The Orono boys hockey team got a new face this season. This year, Orono hired a new coaching staff led by head coach Kasey Yoder.
Yoder is originally from the city of Duluth. He attended high school at Duluth Marshall High School and went to college at Hamline University before transferring to Augsburg College after his sophomore year.
Hockey has been in Yoder’s family for decades. His stepfather coached high school hockey for more than 20 years. “Growing up in a coaches house ultimately inspired me to coach when I finished playing,” Yoder said.
Yoder’s hockey career began early in his childhood and followed him through high school, college and today. “I played youth hockey in my hometown of Duluth and high school hockey at Duluth Marshall High School,” Yoder said. “I then played college hockey at Hamline University.”
As a player, Yoder described himself as a physical defenseman. “I loved to compete, and was very good on the penalty kill,” Yoder said.
At Hamline, Yoder also played football as a defensive tackle, where he developed a friendship with history teacher Andy Gagnon. After his sophomore year, Yoder went to Augsburg College where he continued his football career.
Gagnon and Yoder kept in minimal touch after their years at Hamline University together, but reconnected when Yoder received the coaching job at Orono.
“My wife and I both know him. We congratulated him,” Gagnon said. “We welcomed him to the Orono community and told him it was a great place.”
Yoder began coaching hockey after his second year in college. He coached a Squirt C team in St. Louis Park, and spent a total of three years coaching youth hockey.
He also coached a JV hockey team at Duluth Marshall for two years, the Austin Bruins a tier III junior hockey team for three years, and spent one year as an assistant coach for Hamline University.
“Over the years I have developed a passion for teaching the game,” Yoder said. “That is the reason I continue to coach.”
Players on the team think Yoder is a good change for the program.
“I really like the coach for many reason,” senior captain Sam Challgren said. “Not only does he push all the players to do their best, he handles adversity very well and in a positive manner.”
The position at Orono was brought to Yoder’s attention by a friend who had coached bantams, a 15 and under youth hockey team, for Orono several years ago.
“I wanted to coach in Orono because of the success the program has had over the years, as well as the talent the team had returning this season and the strong youth program for the years ahead,” Yoder said.
On top of coaching, Yoder also owns a small business in St. Paul. His business is called 2nd Life Sticks. They repair and retail hockey sticks.
Yoder was not the only new face to the coaching staff, however, he did get to pick the rest of the coaching staff.
Yoder was able to develop relationships with the coaches after being hired. “I felt confident they would be a good addition to our staff, as well as a compliment to my personality on the ice.”
Personally, Yoder only knew one coach before hiring his staff. This coach is the assistant JV coach and goalie coach, DJ Hamm. Hamm’s wife and Yoder went to the same high school. Hamm and Yoder also played with and against each other in hockey throughout the years.
Justin Pagel is another assistant coach Yoder hired. Pagel played hockey at Gustavus Adolphus College and has been in the Orono youth program for years, he has coached the Peewee and Bantam A’s teams.
He also has strong relationships with the players and their families said Yoder. “This was a huge plus for me coming in not knowing anyone.”
The JV head coach is Doug Lein. Lein lives in Orono and reached out to Yoder looking to help coach.
“Doug has a very strong passion for the game which I feel is important,” Yoder said. “He has done countless things for our program away from the ice, as well as bringing good energy to the ice daily.”
This season Yoder has both short and long term goals for his team. Short term, he hopes the team can capture the section championship. Long term, he would like to leave his mark on the Orono hockey program and make it stronger than it was before him.
“To me, this means building a team that is among the top in the state year in and year out, as well as competing for section and conference championships annually.”
This years team, Yoder believes, has the ability to reach both his short and long term goals.
“I think Coach Yoder is good for the program and putting us in the right direction,” junior Logan Kinsel said.
“We have a hard working group that has made a good effort to execute what we are teaching when we get into games,” Yoder said. “We are working on becoming more consistent on a day to day basis, practice and games, and if we can accomplish that we should be ready to go come playoffs.”
