| RECORD: 20-5-0 | ||
| Date | Visitor | Home |
| 2/18 | Cathedral 7 | Marshall School 5 |
| 2/16 | Cathedral 3 | Orono 0 |
| 2/14 | Cathedral 3 | Rogers 4 |
| 2/11 | Princeton 1 | Cathedral 6 |
| 2/10 | Cathedral 7 | Hutchinson 2 |
| 2/4 | Little Falls 1 | Cathedral 7 |
| 2/3 | Fergus Falls 0 | Cathedral 11 |
| 1/26 | Wadena-DC 2 | Cathedral 13 |
| 1/24 | Cathedral 7 | L/D-C 2 |
| 1/21 | Cathedral 8 | Alexandria 1 |
| 1/17 | Apollo 1 | Cathedral 5 |
| 1/13 | Cathedral 1 | Hermantown 2 |
| 1/10 | Mound-Westonka 3 | Cathedral 6 |
| 1/7 | Cathedral 3 | Warroad 2 |
| 1/6 | Cathedral 7 | Crookston 3 |
| 1/3 | Cathedral 1 | Holy Family 4 |
| 12/22 | Mora 0 | Cathedral 14 |
| 12/19 | Proctor 0 | Cathedral 6 |
| 12/17 | Sauk Rapids 0 | Cathedral 6 |
| 12/15 | Delano 1 | Cathedral 2 (OT) |
| 12/9 | Lourdes 4 | Cathedral 1 |
| 12/6 | Cathedral 4 | Little Falls 3 |
| 12/2 | Cathedral 8 | Sartell 0 |
| 11/26 | Cathedral 8 | Providence 2 |
| 11/25 | Breck School 8 | Cathedral 1 |
CHS tops the Toppers for 20th win
Team speed and roster depth, combined with a never-quit attitude, powered Cathedral to a 7-5 defeat of fifth-ranked Marshall School Feb. 18 in Duluth. It was the first road win over the Hilltoppers in recent memory. The Crusaders now gear up for post-season play 7 p.m. Feb. 23 at the MAC.
Trailing 2-0 in the second period, CHS got a goal from its third line, in the person of Peter Spethmann. The junior center teamed with linemates Travis Gadbois and Cory Wheelock to wreak havoc in the Toppers' defensive zone throughout the game. Coach Eric Johnson played his team-depth card to the hilt, wearing down a Marshall School squad that needed four goals from its oft-shifted senior forward Judd Peterson to keep pace.
The Crusaders then got a confidence-booster from alternate captain Austin Swingle. The junior defenseman carried the puck through two zones, skated behind the Marshall net and then backhanded a pass to the slot for a Mitch Fritz score. Game tied 2-2.
With Cathedral trailing 3-2 at the end of the second, Fritz scored a powerplay goal as time expired, sending equipment flying on the Marshall bench and ushering the Crusaders into a fired-up intermission locker room. CHS erupted for two goals in 60-seconds to start the third. The momentum had shifted in favor of the blue-and-gold, as evidenced by the 16-8 shots advantage in the final frame.
Peterson scored his fourth goal about four minutes into the third. Danny Johnston responded a short time later with a solid body check on the 190-pound D-I prospect, just feet from the Cathedral bench, a symbol of the shifting fortunes of the day. Cathedral sealed the deal with a goal from Tommy Hall and an empty-netter by Austin Poganski.
Poganski scored twice and earned an assist while enduring clutch-and-grab defense and public-address mispronunciations of his family name that made every Polish patriot from Tadeusz Kościuszko to Karol Wojtyla turn over in their graves.
Connor Amundson recorded 23 saves for his eighth win of the season.
As for Coach Johnson: He stuck steadfastly to his forward and defensive rotations with the same resolve he displayed in October when he led a Flash mob dance routine at a Homecoming pepfest. Dynomite!
CHS ends the regular season with 20 wins, the most since 2008-09 team that went 22-3-0 in the regular season and 4-2-0 in the postseason. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub game sheet. View the game photos in the CHS Hockey Photocast.
Crusaders shut out Orono
A revitalized powerplay and perfect goaltending helped Cathedral defeat Orono 3-0 Feb. 16 in Long Lake. Junior netminder Josh Robak saved 15 for his 12th win and fifth shutout of the season. Michael Kerber and Austin Poganski each scored on the powerplay. Tommy Hall scored on an assist from sophomore defenseman Jordan Maetche. CHS' penalty killers protected a one-goal lead in the second period by killing off a five-minute man-disadvantage. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub game sheet. View the game photos in the CHS Hockey Photocast.
CHS loses in Rogers
After a month of feasting on lesser opponents, Cathedral met its match Feb. 14, losing 4-3, on the road, to Section 5A rival Rogers. Seniors Sam Wood, Danny Johnston and Ryan Kissner scored for CHS. An opportunity to take control of the game slipped through the Crusaders' gloves early. Leading 2-1, Cathedral was unable to score during a five-minute man-advantage that put one of the Royals' top forwards in the penalty box. Ill-advised penalties in the second and third periods plagued Cathedral's ability to keep pace with the Royals. The Crusaders out-shot Rogers 35-30, but went scoreless on four powerplay chances. Rogers converted two-of-three powerplay opportunities. Connor Amundson was in net for the visitors. CHS averaged eight goals a game during an eight-game win streak that dated back to Jan. 17. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub game sheet. View the game photos in the CHS Hockey Photocast.
Cathedral earns 18th win over Princeton
Even-strength goals by Austin Poganski and Austin Swingle set the tone for a 6-1 Granite Ridge Conference win over Princeton Feb. 11 at the MAC. Mitch Fritz maintained his hot hand, scoring twice and recording two assists. Danny Johnston and Ryan Kissner also scored. Johnston reached the 50-point threshold on the season with an assist on the final goal of the game. The senior captain electrified the crowd in the second-period with breakaway goal over the Princeton goalie's right shoulder. Josh Robak saved 25. View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF). View the game photos in the CHS Hockey Photocast. Photos by Mike Hornung and Jeff Wood.
Fritz fries the Tigers
Junior wing Mitch Fritz continued his torrid scoring spree, notching four goals and an assist in Cathedral's 7-2 road win Feb. 10 in Hutchinson. Senior defenseman Michael Kerber recorded two assists, including a faceoff-circle-to-red line pass to a streaking Fritz, who buried a breakaway goal, his second, to give CHS a 2-1 lead with 4:30 remaining in the first. Tommy Hall scored the oddest goal of the game. While racing down the right boards in the first period, the sophomore forward wristed a at the goalie. The pucked rebounded high into the air. As the puck came down it bounced off the goalie's back and into the net. Austin Swingle and Danny Johnston each scored a goal for CHS. Connor Amundson saved 13. Fritz has recorded 14 goals and five assists in the last seven games. With three regular season games remaining, the Crusaders' 17 wins surpass the season-win totals of the 2010 and 2011 Cathedral teams. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub game sheet. View the game photos in the CHS Hockey Photocast. Photos by Andy Golebiowski.
Coaches
Eric Johnson, coach
Ron Brown, assistant
Tom Bruce, assistant
Dave Erickson, goalies
Nick Thibault, assistant
Nick Maiers, assistant
Managers
Tommy Weisbrich
Tom Baker
Statistician
Elliott Jaye
Blue Line Club
Scott Bailey, president
Keith Swingle, past president
Jeff Spethmann, vice president
Mary Jo Robak, treasurer
Brigid Golebiowski, secretary
Jeff Wood, website
Activities
Emmett Kennan, activities director
Julie Murphy, administrative assistant
Administration
Mike Mullin, president
Lynn Grewing, principal
2009-10 Season Summaries
16-9-2 record
Wright County Conference title
Section 5A quarter-final win
2/27 - Cathedral 1, Duluth Denfeld 2
St. Cloud Cathedral lost 2-1 to Duluth Denfeld in a Section 5A semi-final game Feb. 27 in Cloquet. Nick Maiers stopped 35 shots. Kyle Kudak scored the lone goal on assists from Jordan Palusky and Alex Koopmeiners. Denfeld scored its goals in the first period. Cathedral scored with 43 seconds remaining. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub scoresheet.
2/25 - Proctor 1, Cathedral 5
Cathedral scored powerplay, even-strength and short-handed goals to power past the Proctor Rails 5-1 in a Section 5A quarterfinal game Feb. 25 at Dave Torrey Arena. The Crusaders opened scoring with a second-period powerplay goal by Robbie Stocker. Mitch Fritz set up an Alex Koopmeiners goal off a second-period faceoff. In the third period Kyle Kudak netted a wrister from the high slot on a Tyler McMorrow centering feed. Jordan Palusky then put two nails in the coffin, scoring short-handed on a Kudak pass and scoring on the man-advantage with help from Koopmeiners. Nick Maiers saved 27. St. Cloud recorded 41 shots on goal. View the RinkWriter scoresheet.
2/20 - Cathedral 1, Marshall School 3
Sophmore Jordan Revier scored the lone goal for St. Cloud as Cathedral lost 3-1 to the Marshall School Feb. 20 at Mars Lakeview Arena in Duluth. The Crusaders finish with a regular-season record of 15-8-2. Cathedral was scoreless through four powerplay opportunities, giving up a short-handed goal during the first man-advantage situation. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub scoresheet.
2/18 - Waconia 0, Cathedral 6
Calvin Herold stopped every shot -- including a pair of one-on-one situations -- and six skaters scored as Cathedral defeated Waconia 6-0 Feb. 18 at Dave Torrey Arena. The win clinched the Wright County Conference title for the Crusaders, who finish with a 9-1-2 mark. View the conference standings.
Among the St. Cloud scorers was Mitchell Fritz, freshman defender, who scored his first varsity goal on a third-period slapshot from the point. The puck was retrieved and resided in the right coat pocket of Ron Brown, assistant coach, for the remainder of the game. Also scoring were Kyle Kudak, Jordan Palusky, Danny Johnston, Gavin Durant and Jordan Revier. Revier recorded three assists. Cathedral out-shot the Wildcats 35-16. The win raises the team's overall record to 15-7-2. View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF).
2/16 - Mound-Westonka 0, Cathedral 0 (OT)
Despite 51 shots on goal, Cathedral tied Mound-Westonka in a scoreless overtime home game Feb. 16 at Dave Torrey Arena. Nick Maiers stopped 31 shots and was perfect through four Whitehawk powerplays. The Wright County Conference tie marked the second game in less than a week Cathedral skaters launched more than 50 shots at a red-hot goalie. Tuesday it was Aaron Davis, the save-percentage leader in Minnesota boys high school (.948). Friday it was Delano-Rockford's seventh-ranked Jason Dzurik (.926). View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF).
2/13 - Cathedral 2, Alexandria 4
Cathedral lost 4-2 in Alexandria Feb. 13. Scoring for St. Cloud were Jordan Palusky and Alex Koopmeiners. The lone assist went to Gavin Durant, who set up the Koopmeiners goal that gave St. Cloud a 2-1 lead late in the second period. Alexandria out-shot Cathedral 33-21. The Crusaders, using a short bench, skated 110 minutes in 22 hours against two strong teams Friday and Saturday. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub scoresheet.
2/12 - Delano-Rockford 3, Cathedral 3 (OT)
The Crusaders fought to a 3-3 overtime tie against Delano-Rockford Feb. 12 at Ritsche Arena in St. Cloud. Jordan Palusky had a pair of goals and an assist for St. Cloud. The Tigers feature one of the best goal-scorers (third-ranked Tyler Heinonen) and best goalies (fifth-ranked Jason DeZurik) in Minnesota boys high school hockey. DeZurik stopped 52 shots, including 25 in the third period and eight-minute overtime combined. Heinonen set up the first-period goals that gave the Tigers a 2-0 lead. Bret Schwinghammer scored early in the third to help the Crusaders get back in the game at 2-2. Nick Maiers stopped 20 shots. View the Rinkwriter scoresheet (PDF).
2/9 - Cathedral 7, Orono 3
Cathedral's senior forwards made a statement with seven goals in a 7-3 defeat of Orono Feb. 9 in Long Lake. The Crusaders amassed 47 shots on goal. Nick Maiers recorded 25 saves. St. Cloud led 5-1 after two periods on pair of goals by Alex Koopmeiners and goals by Kyle Kudak, Jordan Palusky and Tyler McMorrow. In the final frame McMorrow and Palusky each scored again. Another senior forward, Robbie Stocker, had three assists. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub scoresheet.
2/6 - Cathedral 7, Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato 2
Cathedral's fast feet and faster hands prevailed Feb. 6 in a 7-2 win over Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato at Litchfield Civic Arena. The Dragons brought a bruising forecheck, but it was no match for the . . .
- Tip-in talents of Robbie Stocker (two goals).
- Dangling of Alex Koopmeiners (unassisted goal).
- Booming slapshot of Austin Swingle (powerplay goal).
- Stick-savvy of Tyler McMorrow (unassisted goal) and T.J. Bruce (unassisted goal).
- Sniper accuracy of Danny Johnston (goal on an assist from Tommy McMorrow).
Nick Maiers saved 23. In all, nine players earned points, including Jordan Palusky (assist) and Bret Swinghammer (assist). View the Minnesota Hockey Hub scoresheet.
1/30 - Cathedral 4, Victoria 0
Nick Maiers recorded 28 saves and a pair of defensemen scored to lift Cathedral to a 4-0 win over Holy Family Catholic Jan. 30 in Victoria. Austin Swingle and Patrick Larkin each scored their first varsity goals. Jordan Palusky scored a pair of goals. This was Maiers' fifth shutout of the season. No scoresheet available.
1/26 - Cathedral 4, Waconia 0
Cathedral launched 47 shots in a 4-0 road win Jan. 26 in Waconia. Scoring for Cathedral were Bret Schwinghammer, Alex Koopmeiners, T.J. Bruce and Tyler McMorrow. Cathedral's 12 minutes of penalties included two double-minors. Nick Maiers made 17 saves. The game marked the return of injured players Austin Swingle and McMorrow. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub scoresheet.
1/21 - Cathedral 4, Mound-Westonka 2
The Crusaders got off the bus in Mound worrying about their two-game losing streak. Five hours later it was all smiles as Cathedral, aided by some young guns, won a 4-2 Wright County Conference game Jan. 21 against Mound-Westonka. Sophomore Ryan Kissner, playing his first significant varsity minutes, set up Chris Knoblauch's opening goal and got the second helper on Alex Koopmeiner's first-period tally. Kyle Kudak scored a powerplay goal in the second with help from Koopmeiners and Robbie Stocker. Cathedral showed close-out power by out-shooting the home team in the third period and getting a goal just as the White Hawks looked to bring in a sixth skater. T.J. Bruce and sophomore Sam Wood set up a Jordan Revier tip-in to seal the win. Knoblauch's goal was his first varsity score. Nick Maiers recorded 27 saves. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub scoresheet.
1/19 - Cathedral 2, Delano-Rockford 4
When puck luck dries up and the calls don't come, when injuries mount and karma is in short supply -- that's when you savor the small victories. The Crusaders lost 4-2 to the Delano-Rockford Tigers in Delano Jan. 19, but the Cathedral players did win some battles:
- Twice in the first period Nick Maiers stopped point-blank forehand blasts by Tyler Heinonen, the No. 2 goal scorer in Class A.
- In the final minute of the first, Jordan Revier scored an off-hand wrister on feeds from Danny Johnston and T.J. Bruce.
- With seconds remaining in the second, Johnston hammered a Tiger to the boards in front of the Cathedral bench.
- With 7:55 on the game clock, the puck turned over at the blue line. Jason Janzen -- giving away seven inches and gosh knows how many pounds -- battled Heinonen across the slot and prevented a shot on goal.
- In the final seconds, Robbie Stocker scored a quick one-timer off the goalie's left post. Setting up the goal were Kyle Kudak and Alex Koopmeiners. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub scoresheet.
1/16 - Cathedral 0, Hermantown 8
Special teams breakdowns contributed to a 8-0 running-time loss Jan. 16 in Hermantown. Cathedral went 0-for-7 on the powerplay and gave up two shorthanded goals to the Hawks' senior foward Adam Krause. Hermantown scored two powerplay goals. The teams served a combined 30 minutes of penalties. Nick Maiers saved 33. The Crusaders recorded 14 shots on goal. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub scoresheet.
1/15 - Orono 1, Cathedral 3
Senior leaders Alex Koopmeiners, Jordan Palusky and Nick Maiers delivered the goods in a 3-1 win over Orono Jan. 15 at Dave Torrey Arena in St. Cloud. Koopmeiners scored the gamewinner and the insurance empty-net goal. Palusky got the Crusaders on the scoreboard after the team amassed 30 shots but no goals through two periods. Palusky's tally was a powerplay goal on a T.J. Bruce helper 2:28 into the third. Maiers made 31 saves and totalled nearly 38 minutes of shutout goaltending to finish the game. The Crusaders recorded 43 shots on goal. View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF).
1/11 - L/D-C 4, Cathedral 5 (OT)
Senior Robbie Stocker scored the game-tying and game-winning goals in Cathedral's 5-4 overtime win over Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato Jan. 11 in St. Cloud. And, Cal Herold won his first start of the season, recording 38 saves. With 51 seconds remaining and the Crusaders skating 6-on-5, Stocker knocked in a rebound from a Kyle Kudak shot. In the overtime Herold made eight saves -- none more important than solving the two-man breakaway that brought a roar from the crowd at Dave Torrey Arena. Officials called 19 penalties, including the one the gave St. Cloud a man advantage five minutes into overtime. On the powerplay Stocker scored off Bryce Johnson's glove as the LDC goalie reached toward his left post. Stocker also had two assists in the game. Scoring earlier for Cathedral were Alex Koopmeiners, Jordan Revier and Jordan Palusky. View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF).
1/9 - Cathedral 1, Bemidji 6
A Pat Larkin to Jordan Palusky power-play goal was St. Cloud's only score as the Crusaders dropped a 6-1 game to Bemidji Jan. 9 at Nymore Arena in Bemidji. The Lumberjacks out-shot Cathedral 38-23. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub scoresheet.
1/8 - Cathedral 0, Warroad 3
Nick Maiers recorded 27 saves in a 3-0 loss to third-ranked Warroad Jan. 8 at the Gardens in Warroad. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub scoresheet.
1/5 - Holy Family 0, Cathedral 3
Kyle Kudak scored two powerplay goals to lead Cathedral to a 3-0 home win over Holy Family of Victoria. The senior forward struck 2:31 into the game with assists from Austin Swingle and Bret Schwinghammer. Kudak's second tally was set up by Swingle. Robbie Stocker recorded an unassisted third-period powerplay goal. Nick Maiers saved 22. View the RinkWriter scoresheet.
1/2 - Rochester Lourdes 3, Cathedral 5
Cathedral relied on a balanced attack to defeat Rochester Lourdes 5-3 Jan. 2 at Dave Torrey Arena, St. Cloud. It took a period to beat the holiday home-cookin' blues, but then the Crusaders caught fire with five, second-period goals. Jordan Palusky scored nine seconds into the second frame on helpers from Austin Swingle and Bret Schwinghammer. Less than a minute later, Jordan Revier scored on assists from Tyler McMorrow and T.J. Bruce. Five minutes into the frame, Revier set up a Bruce goal. In the final minute of the period, McMorrow scored a powerplay goal, with help from Bruce, and Alex Koopmeiers scored from Kyle Kudak and Palusky. Nick Maiers faced 36 shots. View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF).
12/22 - Cathedral 4, Sauk Rapids 0
Balanced scoring and team defense produced a 4-0 win over the Sauk Rapids-Rice Storm Dec. 22 at Sports Arena East. Scoring for the Cathedral Crusaders were Jordan Revier, T.J. Bruce, Jordan Palusky and Robbie Stocker. Nick Maiers stopped 17. St. Cloud started the scoring five minutes into the game on a Danny Johnston assist to Revier. Palusky and Joe Weir set up Bruce's second-period tally. Palusky scored later in the second on a Tyler McMorrow helper. Kyle Kudak and Alex Koopmeiners fed Stocker for St. Cloud's final goal half way through the second frame. Cathedral held the Storm to just two shots on goal in the final, scoreless period. View the Minnesota Hockey Hub scoresheet.
12/19 - Little Falls 0, Cathedral 2
The Crusaders defeated Little Falls 2-0 Dec. 19 at Dave Torrey Arena behind the goaltending of Nick Maiers, who recorded 17 saves. Scoring for Cathedral were Tyler McMorrow and Jordan Palusky. Palusky and T.J. Bruce were credited with assists on the first goal. Setting up the second tally were Austin Swingle and Alex Keepmeiners. The Flyers' game roster included six freshmen and five sophomores. View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF).
12/15 - Cathedral 1, Rogers 4
Cathedral lost 4-1 to the Rogers Royals Dec. 15 at Rogers Activity Center. Scoring the Crusaders' lone goal at 8:03 in the third period was Tyler McMorrow. Assisting on the play were Robbie Stocker and T.J. Bruce. Nick Maiers had 33 saves.
12/12 - Denfeld 1, Cathedral 5
A ferocious start fueled Cathedral's 5-1 win over Duluth Denfeld Dec. 12 at Ritsche Arena. The Crusaders knocked Duluth back on its heels with five unanswered goals, including four in the first frame. Scoring a pair was T.J. Bruce. Also scoring were Alex Koopmeiners, Kyle Kudak and Jordan Revier. Three of the goals were two-assist tallies, evidence that the Crusaders' passing game was in top form. St. Cloud's record is 3-1-0. View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF).
12/11 - Breck 8, Cathedral 3
Outshot nearly 3-to-1, Cathedral lost 8-3 Dec. 11 at Dave Torrey Arena in St. Cloud to a deep and talented Breck School team. The Golden Valley skaters got a hat trick from senior Chase Nystedt and a pair of goals from college prospect Tyson Fulton. Nick Maiers recorded 52 saves for the Crusaders. Scoring for Cathedral were Jordan Palusky, T.J. Bruce and Robbie Stocker. Palusky's first-period tally was an unassisted, low-angle wrist shot. Bruce scored in the second frame after stripping Fulton on the forecheck. Senior Gavin Durant set up Stocker's third-period goal. A statistical bright spot: St. Cloud won 45 faceoffs, 13 more than Breck. St. Cloud's record falls to 2-1-0. View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF).
12/4 - Cathedral 5, Sartell-St. Stephen 3
A wrist shot, blueline greetings and a chase down. Jason Janzen established his presence early against a strong Sartell-St. Stephen team dominated by upperclassmen. Cathedral won 5-3 Dec. 4 at Bernick's Pepsi Arena to raise its record to 2-0-0. Janzen's score from the the point less than seven minutes into the game set the tone for the Crusaders. The senior defenseman stood-up larger forwards at the top of the zone. And, he ruined a Sabre breakaway by catching up to the skater and disrupting his shot. Also scoring for Cathedral were Tyler McMorrow, T.J. Bruce, Jordan Revier and Joe Weir. Lefty Revier's goal came on a classic curl out of the corner. Weir's score was his first varsity tally. Collecting assists were Robbie Stocker, Austin Swingle, Kyle Kudak, Bret Schwinghammer and Revier. Nick Maiers made 28 saves. The Crusaders had 28 shots on goal. View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF).
12/1 - Apollo 1, Cathedral 7
The most memorable of Jordan Palusky's four goals proved he can be game-changing player on both ends of the sheet. In neutral ice the senior blocked a pass with his body, recovered the puck and skated in for an unassisted goal. The Crusaders beat Apollo 7-1 Dec. 1 before a Dave Torrey Arena crowd. Jordan Revier, Kyle Kudak and T.J. Bruce also scored. Collecting assists were Robbie Stocker, Tyler McMorrow, Palusky and Revier. The game marked the varsity debut of skaters such as defensemen Austin Swingle, Patrick Larkin, Craig Pfannenstein and Joe Weir and forwards Mitch Fritz and Danny Johnston. Cathedral outshot Apollo 36-10. View the RinkWriter scoresheet (PDF).