International Falls took center ice last weekend.
Former Broncos were coaching against former Broncos, former Broncos were playing against former Broncos, the mayor dropped a ceremonial puck to honor Broncos and even some current Bronco players played against a player with Bronco connections.
“Weekend was fun. It’s always fun to go back to the Falls” said Bruce Raboin, a 1979 Falls High School graduate and current assistant girls hockey coach with Detroit Lakes. “Without having to say it, (International Falls) has such a hockey atmosphere and tradition. It’s part of what International Falls is. It’s hockey. It’s nice to bring some young ladies into an atmosphere like that.”
Here’s a CliffNotes recap, beginning with Friday night’s girls hockey game at Bronco Arena:
7:30 p.m. — Detroit Lakes with Bruce Raboin and his youngest daughter, Emily, face off against International Falls, coached by Bruce’s former teammate and friend Gerald Bolstad (FHS ’80). Mackenzie and Sydney Raboin — Emily’s cousins — are currently on the Broncos.
“It was really fun,” Mackenzie said, noting she hadn’t played against Emily since the 8-and-under level.
7:37 p.m. — A little over 100 miles away in Bemidji, Dean Blais (FHS ’69) and his University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks faced off against former Broncos and current Beavers Ryan Cramer (’04) and Drew Fisher.
Saturday
A.M. (sometime before local sports editors are awake) — Gerald, Bruce and Broncos boys head hockey coach Mike Bolstad (FHS ’79) chum it up with one of the more entertaining “Coaches Corner” programs you’ll ever listen to on KSDM/KGHS radio. Ask someone about it — they probably enjoyed it.
1 p.m. — Detroit Lakes and International Falls face off again in girls hockey. Broncos sweep with a 7-0 win Friday and 5-2 win Saturday. Bruce, Emily and family depart after game to go to Bemidji (guess what for).
3 p.m. — Tony Couture (FHS ’85) and his Little Falls Flyers face off against Mike Bolstad and the Broncos. Game ends in 2-2 tie.
“It was fun to be back,” Couture said. “Good to see friends and to be back in Bronco Arena.” Couture went on to say it’s the “highlight of the season.”
7:07 p.m. — Mavericks and Beavers face off again, but this time on International Falls Night. Mayor Shawn Mason, sporting a Broncos jersey, drops the ceremonial first puck after the public address announcer reads this:
“In 1946, the landscape of athletics at Bemidji State Teacher’s College was very different. But a group of young BSTC students sparked by Ed Johnson, a freshman from International Falls, Minn., saw the college was lacking athletic opportunities and decided to organize the first Beaver ice hockey team. With the blessing of the college administration, BSTC athletic director Jolly Erickson gave monetary support and arranged the team to play in the Bemidji City Arena. International Falls Youth Hockey Association donated the goalie equipment to the first Bemidji State Hockey team.
Tonight, the mayor of International Falls, Shawn Mason, is here to drop the puck. Thanks mayor Shawn and the community of International Falls for being a part of tonight’s game.”
The Beavers proceed to capture the first sweep ever in the Bemidji Regional Event Cen ... I mean The Sanford Center. More than enough fans with International Falls connections are in the sellout crowd of 3,737. The Bemidji Pioneer reporter covering the Beavers, Eric Stromgren, has strong ties to the Falls.
Blais realizes giving four days off to a young team with five freshman forwards and four freshman defensemen the previous weekend is a bad idea.
“We didn’t have a great week of practice,” the former Bronco told The Journal. “ ... I thought we were rusty, but Bemidji played a good game both nights.”
And how about the new arena?
“It’s a perfect college arena for that area,” Blais said, noting there are talks of a new arena in Omaha. “It’s been going real good.”
Cramer, who starts Saturday, records an assist on Saturday night, giving him three assists in 12 games. Fisher has only one assist in 13 games, but is one of the best faceoff specialists on the squad.
As for some more athletes and coaches from International Falls in the hockey world, time to go deeper ...
• In the USHL: Willie Corrin has five points (all assists) in 18 games with the Fargo Force, Jake Youso has five points (G, 4A) in 14 games with the Waterloo Black Hawks and Brady Hjelle has a 13-1-1 record with two shutouts and a 1.96 goals against average and .927 save percentage in 15 games with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders.
• Ben Gordon is tied for the team lead with 22 points (7G, 15A) in 20 games with the Reading Royals of the ECHL.
• Jon Austin is in his second season as an assistant women’s hockey coach at Minnesota State, and the Mavericks’ record is 6-10-1 overall and 5-7-0 in the WCHA.
• Matt Youso has one goal and 39 penalty minutes in 14 games with the Owatonna Express of the NAHL.
