Hockey | 3/17/2025 9:57:00 AM
Crookston, Minn. - The Golden Eagles hockey season has officially come to an end following a heartbreaking loss in overtime at the Central Regionals. The Golden Eagles finished with a record of 22-8-2, going on to finish 2-0-1 in Central Regionals. This team showed a lot of resilience throughout the year, and especially in its final two games.
As for the resilience shown in the Maryville game, here's what Fox Dodds (R-Jr., F, Watford City, N.D.) had to say "I think it shows that our team has a lot of heart and resilience, because we chose to keep working hard even though the odds were against us, which shows a lot about the character of our team. Our culture is all about great effort and determination, which I think came into full display during that game." And he is right, the game against Maryville was a game where the team showed heart, and it stemmed from the veterans on the team. Tristan Morneault (Sr., F, Dieppe, New Brunswick) credited Head Coach Steve Johnson, saying: "I think it stems from our coach. Steve has a very distinguished hockey resume and one thing is for sure is that nothing was given to him. Everything that he does comes from a gritty mentality and I think he does a great job to relay that message to us." One thing that each player on this team has done is sing the praises of Coach Johnson, who has done a great job of getting the team to this level in just five years.
When asked to reflect on this past season and what it means going forward, Jackson Fuller (Sr., F, Bloomington, Minn.) had this to say: "This season meant everything to me. Hockey is what brought me to UMC and has been the cornerstone of my time here. With this being my senior year all that was amplified. I know there are like minded individuals on this team so moving forward I believe it shows how close a national appearance is for this program, I truly believe the boys are going to do it next year. This year is the closest this program has got and the sting from that loss will act as fire and a reminder for the remaining players next season." That is the difficult part about this season, getting one goal away and falling just short of a Nationals appearance and not getting this senior class there hurts. But, once the dust settles on it and the team refocuses on next season, they will come back better than before.
Another major change that came about for the Golden Eagles this fall was the addition of Assistant Coach Brady Heppner, the first assistant coach of the program's ACHA Era. Aidan McPhee (So., D, Brea, Calif.) said about his new assistant coach: "Brady was a great addition to the squad. He was consistently level-headed when behind the bench which helped keep the defensive core composed. Throughout the year he was willing to stay after practice or get there early to work on skills or skating. And overall, I think he fits the assistant coach role well, even with it being his first year, and will continue to help the organization develop." Heppner stepped in and immediately made an impact on a team that faced a lot of turnover from last season. He was often coaching the defense, which welcomed two newcomers that played in almost every game.
The Golden Eagles will be forever grateful to this senior class, a class that held a handful of leaders for this program. This senior group had some of the best players in program history, with players all over the teams all-time top 10 stat leaders. So, for one final time, thank you to the Class of 2025 Seniors. The Golden Eagles will return this fall.
