Offseason breakdown No. 19: Moorhead
With most sports on hold and the 2020-21 season still months out, it’s time to take a look at teams from all over the State of Hockey and examine what happened this past season and what’s ahead. The next team…
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Continue ReadingWith most sports on hold and the 2020-21 season still months out, it’s time to take a look at teams from all over the State of Hockey and examine what happened this past season and what’s ahead. The next team we’re breaking down is Moorhead.
How last season went
It’s hardly a surprise that Moorhead was among one of the state’s best again during the 2019-20 season, given the fact the Spuds have produced NHL talent such as Stanley Cup champion Matt Cullen.
During the month of January, Moorhead failed to lose a game as the Spuds rattled off seven consecutive wins. By regular season’s end, Moorhead had an 18-5-1 record while defeating top-tier programs such as Edina, Eden Prairie and Roseau.
The Spuds entered Section 8AA play as the favorite and rolled onto the state tournament as they got past Bemidji, St. Cloud and Roseau in the section final.
Once at the state tournament, fourth-seeded Moorhead had a tough go of it as the Spuds fell to eventual state champion Hill-Murray and the quarterfinal and lost to Andover in the consolation bracket.
Who’s back and who’s gone
The Moorhead team that made a trip to the 2020 state tournament will hardly look the same come November. All five of the Spuds’ leaders in points are graduating. That includes Cullen Gess, Caden Triggs, Carter Johnson and Luke Gramer Luke Gramer Defense Moorhead | 2020 State MN . They each tallied at least 33 points last season. To make matters worse, goaltender Hudson Hodges Hudson Hodges Goalie Moorhead | 2020 State MN is also graduating after posting a 2.08 goals against average and a .922 save percentage.
What to expect next season
As previously mentioned, Moorhead loses a lot from the 2019-20 team. But this is also a program that consistently reloads rather than rebuilds. It’s hard to rule the Spuds out in any given year.