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 Crookston.
How last season went
Crookston had a year they will try to forget. The Pirates lost their first 13 games to start the season, being outscored 61-19 during that stretch. The Mariucci conference was not kind to them, as teams like Warroad and Moorhead made quick work against the Pirates in each meeting. Crookston finished the regular season with a record of 4-21-0, however entering playoffs they did manage to win 3 of their last 5 games.
The Pirates had a nice send-off for the seniors as they defeated Park Rapids 7-1 in the play-in game, a team that counted for two of their wins in the regular season as well. However, they quickly met their fate in the first round of the Section 8A playoffs against East Grand Forks, losing 10-1 to end their season.
Who’s gone and who’s back
Good news for Crookston is they’re a very young team and only graduated 8 Seniors. Of those eight, the two that will be missed most on the stat sheet are forwards Ben Andringa and Joey Doda. They combined for 34 points (12G, 22A) and were on the top line with leading scorer, Jack Doda Jack Doda 5'8" | forward Crookston | 2023 MN .
Jack is the younger brother of Joey Doda, and is only 16 years old. He is already the clear #1 scorer on this team and it’s not even close, putting up 19 goals and 11 assists last season. The rest of the team combined for 35 goals, meaning Jack accounted for roughly 35% of their goals as a Freshman. That’s not including the 6 points he contributed (3G, 3A) in the Pirates 7-1 play-in victory over Park Rapids.
What to expect next season
Crookston has a ways to go to be a threat in Section 8A, but have plenty to look forward to in the coming season. If they can build a line around Jack Doda Jack Doda 5'8" | forward Crookston | 2023 MN and get a bounce-back season from returning goalie Noah Dragseth, watch for the Pirates to make some noise and hopefully turn their ship around.