On Feb. 3, Park boys’ hockey faced Benilde-St. Margarets and were defeated in a close game of 3-4. With the Red Knights being one of Park’s biggest rivals, it was bound to be an intense game. Park started off strong with 3 goals in the first period but were scoreless during periods two and three, ultimately taking the loss.
Senior Brennan Hogan said Park came into the game very strong, and although they didn’t end up with the victory, the team still played a quality game.
“We had a really good first period and then Benilde came out hot in the second,” Hogan said. “A couple (of) bad calls didn’t go our way but I thought we played really well.”
Junior Owen Anklam said Park’s third goal was a strong point during the game. He said the goal helped relieve some of the initial tension that Park had felt at the start of the game.
“Our third goal in the first period (was the strongest point of the game), it was great,” Anklam said. “It was right after we scored our second one and made it 3-0. (It) just kind of took the pressure off.”
Head coach Tyler Brodersen said the rivalry with Benilde caused an increase in the intensity of the game, making it feel like a playoff. He said high-stress games like this have the potential to help the team prepare for the playoffs in the future.
“The best way to get ready for a playoff atmosphere is to play in a playoff atmosphere,” Broderson said. “Our guys were excited, their guys were excited (and) it felt very much like a playoff game.”
According to Hogan, this was one of the most important games that Park has played so far. He said the rivalry between the schools caused a large amount of tension, which resulted in multiple fights.
“Tensions were high. Especially right away, there were a lot of fights in the first (period), and then a big one broke out at the end (of the game),” Hogan said. “This was probably the biggest game of our season so far—I think it was just a lot more important that we play hard.”
Anklam said the rivalry between the teams caused the severity of the game to get pushed to the limit.
“With the rivalry and us both playing at the Rec Center, (it) just kind of pushed us over the edge at some points,” Anklam said.
Broderson said the decline of points after the first period was a result of too much energy starting off. He said the team’s initial excitement after the first period caused them to lose focus going into the second period of the game.
“We had almost too much energy in the beginning of the game where we played super well, but were too excited about where we were at and we just ran out of energy in the second and third period,” Broderson said. “It’s a really good learning experience for how to play against good teams and how to finish games against teams that you want to beat.”
Park boys’ hockey plays their next game against Orono at 7 p.m. Feb. 6 at the St. Louis Park Rec Center.
