Continued: Jefferson ready for Burnsville rematch

Being it is the final day of the Prep Bowl, Saturday has been circled on high school athletes' calendars for some time now. But at Bloomington Jefferson it's the hockey team that has been looking forward to Nov. 29.

It marks nine months and six days since the Jaguars lost in overtime to Burnsville in the Class 2A, Section 2 semifinals. And wouldn't you know it? The Blaze comes to town Saturday to open the season.

Seeing Burnsville on the schedule to open the year brought a smile to the faces of Jefferson's players.

"I was happy," senior forward A.J. Siiro said. "I want payback."

Jefferson has 12 players returning from last year's team that finished 17-7-3. Three of those seven losses came to Burnsville -- all by one goal. Two were in overtime.

"We've been waiting for this since we lost," senior defenseman Tim LaBombard said. "It's always in the back of your head; it ticks you off a little bit. We just want to go out there and do better than last year. And I think it's there."

Jeff Lindquist, in his seventh season at the helm of the Jaguars, is in the camp of using last year's overtime loss to Burnsville in the playoffs as motivation. "It might come up once or twice," he said, laughing.

But on a broader scale, the veteran coach also knows there are plenty of other teams out there to worry about. With a good number of players back, Jefferson is expected to be near the top of the tough Lake Conference. The presence of a veteran team means not only high expectations within, but a clear target for other teams.

"As good as you can make yourself on any given night," Lindquist said, "you can do some great things or you can get knocked off. That's why I like our schedule. It has no easy games, and that prepares us for those challenges."

Jefferson is ranked No. 5 in Class 2A in the Let's Play Hockey preseason poll. The Jaguars are one of three Lake Conference teams ranked, joining Eden Prairie (9) and Burnsville (15).

Already Jefferson is proving its strengths outside the conference, too.

Last Saturday, the Jaguars defeated Duluth East (ranked No. 3 in the preseason poll), Centennial (4) and Blaine (10) in a round of scrimmages.

Yes, those were just exhibition games. But the confidence the team gained following those games is immeasurable.

"For a third of our team it was their first varsity experience," Lindquist said. "Their first real varsity challenge. And the effort was good, we really moved the puck well."

With the regular season on the horizon, those newcomers will find out quick what varsity hockey is all about. At Jefferson, a big part of that is keeping with tradition.

The Jaguars have advanced to state 16 times, the last in 2005.

Jefferson's coaching staff made its final round of cuts for the varsity team Friday. Lindquist had a message for those who made the team.

"We talked to the guys about how a lot of their friends didn't make it," Lindquist said. "And [those who did make it] owe it to them to put in their best effort every day. And you owe it to the alumni to continue the tradition of working hard, playing together. Success has come from those two things."

It all starts anew Saturday, with a little bit of old dating to last year.

"It's really big," Siiro said. "And I think we're ready for it."

Brian Stensaas • 612-673-4127

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