Sports

HASTINGS GIRLS HOCKEY EARNS 8 SEED FOR SECTIONS

The Hastings Raiders girls hockey team earned the #8 seed for section play and will kick off the postseason Wednesday vs Apple Valley in Apple Valley. The 9-16 Raiders will look to get the win, with the winner playing either Park or Cretin-Derham Hall in the second round. The Raiders played a better game than the scoreboard indicated against Hill-Murray last week. While the Raiders fell 6-0, Hastings coaches indicated to KDWA that the score was not a representation of how well the team played against a powerhouse program, and that can hopefully carry some momentum into sectionals.

The Raiders season so far has been one of growth and rebuilding in Coach Jim Joseph's first season, with the Raiders playing a tough schedule that included Hill-Murray, Gentry Academy, Fergus Falls and others. The Raiders were led in goals this regular season by Makayla Berquist with 10, while Madyn Hanson and Addie Seleski follow her with 7 goals a piece. Kyra Erickson leads the way in assists with 13, while Kylie Gruden and Berquist follow with 11. This makes Berquist the team leader in points with 21. Bree Balster's .900 save percentage leads the way for the Raiders in net.

KDWA will bring you this game live. Join Josh Colvin and Trey Lower on the call from Apple Valley at 6:00, with puck drop at 6:30.

KDWA's busy athletic week then continues with Hastings boys hockey's rematch with Mahtomedi at home Thursday, after playing Park live on KDWA on Tuesday. The Raiders are looking for revenge after a tough game with the Zephyrs back in January. Then, on Friday and Saturday, KDWA will bring you the SEAS games of the annual Patriot Tournament. The SEAS Boys and Girls both open play on Friday night, with the Girls playing a showcase game at 6:30 against New Life, and the Boys playing New Life at 7:45, while the winners and consolation brackets will take place throughout the day Saturday. KDWA will be onsite all day to provide updates and live broadcasts as the team advances through the tournament. There will also be a SEAS Alumni Game at 3:00 on Saturday, and we are working to determine our coverage plans for that. It is going to be a great week of sports here on KDWA, and you can listen live anywhere you can get KDWA!

PRESCOTT ATHLETES SIGN COLLEGE LETTERS

National Signing Day continued around the country and in Prescott, two more names were added to their list of commitments.

Taylor Graf, pitcher for the Softball team, signed with Saint Catherine's University to play softball. Graf will be a key returner to the Prescott softball team this upcoming Spring. Additionally, Addison Huppert will run track in college, as she signs with Carthage College in Kenosha. Huppert is also a multisport athelte at Prescott. Rebecca Heinze has also committed to play softball at Macalester. Ella Johnson will run Track and Cross Country at Wartburg.

Any additional names will be added to this report. Congratulations to all

RAIDER HOCKEY FALLS TO LAKEVILLE NORTH, GIRLS HOOPS, SWIM AND DIVE WIN

The Hastings Raiders raced out to a two goal lead, then were marred by penalties as Lakeville North scored 5 straight goals to pull away and beat the Raiders Tuesday night 5-2.

Hastings got the scoring started at 4:30 of the 1st period, when Mark DeNoyer punched it in past the netmidner from Connor Zgoda and Austin Shanks to give the Raiders a 1-0 lead. Lakeville North owned offensive zone pressure for much of the period, but when Hastings got on the power play late in the 1st, the Raiders capitalized. Eddie Peine fed Blake Vandeheof who then passed it to Brody Larsen to give Hastings a huge 2-0 lead into the first intermission.

Hastings nearly made it 3-0 early in the 3rd, but then after going to the penalty kill, Lakeville North stole momentum with a goal and did not look back, scoring 3 in the 2nd and 2 in the 3rd to pull away and win 5-2.

The loss drops the Raiders to 12-6-1 on the year, and they will likely remain in the top half of the section. Should Lakeville North beat Rochester Mayo on Thursday night, Hastings likely ends up with the 3 seed, but a Mayo victory makes things interesting. Mayo tied Owatonna on Tuesday 2-2, Hastings having tied Mayo and ebaten Owatonna. The Raiders do not have a bad loss and that will help them in section seedings.

In other Raider sports, Girls Hockey fell 3-1 to Farmington with Madelyn Schuster scoring an unassisted goal in the third period. Boys Swim and Dive beat Cretin-Derham Hall 91-74, and girls hoops took down Northfield 59-37 thanks to 17 points from Hailey Strain, 13 from Lindsey Wagner and 9 from Keagan McVicker.

SELESKI, JENKINS ANNOUNCE COLLEGE COMMITMENTS, ADDING TO GROWING LIST OF RAIDERS

Hastings Athletics had a smaller sample size this past weekend, but still saw some action in athletic events. Additionally, two Raiders announced their commitments to play college sports, adding to a growing list of athletes.

Jack Seleski announced that he will play baseball at St. Cloud State. Seleski is expected to be a key piece for the Raiders this season and is the fifth Raidfer baseball player to announce his commitment.

Lauren Jenkins will be playing softball at Minnesota-Duluth, as she announced last week on social media. According to a person close to Jenkins, she will reunite with her sister on the Bulldogs softball team. That makes the entire list of athletes that has committed to school's as follows:

- Eddie Peine, Baseball, Northern State

- Mitch Iliff, Baseball, Sioux Falls

- Alex Hendrickson, Baseball, Saint Thomas

- Gavin Odman, Baseball, DCTC

- Jack Seleski, Baseball, St. Cloud State

- Charlie Williams, Golf, Bemidji State

- Lauren Jenkins, Softball, UMD

- Blake Beissel, Wrestling, U of M

If we are missing anyone, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at sports@kdwa.com!

RAIDERS SWEEP THURSDAY SPORTS

It was a clean sweep Thursday night for Raider athletics, as Hastings Boys Hockey, Girls Hockey, Boys Basketball and Girls Basketball all secured wins.

Boys Hockey

The Raiders were playing their 5th straight 3 game week, and their 5th game in 7 days, and were taking on a Two Rivers team ranked 10th in MNHockeyHub's Class A poll. The Raiders would strike first, when Brody Larsen found the back of the net to take a 1-0 lead with 3 seconds left in the first period. Two Rivers would eventually tie it up when a puck deflected in off of someone to make it 1-1 in the second period, but mere seconds later, while they were still announcing the Two Rivers goal, it was Austin Shanks punching it in to reclaim the lead. The Raiders then held strong the rest of the way, and Eddie Peine hit an empty net with 53 seconds left. Kody Niederkorn made 26 saves in the win. The Raiders get a much needed rest, not playing again until Tuesday against Lakeville North.

Girls Hockey

Libby Knoll's goal was the only one that was needed for the Raiders, as Hastings held off Blaine 1-0 to get back into the win column. Bree Balster made 35 saves in the win. The Raiders return to action Satuday at Owatonna (3:00, KDWA will have coverage starting at 2:40).

Basketball

Hastings Boys rallied from a double digit deficit to beat Simley 67-65 in a thriller. The Raiders again got balanced scoring from the team, with 3 players in double figures led by Kellen Nuytten's 23 points while Owen Bernatz added 16 and Matthew Foss 14. It was the 2nd win in a row for the Raiders, who return to action Saturday at Chaska... on the Girls side, they held Simley to 5 points in the second half, pulling away to win 41-22. Hailey Strain had 19 points, 13 of which came in the 1st half, to lead the Raiders who are now 11-7 on the year and 6-1 in the conference, 2nd only to Mahtomedi. They return to action Tuesday at Northfield

TUESDAY NIGHT SPORTS ROUNDUP

The Hastings and Prescott athletic teams had a near perfect night on Tuesday, with everyone but Boys Hockey bringing in victories

Hastings

- The Hastings Boys Basketball team ended a losing streak and pulled off a 91-67 win over Hill-Murray. The Raiders shot the ball extremely well, including 16 3's, to keep a 15 point halftime lead in tact and grow it in the second half. Kelvin Maher led the way with 20 points and was one of four Raiders to reach double figures. Owen Bernatz had 16, Matthew Foss had 12 and Kyan Esterby had 10 for the Raiders in the win.

- Girls Basketball got a big conference win over Hill-Murray 46-35. The Raiders led 24-21 at the half and had balanced scoring, with only one player in double figures, Keagan McVicker with 14,while Hailey Strain and Natalie Caflisch combined for 15 points in the winning effort. The win pushes the Raiders to 10-7 on the season and 5-1 in the conference.

- Hastings Boys Hockey struck first against Saint Thomas Academy, but penalties doomed the Raiders, as STA scored 5 power play goals and a shorthanded goal in the 7-1 Raider loss. Jon Harris got the lone Raider goal with Joey Iovino and Carter Simpson assisting. The Raiders and the Cadets was a fairly even matchup in 5-on-5, with both teams scoring a goal apiece, but the Raiders had two 5-minute major penalites in the First Period, and the Cadets capitalized. Hastings returns to action Thursday against Two Rivers.

Prescott

- The Prescott Girls Basketball team put some distance between them and the rest of the conference with a decisive 69-54 win over Somerset on Tuesday. The Cardinals had 13 3's in the win, and were led by 21 points from Violet Otto, 14 from Izzy Matzek, and 11 from Lila Posthuma. They return to action Friday night against Saint Croix Central, and we'll bring that game to you Saturday at Noon on KDWA.

- The Prescott Boys extended their wins treak to 3 with an 82-72 win over Saint Croix Central, as the Cardinals used a big halftime lead to hold on or the win. Dallas Wallin led the way with 26 points on 11-16 shooting while Jordan Malmlov added 15 and Brandon Stuart 12.

RAIDERS BEAT FARMINGTON AGAIN, LIKELY CLINCH HOME SECTION GAME

The Hastings Raiders beat the Farmington Tigers 3-2 at Schmitz-Maki Ice Arena in Farmington to remain perfect in the section, likely clinching home ice in the first round, and setting up a colossal matchup with Lakeville North on January 31 for what many believe could be for the section's #2 seed.

The Raiders dynamic special teams struck again, as the power play continued to thrive. This time it was Blake Vandehoef 8:22 into the first period from Eddie Peine and Danny Millner to give the Raiders a 1-0. Despite Farmington having the edge in shots on goal, the Raiders would double their lead, when Sawyer Zaruba scored from the point inching one past the Farmington netminder to make it 2-0. It was Zaruba's first varsity goal and Peine and Jon Harris got credited with the assists.

In the second period, Hastings would expand the lead again. The Raiders created traffic in front of the net and after assists from Harris and Joey Iovino, the puck was punched in by Brody Carlson and Hastings took a 3-0 lead after two.

In the third period, it was all Farmington early. After the Raiders successfully killed off a penalty, Farmington found the net mere seconds later to make it 3-1, sniping one past Niederkorn and giving the Tigers some life. The Tigers would then press the rest of the period, finding another goal during that pressure to make it 3-2. Farmington pulled the goalie with 2:47 left but Hastings held strong and didn’t allow any major chances to hang on for the 3-2 win.

The Raiders are 5-0-1 in the section ahead of a titanic clash with Lakeville North on January 31. North was 7-9 overall as of this writing and the common consensus is that this game could determine the #2 seed. The Raiders are hoping to be seeded in a way that they avoid playing Lakeville South until the section final, as South is the runaway leader in the clubhouse for the top spot in the section. The Raiders then play Mounds View at home, before travelling to Park, taking on Mahtomedi again, and then playing East Ridge in Cottage Grove. They then end their regular season with a home game against SSP and a road tilt at Tartan.

RAIDERS HOLD OFF OWATONNA IN OVERTIME THRILLER

After giving up a 2 goal lead, the Hastings Raiders responded with a thrilling overtime winner to stay perfect in section play and secure a 3-2 win.

Hastings had to go with some different lineups due to injury, and Carter Simpson and Sawyer Tjomsland got to again see some extended varsity minutes. That was especially important, as at 7:31 of the 1st period, Carter Simpson found the back of the net for his first varsity goal, with assists from Harris and Iovino. It would stay 1-0 for the rest of the period, but not long after the intermission, Hastings made it 2-0 when their power play unit continued to thrive, as Connor Zgoda found the back of the net on an assist from Eddie Peine and Blake Vandehoef and the Raiders had complete control of the game. The goal mere seconds into a power play, almost directly off the faceoff.

And then Owatonna reversed their fortunes, scoring twice in the span of five minutes to tie the game at 2. The Raiders went into the third needing a spark, but neither team was playing all that well in the period, with both teams trying to feel the other out. In the later stages of the period, the action picked up. Owatonna had a shot in the final seconds that they thought went in, and their fans celebrated… but play continued, as the officials said it only hit the post and not the back of the net, and the score remained 2-2.So to overtime we went.

In overtime, it was evenly played, and Hastings would have a few more chances than Owatonna, and that was all that mattered. It was Zgoda again, burying one past the Huskies netminder to give Hastings a pivotal 3-2 win. That goal also came on a power play, and it was Peine and Vandehoef who contributed on the assists again.

The Raiders improved their special teams units again, killing off both penalties and scoring twice on five power plays. They have a pivotal section game against Farmington on Monday before a big one with Saint Thomas Academy on Tuesday and Two Rivers on Thursday. A very important section game looms large against Lakeville North on January 31, and you can count on KDWA to bring you all the action.

HOCKEY BEATS TARTAN, WRESTLING FALLS TO SIMLEY

The Hastings Raiders started a new win streak with their second win in a row, this time over the Tartan Titans 3-2. It was the Raiders' special teams that was stout again early, as Brody Larsen would get the games first goal on a power play from Blake Vandehoef and Danny Millner to make it 1-0. That would be the score after one. The goal was a wild one in that Vandehoef's shot rang off the right post, into the stick of Larsen who put it in off the rebound. The shots in the first period were 8-7 in the 1st. In the 2nd period, the game's pace would pick up, and the Raiders would put 12 shots on net, with 2 finding the back of the net, that includes Sawyer Tjomsland scoring his first varsity goal top shelf off of a rebound to make it 2-0 on a power play, and then Charlie Williams scored shorthanded on a 4-on-3 to to give the Raiders a 3 goal cushion. Williams and Carter Simpson assisted on the Tjomsland goal, and Millner assisted on the Williams goal. In the third period, the Titans dominated early, coming out with an early shot advantage and loads of pressure on goalie Kody Niederkorn. The Raiders would give up two power play goals in the period, and then had to hold on for the final minutes, as a penalty gave Tartan a 6-on-4 late. But the Raiders would hold on to get the win and improve to 9-4 1, 3-2 in the conference. The Raiders have shifted their special teams from dominant penalty kill to dominant power play, going 2 for 3 on the power play. They did add that shorthanded goal however, but they surrendered the two power play goals to Tartan. The win was followed by games against Owatonna and Farmington, and set up a big series of games that included tilts against perennial power Saint Thomas Academy and upstart and surprising Two Rivers. That is then followed by a road game at Lakeville North on January 31 to end the month.

Hastings Wrestling gave it their all against Simley, ultimately falling 34-24. The Raiders, led by wins from Blake and Trey Beissel, Taylon Little Soldier, Josh Route, Aiden Erickson, and Ian Pepple, split the match until Simley took the two heavyweight categories.

1/20 Athletic Schedule

Girls Basketball hosts Two Rivers, 7:00

Boys Basketball is at Two Rivers, 7:00

Girls Hockey hosts South Saint Paul , 7:30

Prescott Boys Basketball hosts Somerset, 7:00

Special Teams, Vandehoef Shine As Raiders Down Spartans

The Hastings Raiders boys hockey team returned to the win column with a 5-1 win over Simley on Tuesday night.

The first period was a battle of puck possession, and the Raiders would draw first blood short handed, when Brody Larsen scored on an excellent pass from Blake Vandehoef to give Hastings a 1-0 lead. Simley would tie the game at 1, but Hastings would respond with a power play goal from Larsen to make it 2-1. Then, Hastings scored on the power play again, when Danny Millner poked in a puck from Larsen and Vandehoef to make it 3-1 after 2.

The 5-on-4 scorefest continued again when Vandehoef scored twice in the third, once on the power play and once shorthanded, to increase the lead to 5-1, which would be the final. Kody Niederkorn made 19 saves in the win, as the Raiders went 3-5 on the power play and scored shorthanded twice on the kill... and Simley had 3 power plays. Vandehoef had a 5 point night with 2 goals and 3 assists to lead the way for the Raiders, while Larsen and Millner also had 3 point nights. The Raiders return to action Thursday against Tartan

1/18 Athletic Schedule

Its a basketball day today, as boys basketball hosts Mahtomedi, and the girls head to Mahtomedi, looking to stay first place in the conference. We will bring you the boys game live.

JANUARY 17 SPORTS SCHEDULE

Today's Hastings and Prescott sports preview has a busy schedule of events on the docket.

The Hastings boys hockey team returns home to face Simley with JV @ 5:15 and Varsity @ 7:30. These two teams met back in early December with Hastings winning 3-2.

Nordic Ski has a Conference meet at the Cottage Grove Ravine with the Metro East schools at 3:45 on Tuesday.

Gymnastics heads to Simley at 6:00 tonight.

In Prescott, Girls basketball has a makeup game with Hudson in Hudson with Varsity playing at 7:15. The Lady Cardinals are riding a 10-game win streak since losing the opener. Middle School Basketball will also be in action tonight at home against New Richmond at 4:15.

In Hastings Hockey Association action, the 15A Raider Wolves Co-Op heads to Apple Valley to play Valkyrie 15UA at 4:30.

Check back on Wednesday for that day's schedule.

HOCKEY FALLS TO MAHTOMEDI, GIRLS BASKETBALL REMAINS ATOP THE CONFERENCE

The Hastings Raiders boys hockey team took one on the chin at Mahtomedi on Friday night, facing a talented Zephyrs squad ranked as one of the top teams in the State; the Raiders showed no quit however, continuing to muster a determined effort despite a big deficit. Mahtomedi scored early, holding a 1-0 advantage at that point, but the Zephyrs would find the back of the net again, and ended up taking a 4-0 lead into the first period break. The Raiders were able to skate with Mahtomedi the whole game, and the third period, the Raiders, down 6, knew they had a chance to eat into the lead, and they dominated the period. Eddie Peine would find the back of the net on a one timer from the blue line to get the Raiders on the board, but they ultimately fell 7-1. Kody Niederkorn made 30 saves in 2 periods, and Ryan Clemens played the third, making 8 saves. The Raiders return to action Tuesday against Simley and play Tartan on Thursday night.

The Hastings girls basketball team remained unbeaten in Metro East play with a 48-45 win over South Saint Paul. The Raiders were again led by Hailey Strain, Kate Ruder, Keagan McVicker and Emma Bakker as the Raiders shot 20-52 from the floor and had 15 assists as a team. The Raiders returned to action Monday against Cretin-Derham Hall in an MLK Day event at Minneapolis Roosevelt. Then, the 8-5 Raiders have a huge contest against Mahtomedi as the only two unbeatens square off in Mahtomedi. KDWA will be at the boys game as the boys team looks to get over the hump against Mahtomedi. It is part of a busy week of games that includes 2 more hockey games (Tartan, Girls hockey vs. South Saint Paul), as well as a Prescott boys basketball game. You can find our entire broadcast schedule on our website.

Registration for HYAA baseball has begun! The registration process began Monday, and runs through February 28 for Travel ball and March 28 for In-House. Visit their website HYAA.info for more information.

KDWA is looking for additional broadcasters to help with the Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton School Patriot Tournament February 10 and 11. If you are interested, please email sports@kdwa.com .

NIEDERKORN MAKES MEMORABLE SAVE, BUT RAIDERS FALL IN OVERTIME

The Hastings Raiders played another hard fought affair in a rare Wednesday night tilt against Saint Louis Park, and after forcing overtime, the Raiders ultimately came up short. Hastings got the scoring started in the second period, when Charlie Williams poked a rebound past SLP goaltender Josh Middleton and the Raiders led 1-0. SLP responded just past the 12 minute mark on a rare power play goal given up by the Raiders, to even it at 1. Less than a minute later, the Raiders would reclaim the lead when Joey Iovino found the back of the net. Then, the moment everyone in Hastings is talking about happened. Off the faceoff, Hastings had a bad turnover leading to an SLP 3 on 0, and after a shot, Kody Niederkorn made an impossible save using the glove to go blocker side and make a no look behind the back save. The Saint Louis Park fans stood with mouths wide open, and the Hastings side of Civic Arena also lost its collective mind in what was dubbed "Save of the Century". The Orioles responded a short while later with a goal that rebounded in off of Niederkorn to make it 2-2, and then mere moments later they added another. The Raiders needed a goal to tie and Brody Larsen responded with just that, as he took a pass and got behind the defense, taking a spill and while sprawled out on the ice, punched it in past Middleton to tie the game at 3. The game went to overtime, and on the first shot, Blake Vandehoef nearly ended it, and the puck got sent up into the air. Vandehoef had a breakaway a short while later that was stonewalled by Middleton, and mere seconds later the Orioles got a breakaway and went blocker side on Niederkorn to steal the victory. The Raiders fell to 8-3-1 on the season with the loss, but it was Niederkorn's save that stole the spotlight after the fact. The Raiders head to Mahtomedi on Friday for a big game before getting some much deserved time off before they play Simley on Tuesday.

RAIDER ROUNDUP: HOCKEY, GIRLS BASKETBALL SECURE BIG WINS

The Hastings Raiders boys hockey team stayed undefeated in the section with a 3-0 win over Rochester Century. Kody Niederkorn nabbed yet another shutout as the Raiders withstood a physical Panther squad to improve to 7-2-1 on the year. The Raiders would find the back of the net for the first time at 10:24 of the 1st period when Blake Vandehoef scored from Eddie Peine and Connor Zgoda to make it 1-0. The Raiders second goal came in the middle frame when DeNoyer scored from Jon Harris and it was now 2-0. The final goal came on an empty net situation in the 3rd period from Joey Iovino, and the Raiders would get the 3-0 win. The Raiders ended up being outshot 26-22 but Niederkorn's shutout was all that mattered in that regard. Hastings went 0 for 3 on the power play and Century went 0 for 1. The Raiders return to action Wednesday night against Saint Louis Park before heading to Mahtomedi on Friday.

Hastings girls basketball jumped to first place in the Metro East with a 67-61 win over NSP. The Raiders were led by 16 points from Hailey Strain, 14 from Emma Bakker and 11 from Kate Ruder. Natalie Caflisch led the team in rebounds with 11 as Hastings shot 27-49 from the floor. The Raiders return to action against South Saint Paul Friday at home.

The Hastings Raiders boys team is nealry over the hump, as they dropped a tight one to North Saint Paul 82-80, while the Hastings girls hockey team fell to Simley 5-1. The Raider basketball team got balanced scoring, with 5 in double figures led by Owen Bernatz with 22 and Kyan Esterby with 18.

RAIDER SWIMMING REMAINS UNBEATEN IN DUAL MEETS, TAKES DOWN NSP

The Hastings Boys' Swim and Dive team remains undefeated in dual meets on the season after taking down North Saint Paul last week. According to coach Katie McAlpin, the Raiders won 93-80, thanks in big part to Tristan Herbst. Herbst remains unblemished on the year in meets, taking first in all of his races, including dropping 6 seconds in the 100 breaststroke. McAlpin also gave a nod to Garrett Watterson who set three best times, including including dropping 3 seconds in the 100 fly while Alex Culp dropped 6 seconds in the 50 Breaststroke. The Raiders return to action Thursday against Tartan at home, while they host True Team this weekend, with diving on Friday and Swimming on Saturday.

SEAS TOURNAMENT RETURNS IN 2023

The SEAS Patriot Tournament is returning in 2023, and Principal Tim Sullivan of SEAS joined KDWA to discuss its return and what to expect when the action takes place February 10 and 11 at SEAS School in Hastings.

SPORTS WEEKEND ROUNDUP

It was a busy weekend in athletics in Hastings as the basketball, hockey and wrestling teams were all in action. The Hastings hockey team bussed down to Kasson to take on Dodge County, a former section opponent who moved down to Class A, and emerged victorious from a wacky game with a 7-1 win. The Raiders got the scoring started just 6:30 into the game, when Mark DeNoyer scored an even strength goal from Jon Harris and Eddie Peine. Less than four minutes later the Raiders were on the board again, this time on the power play, when Zgoda scored from Vandehoef and the Raiders led 2-0. DeNoyer added a power play marker in the 2nd as the Raider power play was dominant. The Raiders led 4-0 after 2 periods, before Dodge County got on the board. The other goals were scored by Harris, Williams, Vandehoef and Iovino. Kody Niederkorn made 28 saves and the Raiders outshot the Wildcats 41-29. The win improved Hastings to 6-2-1 on the season.

Hastings girls basketball pulled away from Tartan 56-45 after a one point lead at halftime. The Raiders used suffocating defense to hold Tartan to just 7 points midway through the second half. Just one night earlier, the Raiders obliterated Apple Valley by an incredibly real score of 66-10. Hastings' starters did not play for much of the second half.

The Hastings boys basketball team played a competitive game at Northfield but ultimately came up short, falling 83-73. They were led by 22 points from Owen Bernatz on 8/18 shooting, while Matthew Foss added 15 and Kelvin Maher 13. The Raiders as a team shot 42 percent from the floor in the loss.

Hastings wrestling advanced all the way to the team championship of the Clash in La Crosse, and in a potential Team State AAA Finals preview, The Raiders faced Saint Michael-Albertville, where they ultimately came up short. Trey Beissel earned all-Tournament team honors in the 106 pound category, to help lead the raiders to runner-up in the varsity Pool. The 9U team went 5-0 on the day against Eastview to take that event. A busy week of athletics is ahead in Hastings, with nearly every team in action.

In Prescott, the Prescott girls and Boys both got wins over Baldwin-Woodville. The girls dominated on the road en route to a 64-46 victory, while the boys were led by another unreal performance from Jordan Malmlov, who led the way with 40 points, as the Cardinals pulled away from Baldwin-Woodville to win 70-57 and retain first place in the conference. They return to action Tuesday against Ellsworth, you can hear that game on Saturday at Noon on KDWA.

RAIDERS ERASE 3 GOAL DEFICIT, BEAT EAGAN 6-3

After a disheartening loss to Woodbury, Hastings was eager to respond as they went on the road to face Eagan. It did not start off well. The Raiders gave up a goal on the first shot of the game just 14 seconds in and found themselves down 1-0 before they even really got going. The Raiders then pressed, trying to find the equalizing goal early, but Eagan would add another. The Wildcats weren't done yet, as Eagan would score with less than a second remaining in the period and it was 3-0. The stunned Raiders didn’t back down however, as they would respond quickly. Just 1:02 into the period, Mark DeNoyer would take a pass from Jon Harris and blitz it past the Eagan netminder and it was 3-1. Three minutes later, the Raiders would get another, when Connor Zgoda scored a magnificent goal weaving between several Wildcats, after being fed the puck by Roman McNamara and Austin Shanks, and now it was 3-2. The Raiders would eliminate the deficit in the 2nd period DeNoyer got a 2nd goal on a friendly bounce in front after an assist from Joey Iovino and Matt Sherry and all of a sudden it was 3-3. In the third period, it was up and down hockey, as the two teams both got extended periods in the others zone, but neither one would find the net, until a bizarre goal that saw the Eagan goaltender essentially have the puck bounce off his stick, up into the air, and behind him, into the net to give the Raiders a 4-3 lead. Danny Millner got credited with the goal and Brody Carlson on the assist. Eagan then pressed late with the extra attacker but Joey Iovino would add two empty net goals to seal the deal with a 6-3 win, an impressive turnaround after an inauspicious start. The Raiders 95% penalty kill continued to thrive as one of the best in the state, as they went 2 for 2 on the kill. They were not able to score on their lone power play. Kody Niederkorn shook off the tough start to stop every shot after, and finished with 24 saves on 27 shots. The Raiders went to 5-2-1 on the season and head south to Dodge County on Saturday before they go south again Tuesday against Rochester Century. After that, they take on Hopkins/Saint Louis Park on Wednesday before heading to Mahtomedi on Friday to complete the week. You can catch every game live on KDWA 1460 AM, KDWA 97.7 FM and KDWA.com as well as on the TuneIn app. Our entire schedule can be found on our website KDWA.com.

KDWA Game Postponement Thread

Game Postponement Thread (Constantly Updated)

KDWA Sports is keeping track of games and events that have been postponed due to the winter weather. This post will be constantly updated with any additional changes:

-Baldwin Woodville @ Prescott basketball will be made up Saturday @ 2:15

-Prescott @ St Croix Falls girls basketball will be made up January 26

-Prescott @ Baldwin Woodville wrestling was rescheduled for January 10

-Hastings @ Farmington boys hockey scheduled for Tuesday was rescheduled for Wednesday and then postponed again. No make up date is currently provided.

-St Thomas Academy @ Hastings boys basketball scheduled for Tuesday was tentatively rescheduled for Wednesday. It has since been postponed again.

-Hill Murray @ Hastings girls hockey will be made up Varsity only on February 3. JV has been cancelled.

-Tartan @ Hastings gymnastics scheduled for Wednesday has been postponed. No make up date provided.

-Alpine Ski's varsity meet @ Welch Village from Tuesday will be made up Thursday. Their event Wednesday at Afton Alps is still on as of this point.

-Nordic Ski's New To Sport Varsity Meet on Tuesday was cancelled

RAIDERS REPEAT FALLS SHORT IN 5-2 LOSS TO WOODBURY

The Hastings boys hockey team brought it home 2nd in this year's South Saint Paul Premier Tournament after a 5-2 loss to Woodbury. After opening the tournament with a dominant 7-0 win over South Saint Paul, the Raiders held off Farmington to win 2-0. In the Woodbury game, the Raiders went down early, and found themselves down 5-0 after 2. Brody Larsen and Blake Vandehoef would score the goals in the loss to Woodbury. Charlie Williams and Mark DeNoyer were the goal scorers against Farmington. The Raiders return to action Thursday at Eagan, after their Tuesday game at Farmington was postponed.

HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT RECAP; RAIDER HOCKEY PULVERIZES PACKERS

The annual Hastings Holiday Tournament returned December 28 and 29 at Hastings High School and expanded this year to include all teams from both boys and girls hoops. The action got started early in the day, when Prescott's Girls C Squad dominated Hill-Murray 43-21 to advance to the championship game. Prescott's JV team followed suit with a dominant victory over Maranatha Christian Academy, and Prescott's Girls Varsity team pulled away from Maranatha en route to the 68-58 win. The Cardinals were led by 19 points from Lila Posthuma, including 14 in the second half, and a strong rebounding day from Katrina Budworth. The Cardinals were more dominant than the score indicated as they led by as many as 22 with 90 seconds left in the contest and had their reserve players in the game while Maranatha left their starters in. Then, the Prescott boys took care of business against Saint Louis Park, with Dallas Wallin and Jordan Malmlov both scoring an insane 40 points (Wallin) and 30 points (Malmlov) while also getting 11 from Brady Block. The Cardinal girls played Hastings in the championship game, as the Raiders took care of Irondale, pulling away in the 2nd half after trailing 20-17 at the half. The Raiders won despite shooting just 16-56 from the floor and 12-30 from the free throw line, and Keagan McVicker led the way with 15 points, while Hailey Strain added 8 points and Emma Bakker added 7 to lead the team in scoring. On the Boys' Side, the Raiders went down early to Irondale, and turnovers doomed Hastings as they were not able to recover. This set up Irondale vs. Prescott for the championship, and Hastings vs. St. Louis Park for the third place game. The Raider boys were led by 15 points from Payton Lee-Dean, 12 from Kelvin Maher and 10 from Owen Bernatz and only three other Raiders scored as their record slipped to 2-5 on the season. Hastings turned the ball over 24 times and went 16-48 from the floor in the loss, as Irondale scored 7 points in the games first few seconds, and the Raiders were not able to get back into it.

Day 2

The Hastings Raiders boys basketball team was relegated to the third place game of the Holiday tournament, where they were nipped by the Saint Louis Park Orioles. Hastings trailed at the half but brought it a little closer in the second half, before SLP ultimately held on. Hastings was led by Owen Bernatz with 26 points, while Kyan Esterby and Kellen Nuytten added 9 points, Payton Lee-Dean added 8, and Kelvin Maher had 6 to lead the team's scoring output.

The Hastings girls basketball team and Prescott's girls basketball team met in the title game of the tournament, and the tightly contested game ended with the Cardinals raising the trophy. Prescott got a 55-50 win thanks to 22 points from post presence Lila Posthuma, while Katrina Budworth scored 9 points in the win. Hastings had three in double figures, with Hailey Strain leading the way with 17, followed by Keagan McVicker with 15 and Emma Bakker with 14.

The Hastings and Prescott crowds were then treated to an absolute thriller for the boys title game, as Prescott, a school of less than 500, took on Irondale, a school of more than 1700. The school size didn't stop Prescott though, as the Cardinals took a halftime lead 36-32. But they found themselves down 64-62 in the final seconds, that's when Heir Jordan reigned supreme in Hastings, as the Senior ace buried a three to give Prescott a 65-64 lead. The Cardinals would hold on for the final shot and get a huge win that would surely be a statement to the rest of Wisconsin. Malmlov led the way with 34 points while Dallas Wallin and Brandon Stuart combined for the other 31.

Hastings hockey tore apart South Saint Paul in the first game of the Premier Tournament to advance to the semifinals with a 7-0 win. Three Raiders Charlie Williams, Matt Sherry and Johnny Teigland, each scored their first varsity goals, and Carter Simpson, Sawyer Tjomsland, Ryder Regenscheid and Ryan Clemens all got reps at the varsity level. Clemens and Kody Niederkorn combined for the shutout. The Raiders went 2 for 4 on the power play, which was a point of emphasis for improvementfor the team. In addition to the goals by Sherry, Teigland and Williams, Austin Shanks, Mark DeNoyer, Connor Zgoda and Blake Vandehoef found the back of the net.

Hastings took on Farmington in the semifinals, stay tuned for a coverage recap from that game. The winner of that game played either Woodbury or Highland Park for the championship.

RAIDERS RATTLE HILL-MURRAY BUT FALL SHORT OF VICTORY

The Hastings Raiders hockey team was feeling great heading into the second intermission. The Raiders had just played the period of their early season, and Kody Niederkorn had delivered several crazy saves, including an early candidate for the save of the year. Then Hill-Murray struck back, scoring three goals in the third. But the loss certainly didn't feel like one as the fans filed out of Hastings Civic Arena. Hill-Murray, a team who in the past would bowl ever anyone in Metro East, faced a determined Raider team looking to make a statement against a team that got to go to Saint Paul last season. The Raiders went down early, as Hill-Murray would score just 5:39 into the game to make it 1-0. But the Raiders would respond, with Brody Larsen scoring from Mark DeNoyer at 11:45 to even it up 1-1. Hill-Murray scored very quickly into the second to make it 2-1, but then Niederkorn then put on a show in the second period, making several key saves to keep Hill-Murray from expanding the lead. The Raider netminder got help, when Austin Shanks scored from Sawyer Zaruba and DeNoyer and it was tied 2-2 after that aforementioned second period. Hastings would take their first lead in the third period, when Larsen scored from DeNoyer just 27 seconds into the period to make it 3-2. The Raiders then went into an aggressive defense, but it was a lapse in defense that led to Hill-Murray's tying goal. All five Raiders were in the offensive zone, and an errant pass led to a Pioneer scoring to tie it. 30 seconds later, the dam broke, and Hill-Murray scored again to make it 4-3. Hastings would press late, but the final goal would come on an empty net to make it 5-3, making the score look worse than it actually was. Niederkorn made 41 saves on 45 shots, with two of those goals seemingly being fluky goals. Larsen’s two goals led the team offensively, but DeNoyer had 3 points, all assists, to lead the team in points. Shanks’ goal along with Zaruba’s assist completed the statsheet offensively for the Raiders. Hastings returns to action with a Thursday/Friday doubleheader ahead of the Holidays, with a game at Dodge County on Thursday night, followed by a game against Rochester Century on Friday afternoon. This game was scheduled to be played last week, but was moved to this date due to the Raiders already being in the area. Hastings originally intended for this schedule, but the game was moved earlier, and with the weather postponement, it was moved back.

Vandehoef's Three Point Night, Zgoda's Two Goals Lead Raiders To Comeback Win Over Anoka

The Hastings Boys Hockey team remained undefeated on the season with a come from behind win on the road against Anoka on Tuesday night. The Raiders overcame a slow start, as Anoka got on the board first at 8:56 of the first period to take a 1-0 lead. The Raiders managed to outshoot the Tornadoes 10-6 in the period, but could not get goals past the Anoka goaltender. Anoka would add a second at 7:54 of the 2nd to make it 2-0, and the Raiders were pinned on their heels. But, the Raiders would get a power play and a short time later they would break through for their first power play goal of the season, when Connor Zgoda found the back of the net to make it 2-1, with Blake Vandehoef and Brody Larsen on the helpers. Two minutes later, the Raiders added another, when Vandehoef scored from Harris and Iovino and suddenly the game was tied. The Raiders then controlled the third period, preventing a few Anoka chances, and despite a few penalties, they were able to break the tie when Zgoda got a second goal to make it 3-2. Zaruba and McNamara assisted. The raiders then worked their shorthanded magic for the first time this season, albeit on an empty net, when Vandehoef found the back of the net on the team's third crack at the vacant net to make it 4-2. The Raiders go to 2-0-1 on the season and face Century on Thursday in Rochester, before hosting Hill-Murray on Saturday.

Kody Niederkorn stopped 18 out of 20 shots in the win for Hastings, who was led by the 3 point night from Vandehoef and Zgoda's two goals. The Raiders outshot the Tornadoes 34-20 in the W.

STRAIN HONORED WITH ALL-STAR GAME SELECTION

Hastings High School head football coach Dana Strain was recently selected to the MN HS FB All-Star Game as an assistant coach. The game was held last weekend at US Bank Stadium and Strain joined KDWA to talk about his experience.

HASTINGS, PRESCOTT BASKETBALL BOTH SCORE COME FROM BEHIND WINS

The Hastings boys basketball team needed overtime but got a big section victory over Apple Valley 52-48 last Friday inside Hastings High School in a game that was wacky from the get go. The Raiders could not have had a worse start offensively, going nearly 7 minutes without scoring a bucket, yet somehow they only found themselves down 8-0. Apple Valley responded in kind with an 8 minute drought that saw the Raiders take the lead, 9-8. Apple Valley would take the lead back from there and would not look back early, taking a 23-18 lead into halftime. Hastings’ 3-2 zone defense messed with the Eagles, forcing them outside to take three pointers, where Apple Valley was an abysmal 4-29 from 3. Hastings and the Eagles found themselves in a 46-46 situation late in the game when a foul was called on Apple Valley in the final seconds. The Raiders would miss both free throws giving Apple Valley the ball with 1.7 seconds. Kelvin Maher would steal the inbound and put it in at the horn, and the gym lost its mind, but the refs ruled it a travel, and put .4 on the clock. Hastings would go to overtime, and the defense would hold Apple Valley to just two points, with the Raiders using their defense to propel them to a 52-48 win. Hastings won despite not having their best night offensively and at the free throw line. Hastings was just 3/18 from 3 and 13/28 from the free throw line, but the 3-2 zone worked to perfection as the Raiders still managed to keep Apple Valley under their season average despite the offensive struggles.

Owen Bernatz led the way offensively for the Raiders with 24 points, while Kelvin Maher added 8 points and Lukas Foss was excellent off the bench with 8. Payton Lee-Dean, who earned a spot in the starting lineup, added 7 points while the scoring was completed by Kyan Esterby with 3 and Matthew Foss with 2. The Raiders went to 2-1 on the season as a result of the victory and play Hudson on Tuesday before going to Park on Thursday.

Prescott Goes to 4-0