With 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 Orono.
How last season went
Winning a state championship a few short years ago, the Spartans have become well known as a program capable of major success. That was true for Orono during the regular season.
To start the year, the Spartans won eight consecutive games. From there, they continued to cruise. At the end, Orono sported a 21-3-1 record and a 12-1 conference record, good enough for the Wright County Conference crown. Those 21 wins included triumphs over Monticello, Chaska, Hutchinson and Mahtomedi.
Expectations were high for the Spartans entering postseason play as the top seed in Section 2A. All was well and good in the quarterfinals as Orono bested Bloomington Kennedy 5-1. Then, the Spartans saw their possible dream season come crashing down in a 4-0 loss to Armstrong/Cooper in the section semifinals.
Who’s back and who’s gone
With the regular season Orono had, it’s tragic to see its season come to an end prematurely. It’s even more so the case looking at all of the key seniors on the Spartan roster. Zack Simon (31 goals, 39 assists), Nick Mohs-Messerli (26G, 37A), Jamie Bazil (11G, 25A) and Gus Hendrickson (5G, 22A) are all gone from the Orono program.
Besides those departures, Finn Grandy graduates after manning the net in 24 games for the Spartans. He posted a 2.07 goals against average and .912 save percentage.
One solid returner will be Bradley Walker. He was a dynamic scorer for Orono as he tallied 14 goals and 35 assists.
What to expect next season
As mentioned, the Spartans have become a solid program capable of bringing home state championships. If they’re going to maintain that status next season, it means filling a lot of holes. Otherwise, it’s going to be tough sledding for Orono.