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Northfield girls' hockey now ready to try Class 2A

By MATT STEICHEN Special to the Star Tribune, 11/25/17, 7:15PM CST

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The Raiders were initially upset about being shifted to Class 2A.


Jessica Boland member of Northfield girls hockey team pushed the puck up ice during practice November 15,2017 in Northfield, MN.] JERRY HOLT ï jerry.holt@startribune.com

Whether it was “nervous,” “shocked” or “like a punch in the gut,” the Northfield girls’ hockey players’ initial reactions to finding out the team would be bumped up to Class 2A this winter were not positive.

Just a day after placing fourth in their second consecutive appearance in the Class 1A state tournament in February, the Raiders got the news that, by four students, the school’s enrollment had crept within the state’s top 64 among those with girls’ hockey programs. That meant the Raiders would compete in Class 2A for the first time in program history, and likely would run up against larger schools such as Lakeville North, Lakeville South and Farmington in the playoffs.

“We still feel like a small school. It was definitely an adjustment to hear that we were moving up,” Northfield senior captain and goaltender Mallory Tidona said.

Like Tidona, fellow senior captain Madi Goldsworthy was worried about the transition to 2A. However, she said those feelings started to subside when the team got together to practice for the first time at the end of October.

“We didn’t really have a look at our team yet. We didn’t know who was going to be in our varsity lineup,” Goldsworthy said. “Now that we’ve started playing, I’m pretty confident we can do a lot.”

Coach Brent Bielenberg feels the same way. Several key players are back from last year’s 19-8-3 team, including Tidona and Goldsworthy. Bielenberg also has a talented group of six varsity newcomers who he expects will improve throughout the season and become valuable contributors by the time the Section 1 tournament rolls around.

“We didn’t expect [to get moved to 2A], but as you start processing it the mentality becomes that now it’s time to hang a banner in 2A. We know we have the skill to do that,” said Bielenberg, the 2016 Class 1A girls’ hockey coach of the year. “We’re going to have some growing pains, but our mind-set is that we can do this.”

Clutch goaltending is a key component to most any successful playoff run, and Tidona provides just that. In last year’s postseason, she made 73 saves en route to four consecutive shutouts, leading the Raiders to three section victories and the program’s first win at the state tournament.

“I like the pressure. I’m good with nerves. I think they help me get more focused,” Tidona said. “Throughout the years, I’ve learned how to prepare myself and focus in on what I’m doing.”

The Raiders have less experience to rely upon on the defensive end after losing two of their top defensemen to graduation.

Junior Kate Boland, who scored 41 points last season and was an all-tournament team selection at state, returns to lead a group that includes junior Siri Lindell and eighth-grader Cambria Monson. Bielenberg hopes to have a solid top six developed by the end of the regular season.

“Last year in January and February we were giving up 17 shots a game, so it will probably be a little more wide open and [Tidona] might have to make a few more saves,” Bielenberg said. “We’re going to be doing a lot of developing and getting everyone into their roles.”

While sorting out the defense could be a deliberate process, the Raiders’ top lines will be all about speed. Goldsworthy, the granddaughter of former North Star great Bill Goldsworthy, leads the team’s forward group after scoring 37 points last season.

“It starts with her. She brings so much to the game on both ends. She has great speed, can shoot, is an offensive threat, but plays great in all three zones,” Bielenberg said.

Goldsworthy is joined up front by freshman Jessica Boland, who scored a hat trick in the Raiders’ season-opening victory over Rochester Mayo last week. Others include junior center Lizzy Morsching, senior captain Brigette Forster, junior Nora Puppe, eighth-grader Johanna Taylor and freshman Mya Wesling. Ten players scored points for Northfield in its first two games.

“The main component of who we are is speed. We have a lot of speed,” Goldsworthy said. “I don’t think scoring will be a problem. We already have pretty good chemistry. It can be really different for some girls, stepping up in their first varsity season, because they’re still getting used to it, but they’re doing a great job.”

Bielenberg said establishing depth at every position is essential if the Raiders are going to compete with the larger 2A schools in Section 1.

“We’re really focused in on developing three lines, five defensemen and two goalies. If someone goes down you have to have someone who can fill in,” he said. “You have to create that depth to compete with those bigger schools. Other than that, nothing changes our mentality. We’ve been to state two times, our kids have experienced it, and they believe they can still attain it. They’re hungry for it.”

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