Maple Grove beat Wayzata at its own game: Physicality. Bruising shifts. Defensive discipline.

The same traits that carried Wayzata to the Class AA state title last season are the same qualities Maple Grove employed against the Trojans on Friday night, as the Crimson ground out a 5-2 win in the opening round of the Turkey Trot Tournament at the Plymouth Ice Arena.

“I just love our depth,” Crimson coach Todd Bergland said after the game. “We’ve got some strong seniors and a good core of kids, and I like what we’ve got.”

Those seniors performed in Friday’s win, with Jarrett Cammarata scoring twice and fellow seniors Hunter House, Justin Kelley and Sam Huff all adding one goal apiece to propel the Crimson to victory.

Despite losing leading scorer Trevor Janicke to the U.S. National Team Development Program, second-leading scorer Sam Ross to graduation and starting goaltender Brady Goodman, also to graduation, Cammarata is unfazed by the departures.

“Our team is mostly returning (players),” Cammarata explained. “A lot of us played three, four years (in high school),” Cammarata continued. “Kind of a veteran team here.”

Senior goaltender Nick Lapoint made 18 saves for the Crimson, ranked No. 19 in the current Let’s Play Hockey poll.

Like Bergland, Cammarata also praised the Crimson’s depth, adding that the team’s beefy third line played a large role in containing the No. 5 Trojans.

“Our third line is a lot of big seniors,” Cammarata said. “Their job is to hit, and they did a good job tonight.”

Bergland, in his second season behind the Crimson bench, allowed that a win over a marquee team such as Wayzata helps alleviate a small amount of the pressure that comes along with being the head man at a prominent program.

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a big win,” Bergland said with a chuckle. “Some of the pressure does come off, but bottom line, I want these kids to have character and integrity and be leaders,” Bergland said.

“The wins come with it,” Bergland continued. “If they do those things, they act as a team, and they play together, good things are going to happen.”