Prep boys hockey: Duluth East’s Cole Christian’s magical season continues

Hockey player skates with puck along boards. — Duluth East’s Cole Christian (5) skates along the boards as he scans for a teammate in the first period of the Greyhounds game with Blaine at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center in Duluth on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

By Jamey Malcomb

February 21, 2023 at 9:50 PM

DULUTH — Duluth East’s Cole Christian isn’t just having a great season, he’s having an all-time great season for the Greyhounds.

The senior had 62 regular-season points — the most since Jake Randolph scored 66 in 2012 and the second-most for Duluth East in the last 25 years.

The hot streak continued Tuesday in the Greyhounds’ 5-0 Section 7AA quarterfinal win over Blaine Tuesday at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center.

The Greyhounds outshot the Bengals 74-13 in a blowout that could have been much worse if not for Blaine goaltender Zane Spaniol.

Christian had a hat trick and an assist in the quarterfinal win and is a big part of Duluth East’s resurgence this season.

Player in blue brings down hockey player in white. — Duluth East’s Cole Christian (5) maintains control of the puck as Blaine’s Caden Parent (17) tries to pull him down in the first period of the game at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center in Duluth on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

“We got a lot of shots on net, obviously, and got constant pressure from all our lines,” Christian said. “I thought we played a really good, team game.”

Duluth East coach Steve Pitoscia said he thinks the team used its quickness to set the tone, even if the goals didn’t come until later in the first period.

“I think one of our best attributes is our speed,” Pitoscia said. “When we use that, we can get onto people pretty quick and I think that’s how we started tonight.”

The performance against Blaine was a far cry last season when the Greyhounds struggled to just eight wins and a 6-1 section quarterfinal loss to Grand Rapids.

This year, Duluth East entered the playoffs having won 15 of its last 17 games — a streak that started with a 5-1 win over defending state champion Andover — and earned the No. 1 seed in the Section 7AA tournament.

The Greyhounds' journey to the top seed in the section tournament didn’t start with the win over Andover, it started last summer, according to Pitoscia.

Puck goes in net behind goalie. — Duluth East’s Cole Christian (5) watches his shot hit the back of the net after beating Blaine goalie Zane Spaniol (33) in the first period of the game at the Essentia Duluth Heritage Center in Duluth on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

“Those kids in that room, they’ve been committed since the summer,” Pitoscia said. “They showed up five days a week all summer long and they’ve been committed to this thing from the get-go.”

Pitoscia said the Greyhounds' struggles last season forced Christian to “grow up a lot,” and he committed himself to hockey and the Greyhounds program.

“I think last year he saw the writing on the wall, people weren’t talking about his hockey,” Pitoscia said. “They were talking about other stuff and he’s had the mindset that he was going to prove to the world he is a hockey player and he’s done that from day one. I couldn’t be more proud of that kid, how he’s grown up, his attention to detail and he holds his teammates accountable, but he does it in a way they appreciate.”

Teammate Nathan Teng said Christian’s work ethic and willingness to improve gets their attention when he wants them to do something differently.

Players fall to the ice. — Duluth East’s Caden Cole (26) tangles with Blaine’s Sam Shaughnessy (11) in the second period of the game at the Heritage Center in Duluth on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

“His leadership in the run and outside the rink is awesome,” Teng said. “I think the boys buy in to his system, his way of teaching and that leadership is just incredible. I’ve learned a lot from him.”

While Christian is in the midst of a historic season for the Greyhounds, it’s not just him that’s changed the trajectory of the program.

“One of the best things about this team is how much they care about each other and it’s so fun to come to the rink because of that,” Pitoscia said. “The turnaround is 100% because of the leadership in that room. Cole Christian, Grant Winkler, Henry Murray, Makoto Sudoh, Noah Teng, those kids are good leaders and they don’t accept anything less than excellence in that room this year.”

The Greyhounds will meet fifth-seeded Coon Rapids on Saturday at 11 a.m. at Amsoil Arena in the first of two 7AA section semifinals after the Cardinals knocked off No. 4 Cloquet-Esko-Carlton 6-3 in Cloquet on Tuesday.

Blaine 0-0-0—0

Duluth East 2-1-2—5

First period scoring — 1. DE, Cole Christian (Wyatt Peterson), 13:46; 2. DE, Peterson (Caden Cole, C. Christian), 16:29.

Second period scoring — 3. DE, C. Christian (Aiden Spenningsby).

Third period scoring — 4. DE, Grant Winkler, 6:44; 5. DE, C. Christian (Ian Christian), 14:03.

Saves — Zane Spaniol, B, 69; Kole Kronstedt, DE, 13.

Puck floats between player and goalie near net. — Duluth East’s Noah Teng (4) just misses tapping in a puck that snuck around Blaine goalie Zane Spaniol (33) in the first period of the game at the Heritage Center in Duluth on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

Player reaches to bench for high fives. — Duluth East’s Cole Christian (5) celebrates his second goal of the game with his teammates in the second period of the Greyhounds game with Blaine at the Heritage Center in Duluth on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

By Jamey Malcomb

Jamey Malcomb has a been high school sports reporter for the Duluth News Tribune since October 2021. He spent the previous six years covering news and sports for the Lake County News-Chronicle in Two Harbors and the Cloquet Pine Journal. He graduated from the George Washington University in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in history and literature and also holds a master's degree in secondary English education from George Mason University.