Coon Rapids goaltender Will Wagner started the new year with a remarkable evening Jan. 6 against Armstrong/Cooper. 

Wagner, a sophomore who starts in net for the Cardinals junior varsity, faced a whopping 58 shots in an 8-1 rout. His night wasn’t finished, it turned out. 

Injury and illness already had stopped two Coon Rapids netminders. Then a bout of stomach flu sent the scheduled varsity starter home. 

That left Wagner. 

Pressed into emergency duty, Wagner stopped 27 of 29 shots for a 3-2 victory — his first on varsity. 

“Will is one of the hardest-working kids I know, and he has a huge heart,” Cardinals coach Aaron Frach said. “He was mobbed by his teammates after the game in celebration. It was truly a wonderful experience for our program.”