Underclassmen who make an impact on the Albert Lea boys’ hockey team aren’t that unusual but three of them on a line may be a different story.

Dillon Stolt, Levi Hacker and Eric Carlson make up the green line for the Tigers and they’re scoring a lot of goals this season.

They’re also young and playing at a high level. Stolt is the elder statesman of the line as a junior, but Carlson and Hacker are both sophomores. Carlson played as a freshman last season with Stolt on the third line, but this season the two have grown more comfortable and elevated their play.

Carlson leads the team with 27 points (16 goals, 11 assists) while Stolt is second on the team in goals with 10 and third in points with 16. Hacker has six goals and three assists, including a victory over section opponent Red Wing which helped the Tigers put themselves in position for a home section playoff game.

Albert Lea has its toughest test Thursday when the Tigers get their first look at Faribault, the ninth-ranked team in Class A and a favorite to win the section.

“If we play our best we can play with anyone in the section,” Stolt said.

The line’s chemistry has developed since Albert Lea returned from its trip to the Iron Range three weeks ago and it is one reason they feel confident they can compete against the best in the section.

“We know where each other is at on the ice,” Carlson said. “Most of our goals aren’t like one person going up and scoring. It’s usually a play going on and all three of us involved.”

Against Owatonna last Thursday the line accounted for all five goals in a 5-1 victory and the line has scored 10 of the team’s 17 goals in the last four games as Albert Lea has gone 3-1 in that span.

Carlson has a point in his last five consecutive games, which includes three multi-point efforts. Stolt also has a point in the past five games and two multi-point games in that span. Though Hacker joined the line late he’s made an impact, scoring three goals in the past five games and tallying points in four of the past five games.

“They seem to have good chemistry together,” said Tigers head coach Roy Nystrom. “They look for each other on the rink. They’re pretty unselfish.”

Stolt and Carlson have developed a chemistry on the ice from years of playing together on the same line on various teams, but finding a third linemate this season took a little time.

Stolt and Carlson played with at least three different players before Nystrom decided to insert Hacker on the line. Since that time the line has put up a lot of points and helped make the team more competitive after a stretch where the Tigers had one victory in nine games.

Hacker started the season on the third line on varsity, but was moved down for a few games before rejoining the varsity and finding a spot on the green line during the Kiwanis Hockey Festival tournament in Rochester.

“One of the things is Hacker has worked to put himself in a position to be on a line and he’s built himself up,” Nystrom said. “He’s got good hockey sense and he really wants to play.”

Nystrom said Hacker spent time during the summer working out at the Albert Lea Family Y in a conditioning program with other members of the team. It helped prepare him for the season and his hard work did not go unnoticed.

“Since that time he’s proved himself and if you prove yourself you get promoted,” Nystrom said. “Now he’s a pretty strong fixture on that line.”

The line has brought some excitement to City Arena this season with its talent, but there is plenty more for the three to learn.

“All three of them have potential, it’s just a matter of actualizing on that potential here in the next few years,” Nystrom said. “They gotta be able to do the little things well. Basically I’m stressing to those guys all these little things that they gotta do and they’re picking it up pretty much.”