Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids hasn’t given up a goal since a 1-0 loss to Roseville on Jan. 7. SLP/CR (15-8-1, 10-4-1) stretched its win and shutout streak to eight games with an 8-0 victory over North Metro (6-19-1, 1-13) at Brooklyn Park Community Center on Tuesday night. 

Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids has outscored opponents 43-0 during the winning run. 

“I definitely think that we got the defensive aspect down on our game,” said defenseman Hannah Schultz. “We just focus on playing really good defense. We put the puck away when we can and we have the opportunity.” 

Senior captains Schultz and Bryan DelCastillo made the most of their opportunities, as both scored hat tricks. Freshman Anna Beczkalo and junior Liz Zarate also scored as SLP/CR outshot the Stars 46-14. Junior Sami Miller got the shutout in goal. 

SLP/CR is the only team that has reached double-digit victories in Northwest Suburban Conference West Division play. With just one game left in the regular season, the team seems to be peaking at the right time. 

“Right now, things are going well, I think, because we have a lot of buy-in in our defensive play,” head coach Sandy Nelson said. “Everybody’s playing their structured job in the D zone.” 

Obviously with 10 total shutouts on the season, defense is a huge part of the game. The offense just came along afterward, Nelson said, as they worked on moving with the puck and getting better opportunities.

It’s the second year of the co-op between Spring Lake Park and Coon Rapids. With dwindling numbers, the teams merged just before the start of last season, drawing 22 players from Spring Lake Park and 12 from Coon Rapids. The team went 21-5-1 and lost in the Class 2A, Section 5 semifinals to eventual state runner-up Maple Grove. According to both players and coach, it’s been a smooth transition. 

“We all just kind of jelled,” Schultz said. “It didn’t matter what schools we went to, we were just there to play hockey and we were there to have fun.” 

It could have been a more daunting change for players from Coon Rapids because they were stepping into a program with a new coach, but DelCastillo said that there has been no problems. 

“All of us bought into what she wanted,” DelCastillo said of Nelson.

This year, the player breakdown is similar, with 20 players coming from Spring Lake Park and 10 from Coon Rapids. They trade off playing at Fogerty Arena and Coon Rapids Ice Center for home games, so they also take turns being known as either the Cardinals or Panthers. For road games, the team is simply identified as the co-op name.

Before the merge, Coon Rapids made three trips to the state tournament, the last coming in 2011. Despite the drought and falling short last season, the main goal right now isn't for SLP/CR win it all or even get to the state tournament.  

“We just always say we’re going to get better every day,” Nelson said. “And play the right way to give ourselves a chance.”

Spring Lake Park/Coon Rapids (15-8-1, 10-4-1) is playing well at the right time, extending its winning streak to eight games with an 8-0 victory over North Metro (6-19, 1-13) on Tuesday night at the Brooklyn Park Community Center in its penultimate game of the regular season.  

It was just 1-0 after the first period, but SLP/CR broke the game open in the second, scoring five goals with senior captain Bryna DelCastillo notching a hat trick. Her second goal of the game made it 4-0 and came just 14 seconds after senior captain Hannah Schultz scored with a slapshot from the left circle. 

DelCastillo completed her hat trick about three minutes later, waiting out in front of the net for the puck. Alyssa Brazier assisted on both of DelCastillo's second period goals. On a five-minute major power play near the end of the second, freshman Anna Beczkalo scored with about a minute to play. 

Schultz wrapped up the game, and her hat trick, with a pair of goals in the third period.  

SLP/CR junior goaltender Sami Miller made 14 saves for the shutout. For the Stars, sophomore Sophie Almquist stopped 38 shots.