Struggling boys hockey team turns to lax goalie for help

The HHS boys hockey team has struggled throughout the 2016-2017 season, with only two wins at about the halfway mark of the season. And now with the injury to goalie Bobby Wilson, junior, the Royals are changing things around on the team to compensate.

After saving a routine shot during a game against the Duluth East Greyhounds, Wilson knew something was wrong immediately.

“I saved a shot on a 2-on-1 and I knew something was wrong right away. I felt the bones in my collar bone scraping against each other in a weird way and it hurt,” Wilson said.

Wilson broke part of his collar bone and needed reconstructive surgery to fix the break. He has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

Wilson was the starting varsity goalie, so there were lineup changes needed to be made in order to have a varsity goalie as well as a JV goalie.

During the Jan. 10  game against the Eastview High School Lightning, the first game since Wilson’s injury, the Royals lost 0-6 when having to call-up JV goalie Ethan Meyers, sophomore.

Now with Meyers being called up, the Royals needed a goalie to play for the JV team, because it is against MSHSL (Minnesota State High School League) rules for a hockey player to play two full games in a single day, unless there is a tournament.

The Royals decided to utilize George Greeley, junior, who usually is a defensemen, to step in as goalie for the JV team. Greeley had a tough time on the scoreboard in the two games he played, but enjoyed the experience.

“It was super fun because I did not expect to have to play goalie for the high school team,” Greeley said. “Once I was out there making saves I was happy that I decided to do it but I am happy that I’m done [playing goalie] because I wouldn’t want to do it for the rest of the season.”

Now with one goalie for two teams, the Royals have began to seek help elsewhere. The Royals asked HHS boys lacrosse goalie Ben Serstock, junior, captain, to step in a try out playing goalie on the ice instead of the field.

“Hockey goalie is a lot different [than lacrosse goalie] because all the shots are coming off the [ice], but in lacrosse the shots can come from anywhere really,” Serstock said. “Skating makes everything harder, but saving lacrosse shots hurts a lot more because you have less padding. I’m excited to see how my first game goes.”

The Royals will face the Minnetonka Skippers at Pagel Arena on Thurs. Jan. 19 at 7 p.m.