Sports

Trey Lower
KDWA Sports Director

    Cardinals End Season At State

    The Prescott Cardinals Boys Basketball Team ended their 2023-24 Season at the Kohl Center in Madison, falling to eventual State Champion Saint Thomas More, 68-45, in the State Semifinals, late last week. The Cards finish their magical season at 21-7, including three wins over Somerset, a team that was ranked ahead of Prescott, all season long. This Senior Class will also be remembered for their grit, intensity, and team play. Coach Nick Johnson joined KDWA's Nick Tuckner on Monday to look back at the trek to State, and a little preview of the excitement surrounding next year! (Photo Courtesy of Prescott High School Athletics)

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    RAIDERS TAKE SIXTH AT STATE TOURNAMENT, STEINKE, BEISSEL NAMED TO ALL TOURNEY TEAM

    Raider Wrestling Takes Sixth At Team States: The Hastings Raiders wrestling team was not able to defend their thrilling state title, as a first round upset relegated the Raiders to the consolation round

    1st Match: The Raiders faced off against Albert Lea, a familiar foe from the regular season. The first match was a 33-27 win for the Raiders, and it was again expected to be a close bout. That would prove to be the case.

    The Raiders would start out with three wins in a row, before Albert Lea would rally in the middleweights to take a 27-14 lead. The Raiders would get a pin from Creed Peterson to cut it to 7 at 27-20, and Cristobal Estrada would win by fall as well to cut it to one at 27-26. But a crucial bout at 215 would result in a match sealing pin for the Tigers and Albert Lea led by 7 going into the final bout. Derrick Steinke would win by fall to end it, and the final score was 33-32 Albert Lea. This would send the Raiders to the Consolation Semifinals, where they had to win to keep their tournament alive.

    2nd Match: The Raiders again opened up a big lead early over Forest Lake, taking the first 5 weight classes to lead 25-0. But Forest Lake would close the gap in the middleweight categories to cut it to 25-21. But that is as close as they would get, as the Raiders pulled away to a 37-27 win.

    3rd Match: The Raiders would wrestle the Willmar Cardinals for a shot at 5th place. Beckett Edstrom would start things off with a pin to get the Raiders an early advantage, and like the Forest Lake matchup, the Raiders would open up an early lead. But Willmar would take several matches in succession en route to a 35-27 victory. The final results were as follows:

    Champion: STMA

    Second: Mounds View

    Third: Shakopee

    Fourth: Albert Lea

    Fifth: Willmar

    Sixth: Hastings

    Did Not Place: Apple Valley, Forest Lake

    The Raiders continued with individual wrestling action. Stay tuned for updates on those results.

    Blake Beissel and Derrick Steinke were named to the All-Tournament Team (pictured). Picture credit to Hastings Wrestling

       

    RAIDERS FALL TO LIGHTNING, SEASON ENDS

    The Hastings Raiders boys hockey ended in defeat to the Eastview Lightning in a game marred by penalties for both teams.

    1st Period: Relatively early on, it was actually Hastings controlling the tempo of the contest as the Raiders held Eastview off the shots counter for a good five minutes before the Lightning registered their first shot, but it was Eastview scoring first, as 6:35 into the period they would find the back of the net to make it 1-0. 1 minute later it was 2-0 and the Raiders were in trouble. An unassisted goal at 15:39 made it 3-0 and the Raiders had work to do after a penalty filled first period.

    2nd Period: To quote the longtime Hastings Civic Arena PA announcer, "Penalties? Yes there were". That was again the theme of the period, with the Lightning capitalizing twice on said power plays, and an additional two times even strength to make it 7-0. The Lightning had an even harder time staying out of the box, but they still managed to put four goals in the back of the net, and on the 44th anniversary of the Miracle on Ice, the Raiders needed one.

    3rd Period: There would be no scoring in the third period as the clock ran from beginning to end, but there were plenty of more penalties. Eastview had two players get 10:00 penalties and Hastings had a 5:00 penalty. The Raiders sadly were not able to claw their way back and 7-0 ended up being the final score.

    The Raiders end their season with a 16-10-1 record and 6-6 in the conference.

       

    RAIDERS BEAT EAGLES, KEEP SEASON ALIVE

    The Hastings Raiders boys hockey team downed Apple Valley 7-1 to advance to Thursday's quarterfinal against Eastview.

    The Raiders scored four goals from four different skaters in the first period to take a 4-0 lead after 1. Blake Vandehoef got it going early, and Will Savage tallied the 2nd. Just after a power play expired, it was Sawyer Tjomsland making it 3-0, before Jon Harris nabbed the 4th goal on the power play with just seconds left in the period.

    In the 2nd, Harris added a 2nd to make it 5-0, and that was the only goal in the period.

    In the 3rd, Brody Geib and Brayden Krauth scored, sandwiched by an Apple Valley goal and that made it a 7-1 final.

    The Raiders outshot Apple Valley 34-25 in the game, with 20 of the shots coming in the first period.

    Hastings will play top seeded Eastview on Thursday. The teams did not meet in the regular season.

    WEEKEND SPORTS RECAP

    Four Girls Wrestlers Punch State Ticket: Four Hastings Raiders Girls Wrestlers have punched their ticket to the State tournament with section victories, with 10 girls placing in the top 10 of the section.

    Ivy Brandenburg became a 2x state qualifier at 100 lbs, Anabel Norquist also became a 2x state qualifier with a 2nd place finish, Skylar Little Soldier claimed another section championship and will head to State for the third time, and Amelia Miller claimed a Section title at 170 lbs. Other results include Allison Weinzettel Grace Gerlach, Trinity Yates, Josie Giangiacomo and Mady Radspinner all taking third place finishes in their respective weight classes. The Raiders will now look to punch their ticket as a team on Wednesday.

    Thomley Advances: As a team, Prescott's wrestling season has come to its conclusion, but Nolan Thomley continues on. The senior wrestler earned a regional title at his weight class, 150 lbs, and will look to advance to the State meet with a section title in Tomahawk in February 17. Its been a season of growth and rebuilding for the Cardinal wrestling program under first year head coach Ian Ruble, but one mainstay has been the successes for Thomley, who has been state ranked and molded into the team’s go to leader for the season.

    SEAS Tournament Impresses: Another great crowd was on hand for the Saint Elizabeth Anne Seton Patriot Tournament's 63rd iteration as 8 schools participated. Blessed Trinity of Richfield went a perfect 3-0 to win the boys title, taking down SEAS 48-40 in an electric game that ultimately decided the title. Saint Charles Borromeo of Saint Anthony was named the Girls title winner with a perfect 3-0 record. The SEAS boys handled North Heights Christian and Saint Bridget of River Falls in their first two games. The SEAS girls gave a hard fought effort in all three games but ultimately suffered defeat in all three.

    Six SEAS players were named all-tournament team: Brady Hendrickson, Nate McPherson and Jayden Oliver for the Boys, and Claire Reinhardt, Teresa Zeiske and Megan Knutson for the girls.

    New this year, KDWA awarded a player of the game as well, with Hendrickson, Oliver and Ben Peterson the winners on the boys side, and Reinhardt, Knutson and Laney Schweiger on the girls side.

    All games are available on the KDWA Video Streaming Archive

    Prescott Girls Hoops Learns Postseason Fate: The Road to the Resch has begun. The Prescott Cardinals learned what their path to the postseason looks like this weekend with the bracket reveal. As the WIAA releases brackets before the season ends, the bracket will not change regardless of how the season does.

    Prescott earned a 3 seed and will face the winner of Barron and Spooner on February 23 at Prescott High School. A win there and the Cardinals face either Somerset, Amery or Saint Croix Central on February 24. All of the first round bye’s belong to Middle Border schools, with Baldwin-Woodville earning the 1 seed and Ellsworth the 4 seed.

    The Boys hoops bracket should be arriving in the days ahead.

    Jr Gold Wins Title: The Hastings Jr Gold B team went up to Superior, WI last weekend and went undefeated, taking the Colder by the Lake Tournament title. They earned a 3-2 win over a team from Thunder Bay, Ontario for the championship.

    Spring Sports Registration Underway: Spring sports registration started on Monday and runs through the end of Spring Break before resuming again after for nine days.

    PWHL MINNESOTA TAKES TO THE SCHEELS RINK

    On Friday morning, United Heroes League played host to PWHL Minnesota as they practiced at the facility for the first time. A great crowd of youth players was on hand, and most of the PWHL team was as well (about 11 were tied up in national team commitments and unable to make it). Natalie Darwitz has assumed the Team General Manager role and talked to KDWA about the outdoor practice, the impressive UHL facility, giving back to veterans, and the extremely popular start to the PWHL

       

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    HASTINGS STILL BUZZING AFTER HOCKEY DAY NEWS

    Hastings and the hockey community are both collectively buzzing after the news that the city will host Hockey Day Minnesota in 2026. One of the biggest sporting events in the state, a de facto holiday in some ways, the event will descend upon United Heroes League and their Scheels Rink in 2026.

    The announcement was made at the end of the 2024 edition, which was held up in Warroad. Shane Hudella of UHL, along with Hastings Mayor Mary Fasbender and other dignitaries were in attendance for the announcement that was broadcast live on Bally Sports North.

    UHL opened their new Scheels Rink back on November 11, 2023 and has hosted numerous events, including this past weekend when the Hastings Boys Hockey team beat Apple Valley in overtime 3-2.

    In a press release from the Minnesota Wild, who along with Bally runs the event, Hastings High School activities director Trent Hanson said

    "Hastings is thrilled to be selected as the host for Hockey Day Minnesota 2026... Our community recognizes the incredible opportunity we have to host this premier event with such a storied tradition. Our boys and girls hockey programs, from youth through high school, look forward to participating in this one-of-a-kind experience."

    "We're incredibly excited to be selected as the host site for Hockey Day Minnesota 2026 in Hastings... We look forward to partnering with the Hastings Hockey Association and our community to support and grow youth hockey and make this the best Hockey Day yet" Hudella said in the same release.

    Matchups are not currently known and will not be known for quite some time. But that didn't stop community members from excitedly guessing and wondering which thrilling games will occur.

    The 2024 host, Warroad, saw both its boys and girls team play, along with JV teams. The Warriors, along with Roseau, Moorhead, Kittson County Central, Lake of the Woods, Lakeville North (Girls), Waseca, Thief River Falls and Wayzata were the high school participants in the 2024 edition.

    2025 won't be held far away either, as it will be at Valleyfair in Shakopee.

       

    HASTINGS NAMED HOCKEY DAY MINNESOTA 2026 HOSTS

    On Saturday night, the Hastings community learned that one of the state's biggest events is coming to town. It was announced during HDM2024 in Warroad that Hastings will host Hockey Day Minnesota in 2026. The event will take place at United Heroes League and their Scheel's Rink. Mayor Mary Fasbender and Shane Hudella, along with other dignitaries, were on site in Warroad for the announcement. The 2026 event will celebrate Hastings hockey history, and the community that it represents. More details to come on KDWA Radio.

    (Photo credits to Shane Hudella)

       

    RAIDERS DROP HEARTBREAKER TO TWO RIVERS; BALSTER, ERICKSON TO BE HONORED

    Raiders Drop Heartbreaker To Two Rivers: The Hastings Raiders dropped an overtime loss to Two Rivers 2-1 in a pivotal section game for both teams.

    Two Rivers has been a surprise in MN Hockey this year, having recently upset Hill-Murray for the first time in more than five decades. The Raiders knew they were going to have their hands full in this contest, but early on, in fact just 21 seconds in, Connor Zgoda would beat the Warriors netminder and it was 1-0. That would be the score after one period. Two Rivers would tie things at 1, and it would stay that way all the way to overtime. Both teams had chances in the extra session, but Two Rivers would find the back of the net to win 2-1.

    Basketball Teams Sweep Hill-Murray: The Hastings Raiders boys basketball team downed Hill-Murray 82-61 led by Owen Bernatz's 18 points, while the girls used 24 points from Hailey Strain to win 53-47. Both teams are in second place, with the boys in action against Tartan on Tuesday, with the Raiders 2 games back of the Titans. The girls are a half game back of Mahtomedi for first place in the conference.

    Injured Seniors to Dress: During last week's hockey game, Girls coach Jim Joseph announced that senior girls hockey players Kyra Erickson and Bree Balster would dress in uniform and take part in a ceremonial puck drop for the last home game against Farmington. Balster and Erickson missed the entire season with injuries, but have been at every practice and every game, and the team plans to honor their competitive spirit and show of support with a special senior night moment. KDWA has the game live on our air.

       

    SPORTS ROUNDUP: MCVICKER GETS 1000 POINTS, HASTINGS, PRESCOTT TEAMS WIN

    Keagan McVicker joined the illustrious 1000 Career Point Club at Hastings High School on Tuesday night with a 13 point performance in the Raiders' 72-43 win against North Saint Paul. McVicker accomplished the feat in the first half of the contest, needing just 12 points to reach the mark. She becomes the second Raider in as many weeks to accomplish the feat, as Owen Bernatz also reached the 1000 point barrier for the boys against South Saint Paul. McVicker is the first girls player since Lily Nuytten to accomplish said feat.

    The Hastings Raiders boys hockey team took down Mayo 3-1 on Tuesday night to get a nice win before two key section games on Thursday against upstart Two Rivers and on Saturday outdoors at UHL against Apple Valley/Burnsville. KDWA will have coverage of both games. Thomas McGinnis scored his first varsity goal in the first period, while Brody Geib and Will Savage added the other two goals. Ryan Clemens stopped 22 out of 23 shots for the Raiders. The Hastings girls fell 3-0 on the road at Simley.

    Prescott's basketball teams both won Tuesday as well. Prescott's boys held off Saint Croix Central 78-75 and were led by Dallas Wallin's incredible 36 point, 16 rebound performance. Both teams saw double digit leads evaporate but the Cardinals were able to hold on.

    The Prescott girls won 58-50 to increase their win streak to four games. Both teams remained in first place in the Middle Border.

    The Hastings wrestling team is set to receive their state championship rings Friday in a ceremony prior to their quadrangle with Eastview, East Ridge and Park. Alumni will also be honored around 7:00 as the wrestling starts at 5:00.The ring ceremony is scheduled for 4:45 at the high school.

    Both Hastings U10 girls teams won tournaments in Rochester. U10A won a thriller over Forest Lake 1-0, while U10B defeated River Lakes 4-1 in the title game after going undefeated in pool play

       

    RAIDER RECAP, JANUARY 15

    Raider Girls Hockey Gets Big Win Against Blaine: Victoria Steinke was dominant in net for the Raiders as Hastings outdueled Blaine in a goaltending battle 1-0 on Saturday at Hastings Civic Arena to give the Raiders their 11th win of the season.

    1st Period: The 1st period was dominated by Blaine, outshooting the Raiders 16-5, but Steinke stood tall , stopping everything. Both teams played disciplined hockey in the first period, with neither team committing any penalties. It was 0-0 after one.

    2nd Period: This period was even right down the middle, with shots even at 8. Both netminders again stood tall, with the Raiders and Bengals unable to find the back of the net.

    3rd Period: An incredibly entertaining period of hockey, the Raiders managed to register 17 shots on net in this period alone to Blaine’s 12. Both teams had chances, back and forth and up and down the ice, but the goalies again stole the show, with Steinke making several great saves to keep the game scoreless. Then, with 2:27 left, Olyvia Erickson got a feed from Grace Petrich and Lauren Muhl, and fired the puck on net. There was some immediate confusion, with the referee signaling no goal before instantly changing their mind and signaling goal. Nonetheless it was a legitimate goal and the Raiders led 1-0. Hastings then shut down Blaine for the final 2:27, and held on for the win.

    Final Stats: Victoria Steinke earned her fifth shutout of the season stopping all 36 shots she faced. Power play opportunities in the game were few and far between, with the Raiders going 0 for 1 and the Bengals going 0 for 2.

    The Raiders are back in action Tuesday, their next home game is scheduled for January 30 against Farmington at Hastings Civic Arena in what will be the final home game of the regular season. Road games remain at South Saint Paul, Simley, Hill-Murray, and East Ridge as well. Sections then await, where the Raiders are hoping to have an opportunity to host a section game. More section broadcast information will be available at a later date.

    Hastings Boys Hockey Comes Up Short: The Hastings Raiders opened up their return to Hastings Civic Arena with a hard fought effort against Mahtomedi but ultimately they came up one goal short.

    1st Period: It was an even start to the game, with the Raiders proving they could skate with the defending Class A State Champions. But Mahtomedi would break the deadlock at 9:52 of the first period to go up 1-0. The Raiders kept up the fight though, and late in the first period Blake Vandehoef found himself in a 1-on-1. He was dragged down to the ice and a penalty was called, but the puck went in the net and the Raiders would tie the game at 1. Shots in the period were 10-9 in favor of the Raiders.

    2nd Period: Mahtomedi would extend the lead to 3-1 midway through the third period but Jon Harris would be credited with a goal when the Zephyrs’ goalie was unable to locate the puck and it went into the net to make it 3-2. Shots in the period were 12-11, again making an even matchup evident.

    3rd Period: In the 3rd period, the Raiders tried to find the deciding goal, and had a few great chances, but the goal alas would not come, and 3-2 would be the final score.

    Final Stats: Neither team was able to capitalize on the power play. Final shots were 31-29 in favor of Mahtomedi. Vandehoef and Harris had the goals while Lukas Niederkorn had the assist on Vandehoef’s goal, and Vandehoef and Connor Zgoda had the assists on Harris’ goal.

    Bernatz Reaches 1K Point Achievement: Owen Bernatz reached 1000 points for his career with 19 points in a 94-76 loss against South Saint Paul. Bernatz went into the halftime break needing three points to break the record and did so early in the second half.

    The Raiders are home against Two Rivers on Friday.

       

    VAITH INDUCTED INTO CLASH HALL OF FAME, POSTHUMA REACHES 1000 POINTS

    It was a big weekend in La Crosse, Wisconsin for the annual Clash wrestling tournament, where schools from all over the country (mostly the Midwest) descend upon La Crosse for a weekend of wrestling action. Saint Michael-Albertville won the Clash going away, but the Raiders showed some might, and had some history in the process. The final scores from Day 1 are as follows:

    GIRLS

    Minooka (IL) 44, Hastings 30

    Joliet (IL) 42, Hastings 33

    Bemidji 42, Hastings 33

    BOYS

    Hershey (IL) 37, Hastings 22

    Hastings 42, Northfield 28

    Hastings 34, Apple Valley 27

    Day 2

    GIRLS

    Hastings 57, Byron 18

    Batavia (IL) 45, Hastings 30

    Joliet (IL) 51, Hastings 24

    BOYS

    Hastings 36, Washington (IL) 33

    Marion Central (IL) 37, Hastings 34

    Xavier (IL) 44, Hastings 23

    In addition to these scores, Skylar Little Soldier went 7-0 on the tournament, and her and Jolie Pettit were named Scholar Athletes.

    Vaith Inducted: Legendary Hastings wrestling coach Paul Vaith was inducted into the Clash Hall of Fame. Vaith still serves as a coach and mentor for the wrestling program. We will have more on this story later on KDWA.

    Posthuma Reaches 1K Club As Prescott Creates Three Way MBC Tie: The Prescott Cardinals used lockdown defense to beat Baldwin-Woodville 44-37 but there was more history that was set in the win.

    Lila Posthuma became the fifth girls basketball player in Prescott to join the 1000 Point Club, needing 8 points to do so. She scored 21. After scoring her 1000th point, Prescott called timeout to allow Posthuma to celebrate the achievement with her team and the fans.

    The game itself also propelled Prescott into a three way tie for first place in the conference with Ellsworth and that very Baldwin-Woodville team.

    Raiders Scrimmage at UHL Ahead of Game: On January 27, Hastings will play Apple Valley at United Heroes League, coincidentally on Hockey Day in Minnesota, but not part of the official festivities being held this year in Warroad. The Raiders practiced at UHL on Friday and scrimmaged Irondale on Saturday to both get their skates going again, and to get acclimated with UHL’s skating surface.

    The Raiders had not played since December 28 but return to action Tuesday against Owatonna.

    The Raiders return home against Rochester Century/John Marshall co-op Thursday at Hastings Civic Arena.

    LOCAL TEAMS FIND SUCCESS IN HOLIDAY TOURNAMENTS

    Boys Hockey: First Round, Hastings 2, South Saint Paul 1

    Second Round, Hastings 3, Chisago Lakes 2

    Championship, Hastings 4, Woodbury 2

    Hastings Wins South Saint Paul Premier Tournament, now 8-4 on the year

    Girls Hockey: Game 1, Hastings 3, Eastview 1

    Game 2, Hastings 7, Metro-South 0

    Game 3, Hastings 4, Hopkins 0

    Hastings Sweeps All Three Round Robin Games, now 9-6 on the year

    Girls Basketball: Semifinals, Hastings 62, Northfield 41

    Championship, Farmington 61, Hastings 42

    Hastings Finishes 2nd in Holiday Tournament, 5-5 on the year

    Boys Basketball: Semifinals, Hastings 67, Prescott 57 First Win Over Prescott in Years; Championship St. Louis Park 86, Hastings 78

    Hastings Finishes 2nd in Holiday Tournament, now 5-4 on the year

    Prescott Boys Basketball: Semifinals, Hastings 67, Prescott 57, Third Place Game Irondale 64, Prescott 46

    Prescott finishes 4th in Holiday Tournament, now 6-3 on the year

    Prescott Girls Basketball: Game 1, Park (Racine, WI) 53, Prescott 50 (Overtime), Game 2, Prescott 66, Racine Case 65 (Overtime)

    Prescott now 5-6 on the year

    Wrestling: Finishes first in class at Bi-State Classic, Blake and Trey Beissel individual champions, Blake Beissel named Most Outstanding

       

    PRESCOTT HIGH SCHOOL ANNOUNCES NEW BOYS GOLF, GIRLS VOLLEYBALL COACHES

    Prescott High School has announced new volleyball and boys golf coaches, approved by the school board on December 20.

    Geoffrey Snyder will be returning as the coach of the Prescott Girls Volleyball program for a second stint. He has previously served as the leader of Plum City and Spring Valley as well. In a statement, Prescott Activities Director Andrew Caudill said: "Coach Snyder is a great tactician of the game and he will teach the game in a level of detail that will put our players in the best position to be successful. He will be able to pick up right where we left off and keep the program moving in the right direction."

    Snyder replaces Tracey Budworth, who stepped down after this past season. The Cardinals advanced to the section semifinals last season and Snyder will look to continue their momentum.

    In addition, Scott Hamilton, who had previously served as an assistant under Jay Bartsch, was named as the head coach of the Boys Golf program.

    Caudill said of Hamilton: "Scott Hamilton will be a great leader for the boys in the program. He already has those relationships and he is going to further the progress made in the program over the past few years. I am excited for the future of the boys golf program in Prescott."

    We will have more to come on both of these stories.

       

    WEEKEND SPORTS ROUNDUP

    There is plenty of news and notes from Hastings and Prescott over the last few days to report on, as pretty much every Winter sport team was in action, and numerous off field or off court announcements were made as well.

    Hastings: The Hastings Raiders boys hockey team got their only meeting with Hill-Murray out of the way, and while the Raiders lost 4-0, it was not as rough as the scoreboard indicated. The Raiders skated with Hill-Murray the entire day, and the game was even scoreless after the first period, but Hill-Murray used a three goal 2nd period to put the Raiders away en route to the 4-0 win.

    Hastings Girls Basketball played a back to back over the weekend, falling to both Kasson-Mantorville 61-50 and Rochester John Marshall 67-57. The Raiders were led in scoring in the K-M game by Emma Bakker, who scored 19 points in the loss. Keagan McVicker (13 points) and Lindsey Wagner (11 points) also scored in double figures. Against Rochester John Marshall, Hailey Strain had a great game, with 22 points and 7 rebounds to lead the way for the Raiders. McVicker added 13 and Bakker 10 in the loss.

    The Hastings Wrestling team made its annual trek down to Rochester last weekend for the MN Christmas Tournament and came away with a 10th place overall finish in an event that saw a surprise winner in many people's eyes as Mounds View stunned everyone to win the overall title.

    The Raiders finished with 168.5 overall points, led by Trey Beissel's individual title, making him a two time individual champion in the event. That gave Beissel 43 points in the event. Blake Beissel had 37 points, Derrick Steinke finished with 30 points, Creed Peterson had 19 points and Jack Bainbridge 17.5 to lead the Raiders.

    Hastings Youth Hockey also had a couple second place finishes. The Squirt B2 team finished 2nd place in Luverne, while the Peewee B2 team took 2nd place in Duluth in a heartbreaking finish, winning all 3 games in pool play and forcing overtime in the championship after defeating White Bear Lake in the semis. In OT, they went to a six round shootout with Lakeville, but ultimately came up empty, taking the 2nd place trophy.

    Prescott: Prescott boys basketball handled Amery 82-58 on Friday night, taking an early lead and not looking back. Max Monteith had a career night, with 23 points and 7 rebounds, while Dallas Wallin was again dominant with 28 points, 14 rebounds and 6 assists.

    Lila Posthuma was named as the Athlete of the Month for November. Posthuma is one of the top scorers in the Middle Border Conference and is one of the top players in the state.

    TUESDAY SPORTS ROUNDUP: HOCKEY BEATS NEW PRAGUE, PRESCOTT HOOPS SUFFERS FIRST LOSS

    It was a mixed bag of results on Tuesday night in Sports around our area, as Hastings Girls Basketball and Boys Hockey won, while Girls Hockey and Boys Basketball suffered defeats. Meanwhile in Prescott, the Cardinals suffered their first loss of the season.

    Hastings Girls Basketball pulled away from Ellsworth for a 63-53 win. The Raiders outscored Ellsworth 39-22 in the second half after a 31-24 deficit to win the game.Four Raiders scored in double figures, led by Keagan McVicker with 15 points. Haley Strain, Lindsey Wagner and Emma Bakker also scored in double figures.

    Hastings Girls Hockey fell to Tartan/North Saint Paul 3-2. The Titans would take a 2-0 lead after one period, but the Raiders would get one back late in the 2nd from Lauren Muhl. Seleski and Erickson had the assists. Down 3-1, the Raiders would claw back again, making it a 3-2 advantage with a power play goal from Olyvia Erickson, but that would be as close as the Raiders would get. They will take on South Saint Paul on Friday night.

    New Prague's journey up to Class AA had gotten off to a hot start, but then the Trojans ran into the Hastings Raiders. Blake Vandehoef scored very late in the first period to give Hastings a 1-0 lead after a single period. They would make it 2-0 in the 2nd period on a goal from Will Savage. Brayden Krauth and Vandehoef would score to make it 4-0, and New Prague would add two 6 on 5 goals to get closer, but it was not enough. The Raiders take on Farmington Thursday.

    Hastings boys basketball suffered a heartbreaking overtime defeat to Coon Rapids 90-88. The Raiders had two players with 20+ and four total in double figures, as Kellen Nuytten led the way with 24 points while Matthew Foss added 20. The 3-2 Raiders return to action against Park on Thursday.

    Prescott boys basketball suffered their first loss of the season to Altoona 69-65. The Cardinals saw a 15-7 lead turn into a 38-31 halftime deficit and after tying the game at 55 in the 2nd half, Altoona hit a couple big three's to reclaim the lead for good. Prescott is 4-1 on the year, 2-1 in the Middle Border Conference.

    Prescott Girls Golf Loses Appeal, Forced Up To Division 1

    Prescott High School announced on Thursday that the school has lost its appeal to stay in Division 2 for golf next season and will be forced up to Division 1. The Cardinals filed their appeal due to school size and location, with many of the D1 schools being significantly larger than Prescott, and several hours away. This will complicate scheduling and travel plans for the Cardinals next season and beyond.

    The Cardinals are being forced up due to the WIAA's Performance Metric, which realigns teams based on a points system that determines their placement. The Cardinals, having won four straight state titles, earned the maximum of 16 points over a four year period.

    Prescott voted NO on passing the performance metric back in April.

    In a statement, Prescott AD Andrew Caudill did not hold back, saying "I am disappointed in the WIAA Classification Committee’s blatant disregard for the evidence presented to keep our girls golf program in Division 2. However, I am confident in Coach Salay and the team to prepare and compete at a high level to challenge for the Division 1 state championship".

    We will have more on this story on KDWA.

       

    TUESDAY SPORTS ROUNDUP: RAIDERS, CARDINALS MAKE IT 4 FOR 4 NIGHT

    Tuesday night was a perfect night for athletics in our area, as four local teams all secured victories

    Hockey: The Hastings Boys Hockey team pulled away from Waconia early, withstood a 5 on 3, and added two in the third to win 5-1 in their home opener. The Raiders scored five minutes into the contest when Jon Harris continued his unbelievable start to the season with a goal to make it 1-0. Blake Vandehoef assisted. The score would say 1-0 until the literal final second of the period, when Harris would add another tally from Mason Boeff and Lukas Niederkorn to make it 2-0. They would score again 12 seconds and an intermission later, this time it was Connor Zgoda finding the net from Blake Vandehoef and Jon Harris to make it 3-0. Waconia would get one back towards the end of the 2nd to make it 3-1, but they would get no closer as Luke Wahlstrom would get his first varsity goal from Brody Carlson and Sawyer Zaruba to make it 4-1, and Ben Thome would also get his first varsity tally from Thomas MacGinnis and Will Savage to make it the ultimately final score of 5-1. The Raiders return to action Thursday against Simley

    Basketball: The Raiders used a late push to break open a 57-57 tie with Northfield en route to a 75-62 win. Both Owen Bernatz and Kyan Esterby had 20 points to lead the way for the Raiders, while Lukas Foss added 14. The Raiders are 3-0 on the season.

    Prescott: Both basketball teams won on Tuesday. The 10th ranked boys outlasted Saint Croix Central 70-63 to go to 2-0 both in the conference and overall. They return to action Saturday against Fall Creek at UW-Stout. The girls got revenge against Saint Croix Falls after losing to them in the playoffs one year ago, The Cardinals have now won three in a row. They return to action against Altoona on Thursday.

    RAIDERS OVERWHELM WOLFPACK FOR MEANINGFUL FIRST WIN IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

    The Hastings Raiders Girls Basketball team opened the 2023-24 season with a dominating win over the Park of Cottage Grove Wolfpack, 55-28. A Hastings team that returned all but one player from last year's squad handed new Head Coach Rick Tavernier his first career varsity win with the Raiders.

    Hastings raced out to an 18-0 advantage, using smothering defense to overwhelm a Wolfpack team with only one senior on the roster. Park made just 4 field goals in the 1st half en route to a 33-11 Hastings lead at halftime.

    The second half again included Hastings dominating Park early on, and the Raiders cruised to the 55-28 win. The dynamic duo of Hailey Strain and Keagan McVicker led the Raiders with 22 for Strain and 10 for McVicker. Emma Bakker also reached double figures with 10, while Kate Ruder added 5 points, Lindsey Wagner had 3, Rachael Notch and Alyssa Leos each added 2, and Kayleigh Giesen got a point at the free throw line.

    It was a very meaningful and emotional night as the Raider basketball team honored Bill Ruder, a teacher at Hastings High School, and Kate's father, who is undergoing a cancer battle. Ruder was unable to attend the game, but Activites Director Trent Hanson read a message from him thanking the community for their support. The entire arena waved to the television cameras to say hello to Ruder at home. All of the Hastings students and teachers and even some parents in attendance wore T-shirts that said "No One Fights Alone" on the front and "Raider Strong" on the back. The girls team also wore the shirts on the bench and during pregame shootaround.

    Kate Ruder was in the starting lineup for the Raiders, and scored her 5 points consecutively, much to the joy of the crowd.

    The game was delayed for around 15-20 minutes at halftime when a small fire broke out in the metal shop at the school, setting off the fire alarms. There was no serious risk to those in attendance and once Hastings Fire gave the all clear, the game resumed. We have a report on this in our KDWA News and on our news page.

    The Raiders return to action later this week at Burnsville.

    Other scores

    - Hastings Girls Hockey fell 5-1 in a section rematch to Apple Valley

    - Prescott Girls Basketball dominated Saint Croix Central 52-31 to go to 2-0 in conference play.

       

    HASTINGS, PARK GIRLS HOCKEY TO PLAY OUTDOORS AT UNITED HEROES LEAGUE

    KDWA has learned via an alert from the Metro East Conference's scheduling algorithm that the Hastings Girls Hockey game set for December 22 against Park has been pushed back one day to December 23. The game will be played at 1 PM, but even more importantly, the game will be played outdoors, at United Heroes League's new Scheels Rink.

    Shane Hudella talked to KDWA about the upcoming event

    Click here for audio

       

       

    PRESCOTT GIRLS HOOPS, HASTINGS GIRLS HOCKEY BOTH GET THRILLING COMEBACK WINS

    The Prescott Cardinals were looking for an excellent pre-Thanksgiving appetizer with their Middle Border Conference opener against Somerset last week in Prescott.

    After a tough shooting start for both teams, the Cardinals found themselves down 6-4, before exploding offensively with three's from Violet Otto, Cadyn Hillebrand and Avery Pattridge helping to ignite the offense. Prescott would find themselves with a 29-19 lead in the first half, and with Otto getting a break on the bench, Somerset would go on a 10-0 run to tie the game 29-29 in the final minute of the first half. Prescott would respond with four straight points to take a 33-29 lead at the interval.

    In the 2nd half, it became a back and forth affair. The Spartans would take the lead, and Prescott would steal the lead back. The cycle continued, and Prescott would actually take a multi possession lead at one point, with Lila Posthuma hitting a big three pointer. Somerset would end up taking a 64-63 lead with 38 seconds left, and Coach Owen Hamilton would take a timeout to talk things over. Prescott would move the ball around, and with just under 20 seconds remaining, Otto would bury a corner three from the right wing to take a 66-64 lead. Somerset would miss a shot and foul Prescott with 6.7 seconds remaining. Prescott would not make the free throw, giving Somerset one last crack, but the Cardinals played exceptional defense, and the Spartans never got a shot off, giving Prescott a huge 66-64 win.

    Otto led all scorers with 25 points. Hillebrand also had a breakout performance, with 9 points from the floor.

    Prescott returns to action Tuesday at Saint Croix Central.

    Hastings Girls Hockey Storms Back To Down Fusion: The Hastings Girls Hockey team roared back from a 2 goal third period deficit to take down the Saint Croix Valley Fusion of Wisconsin 4-3.

    Madyn Hanson had a hat trick including the game winner, and Victoria Steinke made 26 saves. Jade Schauer had 3 assists while Grace Petrich added two and Emily Thuet one. Autumn Burt also scored. The Raiders are 3-1 and return to action Tuesday in a section rematch with Apple Valley at Hastings Civic Arena.

    UHL DEBUTS NEW RINKS IN MASSIVE COMMUNITY EVENT

    It was an exciting event at United Heroes League on Saturday, as the new Scheels Rink was debuted as part of their Veterans Jamboree. The event included several youth hockey games, a flyover, NHL player autographs including Zach Parise, Devan Dubnyk, Wes Walz and more, food trucks, concerts, and more. KDWA was on location Saturday and spoke to a UHL employee, Garrett Davies, about the event and the future of the outdoor rink.

       

    Click here for audio

       

    3 PRESCOTT ATHLETES SIGN NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT

    In Prescott, a ceremony was held at the high school at 4:30 PM. Three athletes signed their national letter of intent, including 2 headed to Division 1 institutions

    Cullen Huppert, who is on his way to being a four year letter winner in baseball, will head to Southwest Minnesota State in Marshall, while Reese Ptacek, who owns many volleyball records in Prescott that may never be broken and is arguably the best volleyball player in school history, signed with the Kansas Jayhawks, and will enroll in December.

    Finally, Lila Posthuma, who has a chance to become Prescott's all-time rebounding leader this season, as well as become another 1000 point scorer, has committed to Bradley University in Illinois. Posthuma will be one of the centerpieces of the Cardinal girls basketball team this season.

    There is another signing period in the spring where more athletes could commit and sign their national letters of intent.

       

    11 HASTINGS ATHLETES SIGN NATIONAL LETTERS OF INTENT

    The early signing period kicked off on November 8, and 11 athletes in Hastings signed their national letters of intent to play college athletics.

    In Hastings, the following athletes signed

    - Blake Beissel, wrestling, University of Minnesota

    - Owen Bernatz, basketball, Northwestern (St. Paul)

    - Autumn Burt, hockey, Saint Catherine's

    - Grace Gerlach, lacrosse, Rockhurst University (Kansas City)

    - Alex Hendrickson, baseball, University of Saint Thomas

    - Lauren Jenkins, softball, University of Minnesota-Duluth

    - Cade Kimmes, football and baseball, Gustavus Adolphus

    - Gavin Lambert, wrestling, Southwest Minnesota State

    - Skylar Little Soldier, wrestling, Grand Valley State

    - Brady Nickel, lacrosse, Queen's University (Charlotte, NC)

    - Jack Seleski, baseball, Dakota County Technical College

    The athletes all gathered in front of friends, family and supporters at Dugarel's for the ceremony.

       

    RAIDER FOOTBALL SEASON ENDS ON DRENCHED TUESDAY NIGHT

    The Hastings Raiders football team saw its 2023 season come to an end with a 14-0 loss to Two Rivers on Tuesday night. The Raiders had to endure another wet and rainy affair, and Two Rivers' exceptional defensive play held the Raiders offense at bay.

    The first quarter was a struggle for both teams, as the wet weather dictated the game flow. Two Rivers had crossed the Hastings 50 yard line on a pass play when the receiver fumbled the ball, turning the ball over to Hastings.The score would remain 0-0 after the 1st quarter. As the quarter ended, a very visible lightning strike sent everyone to shelter and after a brief 30 minute delay, game play resumed.

    After the delay, Two Rivers marched down the field, finding the end zone to go up 7-0. Hastings would punt the ball back to Two Rivers, who would again march down the field and score to make it 14-0 at halftime.

    In the second half, the Raiders would get the ball and go on an impressive drive taking 7:28 off the third quarter clock. After a fumble recovered by hastings in the red zone pushed the Raiders back, they had to settle for going for the end zone on 4th and goal from the 14 and were unable to convert. Two Rivers then held the Raiders at bay the rest of the night.

    The Raiders finish the season 2-7 on the year, with wins over Two Rivers in the regular season 9-7 and the epic homecoming win over Cretin-Derham Hall 27-21 in overtime.

    32 seniors strapped on the helmets for the final time for the Raiders and we thank them for their contributions to the Raider program.

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