The Hastings Raiders boys hockey team closed the 2025–26 season with a 13–13–1 record, a Section 4A quarterfinal victory, and a competitive semifinal appearance against top-seeded Mahtomedi, highlighting a season built on steady growth, balanced scoring, and strong play in net.
The Raiders opened the year facing a challenging early schedule but responded quickly with a stretch of wins that established confidence heading into the heart of the winter. A six-goal performance against Dodge County early in the season showcased the team’s offensive depth, with six different players finding the net as Hastings settled into its identity.
That balance remained a theme throughout the year as multiple forwards contributed scoring across conference and nonconference play. Jonas Schauer led the offensive effort with 22 total points, including 13 goals and nine assists, while Finn Zaruba added 19 points and Will Savage contributed 18, helping anchor the Raiders’ attack.
Hastings also relied heavily on strong goaltending throughout the season. Senior Charlie Stoffel carried much of the workload in net, finishing with a .918 save percentage while consistently keeping the Raiders competitive in tight games.
As the season progressed into tournament play and conference matchups, the Raiders showed their ability to respond in close contests. A comeback win over South St. Paul in the Premier Tournament highlighted the group’s resilience, with Schauer scoring twice in the third period and Stoffel turning aside 26 shots to secure the victory.
Hastings continued to build momentum through January with road wins over Osseo and Simley, combining disciplined defensive play with timely scoring as the Raiders outscored opponents 14-5 across the two games.
The Raiders also earned one of their most notable regular-season wins with a 1-0 shutout victory over undefeated New Prague. Nick Smelser stopped all 34 shots he faced in the game, while Will Savage scored the lone goal in a disciplined defensive performance that showed Hastings’ ability to compete with top opponents.
Another highlight came during Hockey Day Minnesota, when Hastings hosted East Ridge outdoors at United Heroes League Ice Rink in one of the program’s largest regular-season stages in recent years. Carter Hanson scored early in the contest as the Raiders competed in front of a large home crowd despite the eventual 3-1 result.
Late-season wins over Two Rivers and other conference opponents helped Hastings secure the No. 4 seed in Section 4A entering postseason play.
The Raiders opened the section tournament with a strong defensive effort in a 1-0 victory over South St. Paul at Aldrich Arena. Finn Zaruba scored the game’s only goal while Stoffel stopped all 24 shots he faced to record the shutout and send Hastings into the semifinals.
In the semifinal round, Hastings faced top-seeded Mahtomedi and battled throughout the matchup despite a heavy shot advantage for the Zephyrs. Brecken Fullerton scored the Raiders’ lone goal while Stoffel turned aside 55 shots in one of the strongest performances of his season before Hastings fell 5-1 to close the year.
By season’s end, Hastings finished with 63 goals scored and allowed 78 while maintaining a team save percentage of .910 across three goaltenders. Special teams remained competitive throughout the season as the Raiders converted 10 power-play opportunities and killed penalties at an 80.6 percent rate.
The Raiders’ lineup featured consistent contributions across all three zones. Schauer, Zaruba, and Savage paced the offense, while Carter Hanson, Lukas Niederkorn, Brecken Fullerton, Michael Kennedy, Blake Weber, and others provided scoring depth throughout the winter.
In goal, Stoffel anchored the defense during his senior season, supported by Nick Smelser and Charlie Colvin as Hastings remained competitive in nearly every matchup on the schedule.
Hastings closed the season with a senior class that helped guide the program through another section semifinal appearance while competing in its first season in Section 4A following the class change from AA to A competition.
With a strong returning core and valuable postseason experience gained throughout the lineup, the Raiders enter the offseason positioned to continue building momentum within Section 4A next winter.