JUSTIN DAMON
St. Michael-Albertville • hockey
It was late December and Damon, a senior goalie, was struggling. "I had one bad game and I lost my confidence," he said.
Less than two months later, he is the hottest goalie in the state. Damon is riding a seven-game winning streak and has shut out the Knights' past four opponents. Dating to Feb. 3, he has blanked Princeton 9-0, Maple Grove 3-0, Cambridge-Isanti 15-0 and Buffalo 4-0, making 68 saves.
For the season, Damon is 17-5 with a 2.15 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.
"The rest of the team has been playing really well in front of me," Damon said. "I'm seeing the puck really well."
His rough stretch behind him, Damon, whose strength is his lateral movement across the crease, said faith in himself and the support of his teammates have been key to his recent success.
"During my rough patch, the team still knew I could do it," he said. "They were coming around, telling me to keep my head up and that they had confidence in me."
He's been repaying that support with his recent hot streak. "The team has been getting [a goal] early and that makes my job easier," he said. "I've found my groove."
LINDSEY BECHER
Mounds View basketball
The sophomore forward/center posted a triple-double — 29 points, 13 rebounds and 12 blocked shots — in a 79-74 victory over St. Francis. Becher followed that with a 28-point, 15-rebound effort in a 73-67 upset of Class 4A, No. 7 Cretin-Derham Hall.
