High School

Northfield Ice Hockey Determined To Remain Among Minnesota’s Elite Programs

The Raiders have established themselves as one of the top teams in the state, especially in Class A Section IA

Jeff Hawkins

The Northfield ice hockey team looks to continue a run of success in MSHSL Class A.
The Northfield ice hockey team looks to continue a run of success in MSHSL Class A. / Northfield Hockey Instagram

The Northfield boys ice hockey team has been on a roll in Minnesota the past three seasons.

  • Three Big 9 Conference championships.
  • Three 20-plus wins campaigns.
  • Two consecutive Section IA titles.
  • Two straight MSHSL Class A state tournament appearances.

The Raiders’ goal remains clear. They want to maintain their status as one of Minnesota’s elite programs.

To do so, they will have to lean on new leaders and young skaters.

The Raiders opened preseason practices with the daunting challenge of replacing the top line of Jake Geiger, Kam Kaiser and Cayden Manson. The senior trio compiled 86 goals among 181 points last season, leading the Raiders to a 23-6-2 overall mark.

“We have a unique situation this year, especially with losing that entire top line from last year’s team,” Northfield coach Mike Luckcraft told the Northfield News. “We are going to have to find scoring in different ways. 

“I am super encouraged so far by some of the young players who have come up from the bantam team. A lot of big-bodied guys who can skate. We have four sophomores and a freshman who have made the varsity team who will be very impactful with their skill and speed. It is going to take a little while for them to adapt to high school hockey but once they’re get there, I think there will be a huge upside.”

The upside begins with the on-ice leadership of senior captain Will Cashin and alternate captains Griffin Kennelly and Bridger Riley. A strong, experienced defensive corps, backed by senior goalie Max Frank, likely will dicate if the Raiders mount another run to the state finals.

“You bring back four defensemen and a goalie and that is a good core to build around,” Cashin said. “All of those guys have good experience and Max (Frank) is good in net, so we should have a nice backstop and as long as we can score we should be good.”

In a rematch of the 2024 state Class A consolation bracket title game, the Raiders avenged the 1-0 defeat last winter by coming back to upend Orono, 4-2, in an early-season showdown Dec. 10. Frank turned aside 37 shots.

Down 2-0 late in the second period, Michael Steward, who collected six goals among 16 points in eight outings, scored off an assist from Kennelly. Cashin tied the score early in the third before Christian Whiteman scored what proved to be the game-winner at 14:11, about two minutes before Cashin netted his second to close out the scoring.

The Raiders, who outshot the Spartans, 46-39, return to action Thursday at Mankato East. On Saturday, they host Lakeville North at St. Olaf College.

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Jeff Hawkins
JEFF HAWKINS

Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in print and digital media. A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2023-24 and 2011-12), NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003). His minor-league coverage included the UHL’s Adirondack IceHawks (1999-2003), Northeast League’s Adirondack Lumberjacks (1997-99) and South Atlantic League’s Hickory Crawdads (1993-95). Hawkins penned four youth sports books and away from the laptop, his main hobbies include mountain bike riding and live music. He has been writing for High School On SI since 2024.

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