The Cook County Mite 2s played their last jamboree of the season in Silver Bay the weekend of Feb. 19 – 20. The first game was against Two Harbors. We came out very strong against a tough, talented offensive team. Things started getting tense when TH wasn’t able to score on Goalie Chase Gwash after 40 tries. It’s rare to see penalties at the M2 level, but we managed to get three in one game! Alyssa Lashinski scored one goal; John Vander Heiden scored his first career goal and Jayden Grivette had a hat trick. The fans, team and coaches went wild for Johnny!
However, something lit up under TH because they came back and pulled ahead for the win, but not without a lot of effort. It took them 30 more shots on goal to get ahead of Cook County by 1. This game was probably the most exciting and stressful of the year!
Game two was against Portman. This was another tough loss. Trevor Berglund had a big goal for Cook County. Game three was the final game of the season. Cook County faced Woodland. We had one goal scored by Jayden Grivette, assisted by Ryan Bilben.
Tucker Foley may be small, but he makes up for it in heart and determination. He is an outstanding defender and is as fast as lightning on offense.
This season, these 11 kids put their hearts out onto the ice. Some of them were young enough to play at the M1 level but moved up to complete the M2 team. We had one first-year skater. We only had four returning M2s, but we had 11 hockey players who had the desire to learn and the love of the game that kept them going even through the frigid temps of outdoor practices. Nothing can replace the feeling of seeing the excitement written on their little faces as they waited to enter the rink before a big game.
Ryan Bilben is great at taking the puck to the net. Ryan had quite a few fast breaks this year. When he was on the ice, his presence was known. He is very aggressive and has great skating ability. Ryan’s younger brother Nate is a fighter. This may be a trait that comes from being the youngest, but it definitely works to Nate’s advantage on the ice. He is everywhere on defense. He will literally throw his whole body in between the puck and the net to stop a shot. Nate scored his first two career goals this year.
Alyssa Lashinski is a force to be reckoned with. She never lets up while she is on the ice. She skates so hard on breakaways that she ends up slamming into the boards, but she always gets right back up and skates just as hard to go get the puck again. She is one extremely driven offensive player.
Chase Gwash is mostly self-taught in his position. He spends his time mimicking NHL goalies until he looks just like them. He took hundreds of shots in the net this year and did an outstanding job as the team guardian.
Ella Sporn is feisty. She is a tough defender to maneuver around because she will anticipate her opponent’s next move and poke the puck right out from under him or her. When she is playing with the baby siblings of her teammates, her heart is warm as gold, but when you get her on that ice, she is fierce as can be.
Jayden Grivette is the intimidator. He is as tall as our coaches in skates. He can skate faster than the wind and makes breakaway goals look so fabulous, the opponent’s goalie has no idea what hit their net. Jayden had a standout year offensively and defensively.
John Vander Heiden was our first-year player. He skated every day with enthusiasm and improved leaps and bounds. He scored his first career goal this year and it was a tear-jerker watching the whole team rally around to support him after his giant accomplishment. Johnny was the definition of perseverance.
Lucas Sheils is like dynamite with a long fuse. He’s quiet with a little spark, making his way around the ice, then all of a sudden boom! Giant play by Lucas! Stealing the puck at a key moment or getting a breakaway, Lucas never does anything without a smile on his face.
Noah Furcht is the strong, silent type. He is very aggressive on the ice and came a long way this year. He is a natural athlete and his instincts drew him into all of the big plays.
Trevor Berglund is like a speed racer. Once he gets going, there is no stopping him. He is one of the fastest kids on the ice. He has every instinct a hockey player needs. His eyes are glued to the puck and the play at all times. Trevor scored many key goals this season.
What Tucker Foley lacks in size, he makes up for in heart and determination. He is an outstanding defender and his speed is fast as lightning on offense.
A big thank you goes out to coaches Nate Sheils, Matt Bronikowski and Andrew Bilben. Without them, this season wouldn’t have been possible. Also, the team says thank you to this jamboree’s sponsor, Minnesota Power.
The M2s had a wonderful season. Keep an eye out for these kids next year! Photo courtesy of the team
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