Lakeville Scorer Justin Kloos Excited To Be Gopher Whether It Is Next Year Or Year After

Kloos helped lead the Cougars’ hockey team to a 17-9-1 mark, losing to crosstown rival Lakeville North 2-1 in the Section 1AA finals. They had previously beaten the Panthers 7-2 and 6-1 in the regular season. The Cougars were a high-scoring team that averaged 5.3 goals per game last season.

The Cougars, who are ranked No. 14 in the Class AA preseason poll faces No. 6 Edina in the season opener Saturday afternoon at home. The Hornets have a Gopher commit in their roster in junior Louie Nanne.

GopherHole.com recently caught up with Kloos to learn the latest on his decision and his expectations for the upcoming season.

GH: How does it feel to have your college decision behind you?

Kloos: I guess it is a little bit relieving, but I am just overall excited to have a chance to play where I have always dreamed of. I look forward to contributing to a team that is already playing very well this year, so I look to helping them whenever I get there.

GH: Does that make it even more special that they are off to a great start?

Kloos: I was used to it when I was younger to always see them at the top of the poll and it is really special to see them up there again. I knew it was coming. They have a great squad. They have a lot of young guys, so I am sure that they will be very good for years to come.

GH: You committed to Minnesota in the spring, right?

Kloos: I kind of knew where I was going all along, but it is just another step to get the paperwork done.

GH: What were the other schools that you were looking at?

Kloos: The other schools that I was considering were St. Cloud, Ohio State and Colorado College. I was going to visit Ohio State. I was considering Harvard, but I narrowed it down to the “U”, Ohio State and St. Cloud.

GH: Now that your college choice behind you, you can focus on your senior season. What are the expectations for this year?

Kloos: Our expectations are to be a top team in the state. A top ten team. We have a good senior class here, so we should be able to make an impact. The ultimate goal is to be there at the end, so hopefully, we’ll get the job done.

GH: You were upset in the section finals. Is that a motivation that your team has talked about to get where you really want to go this year?

Kloos: We know that anything can happen in the playoffs. It didn’t make our season a failure by not making it to our goal. We know that we have to play every game and every shift like it is the last shift.

GH: Have you talked to the coaching staff at Minnesota about expectations in terms of playing time?

Kloos: Yes. Depending on if people sign pro. We have some talented players there. If they sign pro, I’ll pretty much have to come in. The difference between me and the other recruits that are going in next year, is that I haven’t played a year of juniors yet. My kids coming out of high school always need that. You see very few go straight in. The challenge would be fun to go straight in, but I am basically playing it by ear and seeing when they want me to come in.

GH: Is that a possibility that you would go to juniors?

Kloos: Yes. It is likely that I would go play junior, because I need it for growth and maturity.

GH: Do you know which team you would go to?

Kloos: I would be playing in Waterloo (Iowa) in the USHL.

GH: What things did you work on during the offseason to hopefully get ready for a big senior season?

Kloos: I worked on getting stronger and more consistent. Playing every shift as hard as the last shift. Just maturing. I grew a little bit. I got stronger and I am looking forward to a good season.

GH: What do you see as your strengths as a player?