Hastings has taken two swings at blueblood programs this season — and missed them both. The Raiders have played 16 other games — and gone unbeaten in them all.
While the Hastings wasn’t particularly competitive against Metro East opponents No. 3-2A Hill-Murray (a 4-0 loss on Dec. 11) and No. 16-2A St. Thomas Academy (a 7-1 loss on Dec. 16), most of its wins have been runaways, too. Only a 3-3 tie with Tartan on Dec. 9 and, more recently, a 3-2 victory over Rochester Mayo last Tuesday, have had compelling finishes.
It would be surprising if Thursday’s Metro East meeting against No. 3-1A Mahtomedi (8-7-1) wasn’t in doubt right up to the final buzzer.
Hastings’ 96 goals are the eighth most in the state, and Raiders goaltender Holden Richardson, a senior, ranks sixth statewide with a 1.78 goals-against average. Great goaltending? Mahtomedi has an abundance of that in senior Ben Dardis, the state leader with a .943 save percentage.
Mahtomedi has lost two one-goal games against Hill-Murray and split its series with St. Thomas Academy this season as they’ve played one of the toughest schedules in the state among Class 1A teams.
The Zephyrs will be the heavy favorite to reach the state tournament for the fifth time in six years when the Section 4A playoffs get rolling in a month. Hastings, led by 18-goal scorers Connor Stoffel and Jake Harris, figures to face the usual Lakeville North, Lakeville South gauntlet in Class 1AA.