The brutal Big Nine Conference schedule is history for the Albert Lea High School boys’ hockey team.

Tuesday, February 20, 2001

The brutal Big Nine Conference schedule is history for the Albert Lea High School boys’ hockey team.

The second season is here. Every shift, every power play, every loose puck takes on added significance. And the winner of it all gets one of the grandest prizes in Minnesota high school sports: a trip to the state tournament.

Unlike past years, when Albert Lea has been among the favorites in the playoffs, the Tigers enter the 2001 Section 1A tournament as the No. 6 seed, with a record of 5-15-1.

The Tigers open section play tonight, hosting 11th-seeded Waseca at 7 p.m. at the Albert Lea City Arena. The winner plays Saturday at 7 p.m. at third-seeded Northfield, which had an opening-round bye.

Coach Roy Nystrom said the Tigers are confident heading into tonight and, for that matter, the entire single-elimination section tournament. One of their top players, Dusty Wangen, returns from an injury tonight, leaving the Tigers completely healthy.

&uot;We’re going to try to go as far as we can in this thing,&uot; said Nystrom. &uot;It wouldn’t shock me if we won it.&uot;

Nystrom said that while the Tigers’ lineup has undergone several changes since the start of the season, they’re a much stronger team now.

&uot;We’re a lot better than we were at the beginning of the year,&uot; said Nystrom. &uot;It hasn’t shown up on the scoreboard, but teams have to work a lot harder to beat us now.&uot;

The Tigers faced defending section champ and top-seeded Rochester Lourdes twice this season, losing 4-0 in the season opener and 3-0 late in the season.