I read a post online discussing what qualifies as a “winning season.” Most posters were repeating that if the team wins over half of their games, they’ve had a winning season. Others argued that it meant the team had made it to the playoffs or had won the championship. Someone posted a longer response defining a successful season versus a winning season. My favorite answer was that it depended on the team’s definition based on their goals.
No matter the definitions being debated, the Northshore Storm 10U girls hockey team has had a winning season, a successful season, and they definitely made a lot of goals. There were an impressive number of shut outs and lopsided scoreboards. They remained undefeated, with one tie, in their regular season games, finishing out the year with an 18-0-1 record. Despite losing a few games during tournaments, the girls still came out on top at the Rocky Taconite Tournament held in Silver Bay at the end of January and the Great Lake Skate Tourney held in Two Harbors the very next weekend.
Playoff games were held at Sonju Arena in Two Harbors, February 27th to February 29th. The North Shore Storm was first up against Cloquet Gold, a foe they had twice conquered earlier in the season. Those games were won by wide margins and the team allowed no goals. Cloquet Gold was not going to let off the storm easily during the first game of the playoffs. It was a much tighter match, but the storm still secured the advance with a game winning score of 3-1.
They were up against Proctor/Hermantown White the next day. The game was a shutout with a score of 4-0.
If the team had any championship playoff nerves, it didn’t hinder their performance one bit. By the end of that Thursday’s game against Cloquet Purple, the team had built a snowman with their 8 goals and allowed only two against them. “They got the job done,” said Alicia Norman, the Northshore Storm 10U girls hockey team lead.
Job well done, North Shore Storm! Congratulations on all the wins, successes, and all the hard work you’ve put in this season. Thank you to the parents, coaches, volunteers, and fans for helping to ensure these girls get their time to shine on the ice! Thank you, also, to Alicia Norman who has helped us keep up to date on the team’s progress throughout the season. It’s been a fun one to follow!
