February 28, 2020
Legacy Hockey, Loren Nelson
Goalies have a tendency to a be a bit, shall we say … eccentric.
Flaky. Aloof. Superstitious. Take your pick from a grab bag of adjectives.
St. Thomas Academy goaltender is different in that he seems … perfectly normal.
“I have had situations where goaltenders are kind of in their own little atmosphere,” Cadets coach Trent Eigner said after Thursday’s 2-0 Class 2A, Section 3 championship game victory over Burnsville at Edina’s Braemar Arena. “But with Tommy, if you looked in that room before they put their gear on you wouldn’t know if he is a center or a defenseman. He’s just right in there with the guys.”
Aitken has quietly assembled some of the state’s best statistics and performances this season. His .936 save percentage is tied for fifth, and his 1.84 goals against average puts him squarely in the top 20.
Aitken, in his first varsity season, has allowed one goal in three playoff games, stopping 77 of 78 shots. He stopped 29 Burnsville shots on Thursday for his second shutout in three games.
“We’ve got one of the best goalies in the state, or probably the best goalie in the state in Tommy Aitken,” said Cadets’ senior forward Will Soderling. “I think that he is our backbone.”
While St. Thomas Academy teams typically have been high-speed, high-scoring outfits, this year’s version is noticeably lacking one of those key ingredients.
“The most glaring statistic that was brought to my attention is, regardless of the number of guys we graduated, we scored roughly 140 goals last year and we graduated 112 of them,” said Eigner, in his first season at St. Thomas Academy after coaching previously at Lakeville North.
The Cadets have won their last nine games despite scoring three or fewer goals in five of them. This is a team that has embraced a gritty style of pay that relies heavily on a commitment to hard work in the defensive zone and blocking shots at every opportunity. We’re talking lots and lots of shot blocking.
“When we came to the realization we weren’t going to be that traditional (high-scoring) St. Thomas team, everyone just kind of bought in and everyone began sacrificing their body and blocking shots,” Aitken said.
Players typically are more inclined to eat rubber and sacrifice life and limbs for, you know, somebody they like. That’s most certainly the case with Aitken, who is embraced by all because of his just-one-of-the-guys demeanor.
“He’s a fantastic teammate,” Eigner said. “He is beloved by his teammates because he is just a competitor.”
Aitken says he enjoys goofing around with the guys before games, always being part of the mix. He sees it as a big part of the fun of playing high school hockey.
"I think it’s important to be a part of the boys,” Aitken said. “To have a good time with them. They are going to want to be out there with you, and they are going to want to battle for you if you are good with them.”
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