sailor. mnsun. com Lake Conference Hockey • Thursday, December 11, 2025 Page 23
MAPLE GROVE CRIMSON BOYS HOCKEY
Lake Conference Hockey
Could conference newcomer win Lake title?
JOHN SHERMAN john. sherman @ apgecm. com
The Maple Grove High boys hockey team has been at or near the top in the Northwest Suburban Conference standings throughout the last decade.
Consistency is one of the hallmarks of the Crimson program, which faces a new challenge this season as the team relocates to the Lake Conference. Maple Grove posted an overall record of 16-10-1 last season with a second-place Northwest Suburban Conference mark of 10-2-1. Rogers won the Northwest Suburban Conference title by one game over the Crimson.
On the opening weekend of the 2025-26 season, Maple Grove had an opportunity to play two Lake teams in the CCX Media Turkey Trot at Plymouth Ice Center. In a Friday night game the Crimson fought their way past Wayzata 4-2. The next afternoon, they came from behind to defeat Edina 4-3. Cole Anderson, Cale Braid and Sam Biederwolf led Maple Grove in the win over Edina with Anderson scoring the winning goal at 4:02 of the overtime period on assists from Jaden Roueche and Wyatt Kuznik.
Captain Lane Glende starred against Wayzata with a pair of goals while teammates Kuznik and Roueche each added a goal. Another star in
( SUN PHOTO BY JOHN SHERMAN)
Lane Glende, a Maple Grove hockey captain, was third on the team in scoring last season with 10 goals and 17 assists for 27 points.
the victory was goaltender Ryan Skanson, who stopped 32 of the Trojans’ 34 shots on goal.
Of the top 40 players in the Maple Grove program only nine are seniors. At most schools that would be considered somewhat of a rebuilding year, but Maple Grove comes into the season with considerable varsity experience.
That experience has been very apparent so far. In addition to sharing the CCX Turkey Trot championship with Moorhead, the Crimson went on from there to score two more victories for an early-season record of 4-0-0.
After the Turkey Trot, the Crimson
While 4-0-0 is a great start, Maple Grove head coach Todd Bergland and his staff are building one day at a time.
Following success in the CCX Media Turkey Trot, Maple Grove’ s successful run continued with close wins over Andover 3-2 and Grand Rapids 3-0.
Anderson’ s overtime goal ended the game against Andover. It was the junior defenseman’ s second goal of the game. Roueche scored the other goal. Skanson stopped 21 of 23 shots for the win in goal.
Glende was the offensive leader for Maple Grove in the win over Grand Rapids with a goal and an assist.
Kuznik was on target for the other goal and Skanson did his part by stopping all 20 of Grand Rapids’ shots on net.
“ Our boys never give up,” captain Glende said.“ We have had some adversity with sickness, but we are playing well.”
What are the secrets to success so far?
“ We have a lot of returners,” Glende said.“ We are putting a lot of pressure on our opponents.”
Glende is exciting to lead his club into Lake Conference competition this winter.
“ After playing the Lake Conference schedule, we’ ll be battle-tested for the playoffs,” the captain said.
MEET THE
Crimson
1 – Junior goalie Kian Olesen 4 – Junior defenseman Cole Anderson 5 – Junior defenseman Rylan Fryxell 6 – Senior defenseman Charles Steenerson 7 – Junior forward Wyatt Kuznik 8 – Senior defenseman Thomas Picconatto 12- Senior defenseman Dylan Campbell 13 – Junior forward Cole Forrest 14 – Junior defenseman Adam Margenau 16 – Junior forward Sam Biederwolf 17 – Junior forward Matthew Johnson 18 – Senior forward Lane Glende 19 – Senior forward Caden Lichter 20 – Junior defenseman Lukas Smith 21 – Junior forward Jaden Roueche 22 – Junior forward Carson Mielke 23 – Senior forward Cale Braid 24 – Senior defenseman Henry Miller 27 – Senior forward Luke Steen 33 – Senior goalie Ryder Skanson 36 – Sophomore forward Grady Kranz 37 – Sophomore forward Finn Starkey 41 – Sophomore forward Braeden Eull
For the first half of the season one of Maple Grove’ s tasks is to get the younger players on the team up to the speed of varsity hockey.
“ The veteran players have to show the younger guys what it’ s all about,” Glende said.
At the outset of the 2025-26 season, the Crimson were pleased to have their top three scorers back from last season. Kuznik led the way in 2024-25 with 37 points on 15 goals and 22 assists. Roueche was next in line with 29 points on 11 goals and 18
assists while Glende had 27 points on 10 goals and 17 assists.
Although Skanson was not the starter in goal last season, he played well whenever he was called upon and had a record of 2-0-0 in his starts. Zach Price was the starter in goal last season in his final year of high school hockey.
In the Lake Conference this year, Maple Grove looks forward to 13 games – two each against Buffalo, Eden Prairie, Edina, Minnetonka, St. Michael-Albertville and Wayzata and one against Hopkins.