La Crescent-Hokah's Wyatt Farrell ties all-time Minnesota high school goals record
Feb. 24—ROCHESTER — Wyatt Farrell took a brief moment to high-five his teammates and receive some pats on his helmet.
Then, as the impressivley large and vocal La Crescent-Hokah cheering section chanted his name, he skated back to center ice to take a faceoff.
As expected, amid Farrell tying one of the more prestigious records in Minnesota high school hockey, the La Crescent-Hokah senior remained 100 percent in the moment. His 196th career goal tied former Little Falls star Ben Hanowski's record for goals scored in high school career in the state.
To Farrell, his record-tying goal was more importantly his second of the night, and pulled his Lancers within 3-2 against Dodge County in a Section 1, Class 1A semifinal game. Dodge County hung on to win the game 4-3, meaning Farrell's impressive high school career comes to a close with 196 goals, 88 assists and 284 points.
Farrell's big moment — his 52nd goal of his senior season — came with 8:13 to play in the second period, and helped the Lancers regain some momentum after Dodge County had scored three consecutive goals to take a 3-1 lead.
Farrell also matched his own program record for goals in a season, with 52. He blew past previous program records for goals (135) and points (232), set in 2007 by Farrell's current head coach, former Minnesota State University and NHL forward Eriah Hayes.
"He's put La Crescent hockey on the map," Hayes said after Saturday's game. "He's a big, big part of that. We've been together for (five) years now. He started on the varsity as a little eighth-grader. I'm just so proud of not only the player he's become, but the person he's become. He's just such a great leader.
"His goal was not to get a record, but to take this team to new heights. He certainly did that and now he gets to share the top of the (goals) list."
Farrell scored at least 21 goals in every season of his high school career.
"No matter what Wyatt is doing," Hayes told the Post Bulletin earlier this month, "if it's a kickball game, if it's a game of chess, or if it's a hockey game, he wants to win. ... His compete level (is) off the charts. I mean Off. The. Charts. All he cares about is competing and winning."
Farrell's friends and teammates have seen something special in him from an early age. Teammate Ethan Myhre, a junior forward for the Lancers, said he noticed early in their youth hockey days just how talented Farrell is.
"He has something special," Myhre told the Post Bulletin in early February. "... For him, it's all mental, I think. He doesn't say it (out loud), but he's always telling himself that he's the best player out there and he can do things other people can't do.
"He's a very — he's a great leader. He's a very humble guy, hates talking about himself. He always only wants to make the team better."
Farrell scored 21 goals as an eighth-grader, 22 as a freshman, 49 as a sophomore and 52 last year as a junior, giving him 144 entering his senior year.
"From the first game on, he just grew his game every night," Hayes said. "There was maybe some doubt in the older guys' minds as to, you know, is this little guy going to be able to handle it? I think once they started practicing with him ... I remember that first practice that year, just seeing everyone's eyes open, seeing what he was doing and how hard he worked at it. I think they were all like, 'OK, this kid's the real deal and he's here to stay.'"
