Sauk Rapids-Rice went 14-12-1 last season and reached the Section 5A Semifinal, beating Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato 6-5 in the quarterfinal before falling 7-2 to St. Cloud Cathedral. This is about as significant a graduation year as any team in the section faces — the entire top five scorers and both goaltenders are gone.
Players Lost to Graduation
Bryden Prelvitz led the team — 19 goals, 34 assists, 53 points, with 5 power-play assists and 3 game-winners. Elijah Fitch was right behind him at 52 points (21-31), adding 6 power-play assists and 4 game-winners. Dominic Stucke finished with 46 points (23-23).
Chase Hiltner added 26 points from the blue line, with 6 power-play assists. Austin Kubasek scored 11 goals for 18 points, including 4 game-winners. Sean Swanson, Brandon Goebel, Samuel Kulus, Wyatt Drinnin and Owen Massmann round out a deep departing class.
In net, both goaltenders graduate. Chase Wheeler carried the better share of the workload — 10-5-1, a 3.12 GAA, an .876 save percentage, and a shutout in 19 appearances. Landon Jennings added a 4-7 record with an .847 save percentage.
Returning Players for 2026-27
Cullen Rock becomes the team’s leading returning scorer — 9 goals, 6 assists, 15 points — and he’s a senior next year. Reed Krogstad added 9 points, almost all of it playmaking, and Payten Remer contributed 6 from the blue line.
Goaltending
With both Chase Wheeler and Landon Jennings gone, the program doesn’t have a goaltender with significant varsity innings already in place. This is a wide-open competition heading into the fall.
Who to Watch
Cullen Rock steps into the lead scoring role after a 15-point season, but the gap between his production and what’s departing is enormous. The goaltending battle will be one of the more closely watched position fights anywhere in Section 5A.
What Sauk Rapids-Rice Needs to Replace
- Bryden Prelvitz’s 53 points
- Elijah Fitch’s 52 points
- Dominic Stucke’s 46 points
- Chase Hiltner’s 26 points from the blue line
- An entirely new goaltending situation
2026-27 Outlook
This is one of the most significant rebuilds in Section 5A. Sauk Rapids-Rice loses its top five scorers and both goaltenders from a team that reached the section semifinal, and Cullen Rock’s 15-point season is a modest starting point by comparison. This looks like a true transition year, with almost the entire identity of the team needing to be rebuilt from scratch.
Statistics reflect the 2025-26 regular season, the Granite City Showcase, and Section 5A playoffs.
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