Rogers has no state title banners hanging on the walls at its community ice arena. In fact, the Royals have yet to make it through a section and find their way to The Tourney.

But this winter they’ve found themselves in a different spot. The upstart machine that has been hunting other giants for the better part of a decade has become the hunted.

Loads and loads of Division I talent will do that.

“It’s tough to be the chased and not the chaser,” Rogers coach Dave Brown says. “Especially when we are working through our own stuff. We’ve never been to the X ... it’s the elephant in the room, and we know that. 

“When you have that target on your back, and you don’t know how to get there, that’s an uphill battle every day that our guys are climbing.”

Rogers, opening at No. 2 in Legacy Hockey's Class 2A rankings, looks ready for the climb and passed through a challenging first week, capped with a 5-2 victory over Shakopee on Saturday night in perhaps the state’s marquee matchup before a packed house.

The depth flowing throughout the lineup showed on the scoresheet and more emphatically on the attack as senior forward Mason Jenson scored twice and senior defenseman Nolen Geerdes added three assists. Senior Parker Deschene added a goal as well. They are three of the four Division I commits on the Royals' roster.

Rogers’ top two forwards, Jenson and Deschene returned to the team from stints in the USHL and NAHL, respectively, this fall. They have picked up where they’ve left off. Having played together since grade school, they and captain Keaton Weis make up one of the state’s most talented trios.

Jenson, an Ohio State commit, has moved to center for the first time and rolls out with a new kind of edge about him as he returns from the physical style of the USHL.

“He can put the puck in the net at any time,” Deschene, who committed to Lindenwood, said about Jenson. “But the thing I’ve noticed most is how much tougher he is with his defense. Since coming back from Tri-City (in the USHL), he gets back so much harder now.”

Brown says he will lean on Jenson -- a penalty killer, power-play mainstay, and front-line center --  in more and more ways.

 “He’s a 200-foot-player who has earned the right to be treated as a Mr. Hockey candidate, and he’s going to be played like one,” Brown said.

Jenson has scored 42 goals and 89 points over the past two-plus seasons, and Deschene has 33 goals and 90 points since the two have taken the stage as sophomores. 

Together, the sum is greater than the individual parts.

“There is a lot of belief between the two of them,” Brown said. “After a tough shift or a tough period, they pick each other up. They have each other’s backs at a level that you can’t teach.”

It’s contagious throughout the lineup. Expectations are different and Rogers is setting out to rework its image. Depth is driving competition and accountability, as Rogers continues to work towards its "first time" milestones with a new sense of confidence and belief.

“There’s just a different vibe right now,” Brown said. “These guys have so much compete, and we’re going to learn as we go because there is so much passion and desire with a massive chip on our shoulder right now.”

Weis says the team is ready to reshape how other top teams around the state think about Rogers’ hockey, and it starts at home.

“We’re like a family right now, the chemistry is through the roof,” he said. “We want to compete, we want to win, and we want to prove that we are a state-contending team.”

Rogers started fast and finished strong to knock off Shakopee 5-2 on Saturday night at Rogers Community Center in an early season showdown of top-five Class 2A teams.

Senior forward Mason Jenson scored twice, including an empty-netter that sealed the victory as Rogers, No. 2 in Legacy’s Class 2A rankings, took care of business in front of a packed house.

Rogers (2-0-0) outshot its guests 19-7 in the opening period, kept it level in the second and then weathered Shakopee’s charge in the third to skate away with the win.

Senior defenseman Nolen Geerdes added three assists and junior defenseman Matty Hauser chipped in a goal and an assist for Rogers.

No. 4-2A ranked Shakopee (1-1) got both its goals in the second period from Cooper Simpson, a top Mr. Hockey candidate.

Wyatt Knott stopped 26 of 28 for Rogers, and his counterpart Owen Lunneborg made 28 saves on 32 shots.