2011-12 Winter Preview: Park boys hockey team ready to hit the ice

Park boys hockey looks to returning players to provide leadership and improve on last year’s 7-19-1 record for the 2011-2012 season.

Head coach Jay Moser said his team will rely on its handful of seniors “quite heavily,” especially senior captains Spencer Dietrich and Chris Raisanen, who will lead the Wolfpack defense.

“They’ve been around for a couple years,” Moser said. “They’re probably our most reliable defensemen, both have the ability to generate offense. They’re going to be the anchors of our blue line.”

Park will also depend on the strength of captain Joey Pierre and goalie Eric Majerle.

“We have a good amount of skilled players that are returning, and we should have some solid goal tending,” Moser said.

As the team works to find its identity, Moser believes their strong work ethic should put them in close competition with top Suburban East Conference teams such as Stillwater and White Bear.

“I think we need to finish in the top third of our conference,” Moser said. “That would be a very good goal for us. Our conference this year is going to be very tight. There really is not one team that is considered to be the favorite.”

In conference play, Moser said the team looks forward to match-ups against rivals East Ridge, Woodbury, and Hastings.

In the section, the favorite will be No. 2-ranked Eagan, which ended Park’s season last year in the Section 3AA quarterfinals with a 5-0 defeat.

Having only completed the first few weeks of practice, Moser isn’t looking to change anything radically from last year; however, the team will have to make up for the loss of nine seniors from last year’s lines including key players Jordan Jeske, Kirby Quebodeaux, and Zach Schwartz.

Tags: winter preview 2011-12, sports, park, wolfpack, prep, updates