sailor. mnsun. com Lake Conference Hockey • Thursday, December 11, 2025 Page 25
WAYZATA TROJANS BOYS HOCKEY
Lake Conference Hockey
Blocking shots in bunches is defensive emphasis
JOHN SHERMAN john. sherman @ apgecm. com
Every youth hockey player growing up in the Wayzata program knows that high school coach Pat O’ Leary puts a premium on blocking shots.
And why shouldn’ t he? How many blocked shots ever wind up in the net?
As the Trojans face the challenges of the 2025-26 season, they will continue to block shots. And, hopefully, they will also be in position to score a lot of goals.
Wayzata returns three of the top five scorers from last season’ s team that finished 16-9-3 overall. The Trojans took third place in a tight Lake Conference race with a 5-2-2 mark. Co-champions Edina and Eden Prairie both finished 7-1-2. In the Section 6AA championship game at Bloomington Ice Garden, the Trojans came up short against Edina.
For 2025-26, Wayzata regroups with the return of six regulars at forward. Senior captain Eli Molde led the scoring last season with 36 points on 12 goals and 24 assists. Also returning are junior Jackson Hendricks( 12-11- 23), senior captain Chris Pyle( 11-10-21), junior McCoy Kurtz( 8-10-18), junior Kruz Sauer( 4-11- 15) and senior Tommy Colmenero( 3-12-15).
The Trojans have four experienced varsity defensemen – Seniors
( SUN PHOTO BY JOHN SHERMAN)
Wayzata High boys hockey captains Chris Pyle and Eli Molde have been friends and teammates for 13 years.
Ryder Alstead, Jake Nawrocki and Ben Turek and junior Maddox Balon.
Adding to the returning strength is senior goaltender Ryan Pellinger, who posted a 13-8-1 record last season with a save percentage of. 895. Pellinger played 1,312 minutes in 27 games.
Although Wayzata lost both of its games on the first weekend of the 2025- 26 season, O’ Leary was pleased with his team’ s effort.
“ We had opportunities,” he said.“ Now we need to work on finishing our chances.”
Up front, O’ Leary returns one intact line from last season – The all-junior line of Hendricks, Kurtz and Sauer. Their chemistry is impressive and also obvious.
Pyle and Molde have showed good chemistry with one another on a line and also on special teams.
Discussing the new season, Pyle said,“ We’ re all getting used to each other.”
“ We hold ourselves to high standards,” Molde said.“ Our goals are to make state, then win state.”
For the last few seasons, the Trojans have had trouble getting past Edina in the Section 6AA championship game. At the same time, Wayzata has had some big wins over the Hornets in regular-season games.
“ The best part of the season is the playoffs,” Molde said.“ We are in the best section in the state and it’ s always high stakes when we play in the finals against Edina.”
Wayzata took on Edina in a preseason scrimmage at Edina’ s Braemar Arena.“ Edina looks a little bit smaller than usual,” Pyle said.“ I don’ t think they have all of their guys yet.”
True, at least five Edina varsity hockey players were still competing in the state football playoffs, including goalie Chase Bjorgaard, who had an 11-1-1 record in goal last season.
Molde talked about his long friendship with Pyle:“ Chris and I have played hockey together for 13 years, and we want to make the most of our senior year.”
“ Growing up [ in youth
MEET THE
Trojans
1 – Senior goalie Ryan Pellinger 2 – Senior defenseman Ben Turek 3 – Sophomore defenseman Bode Sarsland 5 – Junior defenseman Holton Davison 6 – Junior forward Cooper Preston 7 – Junior forward McCoy Kurtz 8 – Junior defenseman Maddox Balon 9 – Junior forward Jackson Hendricks 10 – Junior forward Kruz Sauer 12 – Senior forward Tommy Colmenero 14 – Sophomore forward George Mattson 15 – Sophomore forward Charlie Nelson 16 – Senior forward Eli Molde 17 – Sophomore defenseman Ben Lyke 18 – Senior defenseman Jake Nawrocki 19 – Senior forward Drew Peterson 20 – Senior forward Chris Pyle 22 – Senior defenseman Ryder Alstead 24 – Junior forward Noah Harmon 35 – Junior goalie Maverick Kuhl
hockey ] Edina and Maple Grove were our biggest rivals,” Pyle said.“ We know all the boys on those teams. It will be fun with Maple Grove coming into the Lake Conference.”
Molde and Pyle have the ultimate confidence in O’ Leary.
“ It is a blessing to play for him,” Molde said.“ He is so dedicated to the game. In the games, he knows what to do, and he knows how to develop players.”
“ Coach O’ Leary helps us every day,” Pyle said.“ He knows what we’ re capable of and pushes us hard to achieve it.”
The Wayzata tradition – winning games and blocking shots – has intrigued the captains since they began traveling as Squirts.
“ When I was younger, I went to every home game,” Molde recalled.
“ My mom saved so many photos of me giving knucks to the varsity players,” Pyle said.
Ryan Pellinger, the goalie, and Ryder Alstead, the defenseman, share team leadership with Molde and Pyle as alternate captains. There are nine seniors on Wayzata’ s roster along with eight juniors and four sophomores. That makes the Trojans slightly older than any of their Lake Conference rivals.