goal they scored just over 10 minutes later. Goal four was an empty net to complete the shutout loss for Hastings.
The Raiders second game of the week was a trip up Highway 61 to South St. Paul.to take on the Packers. Hastings struck first in the first period; Olyvia Erickson took the opening faceoff down the ice and shot a rocket for the first goal 16 seconds into the game. South St. Paul scored two in the second period to take the lead but Hastings never quit. At 9:16 in the third, Bentley Stoffel logged her first varsity goal, Erickson on the assist, tying the game at two. At 12:50 expired in the third, Anni Schriefer connected with Sophie Thorkelson who found white lace for the 3-2 game winner.
With the win, the Raiders moved to 1-1 for the early season. The next chance to catch the girls in action is Nov. 22 against Red Wing at 3:00 p.m. as part of the annual Hastings Girls Hockey Day at Hastings Civic Arena. The all-day event features a plethora of hockey games with the 3:00 varsity game as the headliner. Here are the full details.
Kids get in free with their Hastings Hockey team jersey. Before the game, there will be a varsity girls locker room open house where fans can get varsity girls player autographs.
Girls Hockey Day Schedule:
East Rink
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM Hastings 10U B2 Game vs Woodbury
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Hastings 10U B1 Game vs Eagan/Inver Grove Heights Spartacats
11:45 AM - 1:00 PM Hastings 12U B1 Game vs West St Paul
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Varsity Girls Locker Room Open House and Autograph Signing
1:15 PM - 2:30 PM Hastings 12U A Game vs Dodge County
2:15 PM - 2:30 PM Hastings Hockey All-Girls Group Photo
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM High School Varsity Girls Warm-Up & Ice Cleaning
3:00 PM - 5:00 PM High School Varsity Girls Game vs Red Wing
5:30 PM - 6:45 PM Hastings 15U B Game vs Rochester
West Rink
11:45 AM - 2:15 PM Learn Hockey
2:30 PM - 3:30 PM 6U
3:45 PM - 4:45 PM 8U
5:00 PM - 6:00 PM Mite 2 Group 3
6:15 PM - 7:15 PM Mite 2 Group 1
After the big Saturday event, the Raiders face Hudson on Nov. 25 at 6:30 p.m. at home. Then they travel to Apple Valley to face Eastview on Nov. 28 at 2:00 p.m. and they head back to Apple Valley to take on the Eagles at 12:15 p.m.