Balanced scoring leads Minnesota over Minnesota State

MANKATO – On Hockey Day Minnesota teams from all over the state face off against one another and help celebrate our roots as the state of hockey. While high school teams took to the ice at Holman Field in St. Paul, the Gopher men’s team at Mariucci Arena, and the Wild at the Xcel Energy Center, there was another game being played today a little further south.

The Gopher women’s team traveled to Mankato, Minn. to square off against Minnesota State in game two of a weekend series. While there were two WCHA points on the line in this contest, it was also a special afternoon as two in-state teams faced off against each other on Hockey Day Minnesota.

“Hockey Day Minnesota is always special,” said Minnesota State head coach Eric Means. “It’s the second year in a row on Hockey Day we’ve played Minnesota.”

Minnesota, the no. 2 team in the country, was looking for the series sweep and continue their winning ways as they were unbeaten in their last 14 games heading into today’s afternoon match up. MSU on the other hand, was looking to come steal some points from the Gophers this weekend and add another win to their record after picking up their first two victories of the season a week ago.

“Mankato was coming in after getting their first two wins so they were playing confidently,” said Minnesota coach Brad Frost. “We wanted to make sure that we started quickly in both games and I think we did a good job of that here.”

Start quickly is exactly what Minnesota did.

Just 1:26 into the game, Gopher leading scorer Hannah Brandt gave Minnesota a quick 1-0 lead. From there the two teams would trade chances until Minnesota seemed to break this game open just past the midpoint of the first period.

Gopher captain Rachel Bona tallied her 12th of the season shortly before Minnesota freshman Kelly Pannek netted a power play goal to give the maroon and gold a 3-0 lead to close out the first period. The Mavs had a chance to get back into this one, but had trouble finding the needed offense to get on the board.

Starting the second period on a 5-on-3 power play, the Mavericks couldn’t find the back of the net and Minnesota poured it on immediately after killing the two penalties.

Minnesota junior Maryanne Menefee scored her fourth goal of the weekend 1:32 into the second period to spot her team a 4-0 lead with the assist going to Brandt. The Gophers would get two more second period goals on Cara Piazza’s seventh of the season before Dani Cameranesi tallied on the power play, her 17th goal of the season.

With a 6-0 lead heading into the third period, MSU was looking to get on the board before this game was all said and done, and they did that before the midpoint of the final period.

Maverick freshman Hannah Davidson scored her fifth of the season to put MSU on the board on a pretty passing play where she redirected a Nicole Schammel pass into the Minnesota net to bring the game to 6-1. That’s where it would end for the Mavericks, however, as Minnesota would add one more before the final buzzer when Gopher sophomore Lee Stecklein buried her first of the year during 4-on-4 play when she walked out of the corner and around MSU goaltender Brianna Quade for the score and a 7-1 Gopher victory.

While MSU had a handful of scoring chances, they just couldn’t seem to find a way to get their shots through, and like many teams around the nation, had a hard time containing this potent Gopher offense.

“We tried to match up with them today but you look at that top line and you’re talking almost 400 career points,” said Means. “We’re asking some freshmen who are in their 20th game of their career to go out there and handle those girls and that’s a tough task for anyone, let alone freshmen.”

Minnesota would leave Mankato with a 7-1 win and the series sweep. For one of these Minnesota teams, the day ended in sweet victory, while the other suffered their third straight loss. Though both teams can appreciate playing on this special day and celebrating our hockey heritage in this great state.

“Hockey Day in Minnesota, where else does it happen in the United States?” said Minnesota coach Brad Frost. “It’s such an honor and privilege to coach at the University of Minnesota and to be able to have two Minnesota teams square off here today was pretty fun.”

The post Gopher women earn sweep on Hockey Day appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

No. 1 Minnesota State’s rank among prospective recruits also on the rise

It’s no secret that the state of Minnesota is an appealing destination for college hockey recruits. The state boasts the highest number of native players going on to Division I programs, many of whom want to stay close to home while they continue their careers. With five Division I programs in the state, it makes sense that you’ll find a number of homegrown players on each roster.

For years, the University of Minnesota picked the top recruits in the state in dominating fashion, and continue to get a solid crop of young men each season who want to pull the maroon and gold sweater over their shoulder pads. But the emergence of other programs in the state has made the recruiting process a little more interesting, and a little less cliché.

While the Gophers are still the most recognizable college hockey program in the state, others have made waves in recent history.

Bemidji State University made a surprise appearance to the Frozen Four in 2009, two years before the University of Minnesota-Duluth won their first National Championship in 2011 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. St. Cloud State added its name to the board in 2013 with their first Frozen Four appearance.

While BSU has found themselves to be a middle of the pack team since their deep run in 2009, both the Bulldogs and the Huskies have managed to stay relevant among the top teams in the nation over the past few seasons. There’s only one program among the five Division I hockey teams in the state that seemed to be falling behind.

Minnesota State University held the reputation of a doormat in the WCHA for years since its admission into the league in 1999. It was time to reevaluate the way things were being done and find a way to compete with these teams they were falling to on a weekly basis, and they did just that.

Mike Hastings was hired as the new head coach in the summer of 2012, only the third coach in the program’s Division I history following Troy Jutting’s 11-year tenure. Hastings came from the University of Nebraska-Omaha, where he was associate head coach to Dean Blais. Before that, the Crookston, Minn. native spent a season under Don Lucia at Minnesota following a 14-year coaching career with Omaha of the USHL, where he never had a losing season.

Hastings was inheriting a team which finished 11th in the then 12 team WCHA, and hadn’t qualified for the NCAA Tournament since 2003. There was optimism, of course, but no one expected a dramatic turnaround. Rather, it could have been assumed that the coaching change would take a few seasons until Hastings had his own recruits before any significant differences were made.

But Hastings was set on making his mark immediately.

In his first season behind the Maverick bench, Hastings brought the team that was 12-24-2 in 2011-2012 to their first WCHA Final Five and NCAA Tournament appearances in ten seasons with a 24-13-2 record, setting the program record for single-season wins in the Division I era – nearly a complete 180 degree turnaround.

The next season, he would do it again.

In 2013-2014, the Mavericks powered through the new-look WCHA, continuing to build on the foundation they set the season before. They managed a second place finish in the WCHA regular season standings, one point behind MacNaughton Cup winner Ferris State.

MSU went on a run, going 12-0-1 in the 13 games leading up to the NCAA Tournament. Over that span, the Mavericks won their first Broadmoor Trophy as the WCHA Final Five champions en route to their second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

Though the Mavs fell short, losing 2-1 to UMass-Lowell in the NCAA Northeast Regional Tournament, it solidified their spot as a respected program that can contend for a spot in the Frozen Four.

Fast forward to this season, Minnesota State stands 16-4-1 on the year and was billed the no. 1 team in the nation on Monday, the highest ranking in program history during the Division I era. They sit atop the WCHA standings and also rank first in the NCAA Pairwise rankings. With the way things have been going for MSU, it appears they are headed for a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance, and a chance at setting a new program standard for single-season wins once again.

With the success of this southern Minnesota program the past few seasons, it also seems it may be putting itself in the hunt for some of the area’s top recruits. Case in point, Elk River’s Jake Jaremko, an MSU commit, has 45 points in 15 games this season for the Elks. And with Hastings’ history of coaching in the USHL, it appears the Mavs may also continue to land recruits out of junior hockey who are older, bigger, and more experienced by time they arrive in Mankato.

While a program’s success is evaluated on a year-to-year basis, Minnesota State has appeared to emerge as a team to compete with, no longer a doormat. In regards to college hockey in Minnesota, the Mavericks are the little brother no more.

The post From consolation to destination appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Wherever Minnesota State’s Bryce Gervais goes, goals are sure to follow

Historically speaking, Bryce Gervais has always been a goal scorer.

Upon graduation from high school, the Battleford, Sask. native went on to play in the tier II junior A British Columbia Hockey League for the Salmon Arm Silverbacks where he posted 29 goals and 51 points in 58 games as a rookie.

He improved the following season to a BCHL-leading 42 goals to go along with 33 assists in a season split between Salmon Arm and the Penticton Vees. After winning the RBC Cup as the Canadian National Champions with the Vees, Gervais headed south to Mankato, Minn. to play his college hockey in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association.

As a rookie for Minnesota State University Gervais played in all 41 games for the Mavericks, posting eight goals and five assists, respectable numbers for a freshman. In his sophomore season in 2013-2014, Gervais emerged as one of the top guns for MSU and was playing his best hockey at the end of the season.

“One thing I try to do before every game is focus on what makes me good,” Gervais said. “Usually if I’m playing physical and with speed I can get to the puck faster which creates more offense.”

Bryce Gervais (center) celebrates with teammates after scoring one of his two goals in a Feb. 14, 2014, game against Alabama-Huntsville at the Verizon Wireless Center in Mankato. (Photo / Minnesota State University Athletics)

After posting eight points in the first 25 games of his sophomore campaign, Gervais got hot and scored 11 goals and 18 points over the final 16 games to double his goal production from his freshman season, and ended up with 16 goals and 26 points on the year.

With his breakout sophomore season, the expectations for Gervais to produce this season were higher than they were a year ago. He has lived up to, if not exceeded, those expectations as a junior as his success over the second half of last season has had a significant carry-over effect.

Ten games into the current season, Gervais ranks first, not just in the WCHA, but in the NCAA in points scored with 14. His nine goals have him tied for first in the nation with Bowling Green’s Kevin Dufour, and his four power play goals are also tied for first in the country. Consistency has been the theme for Gervais so far this season, as he has been held pointless in just two games, but has yet to be held pointless in a series.

Gervais was named WCHA Offensive Player of the Week after recording his first career hat-trick in a Maverick sweater two weekends ago at Bowling Green. He carried that success into this past weekend when he had a four-point game on Friday night versus Bemidji State with two goals and two assists.

Gervais isn’t just a goal scorer, though. On Saturday night versus BSU, Gervais saw big minutes on the penalty kill, and set the screen for two of Teddy Blueger’s three goals. He also assisted on one of Blueger’s goals, helping his linemate earn his first career hat-trick.

Watching him play, it’s easy to see Gervais’ game is built on speed and tenacity. His greatest asset is perhaps the ability to get into the gritty areas and find himself open.

“I try to find open spaces,” Gervais said. “If I’m not open I try to get open. It also helps when you’re playing with some really skilled play-makers like Matt Leitner or Teddy Blueger, they always seem to get you the puck.”

While his quick start this season will keep him on the radar of college hockey fans and opposing coaches, Gervais is trying to keep his attention on getting the Mavericks further in the postseason. So how can the Mavericks do that?

“Winning our league,” Gervais said. “Making it to the NCAA tournament and not only making it but winning a few hockey games while we’re there which would push us to our ultimate goal, the Frozen Four.”

While the season is still young and there is plenty of hockey left to play, Gervais has established himself as one of the top players in the WCHA this season, and also one of the best in the NCAA.

The post An Emerging Star appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Mavericks looking to climb the WCHA ladder.

The Minnesota State University, Mankato women’s hockey team didn’t have quite the season they were hoping for in 2013-2014, but there is reason to be optimistic about the future. Although the Mavericks lost eight girls in the offseason, they bring in 13 newcomers this winter.

“We have a very young hockey team this year,” Head Coach Eric Means said. “We have 13 freshmen, so we have some new faces.”

With all the new faces, it may be a tough go of it for the first part of the season while these freshmen settle in and get used to the speed of the college game. The Mavs have been toward the bottom of the WCHA for some time now, but with a large freshmen class coming in, it could be a possible recipe for future success.

“We are getting a good interjection of youth to go along with some good veterans,” Means said. “When you look at our scoring chart last year it was senior dominated, we’re going to have to score by committee through everyone else.”

Junior Erin Kirchiver will be given every opportunity to fill the void left behind by the departure of Danielle Butters according to coach Eric Means. (Photo / MSU Athletics)

While the Mavs will need to find some new goal scorers up front, there is one that is perhaps ready to fill that void. Senior forward Kathleen Rogan posted 21 points last season on 11 goals and 10 assists, and is climbing the all-time scoring charts at MSU.

The biggest void to fill for MSU, though, is between the pipes. Goaltender Danielle Butters graduated last spring after having a career season in net, posting a stingy .924 save percentage over 30 games played. Butters was the no. 1 goalie for the Mavericks the past two seasons, and often saw over 30 shots per game. Junior Erin Kirchiver is expected to take over that role after seeing little time the past two seasons.

Kirchiver went 4-2-1 last season with a .943 save percentage and an impressive 1.93 goals against average, showing she is a very capable replacement for Butters.

“This should be her job to lose,” said Means. “I’ve always been a coach that believes in playing the no. 1 as long as she’s playing like no. 1 in this league.”

MSU kicks off their season on Oct. 10th at home versus the University of North Dakota. Puck drop is slated for a 7:07 p.m. start at All Seasons Arena in Mankato.

Minnesota State Mavericks

2013-14 Final Ranking: N/A (USCHO) / N/A (USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine)

2013-14 overall record: 13-23-1

2013-14 WCHA record: 7-20-1

2013-14 Conference Finish: 7th

2013-14 Postseason Finish: Lost WCHA first-round series to Wisconsin 2-1

2014-15 predicted finish: 6th (2014-2015 Head Coaches’ preseason poll)

Tough Skates to Fill: F Nicole Germaine, F Kari Lundberg, D/F Lauren Barnes, G Danielle Butters

Impact Returnees: F Kathleen Rogan, D Shelby Monteyunas, G Erin Kirchiver

Key Additions: F Nicole Schammel, D Victoria Lovdal, D Emma Wittchow

Why the Mavericks will exceed expectations: The youth of the Mavericks may cause some teams to underestimate their talent. The Mavs look to be strong in goal and on the blueline, which could cause some frustration for the high scoring teams around the WCHA

Why the Mavericks will fall short of expectations: A lack of scoring could be an issue for MSU, as well as having 13 freshmen inserted into the lineup could take some time for this young team to get up to speed.

The post DI Women’s Preview: Minnesota State appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Mersch scores twice, leads Wisconsin into Big Ten championship game.

SAINT PAUL—When the Penn State Nittany Lions faced off against the University of Wisconsin Badgers Friday afternoon, it was tough to predict how this game would go. Just nine seconds into the game, PSU goaltender Matthew Skoff had to smother a puck after a big save off a Badgers two on one rush. That first play was an indication of how things might go.

The Badgers dominated the first period of play, creating a handful of quality scoring opportunities. The Penn State defense surrendered more than a few turnovers in their own zone that gave UW scoring opportunities in close. But Skoff was brilliant in goal, turning away all ten shots he faced, which included some back-to-back rebounds. Though the Nittany Lions held the Badgers off the board in the first period, they couldn’t find the back of the net either until early in the second period.

Just 55 seconds into the second period, PSU’s Curtis Loik buried the games first goal on a highlight reel play. Coming into the offensive zone on a two on one rush, Loik redirected a perfect pass into the net that teammate Kenny Brooks chipped over a sliding Badger defenseman to get to him.

The Nittany Lions lead was short lived though, as just 32 seconds later the Badgers tied the game at 1-1 when Jefferson Dahl found Michael Mersch crashing down the slot. Mersch made a slick move to his forehand around Skoff to finish the play.

“Our mindset on the bench was to respond to get the momentum back,” Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves said.

Both teams traded chances in the second period, with Wisconsin controlling the majority of play. Though the Nittany Lions looked poised to head into the locker room again tied, the Badgers were able to take the lead.

After a late bench minor penalty for too many men on the ice sent UW on the power play, it was Mersch again who capitalized on a great pass from Mark Zengerle. Mersch’s second goal of the game gave the Badgers a 2-1 lead with just 10.5 seconds remaining in the second period.

“Everyone contributed,” Mersch said. “I’m glad I could contribute with the goals, but everyone played a role.”

The third period saw Penn State make a big push as they spent most of the period in the Badgers defensive zone. The Nittany Lions had plenty of opportunities to tie this game, but seemed just inches way every time. The period would go scoreless, giving the Badgers the win and advancing them into tomorrow night’s Big Ten championship game.

As for PSU, their season has come to an end. They showed promise for a program in only its second season. They will definitely be a program on everyone’s college hockey radar in the future.

“We’ve come a long way,” Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky said. “There’s a big difference in confidence and in maturity.”

The Badgers now look ahead to tomorrow night’s championship game, looking to become the first Big Ten Hockey Tournament champions.

“We want to win the first one,” said Badger goaltender Joel Rumple who finished with 24 saves. “We are treating the game as if you lose you’re done.”

Rumple and the Badgers will play the winner of tonight’s matchup between Minnesota and Ohio State. The puck drops at 7 p.m. tomorrow night to crown the inaugural Big Ten hockey champion.

The post Badgers Tame Nittany Lions appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Goaltender Cole Huggins is the second straight freshman to lead Minnesota State to the brink of the Final Five.

The Minnesota State University, Mankato men’s hockey team came into this season sure of a few things; they would compete for the WCHA title, their top offensive performers would shine, and they would have the league’s best goaltender between the pipes.

Interestingly enough, the goaltender they pegged to be their go-to man last season, Stephon Williams, was replaced earlier this season. No worries for the Mavericks, though, as freshman Cole Huggins has emerged as the best goaltender in the league, something the WCHA made official when it named Huggins its goaltending champion when league award winners were announced.

Huggins started 15 of Minnesota State’s last 17 games en route to a 17-7-1 overall record to go with a 1.96 goals-against average (good for ninth in the nation) and a .922 save percentage. He tied the school record for shutouts with five, including three in the Mavericks’ final four games heading into this weekend’s best-of-three WCHA first-round series against Northern Michigan at the Verizon Wireless Center.

With 16 saves in last night’s 3-2 win over the seventh-seeded Wildcats, Huggins and his No. 2 seeded Minnesota State teammates are in a position to earn a second straight trip to the Final Five with a win in tonight’s rematch with NMU. This time, though, the Mavs would one of the favorites to sit on the throne atop the conference, catapulting them into the NCAA tournament for a second consecutive season.

A year ago, Williams was racking up multiple honors from the WCHA in his freshman season. He was awarded WCHA Rookie of the Year, WCHA Goaltender of the Year, First team All-WCHA, and WCHA All-Rookie team. Williams did so well last season that the New York Islanders selected him in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

So when this season started, it was considered a certainty that Williams would lead the way for the Mavs as they embarked on their journey into a newly constructed conference where they were the favorite to take home the crown.

Huggins also believed Williams would see the majority of minutes.

“I really didn’t see myself playing as much as I did this year” he said, “I knew coming into the year Stephon played a lot the previous year and was expected to be the main guy this year, so I didn’t see myself playing as many games as I have.”

Cole Huggins

Huggins quietly waited for his opportunity. The Centennial, Colo. native came to Mankato from Coquitlam, B.C. where he played two seasons of junior hockey with the Coquitlam Express of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), widely regarded as the second best junior league in North America—outside of the Canadian Hockey League (CHL)—behind the United States Hockey League (USHL).

Coming in as a freshman, Huggins assumed the role of second string goaltender, knowing he would get his minutes to prove himself. After seeing little action through the first six games of the season, Huggins got his shot at home against the Bowling Green State University Falcons early in November.

After Williams struggled in the Friday night game, Huggins played the second half of the game which ended in a 4-3 Mavericks loss. However, the next night Huggins led his team to a 1-0 overtime victory over the Falcons with a 33 save shutout, the first of four this season. Since then, the net has been all Huggins’.

Just two weeks after he cemented his place in the net for the Mavs, Huggins again posted an overtime shutout victory over Bowling Green, and this time it earned him WCHA Rookie of the Week honors for the week of Nov. 18th. Two weeks ago, Huggins racked up another honor to his list of accomplishments this season, when after two wins and a shutout at Lake Superior State University he was named WCHA Defensive Player of the Week.

Earlier in the season, Maverick head coach Mike Hastings said of Huggins, “He goes to work every day, that doesn’t go unnoticed.”

It’s just that kind of work ethic that has gotten Huggins to where he is. More importantly, the saddle will be placed on his back as he’ll be the go-to guy in net this time around in the postseason. But the rookie remains modest.

“I try to just keep my mind focused on the play that is going on and play one period at a time,” Huggins said. “The defense has really made my job easier so far this year.”

The post Deja vu Between the Pipes appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

SAINT PAUL—Coming into the 2014 Boy’s Class A state hockey tournament, we knew we would have a new champion to be crowned. After St. Thomas Academy won the previous three Class A state championships, they made the move up to AA, leaving the throne unattended.

Hermantown advanced Friday to play in its fifth consecutive state championship game, all four of which the Hawks finished second. East Grand Forks blew by St. Cloud Cathedral, giving the Green Wave a shot at their first-ever state championship.

When the first period began, the Hawks appeared to be playing tight, and didn’t register a shot on goal until six minutes into the game. Though, after a series of Green Wave penalties, Hermantown started getting their opportunities.

With just 32 second remaining in the first period, the Hawks struck first. Scott Wasbotten gave Hermantown the 1-0 lead when he threw a puck out front from behind the net, which deflected off a Green Wave defender’s stick, and squeaked through the legs of EGF goaltender Josh Weber.

“To kill off those penalties and come out of that period only down 1-0 and give up a goal that was kind of flukey, that was a win for us,” Green Wave head coach Tyler Palmiscno said.

Wasbotten’s goal would be the only scoring of the first period and, with few shots throughout the period, it could have been assumed this would be a low scoring, defensive battle type of game. That was certainly not the case.

The Green Wave were explosive in the second period, putting five goals on the board and shutting the Hawks out. Dixon Bowen knotted the game at one apiece for EGF when he received a perfect one-touch pass from Tanner Tweten, springing him on a partial breakaway. Bowen split the Hawks defenders and cut to his backhand before tucking the puck into the net for the goal.

Then just over a minute later, Eddie Eades buried a goal from the high slot to give EGF the lead, and it seemed to be all Green Wave from then on.

Of the goal, Palmiscno said “Eddie’s, that was the one I thought told us we could really win this game.”

Green Wave forward Jace Pesch added a power play goal when Grant Loven collected a Hawks turnover behind the net and threw it out front to Pesch, who one timed the shot that squeaked just past Hermantown goaltender Adam Smith.

The Hawks could’t stop the bleeding, and the Green Wave added two more in the period from Loven and Corbin Reed, both of whom gathered loose pucks and fired them past Smith to push the lead to 5-1 heading into the third.

“They were great,” Hermantown coach Bruce Plante said. “They were nasty physical, and fast, they played great and stuck it to us.”

In a much more even third period, the Hawks were able to outshoot the Green Wave, and even gain a little momentum when Parker Hawk scored 2:31 into the third to pull the score to 5-2. But EGF kept pouring it on, and pulled away in this one with a slick breakaway goal by Cale Mack, and a Tweten power play goal, giving the Green Wave a 7-2 lead.

Jared Zeleznikar was able to bury a Hawks goal late in the game, but it was too little, too late for Hermantown. In a 7-3 victory, EGF skated to their first state championship in school history.

“This senior class set this goal five, six years ago,” Palmiscno said. “They set this a long time ago and then they get up and work for it, so it’s special”

Eades expressed his excitement after the game.

“It’s pretty special obviously to be the first,” he said. “We kind of did it maybe for all the times we came up a bit short.”

This time the Green Wave didn’t come up short, and were rewarded with the opportunity to celebrate in a team yard sale as the final buzzer rang, and then their Class A state championship trophy, the pinnacle of high school hockey, to finish a great season.

On the other side, the Hawks placed second for the fifth consecutive season. Plante was much more positive after this loss, though, than he has been after the championship losses the past four years.

“It feels a lot better losing to [East Grand Forks] than anyone else we’ve lost to,” Plante said. “They’re the same kind of simple program we are.”

The post Green Wave Makes a Splash at The Tourney appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

SAINT PAUL—The last matchup at the Xcel Energy Center on Friday night had all the ingredients for a great game, and possibly a great upset. The No. 1 seeded Edina Hornets are the defending Class AA state champions, while the no. 5 seeded Eagan Wildcats flew under the radar this year before knocking off AA newcomer St. Thomas Academy for a trip to St. Paul.

In what was a game that came all the way down to the wire, the Hornets were able to tame the Wildcats, and move on to the Class AA state championship game tomorrow night.

Edina got on the board first just 1:52 in the game on a goal Eagan would surely like to have back. After Wildcat goaltender Andrew Lindgren shut the door on a Dylan Malmquist scoring opportunity, an Eagan defender appeared to try and clear the puck to the corner, but only got a piece of the puck, and swatted it into his own net. Malmquist would be credited with the goal.

Though Edina controlled much of the play in the period, the Wildcats had their opportunities to knot the game at one. Eagan managed to hit two posts on the power play in the first period before Edina was able to clear the puck.

Edina controlled the play for most of the contest, but Eagan held them scoreless for nearly 32 minutes after Malmquist’s goal, keeping the game at 1-0. Then, late in the second period, Lindgren would come up big, making an incredible glove save on Malmquist, who seemingly had a wide open net. Lindgren could only hold the Hornets off the board for so long, though, and with 11 seconds remaining in the second, Edina triggered one.

Hornet forward Casey Dornbach made a nice drop pass to Garrett Wait while on an odd man rush, and Wait wristed a shot from the high slot over the glove of Lindgren for a 2-0 lead to close out the second.

“It was crazy in the locker room after that,” Wait said. “We we’re going crazy.”

The Hornets would go on to control play most of the third, but the Wildcats were still clawing their way to get back in this one.

With Lindgren pulled in favor of the extra attacker, Eagan closed the gap to 2-1 when senior forward Jack Jenson threw a puck on net from a bad angle and it trickled just over the line for the goal with just 46 seconds remaining. On the ensuing faceoff, Lindgren would again head to the bench in hopes of the Wildcats being able to pump another one past the Hornets, but Malmquist would strike again, this time with an empty net goal with 15 seconds remaining to seal the deal for Edina.

“We wanted to spend as little time in our own zone and get that thing out as fast as we could so we could get it down to the other end,” Edina coach Curt Giles said about the Hornets’ successful game plan. “We wanted to put pressure on them as much as we possibly could, get them to work as hard as they possibly could just to make the long trip into the offensive zone.”

With Lakeville North’s double overtime victory over Eden Prairie, the Hornets will face the Panthers in the Class AA state championship tomorrow night. With the way these two teams played tonight, I don’t think there is any doubt they are the two best teams in AA this season, which should make for an outstanding final game.

The post Hornets move on to defend their title appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

SAINT PAUL—The quest to reach the Class A state championship game is over. After the Hermantown Hawks took down the New Prague Trojans earlier today, the Hawks waited in anticipation to see who their opponent in tomorrow’s title game would be.

The No. 1 seeded East Grand Forks Green Wave faced off against the No. 4 seeded St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders in what was a defensive battle.

The Green Wave got the scoring started early, finding the back of the net just 2:36 into the game when Colton Poolman fired a wrist shot from the point through a screen. EGF carried much of the play after that goal, though the Crusaders were still knocking on the door at times.

In what was a much more evenly played second period, SCC managed to tie the game. At the 12:57 mark of the second, Cathedral’s Matson Courrier made a beautiful back-door pass, threading the needle for Erik Gadbois to bury the puck to even the score. The Crusaders carried a bit of momentum after the goal, but the last minute of the second featured a number of great scoring opportunities for EGF.

While the Crusaders had managed to make a game of it, the Green Wave proved to be too much. At the 4:19 mark of the third period, Tanner Tweten scored his third goal of the tournament on a two on one rush, burying a beauty of a pass from Grant Loven. Green Wave junior forward Dixon Bowen said of the play, “Tweten finished it off for us, and that gave us some good momentum.”

SCC head coach Eric Johnson remained proud of the Crusaders for the game they gave the Green Wave.

“They made a play, and it was a good play” he said, “we gave them a good game and we’ll bounce back tomorrow.”

Watching this game, it was clear EGF was deserving of the No. 1 seed. They moved the puck constantly, almost always looking to pass before shoot, but still managed 36 shots on goal.

The Crusaders did all they could, and created enough opportunities to take the game to overtime, but always seemed to be just inches away from catching a break. SCC goaltender Zach Fritz was outstanding, stopping 34 of 36 shots, giving his team a chance to advance.

East Grand Forks will advance to its first state title game in school history on Saturday at 12 p.m., while the Crusaders will face off against New Prague in the third place game.

Heading into the championship game, EGF head coach Tyler Palmiscno sounded confident, “We’re more mature than last year” he said, “out of our 20 guys on our roster 14 or 15 are back from last year.”

The Green Wave players know what kind of special opportunity is ahead of them in tomorrow’s game, and won’t take it for granted.

“This is what we’ve been working for all the way up since youth hockey” said senior defenseman Eddie Eades, “to get a shot at it is pretty special.

The post Green Wave holds off Crusaders appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Featured Image:
Brothers Casey (L) and Josh (R) Nelson are teammates for just the second time in their hockey careers this season as defensemen for Minnesota State. (Photos courtesy of Minnesota State University Athletics)

If you take a look at the Minnesota State University, Mankato men’s hockey roster, you’ll find three Nelson’s listed. Casey Nelson is a freshman defenseman, Jordan Nelson is a freshman forward and Josh Nelson is a senior defenseman and assistant captain for the team. While Jordan shares the same last name, he’s the odd Nelson out as Casey and Josh are brothers.

The brothers hail from Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc. and took identical paths in reaching their dream of Division I hockey. Both brothers played three seasons in the North American Hockey League, one of the best junior hockey leagues in the country. Josh started out with the Marquette Rangers before playing two seasons with the Fairbanks Ice Dogs, while Casey played for the Alaska Avalanche before ending his junior career with the Johnstown Tomahawks.

There have been many cases where a set of brothers played for the same collegiate program, but not too often do you see brothers playing on the same team at the same time at such a high level. Not only are their parents proud, but probably more relieved that they only have to travel four hours or so to watch their sons play at the same time, as opposed to traveling across the country.

“From a family perspective it’s very convenient that Casey and I are finally playing in the same part of the country again, let alone the same team” said Josh. “My parents are able to travel to just one destination to see the both of us play, versus when I was in Fairbanks or Casey being in Johnstown.”

Being three years apart in age, the brothers only played together once before this season. It was back at Lincoln High School when Josh was a senior and Casey was a freshman

Over the course of his career as a Maverick, Josh has been a staple on the blue line; a defenseman who is reliable on the back end but also has a great deal of offensive ability able to contribute up front. Casey’s game mirrors Josh’s playing style very closely.

“I look up to him not only as one of the captains, but I like the way he plays,” said Casey, “ I like to somewhat follow how he plays and try to recreate some things to help out with my play.”

While Josh has been out the past few weeks with an injury, Casey has seen increased ice time, including top power play minutes. Much like his brother has played as a Maverick, Casey plays with confidence beyond his years and has been playing like a veteran instead of a rookie. While being brothers on the same team can be great, one might assume there is some brotherly competitiveness that goes on as well.

“I don’t think there is much competitiveness between us as defenseman,” Josh said. “If anything I think we may encourage each other and help the other become more competitive and demanding of ourselves.”

Being the older brother, Josh was instrumental in Casey’s hockey career.

“I gave him advice telling him to be patient waiting for a scholarship, and that if he just keeps working hard and taking care of his job, the rest would eventually fall into place,” said Josh. “I also gave him advice as to what college coaches may want to see out of him, or what he could work on getting to the next level.”

With the success Josh found in hockey, it gave Casey the determination needed to achieve the same goals and reach the ultimate dream.

“He has been a role model for me all through the ranks of hockey” Casey said. “When he went and played juniors, that’s what I wanted to do, when he got the chance to play D1 hockey, I wanted to achieve that very same goal.”

Although Josh is in his final season with the Mavericks, Casey is just getting started and hopes to follow in his brother’s footsteps as a Maverick.

Josh recorded five goals and nine assists from the blue line last season, helping the Mavs to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in ten years. Casey has appeared in all ten games for MSU this year, recording a goal and an assist thus far, while being paired with sophomore defenseman Jon Jutzi on the back end.

“We always have major family support and, if I need anything, he’s who I go to here,” Casey said when asked what their favorite part of being on the same team is.

“Watching him succeed and grow as a person and a player,” Josh replied.

Interestingly enough, both of the Nelson brothers said that their least favorite part of being on the same team is having the same last name.

“He gets the nickname Nelly, and I had to get a new one,” said Casey. “They call me Junior now.”

Casey and Josh may only have a few months left as teammates, but this surely won’t be a season they forget about. Before, they were bonded as brothers for life, but now they are both Mavericks for life.

Republished with permission from The MSU Reporter.

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