The River Lakes Stars girls’ and boys’ hockey teams are closing in on the end of theirregular -seasons – both maintaining winning records.
Girls’ Hockey
Since the last reported girls’ game Dec. 21, the Stars have gone 3-3-1 and hold a 12-9-1 record– good enough for second place in the Section 2A standings. Minnesota River holds the top spot in the section at 16-3-1, according to the QRF rankings as of Jan. 21.
Working from the latest report in the Tri-County News, the Stars fell to Fergus Falls on the road by a 6-2 final on Jan. 2, defeated Hutchinson 3-1 at home on Jan. 4, tied Willmar 1-1 at home Jan. 7, fell to Sartell/Sauk Rapids 1-0 in overtime on the road Jan. 9, defeated Buffalo 3-2 at home Jan. 4, defeated first-place Minnesota River 4-0 at home Jan. 16, and fell to Warroad 2-0 on the road Jan. 18. The team plays its home games at the Paynesville Arena.
According to Minnesota Girls Hockey Hub, Sophia Hess leads the team in points with 43 on 27 goals and 16 assists, followed by Peyton Roeske with 22 points on seven goals and 15 assists, and Abby Storms 20 points on nine goals and 11 assists. Goalie Kaydence Roeske has logged the most minutes in the net for the Stars, and has recorded a .943 save percentage this season.
After hosting Alexandria on Jan. 21, the team closes out its regular season with two road games – at St. Cloud on Thursday, Jan. 23 and at Chisago Lakes Area on Tuesday, Jan. 28. The Section 2A Girls Hockey Tournament opens on Thursday, Feb. 6.
Boys’ Hockey
Since the last reported boys’ game on Dec. 17, the Stars have gone 6-4 and hold a 10-6-2 record – placing the team sixth in the nine-team Section 5A standings. Monticello holds the top spot in the section at 15-1-1, according to the QRF rankings as of Jan. 21.
Working from the latest report in the Tri-County News, the Stars went on a season-long five-game winning streak from Dec. 27 to Jan. 7. During that streak, the team earned a 3-2 overtime victory over Fargo North in West Fargo on Dec. 27, defeated Marshall 10-3 in West Fargo on Dec. 28, started the new year with a 7-5 home win over Fergus Falls on Jan. 2, defeated Breckenridge/Wahpeton 5-4 in overtime on the road on Jan. 3, and capped the winning streak with an 8-2 road win over Willmar on Jan. 7.
The team’s streak ended in a 5-4 overtime home loss to Sauk Rapids-Rice on Jan. 9. The Stars bounced back with a 5-4 road win over Princeton on Jan. 10. The team is currently in the midst of a three-game losing streak, including a 5-2 road loss to Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato on Jan. 14, a 1-0 home defeat to Northern Lakes Jan. 16, and a 4-3 road loss to Alexandria on Jan. 20. The team plays its home games at the River Lakes Civic Arena in Richmond.
According to Minnesota Boys Hockey Hub, Blake Schultz leads the Stars in points with 41 on 21 goals and 20 assists, followed by Jaiken Mackedanz with 26 points on six goals and 20 assists, Parker Welz 24 points on 18 goals and six assists, and Jace Griffin 21 points on six goals and 15 assists. William Robinson has logged the most minutes in the net for the Stars, and has recorded an .859 save percentage.
After hosting Becker/Big Lake to begin a five-game homestand Jan. 21, the team hosts Prairie Centre Area on Tuesday, Jan. 28. After that contest, the team has five more games in its regular season – one that ends Feb. 11.