Perhaps the offensive numbers put up by Moorhead defenseman Brandon Mickelson aren’t really taking many by surprise.

Still, the way he goes about it marvels Spuds’ coach Jon Ammerman.

“He’s just extremely dynamic,” Ammerman said. “He picks his spots, but he’s also always near the spots … just a very intelligent player.”

Mickelson, the top defenseman on the defending state Class 2A champion Spuds, chipped in a goal and an assist in the Moorhead's 4-4 tie against St. Thomas Academy Saturday afternoon at the St. Thomas Ice Arena, notching his 100th career point in the process.

Mickelson has 11 goals and 31 points in 14 games this far, placing him No. 1 among the state’s top scoring blueliners. He provides the Spuds with another scoring option on a team loaded with them.

Given the keys to run the power play two years ago as a sophomore, Mickelson's offensive upside seems to have always been there. He put up five goals and 44 points last year as a junior following five goals as a sophomore. Now, though, he seems to be operating on an unexpectedly high level.

“From where he was then to where he is now has just shown tremendous growth,” Ammerman said. “He’s grown as a leader and as a person because whatever it is, he’s going to work hard at it.”

After returning from a stint this fall in the Western Hockey League with the Wenatchee Wild, the game seems to have slowed down a bit for the smooth-skating left-handed shot defenseman with filthy mitts.

It’s all slowed down a bit.

“Coming back from juniors, I felt like it would be a big part of my game,” Mickelson said of the offensive production. “But really, I’m focused on adding more defensive parts to my game and adding on that. That’s my main goal.”

Patient with tremendous vision and puck distributing skills, Mickelson routinely turns a benign situation into a scoring threat.

It’s added one more layer of “pick your poison” to how teams approach the well-rounded and structured Spuds' squad.

“The things people notice, like him taking the puck in the neutral zone and dancing through it, are great,” Ammerman said. “But he’s so good at finding the soft spots and scoring from there. He’s tough to deal with, and Brandon generates a ton from the back end. It’s not something most teams are used to defending against.”

Mickelson also brings a presence to the lineup that can’t be quantified. The attention he draws and the addition of another constant threat wears teams down.

Playing one of the state’s toughest schedules, Moorhead already has five players with 10 goals or more, and four more players with double-digit points for the season. The Spuds are averaging 5.73 goals-per-game, about two-and-a-half more than they are allowing.

Though Mickelson has fingerprints at both ends of those gaudy stats, he says it’s a lot of fun scoring goals, and working with some of the state’s most elite forwards is something he's eager to take advantage of.

“The offensive firepower we have is helping me put up points,” Mickelson said. “Jumping up and joining the rush, I know those guys will try to find me. That creates a lot of opportunity.”
 

MENDOTA HEIGHTS – St. Thomas Academy fought back from an early deficit, and Moorhead rallied late to cap a 4-4 tie Saturday afternoon.

Moorhead, defending state champions and rated No. 2 in Legacy’s most recent Class 2A rankings, jumped out with a three-goal first period with goals by their big guns, Brandon Mickelson, Tyden Bergeson and Max Cullen.

No. 4-2A St. Thomas Academy popped in one in the first by senior captain Cole Braunshausen, and he added another in the second as the Cadets came fighting back.

Aided by Braunshausen and the other speedsters on the top line in freshman Maverick McKinnon and sophomore Will Mikan, the Cadets (9-4-2)  transitioned and attacked with tenacity to put the Spuds (13-1-1)  back on their heels.

Goals by Luca Pedri and Lane Powers in the third put STA on top temporarily before Max Cullen buried a sharp-angle shot from the left edge of the slot to draw even.

A rematch from eight days ago, won by Moorhead 6-2, proved much tighter this go-round. 

“They had great pushback,” Moorhead coach Jon Ammerman said. “They did a lot of good things that made it difficult for us. Obviously, you want to win every game, but this was a good game for us.”

STA coach Mark Strobel praised the team’s response following last week’s loss. 

“It was a big step for us as a team,” Strobel said. “I think our guys stood up to the challenge.”

Braunshausen finished with two goals for STA. Max Cullen added two goals and three points, while Bergeson chipped in a goal and an assist for the Spuds.