First-year head coach Gerald Bolstad takes over a Broncos girls hockey program in its 11th season, and just one year removed from the best season in school history
International Falls has only one non-losing season in 10 years of the program, finishing 13-13-1 in 2007-08.
This year’s squad, which opens the season tonight at Roseau, has reason to believe they can become the second team in 11 years.
“I’m working with a great bunch of kids,” first-year head coach Gerald Bolstad said.
The 2009-10 Broncos boast an All-State selection up front — junior captain Sydney Gordon — four returning defensemen — sophomore Michelle McDonald, sophomore Alyssa Bergstrom, freshman Rebekah Ford and eighth-grader Katie West — and an experienced goalie in Taylar Nelson, entering her third year as only a freshman.
“She’s done very well in practice, so I’m looking for big things out of her,” Bolstad said about his netminder.
The Broncos also return plenty of depth up front with eighth-graders Hillary Fox, Sydney Raboin and Amy Auran, sophomores Bailey Bernard and Jessica Ringhofer and junior Amanda Hofius. Senior Nadine Mayer and junior Mackenzie Raboin join Gordon as captains.
“We have potential,” Mackenzie Raboin said.
The Broncos are coming off a 7-17-1 season where they scored 65 goals and surrendered a school record 141 goals. The four returning defensemen and Nelson’s experience are expected to pay dividends right away in boosting a giant weakness a season ago.
“That’s a strong nucleus to build off of,” Bolstad said about McDonald, Bergstrom, Ford and West.
The offense enters the season as the biggest weakness, but it hasn’t deterred the team’s goals.
“I would say to finish at least .500,” said Gordon, who finished with a team-high 42 points last year (25G, 17A). Gordon nearly doubled Mackenzie Raboin, who tied for second on the team with her graduated sister Taylor with 21 points. Auran posted 17 points and Nelson finished 5-14-1 with a .804 save percentage.
The only players the Broncos lost were Breanne Friend, Courtney Scholler and Taylor Raboin to graduation, while sophomore Abbey Fox is expected to play at Hermantown this year, according to numerous players.
Bolstad takes over for Bruce Elson, who had a roller coaster ride of issues during the offseason with coaching and teaching, and becomes the third coach in program history. Tim Mellstrom went 49-109-5 in seven seasons, while Elson finished 29-47-2 in three seasons. Bolstad’s youngest daughter, Brittany, went through the program before graduating in 2006.
“When Brittany graduated, the program was going up and it’s grown even more since then,” Bolstad said.
He’s optimistic, and his team has no reason not to be in Year 11.
“Working with a great group of kids and trying to take them to the next level with constant improvement throughout the season,” is what Bolstad is looking forward to most. “Previous coaches have done a great job of building the program to where it is at now.”
Who is Gerald Bolstad
• Falls High School graduate — 1980
• Played junior hockey after high school and coached bantam hockey at one time. Officiated hockey for 20 years. Has also been the Broncos assistant softball coach for 10 years.
• What do you want to be known for as a coach:
Somebody that’s fair and wants to get the most out of players. Improve each week.
• Greatest piece of advice for someone wanting to get into coaching:
Don’t start when you’re 47. Get into it when you’re young. It’s a steep learning curve.
• A successful season is ... ?
A season where the kids get everything out of it that they put into it.
2009-10 Broncos Girls Hockey Schedule
DATE OPPONENT TIME
11/17 at Roseau 7 p.m.
11/20 HOME vs. Silver Bay 7 p.m.
11/24 HOME vs. Park Rapids 6 p.m.
11/27 vs. Shakopee at Silver Bay Tournament 6 p.m.
11/28 vs. Princeton at Silver Bay Tournament 4 p.m.
12/4 HOME vs. Fort Frances 7:30 p.m.
12/8 at Fort Frances 7:30 p.m.
12/10 at Lake of the Woods 7:30 p.m.
12/12 HOME vs. Proctor 3 p.m.
12/15 at Hibbing 7:30 p.m.
12/18 HOME vs. Thief River Falls 7:30 p.m.
12/21 at BETS 7:30 p.m.
12/28-30 at Rochester Tournament TBA
1/8 at East Grand Forks 7:30 p.m.
1/12 at Eveleth-Gilbert 7:30 p.m.
1/15 at Park Rapids 6 p.m.
1/19 HOME vs. Lake of the Woods 7:30 p.m.
1/22 at Silver Bay 7:30 p.m.
1/26 HOME vs. BETS 7:30 p.m.
1/28 HOME vs. Hibbing 7:30 p.m.
1/29 HOME vs. Moose Lake-Willow River 7:30 p.m.
2/4 HOME vs. Eveleth-Gilbert 7:30 p.m.
2/11 Section 7A Tournament First Round
2/24-27 Class A State Tournament
