Rosemount Boys Hockey Continues To Struggle, Falls 7-0 At Eagan

The Rosemount boys hockey team has lost four straight games and 11 of 12, yet an aura of optimism continues to surround the team.

Eagan outshot the Irish 58-18 Thursday in a 7-0 win. Rosemount has been outscored 26-3 in the four losses.

“What I just told the kids is we gotta flush it,” said coach Scott Macho. “We’ve still got a number of games coming up I believe we should win, and we can still make a lot of good things happen.”

The Irish (5-14-0, 2-10-0 South Suburban Conference) are home to Eastview at 7:30 p.m. Saturday in a rivalry game.

“I’m really excited for that game,” said co-captain Mike Cossalter. “Hopefully, Saturday we’ll get that W.”

Rosemount also has winnable games with Bloomington Kennedy, Prior Lake and Lakeville North on their schedule. Home games with Bloomington Jefferson and Eagan should be good measuring sticks heading into the postseason. Five of the teams’ final six games are at the Rosemount Community Center.

“We’re just going to put this one in the past and worry about the future and try to get a better seed in the section,” Cossalter said.

“The one really refreshing thing with this group is they don’t quit,” Macho said. “Yeah, Eagan got a few goals, but our kids kept going. They were never hanging their heads. That’s all I can ask out of our kids. They keep pushing themselves.”

Macho attributes much of that to the locker room leaders – Cossalter and Andy Gustafson, who dealt with a lot of adversity as the team struggled mightily the past two years. “They made a decision this year to keep things moving forward and turn the corner for our program. I believe the attitude has started to change.”

Cossalter said its about remembering that hockey is supposed to be fun. "We have the feeling of a family. We’re all working toward the same goal.”

Eagan (14-5-1, 9-3-1) scored in the opening minutes of each period as it moved into a second-place tie with Bloomington Jefferson in the conference.

“It kept the momentum going for the period and really gives us a jump,” said John Carroll, who had two assists. “We really had the flow going all night.”

Michael Zajac gave Eagan a 1-0 lead just 2:27 into the game and former Rosemount player Brady Loew scored late in the first period for a 2-0 Eagan lead.

Connor McGovern scored 96 seconds into the second period after Carroll ricocheted one of the pipe, and Kyle Bonstrom scored midway through the period.

A slapshot from Eli May clanked off the right post and in 38 seconds into the final period, Will Merchant scored on a wristshot 5 minutes later and Zajac added his second goal 45 seconds later.

“We got a little winded in the third,” Cossalter said.

But they refused to let frustration set in.

“They could have went the other way and started taking stupid penalties, and they didn’t. I’m really proud of the kids for doing that,” Macho said.