Chanhassen boys hockey team awakens, sort of, to prep for the state title game vs. Edina

Chanhassen’s Chase: Today’s story is the 10th in an occasional Star Tribune series that has followed the Chanhassen Storm as they pursued and landed the program’s first trip to the boys hockey state tournament. To read the entire series, tap here.

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By Saturday morning’s team skate, fatigue had crept into Chanhassen’s boys hockey state tournament experience.

”I don’t know about you guys, but I’m ready to sleep in my own bed again,” head coach Sean Bloomfield said.

Associate head coach Zack Friedli is just ready to sleep again, period. He stayed up watching film until 4 a.m. Saturday. Not that he expects any sympathy.

”He told us on the first day of the tournament, ‘I was built for this,’ ” assistant coach Sam Sather said with a smile.

Even the three fans who arrived at Ed Saugestad Arena on Augsburg’s campus were a bit weary. Naomi Smith, her father, Lee Smith, and daughter Gigi Trany experienced weather-related delays (ironic considering the team nickname is the Storm). Three missed flights from Aspen, Colo., to Minneapolis forced the unlucky travelers to stream Friday’s semifinal victory on their smartphones from the plane. They landed around midnight.

”Thank god they won,” Naomi said.

Naomi Smith attended Saturday’s morning session to see nephews Logan and Tyler Smith and to retrieve their skates for Nick Smith, the boys father and her brother, who does not allow the blades to be sharpened by anyone else.

Logistical concerns among the adults couldn’t damper their excitement. Bloomfield knew getting up Saturday morning meant his team was still playing on the season’s final day. Chanhassen faces Edina for the Class 2A state championship at 7 p.m. Saturday. Players rolled into Augsburg in good spirits and some questionable attire — senior forward Caden Lee wore shorts and sandals with no socks.

Positivity radiated off Sather, who said, “We get to play in the last game of the season. It’s the best. You can’t beat it.”

For Logan and Tyler Smith, the Edina game marks their second championship game experience this school year. They were part of Chanhassen’s Class 5A Prep Bowl title on November. Aunt Naomi, a ski instructor at Snowmass Village, traveled to be at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Bloomfield, sleeping quality aside, kept the big picture in perspective.

”The boys extended their season as far as they could,” he said. “That’s really cool considering how many of them are seniors who have been friends for years.”