Posted on Sep 6, 2008

The calendar pages have rolled beyond the summer months and the chilly weather has made its arrival to our Granite City. This annual seasonal marking has given the opportunity for fans to begin discussions about the Granite City Lumberjacks anticipated sophomore season. This Saturday evening the Lumberjacks will travel to St. Paul to take on the Lakers. This will be the first game of the second season for the newly reenergized Junior A Hockey Team. Of the 26 players rostered, 12 will return to the Lumberjacks with experience of playing within the rowdy confines of the Municipal Athletic Complex. Moreover, this team will come decorated with seven of their top 10 scorers back from last year’s inaugural team. Leading scorer, Tyler Wahl, has returned to anchor a more balanced offensive attack. Forwards, Brady Borer, Tyler Sura, Matthew Johnson, Captain Kent Kirby, and Alex Naujokas will join Wahl as the returning forwards. The blue-liners who have returned this season include: Captain Fred Bidinger, Captain Bradley Phenow, Carl Lindblad, and Nathan Williams. The men between the pipes will once again be Justin Lochner and Tyler Venne. “I feel by bringing back the core of last year’s team, we have a solid chance at bringing home our first league championship. Both tryouts bolstered some talented players who worked hard to make the team. The coaching staff will look to all players to continue their hard work and dedication towards achieving their individual and team goals,” remarked Head Coach Cale Finseth. The Lumberjacks are coming off an impressive 25 win inaugural season. Throughout the entire season, the Lumberjacks remained in the middle of the pack in the point’s standings. The season did conclude with the boys finishing fifth in the MJHL and being named “Organization of the Year.” All nine teams will return to compete towards the opportunity to finish the season at the national tournament; however, fans may have already noticed a few changes within the league. The St. Louis Lightning organization has relocated to Minnesota and has changed their name to the Minnesota Wildcats. In addition, the Minnesota Owls have moved out of Blaine and into the Dave Johnson Civic Arena in Isanti, MN. Team President, John Hall, commented on the upcoming season by saying, “I would personally like to welcome everyone back for another season of Lumberjacks hockey. Our entire organization has worked hard in the off-season to build a team comprised of talented young men. With your continued support, we will continue to carry on our rich tradition of Granite City Lumberjacks hockey.”