Eagle pucksters face Albert Lea Tuesday at GAC

BY JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- When the New Ulm Eagle hockey team meets Albert Lea Tuesday at 8:15 p.m. at Gustavus Adolphus College in one Section 2A semi-final game, coach Tom Macho feels his players must try to exploit the Tiger defensemen.

"We had some people scouting them, and they have some pretty good forwards," he said. But their defensemen are their weak part. We know that we will have to attack that. We need to get some more shots ‚ their goaltending is suspect at times"

Albert Lea advanced to this game with a 4-3 win over Northfield.

The match-up is good for the Eagles.

"We saw them play in the Blake Tournament that we are in so we got to see them. We know these kids all the way up through the youth hockey ranks. It has always been a close game between New Ulm and Albert Lea, and most of our kids know their kids personally," Macho said.

Albert Lea is a physical team. "Their forwards will bang us something terrible. They play in the Big Nine Conference, and you need to know how to hit playing there. You get hit every day," said Macho.

Macho feels that the Tigers mirror teams New Ulm has faced such as "a Willmar or a Totino Grace -- some teams like that. They have good forwards and will hit us."

ILLNESS RESULTS IN ADJUSTMENTS: Illness to Jamie Hoffmann caused Macho to switch some lines for the game with Luverne and now with Albert Lea.

"Right now the sophomore line (Jay Geisthardt, Tyson Anderson and Brett Burgau) will stay together," he said. "They played well. We still have to look at the Corey Schnobrich, Scott Stueber and Chris Reinhart line because they have been in a slump lately, but they are still one of our better groups. Plus, we still have to look at what we can do to replace Jamie. There will be some flip-flopping going on."

The Eagles used Hoffmann's absence as a rallying point in the game with Luverne and now with Albert Lea.

"I do hope that it does become a rallying point for the team. Jamie is still right there yelling. He keeps telling them that they have to do the job. We won last night without him so it proved to the team that they can win and now maybe we can keep this thing going."

Macho does not know if he will break the tradition of alternating goalies. It would be Isaac Forstner's turn in the nets after Gary Wurtzberger stopped all 20 Luverne shots Saturday night.

"We might (break tradition). He had a shutout against Luverne and that might be coming. I have not talked to both goalies yet, but right now I would lean towards Gary."

"We need to score early so our kids get the confidence," said Macho.. "Plus, we also really need to shore up our defensive coverage because their forwards will go hard."

BOETTGER PLAYS WELL: One player, who was inadvertently omitted from my column on Sunday, from the Eagles basketball team is sophomore Dan Boettger.

"He is a player who is very athletic," said coach Pat Burmeister. "He can score; he can penetrate; and he is a better shooter than he shows. What we want him to do more is catch and shoot the basketball and a lot of time he puts the ball on the floor. He passes up open jump shots."

The Eagles will host Redwood Valley tonight at New Ulm High School to close out the Eagles' regular season.

KLAVITER CAMP BEGINS NEXT WEEK: Former New Ulm Cathedral, University of Minnesota and professional softball player Steph Klaviter will hold a softball camp here in New Ulm on Saturday and Sunday, March 2 and 3.

The camp is for ALL players. Eighth-graders and younger will have their camp from 8 a.m. to noon both days. Players from ninth to 12th grades go from 1-5 p.m. Cost of the camp is $70, which also includes a T-shirt. Helping Klaviter will be professional softball players Jenny Buford and Tobin Echo-Hawkes as well as five former U of M softball players. Recently added to the staff is former Olympic shortstop Crystal Bustos.

Brochures on the camp are available at all three high schools in New Ulm or you can contact Klaviter for more info at 1-970-223-6644 extension 161.