Boys hockey wins 1st conference crown
This year’s New Prague Trojan boys hockey team pulled off a first for the program in its 34-year history.
The team won the Missota Conference championship.
New Prague had been banging on the door, having finished second or third in each of the last five years, This year, despite losing their two top returning scorers to transfers, they were able to take the final step and claim the Missota title.
New Prague finished with a 12-1-1 conference record, (15-8-2 overall) with Holy Angels placing second at 11- 2-1 and Northfield third at 10-4.
The Trojans closed out the final week of the season with a pair of wins against Red Wing and Northfield. New Prague, seeded No. 3, will open Section 1A play Thursday, Feb. 21, at home against Faribault. The No. 6 seed Falcons defeated No. 11 Waseca 8-2 on Tuesday.
Game time is 7 p.m. New Prague did not face Faribault this season. If they win, the Trojans travel to Rochester where they will face either No. 2 Mankato West or No. 7 Red Wing. West defeated the Trojans in the first game of the season, while the Trojans went to overtime both times they face Red Wing, tieing one and winning one.
Trojans 2, Wingers 1 New Prague clinched at least a tie for the Missota Conference title Tuesday, Feb. 12, at Red Wing, but it wasn’t easy.
The Wingers, who finished with just four wins on the season, outshot the Trojans in the first period 12-9 and got the only goal midway through the period to take a 1-0 lead.
New Prague would not answer until the third period, when Jack Pexa scored a power play goal, with assists to Alex Gregor and Ben Witt, at 3:57 of the third period.
The Wingers outshot the Trojans 29-25 during regulation, but in overtime it was a different story. New Prague came hard at the Wingers, outshooting them 7-2, Pexa got the game-winner 4:36 into the extra session.
Evan Bisek stopped 30 of 31 shots for the Trojans.
Trojans 6, Raiders 2 New Prague exploded for six goals in the second period of its regular season finale against Northfield to take a 6-2 win over the Raiders Saturday, Feb. 16.
The win gave the Trojans the Missota Conference championship outright and also assured them of the No. 3 seed in the Section 1A tournament, with Northfield getting the fourth seed.
New Prague erupted for three goals in a span of 74 seconds early in the second period. Senior Cody Meyer opened the scoring at 3:08 of the period, with assists to Kain Wagner and Nick Sampson.
Austin Kilian scored at 3:53, with assists to Meyer and Austin Isaacson.
The Raiders took a 5- minute major penalty for boarding just 13 seconds later, and New Prague wasted no time capitalizing, with Isaacson scoring just 16 seconds into the penalty for a 3- 0 lead. Kilian and Seth Kriha got assists.
The Trojans gave up a shorthanded goal at 4:41, then scored another power play goal at 7:47, with Alex Gregor scoring from Jake Klein and Ben Witt.
The Raiders took another major penalty late in the period, and that resulted in two more power play goals, both by Isaacson to complete a hat trick. Goaltender Evan Bisek assisted on the first one, at 13:45, and Jake Klein assisted on the second, at 14:10.
Northfield scored on a power play in the third period, making the final 6-2.
The Trojans outshot the Raiders 25-9 in the second period and 46-30 for the contest. Bisek stopped 28 of 30 shots for the win.
