Lakeville South Boys Hockey Season Preview 2026-27
Lakeville South Boys Hockey went 15-13-3, won Section 1AA over Farmington, and advanced to the Class 2A state tournament in 2025-26 under interim head coach Kurt Weber, falling to Moorhead in the quarterfinal before dropping the consolation championship to Grand Rapids. The Cougars graduate ten seniors, including 50-point leader and University of St. Thomas commit Carter Ernst, along with both goaltenders who played all season. A deep, young group of forwards gives Lakeville South real building blocks heading into 2026-27, but replacing the net is the program’s defining question.
Players Lost to Graduation
Lakeville South graduates ten seniors, and the group includes its top three scorers and both goaltenders from a team that reached the state tournament.
Carter Ernst (F), committed to the University of St. Thomas, led the team by a wide margin with 20 goals and 30 assists for 50 points in 31 games, adding 4 power-play goals, 7 power-play assists, 3 short-handed goals and 3 game-winners.
Calvin O’Reilly (F) finished with 21 goals and 12 assists for 33 points, with 8 power-play goals, 4 power-play assists, a short-handed goal and 2 game-winners.
Gavin Lafferty (D) posted 5 goals and 23 assists for 28 points, adding 8 power-play assists, 2 short-handed assists and a game-winner, an enormous offensive season from the blue line.
Tristan Lawrence (F) added 5 goals and 9 assists for 14 points, with a power-play goal, 2 power-play assists, a short-handed goal and a short-handed assist.
Adam Moline (D) and Emmett Hartmann (D) both finished with 5-point seasons, each posting 5 assists.
Tristan Anderson (F) and Caden Ocken (F) rounded out the departing forwards with 2 points and 1 point respectively.
In net, both goaltenders who carried the load all season graduate. Keaton LeGrande (G) posted an 11-7-1 record with a 3.14 GAA, a .888 save percentage and a shutout across 21 appearances. Corbin Shandley (G) went 3-5-2 with a 2.53 GAA, a .890 save percentage and a shutout in 16 appearances. Between them, LeGrande and Shandley started every game Lakeville South played on the way to state.
Returning Players for 2026-27
Lakeville South returns a deep group of forwards who already produced real offense as underclassmen, led by a sophomore who scored 21 goals. The far bigger question is who takes over in net after both goaltenders graduate.
Top Returning Scorers
Roan Zielie (F, Jr.) returns as Lakeville South’s leading returning scorer, posting 21 goals and 13 assists for 34 points in 31 games, with 2 power-play assists, a short-handed goal and 2 game-winners.
Colby Olsen (F, Sr.) finished with 4 goals and 19 assists for 23 points, adding a power-play goal, 3 power-play assists and 2 short-handed assists.
Justin Olson (F, Jr.) posted 6 goals and 16 assists for 22 points, with 3 power-play assists.
Nate Neyer (F, Sr.) returns after a 17-point season (11 goals, 6 assists) that included 3 power-play goals, a short-handed goal and 3 game-winners.
Charlie Hunst (D, Sr.) adds 3 goals and 12 assists for 15 points, with a power-play goal and 3 power-play assists.
Charles Boroff (D, Jr.) finished with 14 points, all but one an assist (1 goal, 13 assists).
Myles Krinkie (F, Sr.) and Ashton Lawrence (F, Sr.) posted 8-point and 7-point seasons respectively.
Max Gjovik (F, So.) made an early impression as a freshman, scoring 3 goals and adding 4 assists for 7 points in just 9 games with 2 game-winners.
Returning Defense Core
With Gavin Lafferty, Adam Moline and Emmett Hartmann all graduating, Lakeville South’s blue line shifts to Charlie Hunst and Charles Boroff, who combined for 29 points last season. Replacing Lafferty’s 23 assists and power-play quarterbacking from the point is the steepest individual challenge facing the roster outside of the goaltending change.
Goaltending Situation
This is the story of Lakeville South’s offseason. Both goaltenders who played all season, Keaton LeGrande and Corbin Shandley, graduate, leaving the Cougars without a proven starter for the first time in years. Eli Swenson (G, Jr.) is the only returning goaltender with varsity game action, posting a 1-1 record with a 1.95 GAA and a .944 save percentage in a 2-game, 104-minute sample. Charley Lieber (G, Jr.) and Owen Salomons (G, Sr.) also return but recorded no game minutes last season. Swenson’s efficiency in his limited look is encouraging, but a state tournament program is walking into 2026-27 with a genuinely open competition in net.
Players to Watch
Roan Zielie is the headliner, a sophomore who scored 21 goals on a team that reached state and now becomes the clear top returning scorer. Colby Olsen and Justin Olson give Lakeville South two more forwards who topped 20 points as underclassmen. Charlie Hunst and Charles Boroff anchor the blue line. In net, all eyes turn to Eli Swenson and whether his small-sample numbers hold up over a full varsity workload.
Key Players to Replace
Lakeville South’s offseason priorities center on:
- Carter Ernst’s 50-point season and leadership as the top offensive player in Section 1AA
- Calvin O’Reilly’s 33 points and 8 power-play goals
- Keaton LeGrands full-season workload in net
2026-27 Outlook
Lakeville South returns more offensive talent than the loss of Carter Ernst and Calvin O’Reilly might suggest. Roan Zielie, Colby Olsen and Justin Olson all scored at a high level as underclassmen, and freshman Max Gjovik flashed real ability in a small sample. The Cougars should still be able to put pucks in the net. Losing both goaltenders off a state tournament team is not something you replace with certainty, and Lakeville South’s realistic ceiling in 2026-27 likely comes down to how quickly Eli Swenson or another goaltender claims the job.
Statistics reflect the 2025-26 regular season and Section 1AA playoffs as provided.
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