Head Coach Picked For Apollo-Tech Boys Hockey Co-Op

ST. CLOUD - The St. Cloud area school district has picked a head coach for the St. Cloud Apollo-Tech boys hockey cooperative.

Pete Matanich will be head coach of the team. He's been coaching hockey for 16 years: nine as a Tech assistant coach and seven as the head coach at Apollo.

He led Apollo to the state tournament in 2012 and 2015.

In a news release, District 742 adds it's grateful for the leadership of Coach Joel Heitkamp at Tech.

"The District is grateful for all the hard work, dedication, leadership and passion that Joel Heitkamp has provided to the Tech boys hockey program."

The St. Cloud area school board approved a Tech and Apollo boys hockey co-op late last month. Both teams will be combined into one class AA team, which will be in effect for at least two years.

Apollo didn’t have enough returning players to support the hockey program next year. The Eagles had 15 seniors on the team, one junior, four sophomores and two freshmen last season. Tech has eight seniors, 16 juniors and six sophomores returning for the 2016-2017 season.