Monday, February 6th, the North American Hockey League announced that St. Cloud Norsemen goaltender Ethan Dahlmeir was named the NAHL Bauer Hockey Central Division Star of the Week for the week of January 30th through February 5th. Dahlmeir won it for his performance in a weekend series that saw St. Cloud earn three points against the Bismarck Bobcats and climb to just a single point behind the Minot Minotauros and the Aberdeen Wings for second place in the Central Division standings.
“It’s always nice winning, everyone wants to win and that’s always the goal,” admits Dahlmeir. “It’s nice to be back in a playoff spot but we gotta keep going to make sure we stay in the playoffs.”
The Lakeville, MN native played all 125 minutes this past weekend as the Norsemen picked up a 2-0 shutout victory Friday and needed extra time and a shootout Saturday to determine a winner with the Bobcats picking up the extra point and a 2-1 victory. Dahlmeir made 13 saves Friday and 22 Saturday giving him a .972 save percentage and a 0.480 goals against average for the weekend. His record improved to 8-7-2 on the season and in his last five games he has two shutouts, a 4-0-1 record and a .959 save percentage with a 0.984 goals against average since mid-January.
Dahlmeir is a second-year NAHL player and his experience is something St. Cloud Norsemen Head Coach Corey Millen feels is something he can lean on. “It’s always important to have some experience and it makes the kids more comfortable and they certainly perform better with experience,” Millen explains. “Ethan learned a lot last year; he was young, he was a high school kid and I think he’s learned a lot about how to approach things on a daily basis and as of late he’s been performing very solid.”
Dahlmeir doesn’t think there are any secrets and he hasn’t had much of a different approach during this recent stretch where his play has been lights-out. “I’ve always tried to approach the games the same way,” Dahlmeir confides. “I’ve been making sure my practice habits are good and I’ve also been taking care of my body better out of hockey, both with nutrition and working out.”
Dahlmeir played for Lakeville South High School his sophomore and junior seasons for the Cougars. Over those two seasons he made 42 appearances and went 10-0-0 his junior season with a .921 save percentage, a 1.38 goals against average and 4 shutouts. That year his Cougars made it to the Class AA Minnesota Boys State High School Championship Game where they fell to Eden Prairie High School 2-1.
Millen was quick to answer when asked what has improved the most for Dahlmeir during his tenure in St. Cloud. “His mental approach; he’s gotten a little bit of a sense of confidence and calmness,” compliments Millen. “His personality; he’s pretty level-headed, his ups and downs don’t swing too much. I think that’s probably the best thing about his game right now.”
Dahlmeir is the third Norsemen to take home the NAHL Bauer Hockey Central Division Star of the Week honors and second in a row to do so. Defenseman Broten Sabo won the award for the week of December 5th through 11th, 2022 and forward Tyler Dysart was the reigning recipient for January 23rd through 29th, 2023. Norsemen forward Andrew Clarke is also the reigining NAHL Bauer Hockey Forward of the Month for January 2023.
Dahlmeir and the Norsemen are on the road this weekend taking on the Bismarck Bobcats with the games taking place Friday and Saturday, February 10th and 11th. The puck drops at 7:15 pm both nights. Both games can be watched online at www.hockeytv.com.
The Norsemen are next at home Friday and Saturday, February 17th and 18th vs. the Minot Minotauros. Friday the 17th will be Charlie Boike Night; 50% of the money from tickets sold will go towards a scholarship in memory of Charlie Boike. Also on Friday the 17th the first 100 fans will receive a free Norsemen winter beanie provided by Franklin Graphics & Outdoor Advertising. You can get your tickets for that and all games at tickets.stcloudnorsemen.com.
Dahlmeir stretches out to make a save against Minot (Photo Credits: Amanda Robak)