Hockey Day in Minnesota: Archie Skalbeck’s hat trick carries the Royals to a 6-0 victory over Duluth Marshall

Hopkins Royals – (8-9) ~ recent score: 5-2 loss to Minnetonka

Vs.

Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers – (5-9) ~ recent score: 6-3 loss to Bemidji

Hockey Day in Minnesota is all about celebrating the State of Hockey’s passion for the sport, and perhaps that was best personified by Paul Schulz Arena where he turned his barn into a hockey arena out of his own love for the game.  Paul even purchased a Zamboni that had been sitting in a farmer’s barn for 15 years and managed to get the former Fairmont Ice Arena workhorse up and working again.  Tragically Paul died of a heart attack, but his family as well as friends in the community have come together to keep the arena going and it continues to be a local mecca for youth hockey in South Central Minnesota.

The first tilt on Hockey Day in Minnesota saw the Class 2A Hopkins Royals travel to Duluth to battle the Class 1A Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers.  Hopkins is an improving program hoping to climb up a very competitive ladder in the always tough Classic Lake Conference that features three of the states elite metro area programs in Edina, Minnetonka and Wayzata.  The Royals are led by senior Archie Skalbeck, who has put up impressive numbers of 21 goals and 42 points in just 16 games.  Meanwhile, the Hilltoppers have been one of the best northern teams in Class 1A and they certainly have not shied away from a challenge and their record masks a very tough schedule where they have played against some of the best Class 2A teams in the state already in games against Minnetonka and Hill-Murray; both of which were losses but a testament to their willingness to battle against the best.  However recently the Hilltoppers are on a 5-game losing streak, with losses to #1 ranked (1A) St. Thomas Academy and #4 ranked (1A) Hermantown which is the host for this outdoor game between the Royals and Duluth Marshall.  So will the suburban kids from Hopkins be able to conquer the windy conditions and earn a victory or will the Hilltoppers preserve Northern school dominance on Hockey Day in Minnesota?

With the Hopkins Royals wearing uniforms that were very reminiscent of the old Quebec Nordiques while the Hilltoppers were wearing uniforms looked eerily similar to that of St. Olaf minus their Lion-like “Ole” logo and featured 5 red stars on the right shoulder that represented the 5 state championships of the Duluth Cathedral teams of the 1960’s.  The ice clearly was in the best shape of all the Hockey Day in Minnesota’s.  The Royals had the first scoring chance as Archie Skalbeck fired a shot that was deflected up by Elstad.  A few minutes later, a nice rush by Royals’ sophomore Andrew Wicklund who fired a shot on goal that was stopped by Max Elstad and he was unable to control the rebound and senior Zach Zoidis jammed the puck into the back of the net to give Hopkins a 1-0 lead.  Duluth Marshall seemed to be reeling against the speed of Hopkins, but they’d receive a bit of a reprieve when Connor Thie hit a Hilltoppers defender from behind earning a checking from behind call.  The Hilltoppers would take a long range shot early that was gloved rather calmly by Alex Fons who was sporting a toque ala Jose Theodore from the Heritage Classic.  Duluth Marshall would make a nice play off the rush as Jake Bushey set up Dane Morin who slid a weak backhander that was directed aside by the leg pad of Fons.  Hopkins would have an excellent shorthanded chance late as Skalbeck dangled around the Hilltoppers’ Patrick Hurley before attempting a backhander that Elstad struggled to keep out.  After the big Hopkins penalty kill, the Royals went right back on the attack swarming near the crease.  Hopkins had a great chance as Kyle Dalton carried the puck near the Duluth Marshall crease that Elstad stopped and the puck would sit near the crease but Zach Zoidis wasn’t able to get a shot off and Duluth was able to dodge a bullet.  Duluth Marshall would try to create some offensive pressure of its own as Dane Morin found some space and he’d fire a shot that was steered away by Fons.  If one thing was working fairly well for the Hilltoppers it was their forecheck as they managed to keep the Hopkins bottled up in its zone, but when the Royals did manage to break out they really put Duluth Marshall on its heels.  The Hilltoppers managed to create a 2-on-1 of its own as Mac Dow wound up and blasted a slapper off the rush that was deflected up and over the net by the glove of Fons who looked very poised between the pipes.  Archie Skalbeleck would show some great skill and the ability to protect the puck with his body as he flung a wrister that was stopped by Elstad.  Sophomore Tanner Holmquist would lead a nice rush as he’d enter the Duluth Marshall zone with speed before letting loose with a backhander that Elstad blocked aside.  Hopkins continued to pour it on, as Michael Magnuson hammered a slap shot from the point that Elstad stopped and Skalbeck raced in and nearly tapped home a rebound before it was swept away by the Hilltoppers’ Patrick Hurley.  Hopkins would take their 1-0 lead into the 2nd period.

The Hilltoppers really seemed to have another gear to start the 2nd period as they were pressing hard with two forecheckers and this was causing the Royals some problems.  Duluth Marshall had an awesome chance off the rush as Aaron Rich would fling a wrister that was steered to the corner by Fons.  The Duluth Marshall forecheck was continuing to lead to a lot of possession time but wasn’t able to turn that into shots on goal.  Hopkins would answer back with a terrific opportunity created by Skalbeck who circled in the Hilltoppers zone before sliding a shot on goal that was stopped by Elstad and he was forced to make another save on a doorstep chance by Jonathan Groom.  Moments later it was Groom firing a shot on goal that was stopped by Elstad and the rebound was picked up by Skalbeck who tried to take the puck behind the net and towards the right post as he had Elstad sprawling but his wrap around attempt wouldn’t curl back towards the goal line and instead slide harmlessly through the crease.  Duluth Marshall would answer back with some of its best scoring chances of the game as Patrick Hurley fired a point shot that was deflected on goal by Josh Wentz that went up and over the net, and then the best chance on a few point-blank chances by Judd Peterson that were denied by the butterfly stance of Alex Fons who was continuing to show great poise.  A few minutes later, Duluth Marshall would show some speed, perhaps a bit frustrated as Darrick Howard raced up the ice for quick little forehand chance that was knocked down by Fons and he’d drop to cover up the puck as the Hilltoppers swarmed the crease.  Hopkins would answer back with some good forechecking, and forcing some turnovers in the Duluth Marshall zone that yielded a great scoring chance for Skalbeck whose wrist shot missed just wide.  The Royals would take another penalty as Connor Thie would sit in the box for elbowing.  On the power play the Hilltoppers found them bottled up by some great work by Kyle Dalton.  Duluth Marshall finally was able to attempt a few long-range chances that were easily stopped by Fons.  A penalty by Duluth Marshall’s Joe Rectenwald would prove to be costly as Hopkins would take over as Archie Skalbeck again would show great control and vision before beating Elstad with a wicked wrister taken from the slot.  Moments later the Royals would find the back of the net again as a faceoff win was drawn back to the point where sophomore Joeseph Brettigen blistered a slapper that beat Elstad stick side to give Hopkins a 3-0 lead.  Hopkins continued to threaten the Hilltoppers as Skalbeck would zoom in and give a little deke before sliding a shot just wide of the mark.  Duluth Marshall had a great chance late as Judd Peterson would fly up the ice and take a shot off the rush that was stopped by Fons before Peterson went crashing into the boards behind the Hopkins’ goal.  The Hilltoppers Patrick Hurley would take a foolish penalty, as got his stick up into the face of Connor Thie who was a little worse for the wear.   With less than a minute left the Royals would move in off a nice set up by Skalbeck to a waiting Kyle Dalton who fired a point-blank range shot that was stopped by Elstad and then he’d make another save on a chance by Tanner Holmquist to keep Duluth Marshall only down 3-0 going into the 3rd.

Hopkins would start the 3rd period with the power play and it was Royals domination right from the drop of the puck as they carried it deep against a very passive Hilltoppers penalty kill.  The Royals were able to operate the puck down beneath the Hilltoppers goal line with relative impunity as Jonathan Groom set up Skalbeck who was camped out for close in chance just a few feet in front of the crease and the Hopkins sniper made no mistake as he ripped it by Elstad to put Hopkins up 4-0.  There was more damage to be done as the Hopkins top line would again swarm near the Marshall crease and a nice pass by Archie Skalbeck was tapped home by Connor Thie to lift the Royals to a 5-0 lead.  Feeling the game really beginning to break loose in a bad way for his team, Duluth Marshall Head Coach Brendan Flaherty would call a timeout to settle his team down.  Unfortunately it didn’t work as Archie Skalbeck who would steal a puck in the neutral zone and dangle the puck around Patrick Hurley and then race in and then attempt to dangle it around Max Elstad and just managed to get enough for the puck to barely slide over the goal line to earn a hat trick and putting Hopkins up 6-0.  Duluth Marshall would finally have a quality scoring chance in the period as Judd Peterson delivered a pass to Dane Morin who was denied on a close-in chance by Alex Fons.  You could see that the Hilltoppers just lacked emotion, and Flaherty would pull Max Elstad in favor of sophomore Brian Anderson and he would get an early test from Skalbeck that he made a nice glove save.  The Hilltoppers would take a late roughing penalty as Matt Morsette delivered a big hit on Connor Thie.  On the power play, Brian Anderson made a great point-blank range save on a chance by Thie but his Hilltoppers would fall 6-0.

Simply put, it was the Archie Skalbeck show and he was far and above the best player on the ice scoring a hat trick but throughout the whole game he was dangerous and making things happen offensively for the Royals.  Almost by himself, Skalbeck and the Royals top line tore apart the Hilltoppers who just could not stop them from creating quality scoring chances.  At the other end of the ice, it was a clinic by Alex Fons who was sharp and always in position to make the saves and never really gave the Hilltoppers any life in this game.  A great first matchup!