Boys Hockey: Lightning eliminated in state quarterfinals

The Lightning boys hockey team's first trip to the state tournament was a bittersweet one, as the team was overwhelmed by the offensive attack of Gentry Academy of St. Paul in an 8-0 state quarterfinal defeat Tuesday, March 30, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

The Stars dominated the puck, spending much of the game in the offensive zone and averaging 13.6 shots on goal per period while limiting the Lightning to just 5.6 shots per period.

“We were ready for a really good opponent,” Coach Craig Larson. “We didn’t expect it to be anything but a competitive game. That is a good team and you can’t take that fact away … We went out and played Lightning hockey on the biggest platform in the state. We were one of the last eight teams to be playing hockey in the state for Class A, and we are pretty proud of that.”

Senior goalie Adler Hoagland stopped 25 shots as the Lightning finish a program-best season with an 18-4 record, a first-ever section championship and a first-ever trip to the state tournament.

“I am so proud of our kids,” Larson said. “It was hard to keep it together to congratulate them when we were done. With everything that COVID has taken from these kids, I am just so grateful that having the dream season we had still had a state tournament and an opportunity for these kids to showcase themselves and their hockey program.”

The team now parts with 11 seniors, including leading scorers Caiden Kjelstrom and Hunter Nybakken, as well as goalies Hoagland and Jeremiah Smythe.

“They are the absolute teammates,” Larson said. “They care about each other and their teammates. They are such high-character kids - every one of them. They set the bar for Northern Lakes hockey moving forward. We are going to miss them … They are going to do some great things.”

Northern Lakes 0 0 0 - 0

Gentry Academy 2 4 2 - 8

First Period

GA - Damon Furuseth SH 4:42

GA - Furuseth (Reese Shaw, Wes Berg) 8:43

Second Period

GA - Nick Sajevic (Kaden Miles, Bailey McGraw) 0:33

GA - Milles (Andrew Mosley, Brevan Grigus) 5:13

GA - Furuseth PP (Connor Brown) 13:22

GA - Brown SH (Berg) 15:17

Third Period

GA - Zach Reim (McGraw) 0:39

GA - Sajevic (Reim, Isaiah Norlin) 15:03

Shots on goal: NL 5-9-3 17, GA 14-14-13 41

Goalies: NL-Adler Hoagland (25 saves), Jeremiah Smythe (5 saves); GA-Alex Timmons (17 saves)

1/6: Northern Lakes forward Caiden Kjelstrom (7) has his shot deflected by Gentry Academy goalie Alex Timmons (32) in the first period of the State Boys Hockey Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. (Jason Wachter / The Rink Live)

2/6: Northern Lakes defenseman Erik Larsen (20) takes the puck away from the goal against Gentry Academy in the first period of the State Boys Hockey Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. (Jason Wachter / The Rink Live)

3/6: Gentry Academy forward Wes Berg (5) takes a shot on Northern Lakes goalie Adler Hoagland (31) in the first period of the State Boys Hockey Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. (Jason Wachter / The Rink Live)

4/6: Northern Lakes fans in the first period of the State Boys Hockey Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. (Jason Wachter / The Rink Live)

5/6: Northern Lakes players gather before the start of their game against Gentry Academy in the State Boys Hockey Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. (Jason Wachter / The Rink Live)

6/6: Northern Lakes player and coaches talk during break against Gentry Academy in the first period of the State Boys Hockey Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday, March 30, 2021, at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. (Jason Wachter / The Rink Live)