Wrapping up its first week of the schedule, Minnetonka looks as though it's in midseason form already.
The Skippers, a veteran team that returns the bulk of last year's Class 2A state runner-up squad, dominated three periods and overran visiting Roseau with speed, cycling and puck movement en route to a 6-1 victory Friday night at Pagel Ice Arena.
"It was a great effort tonight by our girls," Minnetonka coach Eric Johnson said afterward. "The team worked hard, moved their feet, and played fast. That's really the key to our game."
Senior captain Presley Norby, a Wisconsin recruit and member of the U.S. Women's National Under-18 team, finished with a hat trick, and Kippin Keller added two goals and two assists to lead the Skippers.
Minnetonka needed less than a minute to seize the early lead, when Norby broke through just 56 seconds in. Norby struck again less than three minutes later, and Keller scored her first at the 10:40 mark of the first to keep the Skippers rolling.
"We came out ready to compete," Norby said. "It's always a big deal to play in our home barn, that's something we've been eager for, and I think we played very well as a team."
Norby got her third goal 3:16 into the second period, and Minnetonka was never threatened.
Last year, Norby finished the season with 25 goals and 19 assists in 25 games to lead the team.
The Rams were slowed by five penalties, two of which the Skippers converted into power-play goals.
Overwhelmed by Minnetonka's collective speed, Roseau attempted to slow things down and turn things physical. It was something the Skippers simply wouldn't bite on.
"We pride ourselves on our discipline," Norby says. "As a team, it's important that we don't retaliate on any physical play. (Instead) we want to stay on our feet and keep moving the puck."
Johnson applauded his team's resolve to stick to its own brand of hockey.
"Roseau is a physical team that is good at slowing things down and tying us up," Johnson said. "Our girls really did a good job of breaking free and spreading things out and moving the puck."
Roseau got its goal at 11:34 of the third period as Kirsten Grafstrom broke the shutout. Rams goalie Jenna Baumgartner finished with 26 saves.
Minnetonka, last year's Class 2A state runner-up, begins the season ranked No. 2 in the coaches' poll behind last year's state champs, Hill-Murray. The Skippers (2-0) started their season Tuesday with a 2-1 home victory over Prior Lake and resume action Saturday afternoon at Pagel Arena, where they face Warroad in another nonconference game.
