BEMIDJI – On Wednesday night, top-ranked Hermantown and Alexandria will meet in the Class A state boys high school hockey tournament. It’s a matchup Bemidji State’s Jack Powell is all too familiar with.
Before the senior men’s hockey player arrived on campus in 2020, Powell spent two years playing junior hockey for the Aberdeen Wings and the Alexandria Blizzard. Before that, the defenseman sparked a memorable Cinderella run for his hometown Cardinals.
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During his senior high school season in 2017-18, Alexandria upset top-seeded St. Cloud Cathedral 3-2 in double overtime in the Section 6A title game. A week later, Alexandria edged out Thief River Falls 1-0 in the state quarterfinals, setting up a semifinal tilt with No. 1 Hermantown, the two-time defending state champions.
That’s when Powell made a name for himself.
Powell scored thrice in a 6-1 upset that snapped an eight-year streak of Hermantown appearances in the Class A title game.
“I guess I haven’t really thought about (that game) in a while,” Powell said. “I try not to look back too far. But I’m grateful for everything that happened and super grateful for my career.”
When Powell garnered the statewide hockey buzz, collegiate coaches took notice, including Tom Serratore at Bemidji State.
“Jack’s been resilient,” Serratore said. “It hasn’t been easy. We saw him play high school hockey in Alexandria, but it wasn’t until he went to Aberdeen, (S.D.), in the NAHL when we recruited him. It hasn’t went the way he probably wanted, but he’s the hardest-working guy in the weight room. He’s one of the hardest-working guys off the ice, that’s for sure.”
On Saturday night, Powell took part in Bemidji State’s Senior Night festivities. With the MacNaughton Cup clinched a night earlier, Powell was slotted into the lineup as the Beavers’ seventh defenseman.
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Playing time has come sparingly for Powell, playing in just 20 games over four years before Saturday night. He’s never recorded a point.
However, in what might have been his last hockey game, he got his moment as one of the six starters.
“I appreciate my coaching staff for giving me the opportunity to do that,” Powell said. “I had a lot of family in the stands, which was great. The best thing is we got the win. All we wanted to do on Senior Night was get the win.”
The Beavers shut out Minnesota State 2-0 to put the finishing touches on a sweep in the regular-season finale. Serratore was excited to put one of his hardest-working players on the ice.
“He competes,” Serratore said. “There’s never a bad day for Jack. He’s just a great human being. They don’t get any better, and I’m so proud of him. Never once did he come into my office to bellyache. He just kept pushing. It’s easy for guys to feel sorry for themselves and quit working – quit doing the things you’re supposed to do. He never did. He’s a prime example of a high-character guy.”
Fellow senior Gavin Enright has lived with Powell over the last four years. Enright, who picked up a 22-save shutout, was thankful to share the moment with one of his closest friends.
“He’s an awesome guy,” Enright said. “He’s a goofy guy. Just living with him, being with him off ice, on ice, in the locker room – it’s really fun. He’s a guy that everyone gets along with. He’s a great locker room guy. He works his butt off all the time. He’s a role model. I’m lucky to have him in my class and experience four years with him.”
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Following BSU’s postseason run, Powell will focus on his chiropractic studies. He will attend Northwestern Health Sciences University, where he will begin his schooling this summer.
Until then, Powell plans to cherish the final weeks of his hockey career at the school that took a chance on him.
“It’s hard to describe what it means when you’re part of it,” Powell said. “A good way to put it is we have a great group of guys. We’re a tight-knit family, and it’s just special. There’s a lot of history here of winning, and we’re trying to pay it forward to the guys who paved the way for us to have this great facility and great fan base. I’m just grateful to be here.”
For Powell to play again, multiple Bemidji State defensemen would likely have to be ruled out for games. With that in mind, Powell felt like Senior Night was a fitting end to a career that taught him life lessons that go beyond hockey.
“There was a lot of emotion today,” Powell said. “The things I’ve learned in hockey, you can’t teach them in a classroom. You can’t learn those things from your parents. You learn how to be a man. You learn how to deal with adversity, and you learn how to push forward with a team. I’m going to carry everything I’ve learned with me for the rest of my life. If this was my last game, I can’t picture a better way to go out.”
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