Nobody starts a craft already a master.

To become elite at something, including hockey, one must take baby steps to the top.

That’s why Duluth East coach Mike Randolph fondly remembers when star defenseman, Mr. Hockey finalist and Nebraska-Omaha commit Phil Beaulieu couldn’t take a one-time shot – the skill where a player shoots directly off a pass.

It’s a play not far up the difficulty charts for Division I-caliber recruits.

“We were just talking the other day about how as a freshman he didn’t know how to one-time a puck,” Randolph said with a chuckle.

But rest assured, the one-timer is now a dangerous weapon in Beaulieu’s arsenal for terrorizing opposing goaltenders. In 21 games, the senior leads the Greyhounds with 38 points (17 goals, 21 assists), more than his regular season total of 27 (6 goals, 21 assists) in 25 games last year.

Added Randolph: “He can one-time with the best of them now.”

The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Beaulieu is a wily veteran for the No. 8-ranked Greyhounds (18-6-1). He’s played four years on some ultra-talented Duluth East squads that produced seemingly more Division I players than some states. Like so many Greyhounds before him, Beaulieu also decided to stay for his senior season.

Jake Randolph, Dom Toninato, Ryan Lundgren, Meirs Moore, Trevor Olson, Jack Forbort, Alex Toscano – the recent list of top-notch players who graduated from Duluth East is lengthy.

But what sets Beaulieu apart is the situation he inherited. While the last few Duluth East teams have been stocked with talent and expectations, this year’s Greyhounds were mired in uncertainty. They aren’t quite as seasoned as in years past, and few had state title hopes in the offseason.

Even Randolph, who has coached Duluth East for 25 years, wasn’t sure if he was returning. Whispers of a possible retirement made rounds around the hockey community. Randolph is one of 12 state coaches to amass more than 500 wins and has led the Greyhounds to 14 state tournament appearances and two championships.

“He had told me he was coming back last year when we had a little talk, and he was worried about me maybe retiring,” Randolph said. “There was rumor out there that I was going to retire, and at that point I wasn’t sure what I was going to do.”

Beaulieu played for the Fargo Force in the spring following his junior year as well as this fall before his senior season. In just 12 games of Fargo’s 2013-14 campaign, Beaulieu registered seven points (zero goals, seven assists). The impressive stints made it tough to leave Fargo, and the team wanted him to make the leap to the USHL instead of returning to Duluth East.

Randolph did end up coming back, and Beaulieu brushed off pressure to leave, sticking to his word.

“It took me a lot of thought, and I obviously wanted to stay if [Randolph] did because he’s such a good coach,” Beaulieu said. “I played with him for three years, and I knew if I came back and he came back we had a chance at another state tournament, and I want to go play in another state tournament.”

With Beaulieu and Randolph on board, the Greyhounds are in cruise control once more. They have wins over No. 4-ranked Wayzata, No. 9-ranked Eden Prairie, and their losses are respectable. A shot at a sixth consecutive state tournament berth is within reach, as evidenced by the Greyhounds getting the top seed in Section 7AA.

“I had talked to Jake [Randolph] and all those other guys who had stayed about it, and they said [returning] was their best decision ever,” Beaulieu said. “They still really miss playing high school hockey even though they did play their senior year. Like Jake, I was talking to him, and he says that two years out, high school hockey in Minnesota was one of the best things he ever did, and he misses it a lot, so I’m definitely glad I stayed my senior year.”

If Beaulieu couldn’t take a one-time slapshot three years ago, and he’s now a top-scorer and Mr. Hockey finalist on Duluth East as a defenseman, Nebraska-Omaha should be excited for his future prospects.

“He’s more consistent, he’s stronger, bigger,” Randolph said. “He looks like a senior. He’s improved every year he’s been here.”