Disqualified last year, Hill-Murray boys hockey seeks defense of 2020 State title

Hill-Murray boys hockey has something to prove. After winning a Class AA boys championship in 2020 the Pioneers didn’t get a chance to defend their because of Covid. They qualified for the 2021 State Tournament, but were disqualified due to Covid-19 protocols.

A year later, a year stronger and the Pioneers are hoping to earn another opportunity.

“At that moment, we were pretty hurt that we weren’t able to go back to state, but we worked hard over the summer and we wanted to do everything we could to get back and defend our title,” said Hill-Murray senior forward Dylan Godbout.

Nate Hardy is a senior who really wants to get back to the state tournament. He battled an injury last season and had to watch from the bench. He wants to make sure the remainder of his senior year is the best yet.

“The locker room is great,” Hardy said. “They don’t focus on roles or lines we push each other on and off the ice, we’re like a family.”

“The leadership is big here,” said longtime Pioneers head coach Bill Lechner. “The seniors were the sophomores who won it back in 2020. They’re stronger players now, the coaching staff doesn’t have to do everything. The players know what it takes and they take on that responsibility to help the younger guys to understand what it takes to win.”

Hill-Murray needs to win two more games to get to the Xcel Energy Center starting with the Section 4AA semifinal against Gentry Academy Wednesday night at Aldrich Arena. Game time is set for 5:00 p.m.