With 0-4 start, CEC hockey lumbers along

After opening on the road with tough back-to-back losses, the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys hockey team hoped a little home cooking would get them back on track and in the win column. Unfortunately the 'Jacks dropped tough home losses on Friday and Saturday to Chaska and White Bear Lake, respectively.

Friday night the Lumberjacks fell to Chaska 4-0, which had split its first two games of the season by beating Eastview and then losing to Eveleth-Gilbert Area on Thursday, the night before they played CEC.

"Chaska just took care of the puck and limited their turnovers; they played with speed and they capitalized on their opportunities," CEC coach Shea Walters said. "They outworked us and we were not hard on the puck. We had too many one-on-one plays that resulted in turnovers."

Perhaps most surprising was not that the 'Jacks lost to Chaska, but the fact they lost in a shutout. The fact that the Lumberjacks have a team loaded with returnees who have proven through the years they can put the puck in the net made the shutout loss even more surprising.

"They played with a purpose and speed," Walters said. "Their entire team played with tenacity and speed and won a lot of puck battles."

Against White Bear Lake the next day, the Lumberjacks gained the upper hand midway through the first period on a goal by Kade Bender at the 10:02 mark on assists by Aaron Moore and Mason Langenbrunner to make it 1-0 CEC.

"I thought we were in control of the game in the first period," Walters said. "We knew they were going to come out in the second period with a push and we did not match their intensity."

The Bears tied the game 3:42 into the second period on a goal by Grant Hofeld and that's how things stood after the second stanza.

"We just had too many 'one and dones' and did not take care of the puck through the neutral zone or at the blue lines," Walters said. "We are not capitalizing and bearing down on our opportunities."

Hofeld notched his second goal of the game 7:05 into the third period and Blake Meister chipped in with an empty net tally with just 30 seconds remaining to seal the victory for White Bear Lake at 3-1.

Owen Carlson made 17 saves for CEC as he faced 20 shots, while Bears goalie Tyler Steffens made 23 saves on 24 shots in what was a very even hockey game.

As far as his team starting the season 0-4 Walters is still optimistic that things will turn around for the 'Jacks.

"Obviously being 0-4 is not ideal, but it has fortunately highlighted our strengths and weaknesses and has given us a baseline to work with," said Walters, who was assistant coach last year. "It is easy to get negative in times like this, but if we start correcting the little things, we believe they will start translating into winning shifts, periods and games."

CEC will play on the road this week against Bloomington Jefferson Friday and Eagan on Saturday.