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Courtesy of the Star Tribune
Dean Spiros: Hopkins shows its strong start on ice is no fluke
by Dean Spiros
Behind an impressive effort in by Alex Fons, the Royals beat Minnetonka, improving to 13-0 this season
The Energizer Blonde arrived fashionably late at the rink and fashionably dressed with her royal blue scarf and gray Hopkins sweatshirt. Working her way from one end of the bleachers to the other she wrinkled her nose and asked no one in particular a question: "What are all these people doing here?"
Indeed, it has been a while since a boys' hockey game at the Hopkins Pavilion was the place to be on a Saturday night. There weren't enough seats to handle all the curious who showed up, and surely some of the hometown faithful stood elbow-to-elbow with the skeptics on hand to see the Royals' bubble burst after their 12-0 start.
For the most part it had been deemed naïve to mention Hopkins in the same breath as the likes of Edina, Hill-Murray or Benilde-St. Margaret's, 2007-08 powerhouses all. Proof was expected to be presented on Saturday with 11-1 Minnetonka coming to town for a skate, the first true test this season for the Royals.
That roar you heard was the Hopkins fans saluting the Royals after a stirring 4-3 victory in the Classic Lake Conference opener for both teams. The silence was deafening, too.
Even Hopkins coach Chad Nyberg had been among the skeptics before the game, admitting the Royals were no match for Minnetonka in the skill department. But on this night the sum of their parts was enough to beat a team that is on the short list of state title contenders.
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