Mahtomedi junior goaltender Evan Stoker had no trouble showing his sense of humor following the Section 4 championship game against East Ridge.

After learning the Raptors’ season motto was “Unfinished business,” Stoker quipped that it is time to retire the mantra. 

“It’s finished,” Stoker said with a smile.

The phrase no longer applies because Mahtomedi ended East Ridge’s season in the section title game for the second consecutive season. The second-seeded Zephyrs defeated the the top-seeded Raptors 10-7 at Roseville Area High School on Tuesday to claim the section crown and a state tournament berth.

Mahtomedi coach Pete Moosbrugger said his team’s postseason run can be traced back to Stoker’s goaltending prowess. 

“It starts with our goalie,” Moosbrugger said. “He’s got to make all the right calls, get us in the right defense and hold all six (defenders) out there accountable on the field.”

With the poise and confidence Stoker showed in Tuesday’s game, one could assume he’s been between the pipes for an extended period of time. 

But Stoker has been playing the position only since the middle of last season. 

“Midway through (last) year, put a goalie stick in his hand and he’s worked his tail off,” Moosbrugger said. 

“For a kid to go from being a midfielder, to now the starting goalie in the section championship, you don’t do that overnight,” Moosbrugger continued. 

Part of Stoker’s effectiveness isn’t just his hard work, but the swagger he provides the Zephyrs. 

After a particularly enthusiastic outburst from the East Ridge fans following a called no-goal in the fourth quarter, Stoker brought his finger to his lips and encouraged the fans to be quiet.

“I just wanted them to quiet down,” Stoker said with a grin.  

Moosbrugger also lauded the play of sophomore midfielder Lucas Honebrink, whose effectiveness in winning faceoffs proved to be almost as important as the Zephyrs’ goals. 

“The quick goal wasn’t as important as the smart goal,” Moosbrugger said. 

Honebrink made only spot appearances on the field near the end of the game, a strategy he said he’s fine with as long as it gives his team the best chance to win. 

“(Coaches) took me out in the fourth quarter, to keep me purely for faceoffs,” Honebrink said. “I wasn’t tired at all,” he added, saying that the extra energy helped him win most of the faceoffs. 

With just two seniors on their postseason roster, the Zephyrs (12-4) will look to a talented junior class for leadership in the state tournament.

The group includes attackman Matt Schwartz, who finished the regular season leading the team in goals (31), assists (43) and points (74 points), along with midfielders Cole Sellman (23 goals) and Jared Johnson (21 goals) and attackman Ethan Grover (18-14-32). Schwartz and Grover each had three goals in the victory over East Ridge (13-3).

Stoker dismissed the notion that an older lineup could give the Zephyrs a better chance of advancing out of the first round. 

“We’re a young team,” Stoker said. “But we practice hard, and that’s what counts.”

Junior attackmen Ethan Grover and Matt Schwartz each had three goals to lead Mahtomedi past East Ridge 10-7 in the Section 4 championship game Tuesday night at Roseville Area High School. 

Junior attackman Conner Lawless scored twice for Mahtomedi, while sophomore midfielder Lucas Honebrink and freshman midfielder Josh Campbell finished a goal apiece for the second-seeded Zephyrs (12-4). 

Junior midfielder Evan Woodward tallied three goals and senior midfielder Jack Dwyer had two for top-seeded East Ridge (13-3). Junior midfielder Danny Lowe and senior midfielder Drew Nicholson each scored once.

Mahtomedi defeated East Ridge in the section final last year, winning the championship game 9-8.

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