Mike Randolph accepted congratulations Saturday for his 700th victory as a boys hockey coach, but only one of those was particularly on his mind: his St. Thomas Academy team's 5-1 win that day at Tartan.
Winter weekend wrap-up: Big numbers abound, including St. Thomas Academy coach Mike Randolph's 700th win
Mike Randolph needs eight more victories to break the state record held by Lorne Grosso.
January 9, 2024 at 4:06AM
"I was more excited we won the game," Randolph said. "The reaction of the parents and coaches and players was cool. Someday, when I'm done, I'll reflect back.
"This is not an individual accomplishment. It was done with a lot of people's help."
That milestone is behind him. Ahead, and not far ahead, is the state record. Randolph, in his second season with the Cadets, needs eight victories to pass Lorne Grosso, who had 707 victories in 49 seasons at Rochester Mayo. Before that, he must pass Roy Nystrom, who had 705 victories in 44 seasons at Albert Lea. St. Thomas Academy has 11 games left before the section tournament.
Randolph earned most of his wins at Duluth East, where he spent 32 seasons from 1988 to 2021. He led the Greyhounds to the state tournament 18 times, with two titles and six runner-up finishes.
"That means I've coached a lot of big games," Randolph said. "The section games, state tournament championship games and games against rivals all stand out. At [Duluth East], it was Grand Rapids and Cloquet, and now at St. Thomas Academy that is Cretin-Derham Hall, Edina, Hill-Murray.
"We've got Edina and Hill-Murray this week. It's a great week of high school hockey for [St. Thomas Academy]. Those are games you won't forget. Those are games you love coaching. More than the 700 wins, I'll look at the number of important games."
Randolph left Duluth East with 671 wins, then spent a season as St. Thomas Academy's associate head coach before becoming head coach. The Cadets, 10-3-1 this season, went 19-8 his first season.
"I didn't expect to coach at St. Thomas Academy," he said. "When the St. Thomas position came open, I applied, and thankfully they've given me this opportunity."
Randolph is focused now on getting the Cadets to the state tournament. They last made state in 2020-21.
"I'm excited to get back to work," he said.
Weekend numbers
1: Seconds remaining in regulation when Maleah McMorrow scored the tying goal in a 2-1 Park of Cottage Grove girls hockey overtime loss to Mounds View/Irondale.
3: Goals by Trevor Aberwald in a 5-2 Champlin Park boys hockey victory over Armstrong/Cooper.
3: Goals by Eli Tiernan in a 7-1 Buffalo boys hockey victory over Bloomington Jefferson.
3: Goals by Bobby Cowan in a 9-3 Edina boys hockey victory over Holy Family.
3: Goals by Andrew Karkoc in a 6-2 Maple Grove boys hockey victory over Blaine.
3: Goals by Oliver Duininck in a 6-4 Blake boys hockey victory over Breck.
3: Goals by Griffin Krone in a 6-3 St. Louis Park boys hockey victory at Minneapolis.
3: Goals by Kylie Jones in a 5-3 Roseville/Mahtomedi girls hockey victory over Forest Lake.
4: Goals by Luke Miller in a 6-2 Wayzata boys hockey victory over Grand Rapids.
4: Goals by Noah Osland in a 7-2 Totino-Grace boys hockey victory over Spring Lake Park.
5: Points by Gavin Moss in a 6-1 Park of Cottage Grove boys hockey victory over Woodbury. He had three goals and two assists.
9: Points by Harper Searles in a 9-1 Centennial boys hockey victory over Coon Rapids. He had three goals and six assists.
30: Points by Anisa Longs in a 56-42 Minneapolis South girls basketball victory over Apple Valley.
31: Points by Riley Johnson in a 74-69 Chanhassen boys basketball victory over Lakeville South.
31: Points by Laura Hauge in a 73-65 St. Croix Lutheran girls basketball loss to Winona Cotter.
36: Points by Maddyn Greenway in a 75-73 Providence Academy girls basketball victory over Stewartville.
37: Points by Ja'Kahla Craft in an 86-56 St. Michael-Albertville girls basketball victory over Moorhead.
50: Saves by Rohr Brockman in a 4-3 Bloomington Kennedy boys hockey victory over Albert Lea.
50: Saves by Ben Bangura in a 5-1 Tartan boys hockey loss to St. Thomas Academy.
54: Saves by Gretchen Paaverud in a 3-0 Anoka girls hockey loss to Andover.
56: Saves by Brady Altier in a 3-2 Two Rivers boys hockey overtime victory over Hill-Murray.
62: Saves by Alli Olson in a 3-0 Osseo/Park Center girls hockey loss to Centennial/Spring Lake Park.
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
