Writing

In Minnesota, a famous quote goes: “it’s that time of year again where the north hates the metro, the metro hates the private schools, and everyone hates Edina.” The Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament, or “The Tourney,” is the hottest ticket in town. In fact, the season ticket waiting list is over ten years long. Kids skip school, parents skip work, and grandparents skip their crocheting classes. It’s a four day event held the first weekend of March and features two levels of competition: Class A for smaller schools and Class AA for larger ones with sections held throughout the state. Teams must win their section to make the “Trek to the X,” also known as Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN. Only eight teams from each class make it, giving them the chance to compete for community pride and of course, ultimate bragging rights. Chuck Owens is no stranger to the Tourney, as he is from Sunfish Lake, Minnesota which is ten miles from Xcel Energy Center. He learned to skate around the age of four and was introduced to hockey by his family, namely his dad and two older brothers. For middle school, Owens attended private military school St. Thomas Academy along with his brothers, but he was not happy there. “I just told my parents one day after school, I said, I don’t think it’s the best fit for me. And I told them I just wasn’t genuinely happy,” Owens said. Owens' parents gave him options to transfer to and he landed on private Catholic school Cretin Durham Hall. “I just knew it was a really good spot and I think it was the best decision I’ve made in my life. That was the best high school experience I think anyone could ask for. So I’m just proud I got to make that decision. And I just want to give a big thanks to my parents for allowing me to do that,” Owens stated. It was at Cretin where his leadership and determination was recognized. During the 23-24 season, in his final year at Cretin, he was named captain of the team along with two other assistants. “It was a big honor for me,” Owens said. “Being captain you’re kind of like the bigger brother in a way to the younger guys. I just wanted my legacy to be known as just like a good guy who didn’t really care about himself, but cared about others and the team he played for.” Owens leads by example, keeping himself to a high standard knowing that his teammates are watching. During his captaincy, the on ice performance wasn’t the only thing he focused on. The team had mandatory hangouts away from the rink to help foster team chemistry. “I think that’s why we were so good,” Owens said. “Because they were so into being closer, learning more about each other. And I think that’s what really makes a good team is when everyone is close and they care about each other. That’s what I strive for.” Never count Owens out. The Cretin Durham Hall Raiders entered the post season 14-10-1 last year. After a decisive 4-0 win in the quarterfinals, the Raiders faced their first challenge of going to overtime in the semifinals. During big games, Owens keeps a positive mindset which paid off as Owens went on to assist on the Raider’s game-winning goal, sending them to the section finals. Owens cites the section final games as one of his favorite memories at Cretin. “The games to go to state at Braemar Arena, Edina, sold out. Got all your family, friends, your schoolmates, your teachers, those games especially were big to me,” said Owens. In the finals, Cretin faced rival St. Thomas Academy, the school Chuck Owens previously attended. “It just kind of burdened me that like making the switch over the years, it was just hard going through that. A lot of people didn’t like it,” Owens said. Despite the pressure, Owens went on to score two of the three goals en route to the Raiders 3-1 win over the Cadets sending them to the state tourney for the third time in three years. One of his favorite goals scored was the empty net goal at the end. “I scored the first goal of the game and also the last goal of the game,” Owens said. “I went through the line and I looked at the St. Thomas Academy student section, and I saw all the guys that I used to go to school with that didn't like me really much anymore…Being able to end their season and keep ours alive and represent the community that I decided to go with. It was just such a big moment for me. I can still remember the look on their faces” Owens fondly recalled. During the state tournament, every seat of Xcel Energy Center is filled. All 20,255 of them plus standing room. Being a veteran player, Owens was no stranger to the huge crowds and bright lights. “It was the coolest thing ever,” Owens said. “I mean honestly the way I describe it to players is it’s like playing for the Wild for a day…There’s so many people, you look up and it’s packed. And you’re like they’re actually here to watch me and the team and it’s just the coolest experience ever.” The Raiders found themselves down three goals against Centennial after the first period in the state quarterfinals. However, they noticed their opponent was relying heavily on their top two lines. Owens knew his team had more depth and motivated them enough to crawl back and win in double overtime 4-3. In the semifinals, the Raiders ran into top ranked Chanhassen and went into a five goal deficit after two periods. Owens encouraged the team to finish strong. “We have too much respect for ourselves and our team and our community to give up. So no matter what the score is, we just got to keep working and just leave it all on the ice. And I think we did that,” Owens stated. Despite the tough loss to Chanhassen, the Raiders found success in consolation winning 6-3 against Grand Rapids with Chuck Owens scoring two of the goals. Owens ended his time with the Raiders on a positive note finishing third in state. Now with the Tauros, Owens is looking forward to making a post-season run with his teammates, drawing on the valuable experience he gained in Minnesota on the big stage to prepare for this year’s challenge. “It makes the playoffs environment a bit more normal for me because I’ve played in front of big section crowds, big Xcel Energy Center 19,000 plus crowds, so the nerves aren’t really a big thing for me,” said Owens. The Minotauros deep into their season are looking forward to the playoffs. Owens’ experience on the big stage in Minnesota will be invaluable to the Tauros as they hope to make a deep run this post season. And if everything goes to plan, Tauros fans will see plenty of Owens’ signature celly.