Hudson Crusaders

The Hudson Crusaders season officially finished on Tuesday night when the team had its annual banquet.  The players, coaches, parents and billet families came together for their final meal as a team.  Afterwards, the Crusaders handed out their seasonal awards.

The following awards were voted on by the players:

Top Forward:  Nick Townes (Crown Point, IN)
Top D-Man:  Russel Oakes (Beloit, WI)
Top Goaltender:  Tristan Pennella (Stillwater, MN)
Most Improved:  Clint Kimps (Bayport, WI)

The Crusader Award is given to the player who is voted by his teammates to be the best teammate during that season.  This player embodies what the Crusaders organization is all about.

Crusader Award:  Clint Kimps (Bayport, WI)

The Crusaders coaching staff took on the difficult decision of choosing the MVP for the 2010-11 season.  The player that was chosen was deemed to be the most consistent, hardest working and most reliable player on and off the ice. 

2010-11 Crusaders Team MVP:  Tanner Tryggestad (Amery, WI)

"Even though our season has ended and the guys will go their separate ways, these players will forever be a team."  said Head Coach Ted Urschel.  "Our coaching staff had the honor of working with a great group of people this past season and I give them all the credit for what we accomplished throughout the year and that culmunated with a trip to the National Tournament.  Many of these guys will go on to play Tier II or Division III college hockey, but they will always be Crusaders."

Forward Nick Townes (Crown Point, IN) and defenseman Russel Oakes (Beloit, WI) were named to the MNJHL's 2nd team All Stars.

Townes was the Crusaders leading scorer, finished 11th in the MNJHL in overall scoring and was 2nd among all rookies.  Townes finished the season with 30 goals 22 assists for 52 points in 53 games including playoffs.

Oakes led all Crusader defenseman in scoring, was 4th in the MNJHL in defenseman scoring and was 2nd among rookies.  Oakes finished the season with 2 goals 34 assists for 36 points in 52 games including playoffs.

"Both Nick and Russel were a huge part of the success we had on and off the ice this season." said Head Coach Ted Urschel.  "It's a credit to them both as players and people to be selected to our league's all star team.  They both deserve this and I'm very happy for the both of them."

The MNJHL All Star team consists of a 1st and 2nd Team.  Each team is compromised of 3 forwards, 2 defenseman and a goalie.  The teams are selected by the league's head coaches.

The Hudson Crusaders ended their regular season this past weekend by going 1-1.  Friday the Crusaders blew a 3 goal 3rd period lead to the eventual league champions, the Granite City Lumberjacks.  Even though they lost, Crusaders Head Coach Ted Urschel was happy with the teams effort. 

"Really all we wanted to do was spoil their season and gain momentum for Saturday." said Urschel.  "We beat Rochester twice this month and knocked them out of first.  Friday, we wanted to do the same to Granite City.  We came close, but I give them credit on the come back.  There's a reason they finished first and the way they played in that 3rd period shows why they are the team to beat in our league."

On Saturday, the Crusaders beat their 1st round playoff opponent, the Little Falls Flying Aces, by a score of 4-2 in front of 400 fans at the Hudson Civic Center.  In what most probably thought would be a warm up for this coming weeks games, the Crusaders saw it as a chance to send a message to Little Falls.

"We could have sat our top guys and coasted through the game knowing that standing-wise, the game didn't have any meaning." said Urschel.   "But we knew they were our 1st round opponent and we wanted to let them know you can not take us lightly, or your gonna be done playing hockey after this weekend." 

When asked about his teams chances in the coming playoffs, coach Urschel was very optimistic.  "After Granite City, I think we are the team to beat."  stated Urschel.  "In our last 5 games, we played Granite City(1st place) twice, Rochester (2nd place) twice and Little Falls (3rd place) once and we won 3 of those 5 games.  Heck, even the league's website thinks we are the hottest team."  Urschel said this referring to the league's weekly recap.

"The best thing about our position in playoffs is that no matter how well we have played, we are still the underdogs.  Most likely every game we play from here on out will be against a team that is seeded higher than us.  They have all the pressure to beat us.  We are playing for a chance to knock someone out and keep our season going.  In the 4 years I have been here, I think this team is playing the best any Crusader team has played going into playoffs.  This team is upbeat and ready to make a push for the Bush cup (MnJHL Playoff Trophy)."

Friday, Apr 1 at 6:00 pm
Location: Graham Arena
home team vs. St. Louis (NA3HL) defending National Champion

Saturday, Apr 2 at 4:00 pm
Location: Rec Center
visitor vs. Boise, Idaho (WSHL play-off champion)

Sunday, Apr 3 at 7:00 pm
Location: Rec Center
visitor vs. Seattle (NorPac)

With only one game to play this past weekend the Crusaders geared up for their tilt with the league leading Rochester Ice Hawks. 

The two teams played a fast paced first period to a scoreless tie.  Rochester outshot the Crusaders 13-2 due to two powerplays but goaltender Andrew Nelson (Inver Grove Heights, MN) was stellar in net making some great saves.

Crusaders leading scorer Nick Townes (Crowne Point, IN) opened the scoring 18:38 into the 2nd period by picking up a loose puck in his own zone.  He then skated through 3 Ice Hawks players and finished the goal by deking Ice Hawks goaltender Corey Simons and putting the puck over his blocker.  The Ice Hawks would answer only 1 minute and 19 seconds later on a power play goal by Trevor Lloyd to tie the game heading into the 3rd period.

The Crusaders would come out in the 3rd period with a jump in their step.  Tanner Tryggestad (Amery, WI) scored a powerplay goal 5:33 into the period.  Cody Crouch (Eagan, MN) and Jay Ekman (Andover, MN) assisted on the goal.  The Crusaders then shut down the Ice Hawks only allowing 5 shots in the 3rd period.  Tryggestad would seal the win with an empty net goal with 3 seconds left in the game.  With the loss, the Crusaders knocked the Ice Hawks out of 1st place.

"I'm very happy with the way we played in the game." said Head Coach Ted Urschel.  "I thought we got stronger as the game went on and the fact we only allowed 13 shots in the last 2 periods is a testiment to our team defense.  I think we are playing good hockey right now and hopefully we can carry this into our play off series against Little Falls."

The Crusaders are now 18-22-0-4 and face off against the Granite City Lumberjacks (Friday) and Little Falls Flying Aces (Saturday) to complete the regular season.

March 4, 2011 – After a meeting discussing the potential reorganization into the NA3HL in February and a brief reviewing period, the Hudson Crusaders have decided to continue their membership in the MNJHL. In three years within this league, the Crusaders have successfully moved twenty players to the next level, reinforcing not only their mission statement but also supporting what the MNJHL represents.

The decision to stay within the MNJHL was made to sustain the affordability for players to play and fans to come to the games. The Crusaders felt that raising the tuition fees would exclude some quality players and families challenged within the current economic situation. The Crusaders are also committed to providing community entertainment and raising the cost to attend would seem unfair.

There was some discussion at the league meeting on February 28 about the NA3HL opportunity. Some teams had already made their decision, others had not. As advance plans for the upcoming season are underway, decisions will be forthcoming in the next few weeks.

This prospect did give General Manager Harry Urschel time to reflect on the future for the MNJHL and the Hudson Crusaders. He states that the MNJHL has a bright future and attracts more attention each year because of the improvements made within the organization. The league is and always will be focused on player, coach, and officiating development. There is also some discussion on introducing MNJHL teams to other communities within the Minnesota/Wisconsin area. As for the Crusaders, Urschel is proud of the programs provided both on and off the ice for the players, including the Total Hockey training organization and the outstanding support from Hudson including the billet program and other area opportunities. The dedication of the staff and volunteers is crucial to success of the team as well.

Essentially, the Hudson Crusaders is a not for profit organization, both in the legal sense of the word and the philosophy within it: this team is about development and not about making money. The MNJHL was also set up in the first place to provide this and it was never intended to develop into a for profit organization. Most of the teams in the league have been successful with this model, so there would be no reason to abandon something that has worked for the players and the communities. The Crusaders made their decision to stay in the league because of that and they wish each team well as they make the right decision for their program. 

February 16, 2011 – The Hudson Crusaders General Manager Harry Urschel and Head Coach Ted Urschel, along with other managers and staff of the teams of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League met with Mark Frankenfeld and his staff of the North American 3 Hockey League at the Minneapolis Marriott Hotel to discuss the potential to reorganize the MNJHL into a NA3HL Tier III league.

This informational meeting allowed Mr. Frankenfeld and his staff to establish what they can offer in terms of support and opportunities for the players and individual teams. This included a proposed budget, NA3HL Tier III Junior A Membership procedures, and rules and regulations.

There was discussion on how the label and perception of junior hockey has changed in recent years, understanding that the purpose of this level is taken a lot more seriously in terms of developing players. Mr. Frankenfeld explained the need to create a solid ‘footprint’ for Wisconsin and Minnesota teams to entice local players to stay instead of looking for more notable leagues. He believed that using the label of NA3HL would do that because of its affiliation with the NAHL.

No decisions were made at this meeting of course; it was only a chance for Mr. Frankenfeld to get his information across to those who attended.

In the meantime, the Crusaders discuss the pros and cons of reorganizing their team as part of the NA3HL league. It could possibly benefit the player in terms of advancement with the NAHL affiliation. The recognition of the brand NAHL would give the team an advantage and the addition of a NA3HL showcase is a huge statement to relay to recruiters. It would also create a more consistent model for each team as membership would increase the team’s equity value as the price for entry would be leveraged.

With all benefits of new endeavors comes a list of cons. Most of the concerns are money related including increased player fees, increased admission fees to the games, and extended travel expenses. The maximum number of players on each team would also decrease to increase exclusivity. The other big change would be turning the Hudson Crusaders from a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization into a corporation that relies on profits to operate. Most of the league administrators would also no longer be based locally as the league management would reside with the NAHL and memberships could be moved or closed depending upon the league’s needs. Also, the presentation was to increase the NA3HL to eighteen teams. This would mean dissolving the MNJHL and two teams would have to find other venues.

This new development requires a period of decision and reflection on the Crusader’s part and we are continually working towards creating the best possible opportunity to help make hockey players better and achieve their goals. We are also proud of our community in Hudson and the team wouldn’t be the same without their support. These are all reasons for making the best decision we can. Please stay tuned for further developments on this opportunity.

The Hudson Crusaders knocked off the Minnesota Flying Aces in the third and decisive game of the quarterfinals of the MNJHL Bush Cup playoffs.

After winning game 1 by a score of 3-1, the Crusaders dropped their home game on Saturday night 5-3.  After an ice storm postponed the game on Sunday night the Crusaders travelled to Little Falls for the final match up of the series Monday night. 

Matt Rose (Billings, MT) started the scoring at 5:14 of the 1st period when he put home a rebound on a shot by Cody Crouch (Eagan, MN).  Only 1 minute and 19 seconds later, Jordan Prescher-Smerud (Austin, MN) put home a loose puck to make the score 2-0.  Little Falls would answer later in the period to end the 1st period at 2-1 in favor of the Crusaders.

Midway through the 2nd period, Jake Bruhn (Chippewa Falls, WI) put away a rebound on a Brent Finnegan (Woodbury, MN) shot from the high slot.  The Crusaders would take a 3-1 lead into the final period. 

As predicted, the Flying Aces would not go down without a fight.  The Aces scored 11:30 into the period.  With only 2:55 remaining in the game, the Crusaders were called for a penalty and the Aces called a time out.  The Aces pulled their goalie but were not able to score on their powerplay.  With 20 seconds remaining, the Crusaders had a face off in their own zone.  Nick Townes (Crown Point, IN) knocked the puck out of the Crusaders zone and beat the Aces defender to the loose puck.  Tom Debace (Little Canada, MN) picked up the loose puck and buried an empty netter to seal the game and the series for the Crusaders.

"I thought we played as a team and that's whats needed if you're gonna be successful in playoffs." said Head Coach Ted Urschel.  "Each night, we had some different guys in the line up but if you look at our stats from the series, alot of different guys contributed.  We gave some guys new roles and they were happy to fill them.  Our goaltending was solid and our special teams were great.  We're just happy we get to play hockey for atleast 2 more weeks."

The 6th seeded Crusaders advance to take on the regular season champions, the Granite City Lumberjacks.  The 2nd seeded Rochester Icehawks will battle the 4th seeded Minnesota Owls.  Both series should provide some good hockey.

"The final four teams all have some great players and bring their own style of hockey."  said Urschel.  "Granite City and Rochester are very talented and the Owls are one of the hardest working teams I have seen.  These last 2 weekends of our league's playoffs will be a battle and I'm sure any team that makes it to Nationals will represent our league well."

Series notes:
-  The Crusaders powerplay operated at 25% during the 1st round going 3 for 12.
-  Their penalty kill was even more impressive killing off 92% (12 of 13) of the Aces powerplays. 
-  9 different Crusaders scored goals (10 total) during the opening round.
-  The Crusaders goaltenders had a combined save percentage of 93.

Last weekend was not what Crusaders coach Ted Urschel envisioned as his team headed into the weekend.  The Crusaders lost 9-0 Friday, won 5-4 in overtime Saturday and lost 6-2 on Sunday. 

"We wanted 6 points." said Urschel.  "We weren't prepared to play and I put that on myself.  We aren't playing the style of hockey we want to play but the good thing is we have time to fix that.  Some of our top guys have hit a wall too but you expect that since they are rookies.  Every rookie will have their up's and down's.  It's just how they rebound from those downs that matters"

The Crusaders have also been hit with a rash of injuries.  They lost defenseman Cole Larson (broken arm) and Tyler Jacobson (broken foot) for the season.  Tanner Tryggestad and Russel Oakes were injured Friday and Lukas Allen (broken wrist) will be out indefinately.

"Injuries are a part of the game." said Urschel.  "Every team has guys get injured throughout a hockey season.  You can't use it as an excuse.  I see it as an opportunity for other players to step up and produce."

With the open roster spots, the Crusaders staff have been looking for players that can help fill the void of the players they lost. 

"We have been on the phone with coaches in our league and in the NAHL looking for guys that we think help our team." said Urschel.  "We're not looking to replace guys, just fill those spots that have been left open from injuries."

                                                                        The Coming Weekend

The Crusaders face off against the Edina Lakers at home on Friday and will travel to Little Falls on Saturday.  In the last 3 games against the Lakers the Crusaders are 3-0 including 2 shutouts.  And against Little Falls they are 0-3 including a pair of 1 goal losses. 

The Lakers boast a roster similar to the Crusaders.  They have 5 players with over 20 pts and are led by forward Alex Chuhel with 38 points.  The Flying Aces have 6 players with over 20 points and boast one of the top lines in the league.  Parker Tomczyk (49 pts), Mitch Borneman (40 pts) and Brett Jenkins (33 pts) have led the Aces into 3rd place.

"This weekend should be a good test for us." said Urschel.  "The teams we play this weekend are good teams.  I think we match up well with both of them and the scores of our games show that.  Both teams are well coached and play tough.  We went over some new things in practice this week and these games will show us what worked and what needs to be tweeked."

Game times are 7:10 pm on Friday in Hudson and 7:05 pm on Saturday in Little Falls,

The Hudson Crusaders entered this past weekend with a 14-17-0-2 record which put them in 6th place in the 8 team MNJHL.  Knowing that, the Crusaders put a huge emphasis with getting atleast 2 of the possible 4 points from the weekends contests. 

"We are in a battle right now." said Head Coach Ted Urschel.  "We are battling Edina and the Owls for 4th place.  We want to give ourselves a better chance in playoffs to get to Nationals.  Every point we can earn is big."

The Crusaders started the weekend on Friday in Rochester against the first place Icehawks.  After falling behind 2-0 in the first period, the Crusaders were able cut the deficit in half with a shorthanded Jake Bruhn (Chippewa Falls, WI) goal with only 25 seconds remaining in the period. 

In the second period, the Icehawks would score to make the game 3-1, but Hudson battled back and scored only 1 minute and 3 seconds later to get back in striking distance.  The Crusaders would go on to lose 3-2 but the coaching staff liked what they saw out of their team.

"I was happy we competed from start to finish." Urschel said  "We have had problems where we get down and instead of closing the gap, we seem to be rolling over.  I'm happy with the way we played, obviously we could fix some things, but the guys worked hard and gave themselves a chance to tie that game at the end.  If we play like that every night, I think we'll win more than we lose."

Jake Bruhn finished the game with 1 goal, 1 assist and David O'connor (Woodbury, MN) had 1 goal.  New goaltender Tristan Pennella (Stillwater,MN) made 36 saves in his MNJHL debut.

Saturday night was more of the same from the Crusaders but with a better result.  Again the Crusaders fell behind early to the Edina Lakers but were able to tie the game on a Cody Crouch (Eagan, MN) goal midway through the first period.  Matt Rose (Billings, MT) would give the Crusaders the lead on their very next shot.  "Matt did what Don (Babineau) has been preaching all season, go to the net.  That was a nice shot and a good tip." said Urschel.  The first period ended with the Crusaders up 2-1.

Tanner Tryggestad (Amery, WI) would score at 12:51 of the second period to give the Crusaders a 3-1 lead.  Edina would come back to make it a 3-2 game heading into the 3rd period.  Cody Crouch would go on to score his second goal of the game to make it 4-2.  And Tryggestad would score an empty net goal with 11 seconds remaining to seal the win for the Crusaders.  Justin Gortman (Raleigh, NC) would get the win in net making 34 saves. 

"Overall I think the team is happy with the way they played this weekend." said Urschel.  "I think the whole team is understanding how we need to play if we are going to make some noise come playoffs.  We need to do the little things, block shots, chip pucks out, crash the net, if we are going to have a chance and I think after this weekend the boys see the small things make a big difference."

The Crusaders will be back on the ice all three nights this coming weekend.  Friday, they take on the Minnesota Owls in Hudson.  Then Saturday they are off to Maple Grove to face a reborn Wildcats team.  Sunday, they will host the Wildcats.

"These are playoff games for everyone involved." said Urschel.  "We want to catch the Owls, they wanna pull away from us.  And we are certainly not looking past the Wildcats.  Jon (Liesmaki) has them playing good hockey and they have the potential to ruin someones season come playoffs.  These will be 3 hard fought, exciting games."

Check out MNJHL.com for times and arena locations to come support the Crusaders

For January 28th through the 30th, Assistant Coach Don Babineau will be the assistant coach for the Springfield Junior Blues of the North American Hockey League (NAHL). He will conduct practice on Friday in Springfield and be on the bench in Topeka on Saturday and Sunday. 

General Manager Harry Urschel says "The team is excited for Don to be able to experience coaching at the next level. Advancing coaches as well as players is a goal of the Crusader organization. Don was twice named Coach of the Year in the MNJHL and this is a great opportunity that he is well prepared for." 

Justin Gortman was named the MNJHL goalie of the month for December.  Gortman posted a 2-0 record in December with 1.50 GAA and a .946 Save Percentage and 1 shutout.

On the season, Gortman has a 5-2 record with a 3.30 GAA and a .891 Save Percentage with 2 shutouts.

It only took 3 years, 5 months and 9 days but the Hudson Crusaders finally got their 1st win over the Rochester Ice Hawks.  It came in the form of a 7-4 home victory on Wednesday night in which the Crusaders never trailed during the game.

Nick Townes (Crown Point, IN) started the scoring only 1:14 into the game when he took a Russel Oakes (Beloit, WI) pass and beat Ice Hawk's goaltender LJ Dvorak above his blocker.  The Ice Hawks would answer only 3 minutes and 10 seconds later on a 5 on 3 goal.  Newly acquired Jay Ekman (Andover, MN) scored 6 minutes later on a beautiful pass from Tim Heilman (Des Moines, IA) to make it 2-1.  Oakes was credited with the 2nd assist on the goal.  The Crusaders were not done in the first period however as Tanner Tryggestad (Amery, WI) scored his 23rd goal of the season on the powerplay.  Cody Crouch (Eagan, MN) and Jay Ekman assisted.  The Ice Hawks scored with 11 seconds remaining in the period to make the score 3-2 heading into the intermission.

After a back and forth first 5 minutes of the second period, the Crusaders were put on a 5 on 3 powerplay.  Tanner Tryggestad made the Hawks pay by scoring his 2nd goal of the game and 24th on the season.  Oakes and Townes assisted the goal.  A minute and ten seconds later, Mackie Hayman (Raleigh, NC) would notch his first career junior goal to give the Crusaders a 5-2 lead.  Tom Debace (Roseville, MN) and Jake Bruhn (Chippewa Falls, WI) registered assists.  Rochester would go on to cut into the Crusaders lead with 5:02 remaining in the period to make the score 5-3.

The third period began with the Ice Hawks on a power play and they would capitalize only 1:47 into the 3rd to make the game 5-4.  But instead of crumbling under the pressure, the Crusaders came right back and scored 2 minutes later as Clint Kimps (Green Bay, WI) would score a wrist shot over the goaltenders glove hand.  Ivan Pavlenko (Moscow, RU) and Bruhn assisted on the goal.  After a flurry of chances by the Ice Hawks, Tom Debace was able to seal the win with an empty net goal with 2 seconds remaining.  The Crusaders would go on to win 7-4. 

"I was thrilled with the way we played tonight." said Head Coach Ted Urschel who was serving a one game suspension and watched from the press box.  "I got so excited when Kimps scored that I almost knocked out the glass of the press box on accident.  Nick (Adamek) and AJ (Smith) really got the guys ready to play and coached a great game.  All around, everyone came through tonight and we're happy to get the monkey off our backs."

When coach Adamek was asked about the game he said "the boys played hard." then walked away smiling.

Scoring-

Tryggestad 2 goals,  Debace 1 goal 1 assist,  Townes 1 goal 1 assist,  Ekman 1 goal 1 assist,  Hayman 1 goal, Kimps 1 goal,  Oakes 3 assists,  Bruhn 2 assists, Heilman 1 assist, Loasby 1 assist,  Crouch 1 assist

Pennella 48 saves on 52 shots.

The Crusaders entered the Holiday break with a 13-13-0-2 record good for 4th place in the Minnesota Junior Hockey League.  They also boast the only college advancement of the MNJHL for the 2010-2011 season in Josh Lehr (Bethel University-MIAC).

1st half recap:

Forwards

6 - Jake Bruhn - 8 GP 1-2-3
After being aqcuired in a trade with the Minnesota Ice Hawks, Jake has been a welcome addition to the Crusaders.  He works hard every shift and has earned himself a spot on the top 3 lines. 

8 - Tim Heilman - 24 GP 3-3-6
Tim has been a perfect 3rd and 4th line power forward for the Crusaders.  His physical play and fearless attitude has made him a favorite among his teammates and coaches.  He finishes all of his checks and is not afraid to step in front of any shots.

10 - Tanner Tryggestad - 27 GP 18-5-23
After finishing last season as the 2nd leading scorer in all of Wisconsin high school hockey, Tryggestad has continued the scoring that earned him a tender with Crusaders.  Tanner is 2nd in the MNJHL with 18 goals and is half way to the Crusaders single season goals scored record.

11 - Ivan Pavlenko - 28 GP 11-9-20
From Moscow, Russia, Pavlenko has transitioned to the physical style of the MNJHL very well.  Any time he has the puck on his stick, he has the ability to create a scoring chance. 

12 - Brent Finnegan - 27 GP 5-6-11
As a 3rd year player, Finnegan was given the role of 3rd line center and has filled the position perfectly.  Finnegan plays good defensive hockey and is used to slow down opposing teams top players.  He also has scored more pts this season, than he had in his 1st 2 season with Crusaders.

13 - Mike Thibault - 25 GP 0-1-1
Mike has a been a pivotal player on the Crusaders penalty kill and 3rd line.  A fearless shot blocker and all around feisty player, Mike has made himself a player that is hard to keep out of the line up.

15 - Ryan Beck - 23 GP 2-3-5
Only a 1993 birth year, Ryan has adjusted to the speed and style of the MNJHL well.  Already with 5 pts, Beck has the ability to put up 20 points if he continues to progress and work hard.

16 - Matt Rose - 19 GP 1-3-4
Matt has battled through numerous injuries during the first half of the season which has hampered his offensive production.  The coaching staff looks forward to having Matt healthy after the break because they feel he can help the offensive production of the Crusaders.

17 - Tom Debace - 3 GP 1-0-1
Tom joined the Crusaders after attending college for the first semester.  Last season he was the captain on the Roseville high school team and played in the Elite League.  The coaches will look to Tom to provide some offensive production to the Crusaders during the 2nd half and play offs.

21 - David O'Connor - 15 GP 3-0-3
David broke his wrist and missed half of the seasons games.  Through the minimal games he has played, David has made himself a favorite of the teams coaches.  He works hard every shift and has scored some pretty goals.  In his first game back from injury, David scored a goal in the Crusaders 5-0 win over the Lakers.

22 - Jake Moore - 9 GP 1-1-2
After joining the Crusaders late in November, Jake has been a force on the 3rd line.  His hitting ability has made him a mainstay on the 3rd line with his brother Luke and Brent Finnegan.

23 - Cody Crouch - 24 GP 11-10-21
Captain and 3rd year player, Crouch has provided the Crusaders with much needed leadership for a very young team.  Earlier this season he passed Kyle Romanchuk for the Crusaders all time goal scoring record and the number continues to climb.

26 - Blake Pederson - 4 GP 0-4-4
After spending the 2009-10 season with Manitoulin (NOJHL) and the first half of this year with Spooner (SIJHL), Blake returns to the Crusaders with the ability to be a powerhouse in the MNJHL.  Standing at 6'3, he uses his size and speed to outwork opposing defenders and create scoring chances for his linemates (Crouch and Tryggestad).

27 - Christian Kalupy - 13 GP 3-2-5
After missing the first 15 games, Christian returned to the Crusaders and has anchored the 4th line at the center position.  He gave the coaching staff a player they can count on to be defensively sound and allow the younger players to learn on the fly with.

28 - Luke Moore - 7 GP 0-0-0
Luke has earned himself a place on the Crusaders 3rd line with his physical play.  Along with his brother Jake and Brent Finnegan, this trio gives the Crusaders one of the most physical 3rd lines in all of the MNJHL.

29 - Nick Townes - 28 GP 16-14-30  
Townes has been the Crusaders best player in the 1st half.  He leads the team and all MNJHL rookies in scoring.  Out of camp, he has earned himself the 1st line center position and is a key part of the Crusaders top powerplay unit.

Defense

3 - Russel Oakes - 28 GP 2-17-19
After being recruited all summer, Russel has made the coaches very happy with his play on the blueline.  He leads all Crusaders defenseman with 19 points and has been the quarterback on the top powerplay unit.

4 - Cole Larson - 28 GP 0-6-6
In his 2nd season with the Crusaders, Larson has picked up right where he left off last season.  A prototypical defensive defenseman, Cole is one of the Crusaders top D and is logging almost 20 minutes a game in ice time.

5 - Eric Loasby - 28 GP 0-5-5
After playing with Appleton United High School last season, Loasby has been a welcomed addition to the Crusaders blueline.  He has the ability to move the puck up the ice and make big hits in the defensive zone.

8 - Lukas Allen - 27 GP 6-11-17
After being traded to the Crusaders in the offseason, Allen has been the best defenseman on the team and possibly in the league.  Some games, Lukas has logged nearly 30 minutes of ice time and has provided a player the younger defenseman can look up to and try to mirror their play after.

18 - Mackie Hayman - 28 GP 0-4-4
Hayman has provided the Crusaders with a solid defenseman that they can play with any of the other 5 D-men.  He can play a stay at home style or push the play offensively.

20 - Clint Kimps - 28 GP 2-2-4
Kimps has had a great first half.  Every game it seems he is getting better and better which is what the Crusaders are all about.  He came in as the 6th defenseman and through hard work has worked his way up the ladder.

Goalies

1 - Andrew Nelson - 9 GP 3-4 4.00 .869
Andrew has been a solid backup for the Crusaders through the first 28 games but the coaches will be looking to him and Gortman to pick up where Josh Lehr left off.  He proved last year he was able to do it at Simley High School.

30 - Justin Gortman - 7 GP 4-1 3.06 .898 1SO
Justin has had to be patient playing behind Lehr but has made the most of his opportunities.  He finished the last 2 games of the first half defeating the Northern Lights 4-3 and by shutting out the Lakers 5-0.

31 - Josh Lehr - 16 GP 6-10 3.26 .899 1SO
Josh provided the Crusaders with some of the best goaltending it has had in it's short history.  After a solid first half to the season, he has been recruited to play at Bethel University (MIAC) for the 2nd semester of this school year.

31- Charlie Mitch - 0 GP 0-0 0.00 .000
Charlie joined the Crusaders when Josh Lehr left but hasn't started a game.  The coaches feel he has a ton of upside and the ability to earn some starts through the 2nd half.

The Crusaders get back on the ice Sunday, January 2nd in Bloomington against the Twin Cities Northern Lights.

The Crusaders swept their weekend games against the Twin Cities Northern Lights and Little Falls Flying Aces on Friday and Saturday night.

After a slow start on Friday, the Crusaders found themselves trailing 1-0 entering the 3rd period.  After killing off multiple 5 on 3 powerplays to begin the period, Hudson used the momentum to tie the game with 9:57 remaining on a goal from Ivan Pavlenko (Moscow, Russia).  Defenseman Cole Larson (Urbandale, Iowa) and Russell Oakes (Beloit, Wisconsin) assisted the goal.  Defenseman Lukas Allen (Prior Lake, Minnesota) then took over in the overtime period.  Allen rushed the puck from his own zone all the way down the ice and scored the winner with 3:55 remaining in the game.  "I wasn't happy with the way we played through the first 2 periods." said Head Coach Ted Urschel  "I was really impressed by the way we killed off all of those penalties to begin the 3rd and with the way we battled back to get the win."  Goaltender Justin Gortman (Raleigh, North Carolina) got the win in net with 26 saves for his first junior win.

Saturday was a different story for the Crusaders.  After falling behind early, the Crusaders took a 2-1 lead on a pair of Tanner Tryggestad (Amery, Wisconsin) goals.  Nick Townes (Crown Point, Indiana) added a late 3rd period goal to seal the win.  Townes finished the game with 1 goal and 2 assists and goaltender Josh Lehr (Appleton, Wisconsin) made 34 saves to earn his first win as a Crusader.  "I'm very happy with the way our team played tonight especially in the defensive zone." said Head Coach Ted Urschel  "We really stressed forcing teams to shoot from the outside and limiting their 2nd chances this week in practice.  We have alot of faith in our goaltenders this year to know that they will make the first save, its just our guys job to find a man and not allow them to get any shots off of rebounds."

The Crusaders are now 2-2 in the MNJHL and will be at home against the Northern Lights on Saturday and the Rochester Ice Hawks on Sunday.

Former River Falls High School hockey star Dylan Dock admits he wasn’t happy when he was traded from the Springfield Junior Blues to the Hudson Crusaders last month.

“I was upset; it’s a different league,” he said, noting Springfield is a Tier II junior team that plays in the North American Hockey League and Hudson is a Tier III team and member of the Minnesota Junior Hockey League. “But after the first weekend I knew if I played hard things would work out.”

After playing 15 games in Springfield without recording a point, Dock picked up an assist in his first game with the Crusaders, a 4-3 loss to the Edina Lakers Oct. 16. The next night he had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Flying Aces.

Since then he’s tallied seven goals and five assists and is tied for third on the team in scoring despite playing in just nine of the Crusaders’ 18 games.

“It’s helped to get a guy like Dylan Dock,” Crusaders’ head coach Ted Urschel said. “His skills and ability to see the ice, and his playmaking ability, has made us better. But if he keeps playing the way he’s playing, he won’t be here for a full season.”

Such is life for Urschel and the Crusaders. The team is part of a five-team logjam all within four points of third place in the MNJHL standings. But while vying for a playoff spot and a berth in the national tournament are important, Urschel said the team also strives to develop its players so they can move on to higher levels like the NAHL and ultimately college.

In the three years the Crusaders have been in Hudson, Urschel said the team has moved on 24 players to college and Tier II hockey.

“We never get a guy who scores 40 points back for another season,” he said. “They move on. That’s what we’re about; moving guys on. We don’t get them back for a second or third year.”

Among the former Crusaders now playing college hockey is former Raider Tyler Fischer. Fischer played with the Crusaders in 2007-08 before joining the Concordia University-Wisconsin team last season. This season another former Crusader, Dan Shilts of New Richmond, joined Fischer at Concordia.

Dock said he’s enjoying his time with the Crusaders. He said he’s living at home in River Falls and is glad his friends and family can watch him play. But he said his immediate goal hasn’t changed.

“It’s fun,” he said. “It’s a good group of guys. It kind of feels like high school again. But I hope to get back to the NAHL.”

That will be fine with Urschel.

“We’re just trying to put players in a position where they are getting better every day,” he said.

Busy weekend ahead

The Crusaders are currently 7-9-0-2 in the MNJHL standings and will visit the first place Rochester Ice Hawks on Friday, Nov. 19. Saturday, Nov. 20, they return home to host the last-place Minnesota Wildcats in a 7:10 p.m. start at Gornick Arena and Sunday, Nov. 21 they travel to Bloomington to face the Twin Cities Northern Lights.

The Crusaders trail the Northern Lights by two points in the league standings.

Courtesy of Bob Burrows and the Hudson Star Observer

The Hudson Crusaders were able to pull themselves into a 4-way tie for 3rd place in the MNJHL after a 2 win weekend.

Friday night the Crusaders lost 9-5 in Rochester.  Tanner Tryggestad (Amery, WI) scored 3 times while Cody Crouch (Eagan, MN) assisted on all 3 of Tryggestad goals.  Nick Townes (Crown Pointe, IN) and Dylan Dock (River Falls, WI) combined for the other 2 Crusader goals.

Saturday the Crusaders beat the Minnesota Wildcats 8-3.  Brent Finnegan (Woodbury, MN) scored 3 goals and added 1 assist.  Tanner Tryggestad added 2 more goals while Russel Oakes (Beloit, WI), Lukas Allen (Lakeville, MN), Eric Loasby (Appleton, WI), Ivan Pavlenko (Moscow, Russia), and Dylan Dock all had 2 pts in the game.  Andrew Nelson (Inver Grove Heights, MN) made 32 saves in the win.

Sunday the Crusaders finished the weekend with a 5-0 shutout of the Twin Cities Northern Lights.  Dylan Dock led the way with 3 assists while Clint Kimps (Bayport, WI) scored his first goal of the season.  Crouch, Tryggestad, Allen and Townes scored the other 4 goals.  Josh Lehr (Appleton, WI) made all 34 saves to earn the shutout against his former team.

"This weekend was good for our players" said Head Coach Ted Urschel.  "The guys are seeing all the hard work they put in at practice and Total Hockey starting to pay off.  We are getting scoring from 3 lines and our defense.  Add in the way our goalies played Saturday and Sunday and these kind of results will become a regular thing."

With the 6 goal weekend Tanner Tryggestad moved up to 2nd in the league in goals scored with 17 goals in 21 games.  Nick Townes is now in 5th place among the leagues leading scorers and is first among rookies.  With his 8th goal of the season on Sunday, Cody Crouch became the Crusaders all time leader in goals scored with 40 career goals.

The Crusaders next games are Friday against the Flying Aces in Little Falls and home Sunday against the Granite City Lumberjacks.

The 6th seeded Hudson Crusaders won the best of 3 series, 2-1 over the 4th seeded Minnesota Owls.  Friday night saw a lopsided Crusaders loss as the Owls came ready to earn the 3rd spot in the national tournament.  The Owls used a 5 goal 2nd period to win the game 8-3.

With their season on the line, the Crusaders returned home to Hudson on Saturday night.  The Crusaders jumped out to a 2-0 lead to enter the 3rd period.  The Owls would score to make it 2-1, but Tanner Tryggestad (Amery. WI) put home an empty net goal to force a decisive game 3 back in Isanti, MN.

Sunday's game 3 was a back forth battle between 2 teams that had nothing to lose and everything to gain.  The first period ended in a 0-0 tie after both goalies made some stellar saves.  The Owls started the scoring on a goal by Robert Erickson only 12 seconds into the 2nd period.  The Crusaders would answer on a Jay Ekman (Andover, MN) powerplay goal to tie the game at 1-1.  Tanner Tryggestad would score a few minutes later to give the Crusaders a 2-1 lead.  Tom Debace (Little Canada, MN) would then add a shorthanded goal a minute and 14 seconds later to push the lead to 3-1 heading into the 3rd period.

With their season on the line, the Owls would waste no time in tieing the game as they scored 2 goals in the first 4 minutes of the period to knot the score at 3-3.  Eric Millis (Black River Falls, WI) would score on a breakaway 2 minutes later to regain the lead at 4-3.  With 8 minutes remaining, the Owls tied the game again at 4-4.  The score would stay tied until Tanner Tryggestad raced down the right side of the ice and put a shot on goal.  Tom Debace was in the slot to bat down the rebound and put home the winning goal with only 44 seconds remaining in the game.  After 4 face offs in the Crusaders zone, Nick Townes blocked a shot and Tryggestad picked up the puck and dumped the puck into the Owls zone, sealing the game and the Crusaders spot at the National Tournament.

"It was a fantastic series and I'm proud of the way our guys fought back after Friday's game to regroup and play some good hockey." said Head Coach Ted Urschel.  "I told them this was a once in a life time experience.  There were no guarantee's that where ever they played in the future that they would get another shot to play in a national tournament.   I credit our 3, 20 year olds, Cody (Crouch), Lukas (Allen) and Blake (Pederson) for taking control of the locker room and getting the guys ready to play.  And my hat goes off to the Owls.  They fought us to the very end and they should be proud of their season."

The Junior A Tier III National Tournament will take place in Rochester, MN from April 1st through the 5th.  Stay tuned for updates so you can come cheer on the Crusaders as they continue their season.

Travis Payne (Gaylord, MI) who played for the 2009-2010 Hudson Crusaders has scored his first hat trick at the Junior A tier II level.  Travis, who plays for the Soo Eagles (NOJHL), scored 3 goals in a 7-5 victory over the Sudbury Jr Wolves on Wednesday, January 26th. 

Travis scored 4:31 into the game to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead.  He then scored his 2nd goal of the game 1:31 into the 2nd period for a 5-1 Eagles lead.  Assisting on the goal was another former Crusader Brock Raffaele (Cadillac, MI).  Payne then finished the hat trick on a goal with 3:49 remaining in the 2nd period which gave the Eagles a 6-4 lead. 

Payne and Raffaele are having break out seasons with the Soo Eagles.  Playing on the same line with Payne's younger brother Robbie, they have given the Eagles one of the best 2nd lines in the NOJHL.  Travis Payne has 18 goals and 31 assists for 49 points in 41 games.  Brock Raffaele has 17 goals and 31 assists for 48 points in 41 games. 

"I've said it over and over, but I'll say it again, these two produce."  said Head Coach Ted Urschel.  "Where ever these two end up next year, whether its on the Eagles, an NAHL team or at an NCAA college, they will get the job done and make another coach as happy as they made me and the coaches here."

The Soo Eagles currently sit in 2nd place in the Western Division of the NOJHL. 

There was a great turn-out for the annual event "Hockey for a Day" at the Raider Rink in Hudson on Saturday, September 11^th. Sponsored by the Hudson Hockey Association (HHA) for the past four years, children from ages 4 to 9 used the afternoon to get on the ice to practice their skating. Equipment was also available to rent and volunteers helped to fit skaters with helmets and skates. Over the last two years, kids were also able to participate in the Total Hockey Experience, using the facilities to concentrate on their puck handling. Once the kids got on the ice, the players of the Hudson Crusaders and HHA volunteers helped guide them on their skates.

Volunteers at Hockey for a Day said that registration yielded a 50/50 ratio of girls and boys for Saturday’s events. Maija Stubbendick, the program coordinator and the HHA advertised with flyers to pre-schools and around town and on their website in an effort to promote kids to come to the rink. It also gave the kids a chance to get to know the team of this season’s Hudson Crusaders.

The HHA also announced their program JUMP START TO HOCKEY, a program designed for the ‘never skated before’ player, starting on September 19 and concluding with 4 sessions. They also announced the MITE PROGRAM, a Player Development Program for players aged 4 to 9. Please visit their website, www.hudsonhockey.com for more information. 

article by Amanda Marie Liesinger

The Hudson Crusaders are happy to announce that they are teaming up with Wiscohockey.com.  

Wiscohockey is ran by GM/Head Coach Chris Walby.  Chris is the Assistant Coach at Middleton High School in Middleton, WI and runs Wiscohockey.com during the summer months.  

"Chris is the kind of person our team wants to work with." said Head Coach Ted Urschel.  "He runs the wisco program to help the kids of Wisconsin play against some top competition and find a place to play after high school. He understands what our organization is about and is comfortable helping us recruit players on the Wisco team's that aren't able to make an NAHL team."

Players that are interested in participating on any of Wiscohockey.com's tournament team's should contact Chris Walby through the organization's website.

Regular season linemantes Brock Raffaele and Travis Payne both continued their scoring ways this past weekend during the Best of the Rest portion of the Tier III Junior A National Tournament in Marlborough, MA.

Payne and Raffaele, tied with Ian Jensen (Spooner Mustangs) for 2nd on the team in scoring with 3 points.  Payne tallied 3 goals, including a shorthanded goal during the teams game against the EJHL.  Raffaele preceded to score 1 goal and chip in 2 assists during the 4 game tournament.

"I felt the pace of the games were a little faster than during the regular season.  Every time you were out there, it was like you were playing against a first line." said Raffaele  "I liked the competitiveness that each team brought and I think it was a great experience.  I would definitely do it again."

Both players talked with numerous Division III and NAHL scouts during the trip but are still undecided on what they will be doing next year.