Moorhead's sudden player exits on boys hockey team makes flexibility an asset

Welcome to the 2023 edition of 51 Hours of Fury, which sprung from staff writer David La Vaque. It designates the hours from 7 p.m. on the Wednesday before the boys hockey state tournament each year, when a frantic round of section finals begins, to 10 p.m. Friday, when the last qualifier for the state tournaments is known. Watch for more posts from La Vaque and for coverage of section finals during this year's 51 Hours of Fury.

Moorhead boys hockey coach Jon Ammerman kept an eye on the forecast Tuesday afternoon, uncertain whether his team would play as scheduled at 7 p.m. Wednesday night at Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls.

The projected storm had shifted north, and it brought enough snow for Moorhead Public Schools to close Wednesday. As a result, the Class 2A, Section 8 championship game against Roseau was pushed to 7 p.m. Thursday at East Grand Forks Civic Arena.

Changing conditions and a need to be flexible have defined the Spuds' season.

Last season, Moorhead reached its fifth state tournament in six years. And talk of greater success in 2022-23 began building. Then the early departure of three varsity players to the U.S. Hockey League and a top Bantam AA prospect to USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-17 left the program reeling.

Thoughts of capturing an elusive state title — Moorhead is 0-for-8 in championship games — changed to: Put a fork in the Spuds. They're done.

Ammerman called the number of early exits in one offseason unprecedented for the proud hockey community located just across the Red River from Fargo. But the remaining players chose self-improvement over self-pity.

That's a big reason Moorhead (18-9) earned the No. 1 seed in the Section 8 playoffs. A victory Thursday against the No. 2 seed Rams sends the Spuds to St. Paul for next week's state tournament.

"There have definitely been bumps in the road, but it amazes me how kids have risen to the opportunity," Ammerman said. "We needed guys to fill different spots and several of them to play above their pay grade."

Senior forward Aaron Reierson jumped to the head of the scoring class. Moorhead's first-line center leads the team with 28 goals — 32 percent of the Spuds' total. He is joined by sophomore wing and varsity newcomer Mason Kraft (a team-high 26 assists) and senior wing Caleb Alderson (third on the team with 24 points) in his first season as a varsity mainstay.

Alderson's 24 points is eight times higher than his total last season. And senior forward Ian Ness has 19 points, one shy of doubling his output of a season ago. Six of his nine goals were scored in the past month.

On the blueline, senior defenseman Colin Baumgartner has made a solid leap from the JV, and sophomore Garrett Lindberg "might be our best player," according to Ammerman. He used "rock solid" to describe senior Colby Krier.

Then there is junior goaltender Kai Weigel, Moorhead's "X-factor," Ammerman said. Weigel has posted numbers of 18-9 with a 1.82 goals-against average, a 94% saves figure and five shutouts.

"We've been sneaky competitive, and that's 100% because of our goalie," Ammerman said. "He's kept us in games."

Weigel and the Spuds have allowed just one goal in two victories against Roseau this season. Don't be deceived by the boxscores, Ammerman warned.

"In the first game, it was close through two periods," he said. "In the second game, Roseau dominated the first period, but we scored on our first shot. It's not like they were runaway wins.

"This game is kind of the blueprint of us against Roseau. They have the high-end talent; we have the depth."

Moorhead needed every bit of that depth to remain competitive this season.