Hill-Murray Pioneer Hockey: History 1991

Hill-Murray returned to the tournament after a two-year absence and won all three games to become the last one-class state champion.
After a six-loss regular season, a championship run seemed unlikely. The '91 Pioneers allowed the most goals in school history, finished behind Anoka and White Bear in the conference, and had their lowest section seed to date. But they were a deep team with balanced scoring (no player in the top 16 in conference scoring) and peaked at the right time.
As it turned out, Hill-Murray had a tougher time getting through Section 3 than they did winning state. Following a 17-2 romp over Brooklyn Center, Hill-Murray appeared on its way to another easy win with a 5-0 lead late in the second period against Forest Lake, which then scored five goals and nearly won the game in the first overtime before Hill-Murray scored in the second overtime.
Hill-Murray's semifinal opponent, Park, had a 21-1 record and the #1 state ranking. Jeff Hasselman's three goals put the Pioneers ahead, but Park scored at the end of regulation on a shot from the center red line. Captain Mark Strobel then scored the winning goal in overtime.
The Pioneers fell behind top-seeded White Bear Lake 3-0 in the section final at the Met Center, but scored the next four goals and capped the rally with 2:49 left on a goal by Jim Young. Young also scored the winning goal against Forest Lake, and later coached the Hill-Murray JV and Forest Lake and Roseville varsity teams.
Hill-Murray simply annihilated the afternoon bracket in the tournament. Matt Mauer scored three goals in a 7-1 win over Johnson, and Mark Strobel accomplished the same feat in an 11-3 victory over Grand Rapids in the semifinal. Both players were named to the All-tournament team, and Strobel was the tournament's leading scorer with 4 goals and 3 assists.
The win was the first ever by a Hill-Murray team against Grand Rapids after six losses, five of which were in the tourney. The Pioneers scored seven goals in the second period, tying a tournament record for most goals in a period set by Eveleth in the very first state tournament in 1945.
Duluth East provided a tougher matchup in the championship, and took a 3-1 lead midway through the second period. Hill-Murray's comeback made them the first team to ever win a state championship game after being down by two. Goalie Kevin Powell and Mike Strobel led the way, with Strobel scoring twice including the go-ahead goal, and Jeff Hasselman's empty net goal clinched the championship.

1990-1991 Hill-Murray Hockey

Varsity Roster