Pitoscia takes the reins at Duluth East

BY JAMEY MALCOMB

Duluth News Tribune

Steve Pitoscia knows he’s inherited a job with a long legacy and more than a little pressure.

For the first time since the fall of the Berlin Wall, Duluth East will have a new head coach on the bench when its players take to the ice this season.

Former coach Mike Randolph left the program this spring after more than three decades on the job. In fact, Randolph’s tenure — 32 years — was longer than the 28 years the Berlin Wall stood. Randolph led the Greyhounds to two state championships, five trips to the state final in his tenure and several more appearances in the state tournament.

In fact, Pitoscia, a Duluth East graduate, was a senior on the 1994 squad that finished third in the state.

Pitoscia first began coaching in 1997 as part of the Cloquet Bantam program before Randolph added him to the Greyhound staff four years later.

“I just kind of fell in love with coaching,” Pitoscia said of his time with the Cloquet program.

He eventually went on to take over the Duluth East Bantam program after a year on the Greyhound bench and continued in that role for 17 years. He also spent time as an assistant coach at Duluth Marshall and with the USHL’s Omaha Lancers.

Randolph might not be on the bench any more for Duluth East, but his influence will continue to guide the program.

“My whole foundation of how hockey is played and how it’s taught, really, comes from him,” Pitoschia said.

Matt Mathias, one of Pitoscia’s assistant coaches and a 1997 Duluth East graduate, said Randolph is largely responsible for where the program is today.

“Mike Randolph did an amazing job with Duluth East,” Mathias said.

“When he came on board in the late 80s, it was a struggling program. Mike Randolph turned that program around and put it where it is today.”

While Pitoscia’s program won’t be a mirror image of Randolph’s, he said they both have the same goal in mind: “developing good people.”

Hermantown

Junior defenseman

Another Minnesota Duluth commit, Hanson is among the top defensive prospects in the area and was the only Hawk defenseman to tally more than 25 points in 2021.

Hermantown

Junior forward

Plante is considered one of the top prospects in the state. The Minnesota Duluth commit led his team in scoring (29 goals, 32 assists, 61 points) and recorded a goal and two assists in the Hawks’ state quarterfinal loss to Dodge County despite the Hawks being forced to field nearly all junior varsity players after the varsity squad had a COVID-19 exposure in a section game when Plante was injured.

Pitoscia

From Page 3

“I think that was important to him and that’ll certainly be

JOEY DELGRECO

Grand Rapids

Senior forward important to me,” Pitoscia said. “To do that, I think we teach these kids how to be professionals. It’s not necessarily a professional hockey player, maybe it’s a professional police officer,

DelGreco was second on the team in assists (17) and third in points (25) last season and recorded a goal and an assist in two section tournament games. DelGreco is the only returning Thunderhawk that scored more than 20 points last season.

Cloquet-Esko-Carlton

Senior goaltender

Walsh was 3-4 last season with a 3.47 goalsagainst average and a .907 save percentage, but is widely considered one of the top goalies in the area. Earlier this fall, he fared well in the Upper Midwest Elite League against the top talent in the state.

BRENDAN FRIDAY

Duluth Marshall

Junior forward Friday led his team in goals (10) and assists (18) and will look to head up a Hilltopper attack that returns most of its scoring production from last season.

Rock Ridge at Greenway

7 p.m. Nov. 30

The Wolverines drop the puck on their inaugural season against the Raiders and give fans a look at the future of hockey in the Iron Range Conference. Both teams will look to challenge Hibbing/Chisholm for the conference title.

Grand Rapids at Duluth East