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New Ulm boys fight hard up north

NEW ULM — New Ulm High School boys’ hockey coach Ryan Neuman said his team played well despite posing a 1-2 record in the Iron Range Shootout tournament this past week.

New Ulm lost 4-0 to Hibbing/Chisholm and 3-2 in overtime to Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin before beating Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl 3-0.

“The teams that we played were all competitive games that we had,” he said. “We lost to Hibbing 4-0 but when we were five-on-five with them we only gave up one goal, they had three power-play goals on us.”

Neuman said that there is a difference between the way hockey is played on the Iron Range and here in southern Minnesota.

“The refs let you play for the most part,” Neuman said. “The kids up there are all hard-working kids who are looking to put a body on someone and they are well-coached and they play a very physical style. The caliber of teams that we played up there are better than the caliber of teams that we have played down here so far.”

Neuman said that all three of the Eagles’ lines played well.

“We even had some step up from our fourth line and from top to bottom we played pretty well,” Neuman said. “On the defensive side we had sophomore Shane Esser come up from the JV team and play when Nick Banal went out with a shoulder injury. Shane played quite a few minutes and did well. And I know that [defenseman] Bayler Kraus played 40 minutes a night up there — I know that he was beat after the Virginia game but we just expect that out of him. He is a senior captain who steps up and plays a lot of minutes on the defensive side.”

RAYMOND PLAYS OUTSTANDING: Sophomore goaltender Jack Raymond totaled 152 saves in three game with 47 saves against Hibbing, 41 against Greenway and 64 saves in a shutout win against Virginia.

“I am trying to look it up in the Minnesota State High School League website and see what the record is for saves in a regulation game for most saves in a shutout,” Neuman said about Raymond’s 64 saves. “In that game against Virginia he had 34 saves in the third period alone and Virginia had a five-on-three power play for seven-straight minutes. Virginia put the puck on net from everywhere but our defensemen gave Jack lanes to see the puck — he was never screened and our defensemen moved their kids out of the way.”

EAGLES JV UNBEATEN: Neuman said that he cannot remember ever that a New Ulm JV hockey team was 10-0 on the season.

“They are playing very well and Hunter [Lystrom] is stepping up as a first-year goalie for them,” Neuman said. “And the most goals he has given up in a game is three or four. And the JV teams that they played up there are better than the ones they play down here. The future is bright for us — Jack [Raymond], Landon Strong and Kyle Tauer are all sophomores, Glavine Schugel is a freshman. We have good players coming up in the Bantams and Peewees.”

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