Alex Eisen/MDN The Minot High girls hockey team warms up before practice Monday at Maysa Arena.

The question never even came up, but Minot High School girls hockey coach Weylin Wahlstrom still addressed the elephant in the rink Monday evening as the Majettes waited patiently to get on the ice and start practice.

“It’s been a while since we have had success in the first round (of the state tournament),” said the seventh-year head coach. “We just need to come in and not worry about the ‘Curse of the Magi’ or whatever you want to call it. We just got to get rid of that and not worry about it. Just play hockey.”

The Majettes unfathomable ‘curse’ of losing in the first round of the state tournament was extended to 11 straight seasons with a 3-0 quarterfinal loss to Fargo Davies last year.

But, they still finished with a 17-8-0 overall record. The best mark the program has had since MHS went 20-6-0 during the 2013-14 season.

As important as winning is, growth and improvement comes first.

“So many times, we get caught up in the ‘We’re going to win the state championship,'” Wahlstrom said. “Well, it takes a lot of things to go right in order for that to happen. It’s a growing experience.”

Minot High will have an older, but less experienced team this season. A majority of the roster is juniors, sophomores and freshmen with no middle schoolers coming in and just two seniors — forwards Lindsey Larson and Maggie Sem.

“We are 20 (players) deep, so we got the numbers,” Wahlstrom said. “We just have to learn how to mesh together. We are going to be a blue-collar team. But, we are going to have to learn how to crash the net because we lost a lot of scoring from last year… That comes with experience and learning where to be and when to be there.”

Gone from last season are top-line forwards Mackinzy MacIver and Bryanna Bergeron.

MacIver was named last year’s West Region Senior Athlete of the Year with 15 goals in nine assists and is currently playing collegiate hockey at Concordia College (Minn.). Bergeron led MHS in assists (14) and had the second-most points (27) on the team.

Sophomore Dessa Flom headlines the returning firepower.

Flom has made an immediate impact since lacing up with the Majettes as a wide-eyed seventh grader. In her first three seasons with the program, she has ended each year as one of the team’s Top 3 point producers. In 75 varsity games, Flom is averaging just over a point a game with 76 career points (48 goals and 28 assists).

She had a team-high 21 goals and 28 points last season.

“The most dangerous person in hockey is the one that just passes the puck,” Wahlstrom said. “(Flom) just has to realize that she doesn’t have to do it all herself.”

The pressure isn’t all on Flom to produce with capable teammates around her, including explosive junior Olivia Weisberg, speedster junior Parker Larson and sophomore Kaya Shaw.

“Right now, I hate to say that these people are going to be together and these people are going to be together,” Wahlstrom said about possible lines. “But, overall, we have seven girls that are returning and have a lot of experience at the high school level. That gives us two lines with girls that are experienced and a third line where we can put that seventh player — right now, that’s Lily Bonebrake — who could be on those first two lines.”

Bonebrake’s leadership in this role is highly valuable.

“Lily (Bonebrake) is a great leader and kind of a mother figure in the locker room,” Wahlstrom said. “I think she is a great person to take some people under her wings and teach them the ropes.”

Defensively, the Majettes return four veteran players on the blue line: junior Mahlee Sem, junior Breanna Svangstu, sophomore Brenna Abrahamson and freshman Paige Ackerman.

They will be entrusted to protect a precarious goaltender situation with two freshmen — Amber Borkhus and Madison Knudson — competing for time between the pipes. Both lack high school experience.

“I’m not worried about them,” Wahlstrom said. “Amber Borkhus was a starting goaltender for a 14U (team) last year, she is probably going to be our starter at the beginning of the season. She has more experience as a goaltender and comes in with those tangibles you look for as a coach… The only thing she is missing is experience at the high school level, so we have to give her that. We’d love to dip her toes in the water, but we are going to have to just throw her in.”

The Majettes dive into the new season at 7 p.m. this evening at Mandan. Their first home game at Maysa Arena is Dec. 5 at 7 p.m. against the three-time defending state champion Bismarck Blizzard.

Alex Eisen covers Minot High School, Minot State athletics and high school sports. Follow him on Twitter @AEisen13.