Boys hockey: Getting free time to work through issues

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The holiday break might have come at a good time for the Rosemount boys hockey team.

Mired in a slump, the Irish could use some time away from competition.

Meanwhile, Rosemount is taking the practice time to experiment.

“We’re trying a few things out,” Irish coach Scott Macho said. “Plus, it’s really good for the guys to step away from the game a little bit. They can get completely refreshed.

“The season breaks up. The first part is guys learning each other and different things, getting used to the system. The second half is a long grind and then you make a push at the end of the season. It’s good for them to get this break and rejuvenate. It’s also a chance for us to try a few new things.”

Rosemount (1-7, 0-5 Lake Conference) has made strides in recent games.

The Irish lost 1-0 to Buffalo last week before an 11-day layoff from competition. They play host to Lakeville South tomorrow.

The game against the Panthers might involve a few new looks.

“I think we’re going to mix things around a bit with the lineup here this week,” Macho said. “We’ll try some things, move some guys around. Some guys in the back, we might move them up a little. We might move some guys back. We’ll try a few things to see if we can get a spark going a little bit; try and get the right mix of people.”

The slide reached six straight losses against Buffalo.

Macho felt the Irish took too many penalties against Buffalo.

“It was actually a pretty good game,” Macho said. “Both teams were evenly matched. Unfortunately, we took a number of penalties. We spent a third of the game in the penalty box. Five-on-five I thought we had an advantage. But unfortunately, when you spend that much time in the penalty box it kind of levels the playing field.”

Buffalo scored an even-strength goal in the second period, but having to kill too many penalties might have worn down the Irish.

Despite being shorthanded so often, Rosemount only trailed 30-22 in total shots.

Justin Franks made 29 saves in goal for the Irish.

Franks has seen recent time in net as he has shared time with Hank Fairchild.

“We just want to see who is going to step up and see who wants to be the guy at the end,” Macho said. “The guys have the opportunity to take it and run with it.”

Tags: boys hockey, sports