Pine City Area went 17-9-1 last season and reached the Section 5A Semifinal, beating River Lakes 7-6 in overtime in the quarterfinal before falling 4-3 to Monticello. It’s a significant graduation year — the top scorer, the primary goaltender, and most of the supporting cast are gone — but the actual No. 2 and No. 3 scorers from last season both return.
Players Lost to Graduation
McCall Leger led the team by a wide margin — 29 goals, 21 assists, 50 points, with 8 power-play goals and 3 game-winners. Ethan Aagaard added 30 points (15-15), with a short-handed goal and 3 game-winners.
Luciano Schisano and Brady Berglund each finished with 18 points from the blue line — Schisano almost all assists, Berglund with 4 power-play goals. Milo Rydberg and Bohdan Valvoda each had 17 points, and Cooper Danielson added 14 from defense.
In net, Milo Babolik graduates after carrying the primary workload — 11-9-1, a 3.40 GAA, an .871 save percentage, and 2 shutouts in 23 appearances.
Returning Players for 2026-27
Carson Anderson was the team’s actual No. 2 scorer last season, not just among returners — 13 goals, 27 assists, 40 points, with 9 power-play assists. He’s a senior next year.
Oskar Rydberg was right behind him at 34 points (15-19), also a senior, with 5 power-play goals and 5 power-play assists. Jaxon Smith added 19 points (7-12) as a sophomore. Jericho Jerry and Ezrah Barth round out the returning group with smaller totals.
Goaltending
This is the biggest open question. With Milo Babolik gone, the program doesn’t have an obvious heir apparent with significant varsity innings — Blayne Rasinski saw a small sample (6-0, .889 save percentage in 9 appearances) but as a freshman, leaving real uncertainty about who takes the larger workload.
Who to Watch
Carson Anderson and Oskar Rydberg form a proven, productive duo that combined for 74 points last season, and both return as seniors. Jaxon Smith gives the program a third scoring option still years from his ceiling. Goaltending will be the storyline to track most closely heading into the fall.
What Pine City Area Needs to Replace
- McCall Leger’s 50 points
- Ethan Aagaard’s 30 points
- Milo Babolik’s primary role in net
- Luciano Schisano’s and Brady Berglund’s combined production from the blue line
2026-27 Outlook
Pine City Area returns the engine of a team that already won a section playoff game in overtime — Carson Anderson and Oskar Rydberg give this program a proven top two. The bigger question is in net, where the program loses its primary option without a clearly established replacement. If a goaltender emerges, this group has enough scoring to make another playoff run.
Statistics reflect the 2025-26 regular season and Section 5A playoffs.
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