The ninth annual Hockey Day Minnesota held special significance for Hill-Murray coach Bill Lechner.

Sure, his team was tabbed to play Metro East Conference rival and hockey powerhouse St. Thomas Academy in a statewide televised game played outdoors on a rink constructed on St. Paul’s Holman Field as part of the event designed to play homage to Minnesota’s outdoor hockey tradition.

But this year’s event also honored the men and women serving in the military overseas, a commitment for which Lechner has great reverence as his parents were in the Navy.

The Pioneers defeated the Cadets 3-2 in overtime, but Lechner said the outcome was secondary to event’s importance. 

“It would’ve been a great day either way because it’s such a great event and so many people put so much work into this,” Lechner said, “It was really probably the coolest event down here at the airport with the rink and the stands at the airport.”  

Lechner choked up when asked about his parents, who both passed away in January 2008. 

“There were moments,” he said when asked if his parents were on his mind throughout the day. 

For the veteran coach, 2008 was a bittersweet year. Hill-Murray defeated Edina 3-0 in the Class 2A state tournament finals to win the championship, the last such title for the Pioneers.

“They (my parents) said, ‘Go pull this off,’ right before they passed on,” Lechner said. 

Hill-Murray seems poised to follow the instructions of Lechner’s parents this season. 

The Pioneers are ranked No. 3 in the coaches poll and improved to 10-5-0 overall and 6-0 in league play after the victory over No. 4 St. Thomas Academy (13-1-0, 6-1).

“It gives us motivation to keep pushing forward to keep winning and get to the state tournament,” said senior Jake Wittl, who notched the game-winning goal against the Cadets.

Wittl doesn’t have any family in the military, but the senior appreciated the recognition given to the troops. 

Both teams got to enter the rink standing next to a military chopper, something Wittl never imagined. “Not at all. It was amazing,” he said.

Wittl, who has six goals and eight points this season, was also hoping the team would get to keep their green camouflage jerseys the Pioneers wore during the game.

The forward said playing outdoors didn’t affect the team much, but high winds caused the teams to switch sides halfway through the third period and overtime.  

“I kept telling myself it’s just a normal pond hockey game, so I got all my nerves out and just played,” Wittl said. 

The outdoor play aided Wittl on the game-winner. The puck bounced awkwardly off the boards, giving him the opportunity to get his stick on it and score. 

Wittl’s scoring chance was not lost on his coach.

“It’s pretty cool. (Wittl is) not one of our big names and stars and he’ll remember that moment a long time,” Lechner said. 

Lechner did not wear a hat or gloves for the game to honor how outdoor hockey was played years ago.

“It’s just what we did,” Lechner said.

The Pioneers high level has Hill-Murray in position to just do what a previous team has done and honor the memory Lechner’s parents with another state tournament title.


St. Thomas Academy goalie Matt Snow makes the pad save in a 3-2 overtime loss to Hill-Murray at the 2015 Hockey Day Minnesota in St. Paul. Photo by Rick Orndorf

First Report

Senior forward Jake Wittl scored the game-winner in overtime as Hill-Murray defeated rival St. Thomas Academy 3-2 in a Metro East Conference matchup Saturday at Holman Field in St. Paul. The game was the second in a triple-header played as part of the ninth annual Hockey Day Minnesota. 

Wittl sealed the victory with less than 4 minutes to play in overtime when he sent a shot through the crease and past Cadets senior goalie Matt Snow.

Junior forward Luke Ranallo opened the scoring for Hill-Murray (12-5, 6-0), ranked No. 3 in the Class 2A coaches poll, with a goal 2 minutes, 10 seconds into the second period. 

Senior forward Christiano Versich tied the game 1-1 with a power-play goal nearly 9 minutes later for No. 4-2A St. Thomas Academy (14-2, 6-1).

The Pioneers regained the lead midway through the third period as freshman forward Dylan Mills’s shot went through Snow’s legs and into the goal. 

Cadets senior forward Alec Broetzman then scored the equalizer in dramatic fashion, nailing a wrist shot from the top of the red line with 2 minutes left in regulation time.

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