Chanhassen devours lunch after feasting on Rochester Century/John Marshall

Chanhassen’s Chase: Today’s story is the eighth in an occasional Star Tribune series that has followed the Chanhassen Storm as they pursued and landed the program’s first trip to the boys hockey state tournament. To read the entire series, tap here.

Rochester Century/John Marshall co-head hockey coach Matt Erredge complimented Chanhassen after the Storm’s 7-0 Class 2A quarterfinal victory Thursday afternoon at the Xcel Energy Center as a relentless, hungry team.

He had no idea how right he was about his assessment.

Playing the first game Thursday meant lunch was not available until about 2 p.m. Chanhassen players arrived at the Town Square food court next to their team hotel, the DoubleTree by Hilton in downtown St Paul, and feasted on a catered meal from Chipotle.

Coach Sean Bloomfield arrived first, pushing a cart loaded with boxes of food dropped off at the DoubleTree front desk. Then, with the help of assistant junior varsity and strength and conditioning coach Andy MacDonald, Bloomfield pulled together several small, round tables to create a buffet line.

Drama started just as the food containers were opened. A member of the Town Square custodial staff told Bloomfield the team needed to move to a different space nearby. Bloomfield, understandably irritated, got a reprieve when a supervisor appeared to assure the custodial staff member that Chanhassen’s “reservation” in the blocked-off, vacant space was already cleared.

Lunch was back on.

As he organized serving utensils, Bloomfield learned Centennial held an early 3-0 lead in the second semifinal at the Xcel Energy Center. Storm players then began arriving to create their own chicken and steak burrito bowls.

More drama followed.

“Where’s Billy?” Bloomfield announced for players to hear at their tables. No answer came back, leaving Bloomfield to joke, “The silence is deafening,” before offering further instruction, “If you see him, tell him to hurry.”

Why the rush? Bloomfield wanted to get his players back to the Xcel Energy Center to catch a bit of the Centennial versus Cretin-Derham Hall game and the tournament environment.

Moments later, senior defenseman Billy McNeely arrived. By that time, so had the black state tournament sweatshirts players ordered. Assistant coach Sam Sather had also made the scene, offering one of the players a high-five and urging, “Do it again tomorrow.”

At the time, tomorrow meant facing either No. 3 seed Centennial or Cretin-Derham Hall. Bloomfield began ushering his players to the DoubleTree lobby and then out to the bus. He stopped to watch some of the game on a lobby TV while next to White Bear Lake coach Chris Anderson. The Cougars’ lead dropped to 3-1 by that point, but Bloomfield cautioned, “Tomorrow is going to be a tough game no matter what.”

Finally able to collect his thoughts after a day spent getting his teenage players organized on and off the rink, Bloomfield reflected on his first Class 2A state tournament experience.

“It was really cool, probably the most fun experience I have had coaching in my life,” Bloomfield said. “There were not a ton of nerves. And after the first period, we kind of forgot it was anything different.”

He added the crowd was certainly plentiful, but it didn’t match the volume output of the crowd at last week’s Section 2 championship against Minnetonka at Braemar Arena.

“It was quieter after a goal here with almost 18,000 people than it was with 2,000 people at Braemar,” Bloomfield said. “But that crowd was made up of two passionate fan bases in a smaller venue.”

Back at the Xcel Energy Center, Bloomfield sat with his parents behind the penalty box while players were scattered about the arena.

“Good game!” he texted as the Cretin-Derham Hall comeback forced overtime. The Raiders eventually won 4-3 in double overtime.

Friday’s semifinal was set, the next big test for state tournament newcomer Chanhassen.