Sartell-Sauk Rapids 15U B
Season Recap
The 15U Storm N' Sabres girls battled through tremendous adversity. It was one of the best teams I have had the honor to coach over the last 20 years.
We lost a player to a concussion in December of 2019, and she did not return until March 2020. We lost our leading scorer to a broken arm at the end of January, and she would not return for the remainder of the season. We found out in February that we would be missing our goalie for our Region Tournament. With limited 15U teams in our area, I made the decision to go with the Storm N' Sabres 12U goalie. She was a first-year 12U goalie, and she played some of the best hockey I have seen.
Not only did they have to overcome the challenges of several injuries, but we played some intense, back-and-forth games in the Region Tournament. When we played Hastings, we came out with a commanding three goals in the first period. Then, they came back with three goals in a row. We scored our fourth goal in the third period and held on for the win.
At that point, we needed to win one more game to make the state tournament. However, our opponent was Minneapolis which was ranked second in state. I knew we had a challenge. The game started off back and forth, but we finally went ahead 4-2. Minneapolis came back within one goal. It was 4-3 before they pulled their goalie. We scored two empty net goals to win 6-3 and earn a trip to the State Tournament.
I have no doubt in my mind we would have made a great run for the state title. Seeing this group of girls not getting to finish such a great season is the hardest thing I have had see as a coach. However, I will never forget how they shined in the face of adversity.