The Chaska Boys hockey team took on the co-op Southwest Christian/Richfield (SWC/R) squad on Dec. 4. The Hawks entered the game 0–3–1 on the young season, coming off a narrow 4–3 loss to Hopkins two days prior. SWC/R came in 0–1 after dropping their season opener 7–1 to Waconia.
This year marks the 50th season of Chaska hockey, commemorated with special shoulder patches on the Hawks’ jerseys.
The first period saw each team working to establish presence in the offensive zone. Both squads relied on strong passing and puck control to maintain pace. It took five minutes for either side to register a shot on goal, with hard skating and effective poke-checking kept scoring chances limited.
While the opening period remained scoreless, the second period was all about finishing. SWC/R generated several strong rushes and maintained tight coverage on Chaska’s skaters, defending their blue line well.
Chaska’s Tyler Hromatka (Jr.) opened the scoring at 7:32 with a clean breakaway goal.
SWC/R responded quickly, with Vinnie Ferrara scoring on a power play at 9:32 to tie it 1–1.
Carter Miedema then put SWC/R ahead 2–1 at 12:02, before Hromatka struck again at 16:32 to send the teams into the second intermission tied.
With two solid periods behind them, the Hawks stuck to their game plan in the third, using quick line changes to keep fresh legs on the ice. Chaska controlled their blue line effectively and spent much of the period in the SWC/R zone.
Hromatka completed a hat trick at 6:20, giving the Hawks a 3–2 lead. Justin Greathouse (So.), fresh off a strong football season, added an empty-net goal at 16:45 after SWC/R pulled their goalie for an extra skater.
Hromatka, with three goals, was the Hawks’ leading scorer on the night and now leads the team with seven goals this season. Jake Campbell (So.) tallied three assists and continues to lead Chaska with seven assists on the year.
Goaltender Frank Petz stopped 22 of the 24 shots he faced.
Third-year Head Coach Ryan Sirro praised his team’s poise and execution.
“The guys didn’t panic and skated great against a good team,” he said. “We were poised and played our game. It was nice for the guys to get in the W column. We’re a younger team and have some great talent — this is a team building toward great things.”
As with many CHS programs, the hockey team gave back to the community during Thursday’s game by collecting toys and holiday donations. Items and funds gathered will benefit several local organizations in need. Judging by the full table, the contributions will go a long way toward helping many families this season.
The Hawks’ next home game — and their final home contest of the calendar year — will be Dec. 9, when they host Osseo.
