Page 24 Lake Conference Hockey • Thursday, December 11, 2025 sailor. mnsun. com
JASON OLSON JEREMY LAGOS jason. olson @ apgecm. com
St. Michael-Albertville enters the 2025-26 season looking to build on an 11-win performance last season.
The Knights were 3-8 in the always-tough Lake Conference and went 7-7 outside the conference.
In the Section 8AA playoffs last February, STMA earned the No. 5 seed. Although, the team lost in the quarterfinals to No. 4 seed Elk River / Zimmerman, 6-0.
Second-year head coach Sean Fish hopes the Knights can push toward the 15-win mark this winter.
“ Like everybody else starting, you want to get to the Grand Casino Arena,” Fish said.“ That’ s the end goal. We have a really tough section, so it’ s going to take a lot of work to get to that goal, but we have a good team, so I’ m excited about this year.”
Junior captains, who were were voted by the team, include Caden Clark, Dylan Faucher and Braeden Waller
The Knights also return the top four scorers, including senior Tanner Esterberg whose 42 points on 27 goals( 12 goals on the power play) were tops on the team. Junior Easton Monahan finished with 28 points and a team-best 22 assists, Waller’ s 27 points were third, and
STMA KNIGHTS BOYS HOCKEY
Owen Volkenant added 24 points.
Esterberg had 18 points in 19 games this fall, playing in the Elite League with Team MPLS Magazine after contributing 11 points in 21 games the previous fall for the same team.
Last season, the Knights dressed 10 sophomores. That youth movement has now produced a core of more experienced juniors— something that will matter in both conference and section play, where reigning state champion Moorhead enters as the favorite.
“ We were so young, so getting that experience, we’ ll be an older team, but still young at the same time,” Fish said.“ The experience alone will help us take a step in the right direction.”
Goalies Lucas
Ingebrigtson and Ethan Johnson shared duties last season. Johnson compiled a 6-8-0 record, making 392 saves in 15 games. Ingebrigtson was 5-7, making 385 saves in 14 games, including three shutouts.
The Knights are off to a 1-1 start in 2025-26 following a 3-2 win at Rogers on Nov. 22 and a 3-0 loss in the home opener against Forest Lake on Nov. 29.
Esterberg and junior defeseman Caden Clark each had two assists against a Rogers team that went on a run to the state tournament last season while compiling a 23-5-2 record.
The first-period goals came from sophomore Braylen Maciej and junior Hunter Hansen( power play). Volkenant and Clark set up junior Wyatt
Tupper’ s game-winning goal 11 minutes into the second period.
Rogers held a 41-23 shots edge, including a 12-5 margin in the third period as Ingebritson made 39 saves.
Ingebritson made 32 saves in the 3-0 home opener loss against Forest Lake on Nov. 29. STMA outshot the Rangers 18-12 in the middle period and went 0-for-3 on the power play.
The Knights host Parent Night against Brainerd on Dec. 20( 3 p. m. start), a Salute to Service against Bemidji on Jan. 3( 3 p. m. start), Youth Night against Buffalo on Jan. 10( 3 p. m. start), Grandparents Day against Eden Prairie on Jan. 17( 3 p. m. start), Teacher Appreciation Night against Maple Grove on Jan. 22( 7 p. m. start) and Senior Night against St. Cloud Tech on Feb. 3( 7 p. m. start).
“ Last year we took a baby step, I like to say, going from five wins to 11. This year, I’ m hoping
Lake Conference Hockey
Top four scorers are back for another run in 2025-26
( PHOTO BY JEREMY LAGOS)
The 2025-26 St. Michael-Albertville boys hockey captains, pictured left to right, are juniors Caden Clark, Dylan Faucher and Braeden Waller.
MEET THE
Knights
1 – Senior goalie Lucas Ingebrightson 2 – Senior forward Levi Antoine 3 – Junior forward Braeden Waller 4 – Junior defenseman Jordan Moore 5 – Junior forward Wyatt Tupper 6 – Junior forward Cooper Leland 7 – Junior forward Jacob Harrison 8 – Sophomore defenseman Owen Verness 9 – Junior forward Easton Monahan 10 – Junior forward Tyler Bechtold 11 – Junior forward Dylan Vieau 12 – Junior defenseman Cy Fowler 13 – Junior defenseman Colton McLellan 14 – Senior forward Tanner Esterberg 15 – Sophomore defenseman Sam Brown 16 – Sophomore forward Braylen Maciej 17 – Junior forward Crosby Nelson 18 – Junior defenseman Dylan Faucher 19 – Senior forward Henry Robinson 20 – Junior defenseman Wyatt Tauer 21 – Junior forward Owen Volkenant 22 – Junior forward Brady Ward 23 – Junior defenseman Cade Clark 24 – Junior defenseman Logan Gerten 25 – Junior forward Hunter Hansen 26 – Junior defenseman Lane Tangen 27 – Junior defenseman Christian O’ Brien 28 – Junior forward Luke Thour 29 – Sophomore goalie Nolan Johnson 30 – Junior goalie Parker Barnes 31 – Junior goalie Ethan Johnson 32 – Sophomore forward Grayson Boser 33 – Sophomore forward Theo Lyke 34 – Junior forward Cameron Coe 35 – Sophomore forward Sam Braun 36 – Sophomore defenseman Zaden Price
we jump up to a 15-win season, get to a section final and give us a chance. So this year, it’ s about taking a giant step instead of a baby step,” Fish said.