Too bad Cretin-Derham Hall didn’t make the boys’ state hockey tournament so that fans could watch Raiders defenseman Mark Alt who is expected to play college hockey for the Gophers. Part-time New York Rangers scout Glen Sonmor raved about Alt during an interview earlier this week with Sports Headliners.
“I think Alt is going to be a whale of a player,” Sonmor said. “He’s a great athlete. He’s a smart kid. I’ve watched him play (and) for a big 6-3 guy he can shoot like hell.”
Sonmor considers Alt a pro prospect and a player who could be chosen in the first round of this year’s NHL draft. Because of Alt’s potential in hockey, Sonmor hopes talk about attending Iowa and playing quarterback will not come about. Alt’s father, John, was a first round draft choice of the Kansas City Chiefs after playing at Iowa.
Two Gopher recruits who will be in the tournament playing for Minnetonka are forward Max Gardiner and defenseman Justin Holl. The Skippers will be a favorite to win Class 2A but Hill-Murray might surprise. The Pioneers have a balance of skills and wear opponents down with constant movement. A team to watch now and beyond is Apple Valley with a roster full of underclassmen including freshman Hudson Fasching and sophomore A.J. Michaelson, both forwards. Gophers recruit and Blaine forward Nick Bjugstad, the Star Tribune Metro Player of the Year, is a scoring whiz and will test Apple Valley tomorrow.
In Class 1A Breck, with outstanding forwards and scorers Ty Fulton and Mike Morin, will be a favorite. Mahtomedi goalie Brad Wohlers is terrific but his team doesn’t have a lot offense.
The Twins are expected to provide 7,000 to 8,000 tickets to construction workers involved with Target Field when the Twins play exhibition games April 2 and 3 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Selected guests will participate in activities like throwing out the first pitch and singing the national anthem.
This is the last season of Twins broadcasts on KSTP 1500 unless a new deal is reached. It’s a good guess WCCO Radio will show interest in regaining the rights that KSTP has held for the last three seasons.
The Twins might lose a dozen wins this season if Joe Nathan can’t pitch, or if the franchise is unable to find an effective closer to replace him. Management likes staying within the organization so look for the Twins to search for a possible Nathan replacement from among a few candidates including Jon Rauch, Pat Neshek and maybe even Francisco Liriano.
Minnetonka native Will Leer, the nephew of former KSTP TV reporter Robb Leer, is expected to run the 1,500 meters at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Qatar this weekend. Leer, who was an All-American at Pomona College in California, recently qualified for the USA indoor team. Robb Leer said via email that his nephew didn’t begin running until his junior year at Minnetonka High School and that Will hopes to compete for the US in the 2012 Olympics.