The Twin Cities Athletic Conference Division 2 leading Liberty Classical Academy Lions had a blissful Thursday night as Nathaniel Bliss scored a game high 28 points to lead the Lions to a 83-50 win over the Groves Academy Griffins in St. Louis Park.
Liberty struck quickly as Luke Hill scored :05 after the opening tip. Patrick Quinn open the scoring for the Griffins to tie the game at two. Hill and Bliss would be the key components in the Lions 8-0 run before Malik Bodden hit a three pointer. There would also be dueling three point plays as Hill would score one for Liberty and Larry Mohamed for Groves Academy. Mohamed's three point play would be the bright spot for the Griffins in the first half as they were plagued by foul trouble as Bodden, Noah Madson and Max Bilcik had three fouls. Bodden would pick up his fourth foul with 3:58 left in the half as Bliss was hitting shots from inside as well as from Lake St.He would also score another three point play. William Reid would go to the line for three shots as he was fouled by Quinn while attempting a three pointer. He made two of three free throws. Liberty led 45-26 at halftime.
the Lions would widen their lead to start the second half as they opened on a 6-0 run. They would distance themselves further from the Griffins by scoring 11 straight points. Bilcik would score to end the run. But it was Bliss who would handle most of the scoring load in the second half as he would hit another three point play. With the game in running time due to the large second half margin, both head coaches, Joe Steiner of Liberty and Peter Shutte of Groves Academy cleared their benches and gave the reserves an opportunity to get some playing time.
Other players in double figures for the Lions were Hill with 21 points, Noah Nelson with 12 and Reid added 11. Bodden was the only Griffins in double figures, scoring a team high 21 points.
Liberty improves their record to 16-6 and ends their regular season on Friday, February 17 as they host the Nova Classical Academy Knights at 7:30. Groves Academy falls to 1-18 and will play at Nova Classical Academy on Tuesday, February 14 at 6 PM.
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
SLP Orioles Turn Tables on Chanhassen Storm
Three weeks after the Chanhassen Storm ended the St. Louis Park Orioles nine game winning streak with a 3-0 shut out in Victoria, the same two teams battled at The Rec Center Tuesday night and this time it was Bauer Neudecker who scored a goal and picked up two assists to lead the Orioles to an identical 3-0 win over the Storm.
Bauer Neudecker opened the scoring for the Orioles in the first period after he received a pass from Riley Dvorak and drove through the center slot like a car driving down Wooddale Ave. two on one until he sent the puck to the upper right corner of the net.
The second period looked like there would be no scoring, even when there was a four on four situation for :36. But it was Bauer Neudcker who set up the period's lone goal for St. Louis Park with a pass to Grant Plender and he would score from the right corner with 3:34 left in the period.
In the third period, the Orioles would take advantage of an empty net as Storm head coach Chris Wilson pulled Zach Swisher with over 2:00 to go. Bauer Neudecker made a centering pass to Brenton Ryan and he found the open net with 1:49 remaining in the game.
Prior to the start of the game five Oriole seniors were honored on Senior Night. They were Bauer Neudecker, Plender, Austin Stafne, Matthew Meyer and Benji Wyberg. When the season ends, Bauer Neudecker will be playing in the NAHL with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. Next season, Stafne will be heading for Bemidji State.
St. Louis Park improved their record to 17-5-1 and returns to action on Saturday, February 11 against the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars at 7 PM at the Bloomington Ice Garden. Chanhassen falls to 10-11-1 and will also be in action on the 11th as they host their district rivals the Chaska Hawks in a 3 PM game at the Victoria Field House.
Bauer Neudecker opened the scoring for the Orioles in the first period after he received a pass from Riley Dvorak and drove through the center slot like a car driving down Wooddale Ave. two on one until he sent the puck to the upper right corner of the net.
The second period looked like there would be no scoring, even when there was a four on four situation for :36. But it was Bauer Neudcker who set up the period's lone goal for St. Louis Park with a pass to Grant Plender and he would score from the right corner with 3:34 left in the period.
In the third period, the Orioles would take advantage of an empty net as Storm head coach Chris Wilson pulled Zach Swisher with over 2:00 to go. Bauer Neudecker made a centering pass to Brenton Ryan and he found the open net with 1:49 remaining in the game.
Prior to the start of the game five Oriole seniors were honored on Senior Night. They were Bauer Neudecker, Plender, Austin Stafne, Matthew Meyer and Benji Wyberg. When the season ends, Bauer Neudecker will be playing in the NAHL with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. Next season, Stafne will be heading for Bemidji State.
St. Louis Park improved their record to 17-5-1 and returns to action on Saturday, February 11 against the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars at 7 PM at the Bloomington Ice Garden. Chanhassen falls to 10-11-1 and will also be in action on the 11th as they host their district rivals the Chaska Hawks in a 3 PM game at the Victoria Field House.
Monday, February 6, 2017
2017 Class A Girls Hockey Section Preview
After examining the eight Class AA sections, it's time to look at the eight Class A sections.
In Section 1, this could be the year the Red Wing Wingers return to the state tournament after they were dethroned in 2016 by the Northfield Raiders, who are seeded second. The Owatonna Huskies are the third seed.
Who will come out of Section 2? There are five possible candidates but only one will make the trip to St. Paul. Top seeded Delano/Rockford is vying for their first state tournament berth and they have gone 8-2 since the calendar changed from 2016 to 2017. The second seeded Mound-Westonka Whitehawks split with Delano/Rockford this season They have gone 14-2 since they lost to the New Prague Trojans on December 6. Those two defeats were to Delano/Rockford and Proctor/Hermantown. Could there be a rematch between Delano/Rockford in the section final? Not if the third seeded Hutchinson Tigers do what they failed to do in the regular season and beat Mound-Westonka. They lost both games to the Whitehawks by identical 3-2 scores. The fourth seeded New Prague Trojans could have a tough task ahead if they face Delano-Rockford in the semifinals. The sleeper team in the field is the fifth seeded New Ulm Eagles, who lost to Mound-Westonka and Hutchinson. The Eagles have won four straight games and look to return to the X. first they have to beat the New Prague Trojans. If you decide to catch only one section final, take a drive down Highway 169 to St. Peter and head for the Gustavus Adolphus ice arena to see the championship game on February 16. Who knows who will play for a trip to state?
Now to Section 3 where the top seeded Mankato East/Loyola Cougars and the second seeded Marshall Tigers are the only teams with winning records. The rest of the section has losing records. The Tigers have gone 9-2-1 since losing to the North Metro Stars on December 27 in the Schwan Cup. Can they earn their first trip to St. Paul?
Over in Section 4, top seeded St. Paul United looks to return to the X after losing in last year's class A final to the Blake Bears. But first they will likely contend with the second seeded South St. Paul Packers. Veteran head coach Dave Palmquist has had some outstanding teams over the years but can they beat St. Paul United for a trip back to the X?
The good news is that the two top seeds in Section 5 are the defending Class A champion Blake Bears and the Breck Mustangs. They have been the state's top two Class A teams this season. Now comes the bad news. Only one of them will be heading to St. Paul. The Bears swept the Mustangs in the regular season series. and haven't lost since December 22 to defending Class AA champion Eden Prairie. Breck will need to have a good game from Minnesota signee Grace Zumwinkle as well as play solid defense to end Blake's championship run. Bring a thermos of coffee if it's Blake and Breck for the section final. This game could last late into the night.
The pairings have not yet been determined in Section 6 but three teams to watch for are the Fergus Falls Otter, the Alexandria Cardinals and the Northern Lakes Lightning. It's a wide open field though the Lightning is on a roll with five straight wins.
On to Section 7 where the top seeded Proctor/Hermantown Mirage looks for a return trip to St. Paul after they took fourth place season. Their closest competitor is the second seeded Moose Lake Area Rebels, who the Mirage beat 3-1 on January 26. Third seeded Hibbing/Chisholm and the fourth seeded International Falls Broncos are also in the hunt.
Wrapping up the preview is Section 8 and the top seed is the Warroard Warriors who have gone 8-1-1 since they lost three straight games in their own holiday tournament in December. But don't count out the second seeded East Grand Forks Green Wave and the third seeded Thief River Falls Prowlers. The Prowlers found their offense after they were shut out in two straight games. Can they keep the offensive momentum going into sections?
That's the section preview. Who will emerge on the Road to St. Paul?
In Section 1, this could be the year the Red Wing Wingers return to the state tournament after they were dethroned in 2016 by the Northfield Raiders, who are seeded second. The Owatonna Huskies are the third seed.
Who will come out of Section 2? There are five possible candidates but only one will make the trip to St. Paul. Top seeded Delano/Rockford is vying for their first state tournament berth and they have gone 8-2 since the calendar changed from 2016 to 2017. The second seeded Mound-Westonka Whitehawks split with Delano/Rockford this season They have gone 14-2 since they lost to the New Prague Trojans on December 6. Those two defeats were to Delano/Rockford and Proctor/Hermantown. Could there be a rematch between Delano/Rockford in the section final? Not if the third seeded Hutchinson Tigers do what they failed to do in the regular season and beat Mound-Westonka. They lost both games to the Whitehawks by identical 3-2 scores. The fourth seeded New Prague Trojans could have a tough task ahead if they face Delano-Rockford in the semifinals. The sleeper team in the field is the fifth seeded New Ulm Eagles, who lost to Mound-Westonka and Hutchinson. The Eagles have won four straight games and look to return to the X. first they have to beat the New Prague Trojans. If you decide to catch only one section final, take a drive down Highway 169 to St. Peter and head for the Gustavus Adolphus ice arena to see the championship game on February 16. Who knows who will play for a trip to state?
Now to Section 3 where the top seeded Mankato East/Loyola Cougars and the second seeded Marshall Tigers are the only teams with winning records. The rest of the section has losing records. The Tigers have gone 9-2-1 since losing to the North Metro Stars on December 27 in the Schwan Cup. Can they earn their first trip to St. Paul?
Over in Section 4, top seeded St. Paul United looks to return to the X after losing in last year's class A final to the Blake Bears. But first they will likely contend with the second seeded South St. Paul Packers. Veteran head coach Dave Palmquist has had some outstanding teams over the years but can they beat St. Paul United for a trip back to the X?
The good news is that the two top seeds in Section 5 are the defending Class A champion Blake Bears and the Breck Mustangs. They have been the state's top two Class A teams this season. Now comes the bad news. Only one of them will be heading to St. Paul. The Bears swept the Mustangs in the regular season series. and haven't lost since December 22 to defending Class AA champion Eden Prairie. Breck will need to have a good game from Minnesota signee Grace Zumwinkle as well as play solid defense to end Blake's championship run. Bring a thermos of coffee if it's Blake and Breck for the section final. This game could last late into the night.
The pairings have not yet been determined in Section 6 but three teams to watch for are the Fergus Falls Otter, the Alexandria Cardinals and the Northern Lakes Lightning. It's a wide open field though the Lightning is on a roll with five straight wins.
On to Section 7 where the top seeded Proctor/Hermantown Mirage looks for a return trip to St. Paul after they took fourth place season. Their closest competitor is the second seeded Moose Lake Area Rebels, who the Mirage beat 3-1 on January 26. Third seeded Hibbing/Chisholm and the fourth seeded International Falls Broncos are also in the hunt.
Wrapping up the preview is Section 8 and the top seed is the Warroard Warriors who have gone 8-1-1 since they lost three straight games in their own holiday tournament in December. But don't count out the second seeded East Grand Forks Green Wave and the third seeded Thief River Falls Prowlers. The Prowlers found their offense after they were shut out in two straight games. Can they keep the offensive momentum going into sections?
That's the section preview. Who will emerge on the Road to St. Paul?
Sunday, February 5, 2017
2017 Class AA Girls Hockey Section Preview
As the regular season has wrapped up in Minnesota girls high school hockey, the Road to St. Paul begins with section playoffs in Class AA & A. First up are the eight Class AA sections.
If there's any guarantee in Section 1, the road to the X will go through Lakeville as the Lakeville South Cougars have the number one seed. They swept their city rivals, the second seeded Lakeville North Panthers in the season series and there could be a third "Battle of Lakeville" in the section final. But wait, there are two more contenders that could spoil the All Lakeville Showdown. The third seeded Farmington Tigers and the fourth seeded Dodge County Wildcats.
In Section 2, the top seeded and defending state champion Eden Prairie Eagles are the top seed but returning to St. Paul won't be an easy task. The Eagles will have to contend with the second seeded Minnetonka Skippers, the third seeded Shakopee Sabres and the red hot fourth seeded Chaska/Chanhassen Stormhawks who have won 10 straight games. This has the makings of a tough section.
The top seed in Section 3 is the Eastview Lightning, led by Ms. Hockey semifinalist Natalie Snodgrass. The Lightning are on a five game winning streak and will have to contend with the second seeded Eagan Wildcats and the third seeded East Ridge Raptors who are looking for their first trip to St. Paul.
The Hill-Murray Pioneers have been the dominate team in Section 4 the last several years and this year they are once again the number one seed. Hoping to derail their trip down I-35E are the second seeded Mounds View Mustangs and the third seeded White Bear Lake Bears.
The pairings have not been determined for Section 5 but in all likelihood the number one seed will be the Maple Grove Crimson, led by the goalie tandem of Breanna Blesi and Coco Francis. But don't count out as contenders the Blaine Bengals and the Rogers Royals. It could be an interesting section.
Now to Section 6 where the top ranked Edina Hornets are the number one seed. Thy have had an outstanding season under first year head coach Sami Reber and hope to bring a lot of green clad fans to the Xcel Energy Center's green seats. Also in contention are the second seeded Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders and third seeded Hopkins/Park. Can Hopkins/Park force a third meeting with the Hornets in the section final?
The pairings for Section 7 have not yet been determined but it could be a three team race between Elk River/Zimmerman, the Forest Lake Rangers and Greenway/Grand Rapids.
Also not online as of this post are the Section 8 pairings and there could be great news for hockey fans in Lakes Country and the Land of Lindbergh as Brainerd/Little Falls takes a 23-2 record into sections and a five game winning streak. Their only two losses this season have been by 1-0 scores to Greenway/Grand Rapids and Sartell/Sauk Rapids. Keep an eye out for the Roseau Rams and the St. Cloud Icebreakers.
Bus drivers in the Brainerd and Little Falls areas could be busy since there could be a horde of fans headed down Highway 10 to St. Paul as they cheer their team on in their first trip to state.
Next up will be the eight Class A sections.
If there's any guarantee in Section 1, the road to the X will go through Lakeville as the Lakeville South Cougars have the number one seed. They swept their city rivals, the second seeded Lakeville North Panthers in the season series and there could be a third "Battle of Lakeville" in the section final. But wait, there are two more contenders that could spoil the All Lakeville Showdown. The third seeded Farmington Tigers and the fourth seeded Dodge County Wildcats.
In Section 2, the top seeded and defending state champion Eden Prairie Eagles are the top seed but returning to St. Paul won't be an easy task. The Eagles will have to contend with the second seeded Minnetonka Skippers, the third seeded Shakopee Sabres and the red hot fourth seeded Chaska/Chanhassen Stormhawks who have won 10 straight games. This has the makings of a tough section.
The top seed in Section 3 is the Eastview Lightning, led by Ms. Hockey semifinalist Natalie Snodgrass. The Lightning are on a five game winning streak and will have to contend with the second seeded Eagan Wildcats and the third seeded East Ridge Raptors who are looking for their first trip to St. Paul.
The Hill-Murray Pioneers have been the dominate team in Section 4 the last several years and this year they are once again the number one seed. Hoping to derail their trip down I-35E are the second seeded Mounds View Mustangs and the third seeded White Bear Lake Bears.
The pairings have not been determined for Section 5 but in all likelihood the number one seed will be the Maple Grove Crimson, led by the goalie tandem of Breanna Blesi and Coco Francis. But don't count out as contenders the Blaine Bengals and the Rogers Royals. It could be an interesting section.
Now to Section 6 where the top ranked Edina Hornets are the number one seed. Thy have had an outstanding season under first year head coach Sami Reber and hope to bring a lot of green clad fans to the Xcel Energy Center's green seats. Also in contention are the second seeded Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders and third seeded Hopkins/Park. Can Hopkins/Park force a third meeting with the Hornets in the section final?
The pairings for Section 7 have not yet been determined but it could be a three team race between Elk River/Zimmerman, the Forest Lake Rangers and Greenway/Grand Rapids.
Also not online as of this post are the Section 8 pairings and there could be great news for hockey fans in Lakes Country and the Land of Lindbergh as Brainerd/Little Falls takes a 23-2 record into sections and a five game winning streak. Their only two losses this season have been by 1-0 scores to Greenway/Grand Rapids and Sartell/Sauk Rapids. Keep an eye out for the Roseau Rams and the St. Cloud Icebreakers.
Bus drivers in the Brainerd and Little Falls areas could be busy since there could be a horde of fans headed down Highway 10 to St. Paul as they cheer their team on in their first trip to state.
Next up will be the eight Class A sections.
Friday, February 3, 2017
Muse's Big Night Leads Heritage Academy Hawks
The Heritage Academy Hawks returned to St. Louis Park Friday night for a rematch with the Groves Academy Griffins and got another outstanding game from Abdurahman Muse who scored a game high 38 points to lead them to a 103-68 win.
It was the two schools first meeting since December 13 as the Hawks routed the Griffins 78-42. Muse was also the scoring leader in that game, amassing 20 points.
Fans got to see the game begin in an unusual way. There was no jump ball because Heritage Academy was assessed with a bench technical foul because the players were not entered in the official scorebook at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the game. The home scorebook is usually the official book. So, the game began at the free throw line with Groves Academy's Malik Bodden shooting the two free throws for the technical foul. Both of them missed the basket.
Muse put Heritage Academy on the board :38 into the game. Bodden would score four straight points to put Groves Academy ahead until Muse hit another shot from Minnetonka Blvd. to take the lead. There would be a battle of three pointers between the Hawks and the Giffins with Sharmarki Abdi scoring for the Hawks and Max Bilcik for the Griffins. While Groves Academy went on a 5-0 run and got close to Heritage Academy, Bilcik would get into foul trouble, picking up his third foul with 13:11 left in the first half. The Hawks would forge ahead, going on an 8-0 run that would end on a basket from Groves Academy reserve Larry Mohamed. The Griffins would have two other players plagued by fouls as Bodden picked up his third foul with 7:36 left and Larry Mohamed :13 later. Ahmed Mohamed would put Heritage Academy further ahead, scoring six straight points. He would also score an old fashioned three point play and the Hawks led at halftime 53-32.
Abdi would open the second half scoring with a three pointer :13 into the half. Patrick Quinn would open the Griffins scoring. It was Muse who would dominate the second half with outstanding outside as well as inside shooting that would help distance Heritage Academy further from Groves Academy. He would also score a three point play. Bodden would be a bright spot for the Griffins in the second half as he would slice into the Hawk lead with a 5-0 run. But it wouldn't be enough for Groves Academy to get back into the game. Muhamed Mohamed would also contribute for the Hawks with a three pointer as they broke the 100 point mark for the first time this season.
Other players in double figures for Heritage Academy were Ahmed Mohamed with 21 points. Abdi added 20. Bodden led Groves Academy with 25 points. Bilcik contributed 16.
The Hawks improved their record to 7-9 and will return to action on Monday, February 20 as they face the North Lakes Academy Huskies at 7 PM in Forest Lake. The Griffins fell to 1-17 and will travel to Math and Science Academy on Tuesday, February 7 to take on the Dragons at 7 PM.
It was the two schools first meeting since December 13 as the Hawks routed the Griffins 78-42. Muse was also the scoring leader in that game, amassing 20 points.
Fans got to see the game begin in an unusual way. There was no jump ball because Heritage Academy was assessed with a bench technical foul because the players were not entered in the official scorebook at least 10 minutes prior to the start of the game. The home scorebook is usually the official book. So, the game began at the free throw line with Groves Academy's Malik Bodden shooting the two free throws for the technical foul. Both of them missed the basket.
Muse put Heritage Academy on the board :38 into the game. Bodden would score four straight points to put Groves Academy ahead until Muse hit another shot from Minnetonka Blvd. to take the lead. There would be a battle of three pointers between the Hawks and the Giffins with Sharmarki Abdi scoring for the Hawks and Max Bilcik for the Griffins. While Groves Academy went on a 5-0 run and got close to Heritage Academy, Bilcik would get into foul trouble, picking up his third foul with 13:11 left in the first half. The Hawks would forge ahead, going on an 8-0 run that would end on a basket from Groves Academy reserve Larry Mohamed. The Griffins would have two other players plagued by fouls as Bodden picked up his third foul with 7:36 left and Larry Mohamed :13 later. Ahmed Mohamed would put Heritage Academy further ahead, scoring six straight points. He would also score an old fashioned three point play and the Hawks led at halftime 53-32.
Abdi would open the second half scoring with a three pointer :13 into the half. Patrick Quinn would open the Griffins scoring. It was Muse who would dominate the second half with outstanding outside as well as inside shooting that would help distance Heritage Academy further from Groves Academy. He would also score a three point play. Bodden would be a bright spot for the Griffins in the second half as he would slice into the Hawk lead with a 5-0 run. But it wouldn't be enough for Groves Academy to get back into the game. Muhamed Mohamed would also contribute for the Hawks with a three pointer as they broke the 100 point mark for the first time this season.
Other players in double figures for Heritage Academy were Ahmed Mohamed with 21 points. Abdi added 20. Bodden led Groves Academy with 25 points. Bilcik contributed 16.
The Hawks improved their record to 7-9 and will return to action on Monday, February 20 as they face the North Lakes Academy Huskies at 7 PM in Forest Lake. The Griffins fell to 1-17 and will travel to Math and Science Academy on Tuesday, February 7 to take on the Dragons at 7 PM.
Hopkins/Park's Carlander is Senior Goalie Semifinalist
The Top 10 semifinalists for Senior Goalie of the Year have been named, according to Let's Play Hockey and one of the candidates is Hopkins/Park goalie Annika Carlander.
Carlander has been in the nets for the bulk of the Royals schedule, compiling a record of 14-8 and a goals against average of 2.36. She has also recorded three shutouts. They came against Orono on November 10, Holy Angels on December 3 and Bloomington Jefferson on December 15.
Other senior goalie semifinalists include Maple Grove's tandem of Breanna Blessi and Coco Francis, Madeline Carlson of Orono, Sydney Culshaw of New Prague, Sarah Finley of Alexandria, Anna Goldstein of the top ranked team in Class AA, the Edina Hornets, Elizabeth Kubicek of Minnetonka, Emma Polusny of Mound-Westonka and Gabby Suhr of the Dodge County Wildcats.
The field will be narrowed when the five finalists for Senior Goalie of the Year are named on February 9 and the winner will be named along with the Ms. Hockey award winner on Sunday, February 26 at the St. Paul RiverCentre.
Can Carlander crack the top Five? She goes up against a tough field.
Carlander has been in the nets for the bulk of the Royals schedule, compiling a record of 14-8 and a goals against average of 2.36. She has also recorded three shutouts. They came against Orono on November 10, Holy Angels on December 3 and Bloomington Jefferson on December 15.
Other senior goalie semifinalists include Maple Grove's tandem of Breanna Blessi and Coco Francis, Madeline Carlson of Orono, Sydney Culshaw of New Prague, Sarah Finley of Alexandria, Anna Goldstein of the top ranked team in Class AA, the Edina Hornets, Elizabeth Kubicek of Minnetonka, Emma Polusny of Mound-Westonka and Gabby Suhr of the Dodge County Wildcats.
The field will be narrowed when the five finalists for Senior Goalie of the Year are named on February 9 and the winner will be named along with the Ms. Hockey award winner on Sunday, February 26 at the St. Paul RiverCentre.
Can Carlander crack the top Five? She goes up against a tough field.
Wednesday, February 1, 2017
Gopher Basketball PA Voice to Retire
For 31 years, his signature line "This is Golden Gopher Basketball!" has rang through Williams Arena prior to introducing the starting lineups prior to each men's basketball home game.
But at the conclusion of this season, Dick Jonckowski will be retiring after announcing more than 600 games since taking over the public address announcing duties from long time voice Julie Perlt. But his voice won't be leaving the University of Minnesota athletic scene for good. He will still handle the public address duties for Gopher baseball, including the inaugural indoor season at US Bank Stadium.
In addition to his involvement with Gopher athletics, Jonckowski, nicknamed "The Polish Eagle", will be emceeing numerous banquets and other events as well as serving as one of the PA announcers for the state high school boys and girls basketball tournaments and also the state baseball tournament. He's also the PA voice for the American Legion Baseball World Series, which will be held this year in Shelby, NC.
A native of New Prague and a long time resident of Shakopee, Jonckowski has also served as the public address announcer for Shakopee High School basketball games and has also has work amateur baseball at Joe Schleper Stadium. He also served his community as a sportscaster on radio station KSMM that included doing play-by-play for high school sports and hosting a Saturday morning show titled "Coaches Roundtable."
Jonckowski was also a voracious collector of sports memorablilia and it filled the basement of his Shakopee home. He ended up having to sell some of his collectibles due to his basement being flooded and to help with medical expenses when he was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2014.
From Clem Haskins to Richard Pittino, Jonckowski has been part of numerous memorable moments at The Barn. Though the Gophers are in a bit of a slump after a hot start, can they get back on the winning track as a way of honoring the voice who has served many maroon and gold clad fans who support Golden Gopher Basketball? There's plenty of season remaining, as well as the Big Ten Tournament in March and a possible NCAA tournament berth.
But at the conclusion of this season, Dick Jonckowski will be retiring after announcing more than 600 games since taking over the public address announcing duties from long time voice Julie Perlt. But his voice won't be leaving the University of Minnesota athletic scene for good. He will still handle the public address duties for Gopher baseball, including the inaugural indoor season at US Bank Stadium.
In addition to his involvement with Gopher athletics, Jonckowski, nicknamed "The Polish Eagle", will be emceeing numerous banquets and other events as well as serving as one of the PA announcers for the state high school boys and girls basketball tournaments and also the state baseball tournament. He's also the PA voice for the American Legion Baseball World Series, which will be held this year in Shelby, NC.
A native of New Prague and a long time resident of Shakopee, Jonckowski has also served as the public address announcer for Shakopee High School basketball games and has also has work amateur baseball at Joe Schleper Stadium. He also served his community as a sportscaster on radio station KSMM that included doing play-by-play for high school sports and hosting a Saturday morning show titled "Coaches Roundtable."
Jonckowski was also a voracious collector of sports memorablilia and it filled the basement of his Shakopee home. He ended up having to sell some of his collectibles due to his basement being flooded and to help with medical expenses when he was diagnosed with lymphoma in 2014.
From Clem Haskins to Richard Pittino, Jonckowski has been part of numerous memorable moments at The Barn. Though the Gophers are in a bit of a slump after a hot start, can they get back on the winning track as a way of honoring the voice who has served many maroon and gold clad fans who support Golden Gopher Basketball? There's plenty of season remaining, as well as the Big Ten Tournament in March and a possible NCAA tournament berth.
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