Last year’s state runner-up, Duluth East is ranked No. 1 in Class AA and ready to claim its first title since 1998

By Andrew Vitalis

Mike Randolph remembers the ride back home to Duluth from St. Paul last year, fresh off their overtime defeat to Eden Prairie in the state final. He remembers talking to his coaches, predicting how the 2011 season was going to start. His prediction was, well, right on.

“We expected it,” Randolph said when asked about the Greyhounds’ No. 1 ranking in Class AA. “I remember talking at the end of last year and we figured we were going to be targeted out of the gates, considering who was coming back. We’ve been down this road before and we as coaches know that rankings don’t mean anything. Over the years we’ve developed a schedule that includes a bunch of great opponents, opponents who have become big rivalries, so no matter what we’re ranked, our opponents are going to be coming after us every night.”

The target on their sweater is the size of Lake Superior. Not only did East finish as state runner-ups, but they return arguably the best scoring line in the state.

Skating together for their senior season will be high-flying forwards Trevor Olson, Jake Randolph and Dom Toninato. Together, the three-headed monster racked up over 160 points. Olson, who scored both Greyhound goals in the state championship game, scored 69 of those points (28-41) and is listed as the seventh-highest scoring returner in the state. Randolph is tied for eighth (28-38--66).

“It’s unique to have all the elements you need on one line; it’s as good of a line as you will find in the state,” Randolph said. “What makes them so special is that they love playing together. They will definitely start us off and set the tone. The biggest problem you run into at times is other lines trying to play like that line. We have to continue to stress to the other forwards to establish their own identity and find their own type of chemistry. We were able to do that last year which is one of the reasons why we made it so far.”

Randolph has made it very clear that he intends on using last year’s squad as an example for this season, and seasons to come. He compares their ride to state in 2010-11 as one of the most enjoyable experiences he’s had in coaching. It was a perfect blend of skill and grit, dedication and acceptance. If Randolph could have bottled up the formula, he would have.

“We had key players last year who bought into the system. Sure, some of the younger kids got all of the credit in terms of numbers, but we had some seniors who bought into the system, played their role and worked hard at everything they did. JoJo Jeanetta was playing his best hockey at the end of the year. Guys like Hunter Bergerson and Zac Schendel accepted their role and were the backbones of our team. I was very proud of that team. It was a very special group of kids.”

No question, the holes are few, but very large. Up front, along with the line of Olson, Randolph and Toninato, Mike Randolph calls this group of forwards his deepest yet. Four-plus lines strong, Randolph hopes that balance will help take the scoring pressure off of his first line.

At the blue line, the Greyhounds will welcome back senior Nate Kotter and sophomore Alex Trapp will burst onto the varsity scene for the first time. Kyle Campion and Hogan Davidson will also be looked at to log minutes in front of a new starting goaltender. Speaking of goalie, Randolph sees Dylan Parker and Paige Skoog splitting time between the pipes, at least for now.

“This is as deep of as team as I’ll have in a long time and it’s as deep of a team that I’ve had in a very long time,” Randolph said. “We have a lot of tough road games again this season which is something I like because it brings the team together. I’ve been coaching for a long time so I’ve been around the hype of being ranked No. 1 before. The kids have heard all summer how good they are based on last year. We as coaches need to emphasize that last year was last year. We have a lot of work to do like everyone else. I think if the kids believe in the system and each other, everything will take care of itself.”

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