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Roseau hungry in pursuit of perfection
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Hockey players dream big growing up in tiny Roseau, yet boys' hockey coach Scott Oliver insists there are no pie-in-the-sky ambitions tied to competing in the state tournament.
Backed by a school enrollment barely over 400 kids, the Rams nonetheless are committed to competing in Class 2A, accepting the realities that go with their decision.
"We're not going to be able to compete for a state title every year," Oliver said, "but every few years we think we can make a run at it."
Yet they arrive in St. Paul today as defending Class 2A champs, the owners of a 28-0 record, with the designation as the tournament's No. 1 seed.
They bring with them defenseman Aaron Ness, the odds-on favorite to be this season's Mr. Hockey. Ness, who has committed to the Gophers, possesses the type of talent that makes him a must-see for any fan of the game. But there's more.
The standout goaltending from Mike Lee. A bruising power forward in Nick Oliver. A work ethic second to none. And, a devoted fan base that already knows how to party in the big city.
High school officials began selling Roseau's allotment of 1,428 tickets at 8:30 Monday morning. They were all spoken for by a little after 2 p.m. Athletic director Terry Gotziaman said he detected some unfamiliar faces in the ticket line.
"Some new people jumping on the bandwagon," Gotziaman said.
With good reason. The Rams can add to the already rich tradition of boys' hockey at Roseau by winning its eighth state title. The Rams are tied with International Falls for the most hockey state championships in Minnesota high school history. (Edina has six titles, while Edina East had three.) They also can become the first Class 2A team to win back-to-back titles since Bloomington Jefferson captured three in a row (two in Tier I and one in Class 2A) from 1992-94.
The fans' excitement might be exceeded by that of the players.
"I think this team is very similar to the one we had last year," Ness said. "We have some new leaders this season, and it's time for us to step up."
The seniors are motivated by the fact that this is their last chance to win another title, Oliver said. The underclassmen know this is probably the best chance they'll ever have to win one.
"We've had three things going for us all year," Oliver said. "This team has been hard-working, humble and hungry. They've been hungry to get back to the state tournament, humble after winning the state title last year, and they've worked hard every day."
Thursday's quarterfinal game with Blaine (20-8) will be a rematch of the outdoor game played between the two teams on Baudette Bay on Feb. 9. The Rams won 1-0 in frigid conditions that prevented either team from exhibiting its skills.
Oliver said it was the most miserable experience he's had as a coach.
"It was like leading an expedition up Mount Everest," he said. "It was all about survival. After the first period we were taking the kids' skates off to check for frostbite.
"Between the second and third period we were famished, because when it is that cold you burn so many more calories trying to stay warm. I had to buy 25 Snickers bars. Some of the guys don't even like Snickers, but at that point they tasted like the best thing they'd ever had."
They might be saying the same thing about their latest trip to St. Paul.
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When I moved to the cities from northern wisconsin I had been to 2 state tournaments in my home state. 6,000 fans rocked the wisconsin … read more badgers stadium with the excitement of high school hockey. That first year in the cities I went to the state title game Moorhead vs Centenial. I marched up to the ticket booth and asked what were the best seats? When they told me the game was sold out I was dumbfounded... They sold 18,000 tickets to a high school hockey game!!!!!!!!!!!! I couldn't believe it. So I hit the streets and bought a couple of nose bleed tickets for more than face value and witnessed a 1-0 game that I will remember forever. thank you Minnesota for having such devoted players and devoted fans of the great game of hockey!
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