Hockey Day 2018: St. Cloud State is the program that pond hockey built

ST. CLOUD --Whether it's on a frozen pond, a flooded rink on campus or a backyard hockey haven, outdoor ice has played a vital role in both the history of St. Cloud State men's hockey program and the development of its players, past and present.
Yet when the Huskies take the ice Saturday in the 12th Annual Hockey Day Minnesota against Minnesota State Mankato, it won't be under mid-winter skies on Lake George. Perhaps a more fitting celebration of Minnesota hockey, the game will take place on campus, in a rink that bears the name of one of Minnesota's greatest hockey coaches of all time: Herb Brooks.
Yes, they'll be inside, where the game is played at every level now. But the outdoor hockey experiences of many of these players were crucial in getting them to the Husky program -- and, in two cases, the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Even for those who didn't have the blessing of growing up in a place where outdoor ice was even possible, pond hockey has had an impact. Former SCSU forward Garrett Roe, who was recently named to the 2018 United States Olympic hockey team, grew up outside of Washington D.C. Despite a strong showing with Team USA in the Deutschland Cup, Roe said he was quite surprised when he got the call.
Hockey was far from the sport of choice for D.C.-area kids in the 2000s, but Roe, whose father and brother were hockey fanatics, was happy being an anomaly.
"By the time I could walk I had skates on both feet," Roe said via a long-distance telephone call from Switzerland last week, where he is currently playing for EV Zug of the National League. "I spent most of my time growing up after school at the rink with my dad, watching my brother's practices, so I just grew up around the game and it's part of who I am."
Roe, the third highest-scoring player in SCSU history and the all-time assists leader, never got the chance to have a backyard rink. But he did have an annual pond hockey pilgrimage that only further ingrained a love for the game within him.
Each year, his youth team played in a tournament in Lake Placid, N.Y., the famous home of the 1980 Winter Olympics -- and the Miracle on Ice. While most players catch some R&R at the hotel between tournament games, Roe took advantage of the outdoor ice, and recreated Mike Eruzione's game-winning goal against the Soviet Union more than once.
"It was a perfect setting for something like that; it's a special place and as kids growing up we idolized that moment," Roe said.
His time on frozen ponds pales in comparison to the average Minnesota skater, yet that's why it has been so formative to his hockey experience. It was an annual reminder that the game was supposed to be fun, and an experience that reignited his passion for the game -- a passion that can oftentimes burn out for what has become a year-round sport.
"I think (pond hockey) just combines the game with fun, and feeling the energy and pure joy of playing the game outside; no walls, no boundaries, and it's always with friends and family. Memories like that are the ones you hold onto."
His 2018 Olympics teammate and current Huskies defenseman, Will Borgen, grew up like many lucky Minnesota hockey players -- with a backyard rink. The Moorhead native cultivated an unyielding love for the game there. However, once travel hockey began, he found less and less time to skate outside. He credits much of his growth as a player to a unique opportunity afforded only to those who call themselves Spuds.
Borgen spent his summers in high school skating with college and professional players from Moorhead, such as the Wild's Matt Cullen and Chris VandeVelde, thanks to rink manager Dennis Bushy, who let them skate for free.
"He's kind of a legend in Moorhead," Borgen said of Bushy. "It's a pretty cool culture there where we can grow up playing with older players."
His experience playing older competition in Moorhead contributes toward his relative calm for the upcoming games in Pyeonchang, South Korea, where he will play alongside and against some athletes who are well over a decade older than him.
"I'll be playing with older guys so it'll be different, but I'm looking forward to it. There's a lot to learn from a lot of those players," said Borgen, whose club brings a 14-4-3 record and No. 3 ranking into Saturday's 5 p.m. clash with Minnesota State (17-7-0, No. 8).
As he just missed playing for Moorhead in the 2011 rendition of Hockey Day Minnesota, Borgen will also likely miss watching his
Spuds face Centennial
this year, as he prepares for the Huskies game. But as he gets ready to trade in a red and black jersey for the red, white and blue, he's going to try to get out there for a little bit and soak up the festive -- and passionate -- hockey atmosphere.
In all its forms, a passion for the game is at the foundation of pond hockey; why else would one willingly brave near-zero temperatures and shovel snow that isn't just covering their own driveway?
Long before SCSU's ice arena namesake, the legendary Herb Brooks helped the St. Cloud State men's hockey team
transition from a Division II program to the Division I level
and secure an arena on campus in the process, the Huskies' home ice was just that -- a sheet of ice.
Until the Municipal Athletic Complex was built in 1972, the Huskies hosted opponents on outdoor ice at various locations on campus, and even at a rink near Lake George. While the current Husky rivals Minnesota and Minnesota Duluth enjoyed indoor facilities, the Division II Husky players braved the elements for 40 years before moving indoors. Back then, the players were drawn to the program not by a fancy arena or fan notoriety but for a love of the game.
While the more recent SCSU players each have unique origins -- except for the Poehling brothers, of course -- pond hockey has played vital roles in getting them to the St. Cloud State program, the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center and for a lucky duo, the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Related:
- How to watch, live stream Hockey Day Minnesota 2018 - SCSU women take home-ice advantage outdoors - Proud hockey community of St. Cloud takes center stage Saturday