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NEW HOPE, Minn. — TDS Transportation wasted little time establishing itself as one of the Upper Midwest High School Elite League’s most explosive offensive teams.
TDS, with a roster stocked heavily with northeastern Minnesota high school players, opened its fall season with a 14-3 victory and back-to-back ties last weekend at New Hope Ice Arena, scoring 25 goals in three games while finishing the opening series 1-0-2.
The northern Minnesota group overwhelmed Team North Dakota 14-3 in its opener Saturday morning, then battled MPLS ST. PAUL Magazine to a 5-5 tie later that day. TDS returned Sunday and played SIT Mutual Funds to a 6-6 tie.
The results were impressive enough. The distribution of the offense may have been even more encouraging.
Seventeen TDS skaters recorded at least one point during the opening weekend, led by Hibbing-Chisholm standout Cole Swanson, who erupted for four goals and six assists for 10 points in three games. Swanson averaged 3.3 points per game and immediately established himself as one of the league’s most productive forwards.
Grand Rapids forward Ander Rajala scored a team-high six goals and added an assist for seven points. Defensemen Graeme Medlin and Greyson Medak also finished with seven points apiece. Medlin had two goals and five assists, while Medak scored once and assisted on six goals.
Hermantown forward Jordan Sewell was another major contributor, scoring four goals and adding an assist for five points.
Sewell, who transferred from Cloquet-Esko-Carlton to Hermantown for the upcoming high school season, is part of a significant Hawks presence on the TDS roster. Hermantown forward Kole Lendzyk and defenseman TJ Wojtysiak are also on the team, although neither appeared in the first three games.
For Hermantown, Sewell’s production was another encouraging September development. He scored 28 goals and finished with 48 points for Cloquet-Esko-Carlton last season and is expected to join an already deep Hawks lineup this winter. His four-goal Elite League opening weekend demonstrated that his offensive production is carrying into competition against many of Minnesota’s better high school players.
Duluth Marshall forward Samuel Berry had five assists during the weekend, while Rock Ridge forward Cal Scott contributed two goals and two assists.
Bennett Bergloff had a goal and three assists, and Duluth East forward Zane Medlin collected four assists. Levi Machovec scored twice and added an assist, while Grand Rapids youngster Kolby Chiodo had a goal and two assists.
Connor Martinson and defenseman Drew Piontek each contributed three assists. Proctor forward Jax Hardy had a goal and an assist, and McKennen Kramer scored once. Defensemen Brahm Snesrud and Grant Vershey each added an assist.
The numbers illustrate the depth TDS displayed throughout its first three games. Twelve players produced at least three points, and the team averaged 8.3 goals per game.
TDS was especially dominant in its season opener against Team North Dakota.
The 14-3 victory gave the northern Minnesota team an immediate offensive statement before the level of competition tightened considerably. TDS scored another 11 goals over its final two games but surrendered 11, resulting in consecutive ties against MPLS ST. PAUL Magazine and SIT Mutual Funds.
The 5-5 and 6-6 games also provided something the 14-3 opener could not — close-game experience against high-end competition. That is a central value of the Elite League schedule for players preparing for the Minnesota high school season.
For northeastern Minnesota programs, the TDS roster provides an unusual September preview of players who will soon become opponents again.
Swanson will return to Hibbing-Chisholm, Rajala to Grand Rapids, Medak, Zane Medlin, Martinson and Kramer to Duluth East, Scott to Rock Ridge, Hardy to Proctor and Sewell, Lendzyk and Wojtysiak to Hermantown. Others on the roster will scatter throughout the region when the high school season begins.
For now, they are playing together — and producing offense at an extraordinary early-season rate.
TDS will have a break before returning to Elite League play Sept. 26-27 at New Hope Ice Arena.
TDS faces MPLS ST. PAUL Magazine at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 26 before meeting Team Wisconsin at 7 p.m. that night. The weekend concludes against Spade at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 27.
