Offseason Breakdown No.78: St. Cloud Cathedral
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 St.…
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Continue ReadingWith 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 St. Cloud Cathedral.
How last season went
St. Cloud Cathedral entered the season with a massive target on their backs as they were the defending 2019 State Champions of class A. Despite all of that pressure, they put together an even better regular season than the previous year. The Crusaders finished with an impressive 20-3-1 record and the top seed in section 6A. Those 20 wins included victories over Andover, Orono, Delano, and Mahtomedi.
Section playoffs went even smoother than the previous year as well, as the Crusaders took down Prarie Center, River Lakes, and Alexandria with ease, outscoring each team by a total of 24-3.
The defending champions drew the #2 seed again for Class A and made quick work of unseeded Mankato East/Loyal with an 11-2 triumph to set them up with Hermantown, who they faced and tied 5-5 in the regular season. This matchup would go much differently, as St. Cloud Cathedral was outshot 43-27 and was left stunned with a 6-2 loss.
The Crusaders never stopped battling, however, as they faced #1 seeded Warroad in the 3rd place game and managed to score 4 unanswered goals in the 3rd period in a come from behind victory. Once again, the Crusaders ended their season on a high note.
Who’s gone and who’s back
After two amazing seasons, St. Cloud Cathedral was bound to lose some of their key players that took the program to new heights. Leading scorers Blake Perbix Blake Perbix Forward St. Cloud Cathedral | 2020 State MN (30G, 62A), Nate Warner Nate Warner Forward St. Cloud Cathedral | 2020 State MN (33G, 43A), Mack Motzko Mack Motzko 5'11" | Forward St. Cloud Cathedral | 2020 State MN (29G,31A), Jack Smith Jack Smith Forward St. Cloud Cathedral | 2020 State MN (27G,24A) all have skated their final games for the Blue and Gold.
On the bright side, the Crusaders are returning two big pieces to their team, Cullen Hiltner, Nolan Widman, and Grant Martin. Hiltner and Widman were elite scorers last season, combining for 25 goals and 44 assists. Martin, a junior, started 23 games in net with a 2.60 GAA and .890 SV%.
What to expect next season
St. Cloud Cathedral has a winning culture, appearing in 4 of the last 5 State Tournaments and winning in 2019. If they want to continue this legacy of success, they will need to develop key players like Cullen Hiltner, Nolan Widman, and Grant Martin. Otherwise, teams like Alexandria might be back in the mix to come out of Section 6A.