Rogers boys hockey coach David Brown won’t deny that his team is hitting a confident stride, with back-to-back home victories over highly ranked Moorhead (5-3 on Feb. 7) and Minnetonka (6-1 on Feb. 10).

But he also grants that, as impressive as the Royals have looked in those two victories, bigger goals lie ahead.

“Both games have been fun for our community. They’ve been big wins and fun nights, but at the end of the day, they mean nothing,” Brown said, nodding to the section playoffs. “Our tallest mountains are yet to climb.”

A program barely into its 20s — the school was built in 2003 where Interstate 94 meets Hwy. 101 — Rogers has grown rapidly as an easily-accessible bedroom community. The school’s website boasts of “more than 1,950” students, growth that’s been reflected in its athletic programs.

The boys hockey team qualified for the Class 2A state tournament for the first time in program history in 2025, falling to Edina in overtime in the quarterfinals.

Graduation sapped Rogers of some of its top playmakers from last season, including Mr. Hockey finalist Mason Jenson and Reed Larson Award winner Nolan Geerdes, but that has not slowed the Royals. Boasting exceptional numbers in their youth hockey program, there is plenty of talent to draw from.

But if you ask Brown, it’s less about the high-enders driving the Royals (19-4-1), who have not lost since Dec. 6. It’s a team coming together, players finding their roles and building momentum.

“We got big contributions from our special teams,” Brown said of their victory over Minnetonka. “Our power play started to click and we got some big penalty kills.”

Rogers was 4-of-5 on the power play while shutting down Minnetonka on all four of its man-advantage situations. The six goals was the most allowed by Minnetonka in a single game this year.

Senior forward Brock Cheslock had a hat trick and an assist for Rogers and senior forward Cole Bumgarner scored a pair of goals 34 seconds apart in the second period to give the Royals a 4-1 cushion. Bumgarner added three assists.

If Rogers has a superpower, Brown said it was his team’s work ethic driven by a big chip on its collective shoulder. The Royals are still trying to prove they belong.

Brock Cheslock has stood out as a leader, one who powers that engine.

“He’s the perfect example to epitomize this team,” Brown said. “We lost some pretty talented players from last year, when ice time was hard to come by, power-play time and penalty kills were hard to come by. Brock comes from a very good support network. He’s emerged this season, confident in his skills and his identity as a player.”

As a coach, Brown’s focus has been forward-looking, developing this year’s edition of the Royals. He concedes the players likely have lingering memories of last year.

“If you ask the players, they’ll say their goal is to get back to the state tournament,” he said, adding that their focus has rarely wavered. “This group has a special ability to show up every day and play like an overlooked team looking to prove themselves.”