Matthew Davis writes about coach Mike Randolph netting his 708th career victory behind the bench.

This story was originally published in the MHM 2024-25 High School Preview issue.

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“Right Back Where We Started From” by Maxine Nightingale, which was released in the 1970s.

Whether coincidence or part of a set playlist, the song seems fitting for a deep Minnetonka Skippers team that returned a bunch of key players from last winter’s dominant Class 2A state championship team.

Only two games in, Minnetonka turned in a couple of dominating efforts on its home ice, outscoring Rosemount and Andover by a combined 18-3 margin. The Skippers put up a 10-3 victory over Rosemount to open the season Friday before an 8-0 shutout of Andover, a program it met in last year’s state semifinals (though this time without the since-graduated line featuring Cooper Conway, Gavyn Thorsen and Cayden Casey).

With so many state champions – and multiple Division I commits – returning to Minnetonka’s squad this season, Skippers coach Sean Goldsworthy acknowledged that his team isn’t starting from square one.

“First off, they’re committed to each other,” Goldsworthy said. “So, when they all come back, it makes things easier on each other. We have a lot of returning kids from a team that had great success last year. So that matters.”

Minnetonka comes into the season as a top-ranked team, according to the preseason rankings from Let’s Play Hockey magazine, while Andover is ranked No. 10. And the Skippers shut out the Huskies while outshooting them 42-5 on Saturday evening.

Minnetonka and Andover boys hockey shake hands after the Skippers won 8-0 on Nov. 25, 2023 at Pagel Ice Arena as part of the Tonka Thanksgiving Preview tournament. (MHM Photo / Heather Rule)

Senior Javon Moore had hat tricks both days, giving him a team-leading six goals and 10 points through just two games. His effort against Andover was highlighted by a breakaway, shorthanded goal in the first period. His second hat trick in as many games came with just more than 10 minutes left in regulation, sending the game to running time with a 6-0 lead.

Moore is followed by the senior Garry brothers; Luke with two goals and five assists and Gavin with three goals and four assists. Against Rosemount, the Garry brothers scored goals 50 seconds apart for a 2-1 lead. Gavin recorded a hat trick, and senior Hagen Burrows added five assists on Friday.

Depth? They have that, too. A dozen players have at least a point on those 18 goals over two games.

The goal right now, Goldsworthy said, is to “get the fall hockey out of them,” which usually takes eight to 10 games, he added.

“I think what you’re seeing is these kids are committed to getting it out of their system in about four or five games,” Goldsworthy said.

Minnetonka lost only twice last season, to Chanhassen and Wayzata, on the way to a state championship. Even though it’s cliché, staying in the moment throughout the season helped drive that successful title run, Goldsworthy said.

“You’ve got to stay in the week,” Goldsworthy said. “That’s what we did last year. These kids know when they do that, our success came from living in the moment.”

Despite the shutout loss, Andover split its games in the Tonka tourney, defeating No. 3-ranked Chanhassen 3-2 on Friday behind a pair of Casey Rodgers goals. The Huskies came into the season looking to replace the production of its top line from 2022-23; Conway-Thoreson-Casey scored 65% of the team’s 167 goals last season.

Chanhassen, which fell an overtime-goal short of the state tournament with a loss to Minnetonka last year, starts the season 0-2 with a one-goal loss to Andover and a 2-1 loss to Rosemount on Saturday. The Storm, who hit the ice just before the school’s football team took the field at U.S. Bank Stadium on the way to a thrilling Prep Bowl championship, trailed the entire game before getting a goal in the final minute of regulation.

Thanksgiving means puck drop on boys hockey
Most of the boys hockey teams got started with their seasons over the weekend. After the turkey coma ends, hockey players and fans head to various rinks on Friday and Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend for regular-season hockey and various holiday tournaments.

On the same night that Edina’s football team suffered a heartbreaking loss to Centennial in the Class 6A Prep Bowl, the No. 2-ranked Edina Hornets – last season’s runner-up in hockey – shut out No. 8-ranked Maple Grove 3-0 in the Wayzata Turkey Trot at Plymouth Ice Center. Wayzata started its season off with a pair of victories against No. 7-ranked Moorhead (6-1) and Maple Grove (6-4) in its home Turkey Trot.

White Bear Lake opened its season with a 4-3 overtime victory over Duluth East at home. Nolan Roed scored a pair of goals, including the winner at 2:37 of the extra session.

In Class 1A, last year’s runner-up Warroad lost 3-2 in overtime to St. Cloud Cathedral. Griffin Sturm scored the winner just before the final horn in overtime. Murray Marvin-Cordes scored both Warroad goals.

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After equipment gaffe, STA’s Ryan O’Neill “sticks it” to Duluth East

St. Paul — Ryan O’Neill stood ready to warm up with his St. Thomas Academy teammates ahead of their Class 2A  state quarterfinal meeting with Duluth East but, unlike his fellow Cadets, O’Neill was on his phone. He was speaking with his father checking the ETA for delivery of the precious cargo his dad was transporting: Ryan’s hockey sticks.

“Coach (Greg) Monohan had to go meet him at the door with the sticks right before warmups so that was a big relief,” O’Neill said.

O’Neill used at least one of them to score twice, including the game winner with 7:15 remaining in regulation to lift the No. 4 seed Cadets to a 3-1 win over the No. 5 Greyhounds to advance to a Friday semifinal meeting with top-seeded Edina. With the win, St. Thomas Academy completed a quarterfinal sweep for Class 2A ‘s top four seeds.

“The pressure and the whole anxiety about this tournament, obviously I could see how it could happen if you could be in their shoes  to see how big a deal this thing is,” St. Thomas Academy Co-Head Coach Greg Vannelli said. “But I forgive him now.”

O’Neill opened the scoring midway through the first period with a laser of a shot that beat Duluth East goaltender Brody Rabold over his right shoulder. After Charlie Erickson’s second period goal for the Greyhounds made it 1-1 entering the final frame, O’Neill notched his 21st goal of the year, one-timing linemate Nico Vega’s pass over Rabold’s left shoulder. 

“He’s the most underrated, under-the-radar forward in the state,” Vannelli said. “We knew what we had with Ryan and he’s been a key guy all year offensively. That line today was phenomenal. They had good puck possession; they have not been outplayed all year.”

McClain Beaudette’s empty-net goal with 1:28 remaining sealed St. Thomas Academy’s first state quarterfinal win in four trips to the state tournament since the Cadets bumped up to Class 2A six years ago.

“Our team just had a lot of confidence coming into this game,” O’Neill said. “We just kind of felt, especially as seniors that we were going to win this game.”

 Photo Gallery by Jonny Watkins for Minnesota Hockey Magazine. Follow Jonny on Twitter at @jwatkinsphotog.

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After a historic season for the Minnetonka Skippers, the team reached its ultimate goal of capturing their first state championship with a 5-2 win over the Duluth East Greyhounds in Class AA.

A fast start and a fortunate bounce helped the Skippers hold off the Greyhounds despite Duluth East outshooting Minnetonka 23-14 over the final two periods.

Long Time Coming

After finishing as runner ups in 2010, third place in 1990 and a consolation championship in 2006, the Minnetonka Skippers finally have their long awaited state championship. Skippers coach Sean Goldsworthy – who is in his first year as head coach – was a member of the 1990 team that finished third, and the start of tonight’s game gave the coach an eerie feeling.

“I played in that third (place), semi-final game in game and lost it,” Goldsworthy said. “We fell behind early, and it felt pretty similar, we were down two zip right away to Roseau. But these guys have conviction. They really believe each in each other, we came back and I really felt we were going to get back in that game and take over.”

Which is why it meant so much for the coach to win the title in his first year.

“To come home and win a title in your first year, I’m pretty realistic I don’t know if that’s going to happen every year.”

Goldsworthy also took time to thank his seniors and reminded everyone else in the room that he hopes this group can stick together and build something special for years to come.

“So maybe follow my lead, we got some good kids. I’m really happy for my seniors. They mean a lot. These kids are special and they’ve blessed me.”

Exciting Start

After both teams felt each other out, it was Duluth East who netted the game’s first goal at the 7:11 mark when junior Ricky Lyle took a beautiful centering pass from senior Austin Jouppi and Lyle found the back of the net. The Greyhounds lead wouldn’t last long, though, as they received a tripping penalty and were forced to go on the penalty kill.

Initially, goaltender Parker Kleive made a barrage of saves but Jouppi, who had an opportunity to clear the puck down the length of the ice, elected to just throw it behind his own end line giving Minnetonka more time to hold the zone. Seconds later, Bobby Brink tied things up on a rocket shot from the slot which beating Kleive .

The Skippers continued to buzz after their power play and just over 90 seconds later, senior Matt Koethe streaked in untouched, threading a shot on the short side of Kleive giving Minnetonka the 2-1 heading into the first intermission. Koethe’s goal turned it out to be the game-winner.

Minnetonka celebrates on the ice after capturing their first championship in school history. (MHM / Jonny Watkins)

Molenaar’s Hop

Skippers senior Joe Molenaar came into the tournament pacing his team with 29 goals but only having eight assists in 28 regular season games. However, Molenaar took more of a distributing role in this year’s tournament. He assisted on two of the first three goals Minnetonka scored in the championship game and had two other helpers in the games leading up to matchup with Duluth East. Yet, when you have a natural goal scorer like Molenaar, he’s eventually going to cash in. Even when the puck happens to go off his skate and into the back of the net giving the Skippers a 4-2 lead with 14 minutes to play. Molenaar said those are the kinds of bounces that team has earned all season.

“[Grant] Docter made a nice look down low and it happened to go right off my foot,” Molenaar said. “I think with this group, stuff like that seems to happens to us. We are always working, we’re the hardest work of guys I’ve ever been around. I think at the end of the day that’s reason all these bounces go are way because good things happen to teams where everyone is one the same page and rolling together.

Molenaar was also rewarded as the 2018 Herb Brooks Award for representing the values, characteristics, and traits Brooks embodied to keep his legacy alive.

Stick Tap from Duluth East

Minnetonka was the No. 1 seed in this year’s tournament going 24-2-2, meanwhile Duluth East was seeded third at 23-2-3. The parity was insanely close and, ultimately, there has to be a winner and there has to be a loser –  which is why Greyhounds coach Mike Randolph gave credit to the Skippers.

“At the end of the day, we lost to a heck of a hockey team,” Randolph said. “They’re a great team, they’re a great champion and I’m happy for Goldy. He’s done a heck of a job there and I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”

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Orono claims first-ever state title with 2-1 win over Alexandria

Lucky 13

Wittenberg (No. 13) skates away with arms raised after his game winner. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

Orono junior forward Landon Wittenberg, who wears jersey No. 13, defied his perceived unlucky number to score the biggest goal of his life and his community’s hockey history. Wittenberg’s first goal of the tournament and 11th of the season with 10:43 to play stood up as the game winner to give Orono its first Class A state championship in eight tournament appearances.

A shot from the left point by defenseman Jack Kubitz missed wide left but the carom off the end wall went right to Wittenberg near the right post. Alexandria goaltender Jackson Boline, who lunged at Kubitz’ shot, had no time to recover before Wittenberg banged home the game winner with 10:43 remaining in regulation.

“I was so surprised that the puck just popped right out on my stick and it was just like, no way I can miss this, I just hammered it as hard as I could and left no doubt,” Wittenberg said. “I’d say the boards here are definitely more lively than any other rink we’ve played in, so shooting it wide is most of the time a good play.”

Wittenberg said he wore number nine throughout his youth career but it was taken when he arrived at Orono as a freshman. He took one of the only numbers left and is proud to put it on when he gets the opportunity.

“Everyone knows about Jack Jablonski and I think it’s an honor to wear that number. Every time you put that jersey on you should go out there and kind of think of him and you should work your butt off because he did and he’s done so much for this game.”

Alexandria’s Jack Westlund scored the Cardinals’ lone goal in Saturday’s Class A state championship game. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

How we got there

Thomas Walker got the Spartans got on the board first at 7:18 of the opening period on a nifty backhand feed from Lucas Jorgenson. Jorgenson carried the puck from the corner to Boline’s left and found  Walker near the right post who buried it for his fourth of the tournament and 22nd of the season.

The Cardinals drew even at the 15:07 mark of the first period when Ben Doherty’s clean faceoff win found Jack Westlund whose quick wrister from the top of the left circle beat Babekuhl high for his second of the tournament and 16th of the season.

Walker took responsibility for the goal.

“He was my guy, I was hustling out there and he shot it right through my legs and I think it kind of screened Evan.”

Alexandria wins special teams battle but not the war

The Cardinals played with fire in the second period but managed to escape getting burned, potentially badly. Alexandria was called for four second-period penalties, two of which overlapped resulting in a 20 second 5-on-3 for Orono near the 16 minute mark.

While the Cardinals managed to hold Orono to just three shots in its 7:05 of power-play time, playing half of the period shorthanded made it tough for Alexandria to generate any offense as the Spartans outshot the Cardinals 10-1 in the second.

“It’s just part of the game,” Alexandria coach Ian Resch said. “When you’ve got to kill, it taxes your top D, your top forwards and your goalie’s stressed a little bit.”

On the other hand, Alexandria’s penalty killers were outstanding in holding the Spartans to 0-for-5 with the man advantage. Orono was fortunate that its failure to capitalize on those man advantages did not come back to haunt them.

“The funny thing is we went and practiced on Thursday and worked on the power play for about a half hour and they were whipping it around and it was great,” Scholz said. “On the big stage, we didn’t quite do it today but they’re resilient, they work hard and they don’t get rattled to often.”

Been there before

Orono’s seniors, including goaltender Evan Babekuhl who finished with 15 saves, won a Minnesota State Bantam A state championship together in 2015. Three years later, the Spartans are celebrating once again, time as Class A state champions.

“I think that just made the senior group even more hungry,” Walker said. “We tasted a little piece of cake, now we want the whole thing so that was kind of our mindset throughout the whole year.”

Boline takes loss hard

An obviously devastated Boline, who finished with 25 saves, was flooded with teammates consoling him in the crease after the final buzzer. Westlund was one of them and said Boline was the reason the Cardinals were even in the game to the end.

“He had nothing to be ashamed of, he played unbelievable all year, especially in the playoffs,” Westlund said. “Without him we wouldn’t have been in this game tonight.”

Boline, who was named the recipient of the Herb Brooks Award after the game, clearly appreciated the support.

“I wouldn’t be here without these guys. Most of these guys – all of these guys – on this team are my family. I love them all… Just a tough way to go out.”

From underdogs to Cinderella story

A the third seed in the Section 6A playoffs, Alexandria scored upsets against two higher-seeded teams to reach the state tournament for the first time since 2011.The Cardinals shut out second-seeded Sartell-St. Stephen in the semifinals and shocked No. 1 St. Cloud Cathedral in the championship game, 3-2.

Alexandria followed that up by beating Thief River Falls for its first-ever quarterfinal win before blowing out top-seeded Hermantown 6-1 in the semifinals.

Resch said he couldn’t be more proud of his underdog Cardinals.

“It’s going to take a couple days but the guys will be able to reflect and realize what they accomplished,” Resch said. “Right now, they’re in the middle of it, it stings, it hurts but they’ll be talking about this and they’ll remember this for the rest of their lives.”

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Notes and quotes from Day 2 of the Class AA state tournament

No. 2 Edina vs. No. 3 Duluth East

Greyhounds top Hornets in state semis for for third time since 2011

Fluke goal, stellar goaltending the difference as Greyhounds head back to title game

Luck of the Hounds

For a game that more than lived up to the hype, the game-winning goal did not quite measure up.

Duluth East junior defenseman Frederick Paine’s wrist shot from outside the blue line near the Edina bench deflected off Edina goaltender Garrett Mackay’s blocker and straight up in the air. Mackay lost track of the fluttering puck and it dropped harmfully behind him across the goal line for a 3-1 East lead 9:08 into the third.

“My coach (Dylan) Mills always tells me to put shots on net, so it’s like why not put a shot on net from the red line and it worked,” Paine said.

“That puck is round but it doesn’t always bounce round,” Edina coach Curt Giles said. “It was one of those flutter balls. You talk to any goaltender, they’d much rather have a direct shot shot at them than have a knuckleball come at them.”

Duluth East goaltender Parker Kleive congratulates teammate Frederick Paine on his third-period goal which turned out to be the game winner in the Greyhounds’ 4-2 CLass AA state semifinal win over Edina. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

Kleive vs. Walker: Advantage Kleive

Duluth East goaltender Parker Kleive came up big early, late and everywhere in between, finishing with 24 saves. Edina’s Samie Walker, a Minnesota Mr. Hockey favorite and Gopher recruit, factored in several of them, but a few stand out. 

The Hornets nearly got on the board just 2:36 into the game when Walker fed Jett Jungels for a breakaway opportunity, but Kleive was equal to the task and made a huge early save.

Kleive’s biggest save, however, came just over two minutes into the third period when Mason Nevers found Walker all alone just to Kleive’s right. Walker tried to wrap the puck around the sprawling goaltender but Kleive made a diving save to keep it a 2-1 game.

“He definitely played a good game,” Walker said of Kleive. “We had a ton of chances that we could have capitalized on that we missed and just a couple of bounces that didn’t go our way.”

With just over two minutes to go, after Nevers closed the gap to 3-2 for the Hornets, Kleive denied Walker once again from point-blank range and Nevers’ rebound attempt was shoved underneath the backside of defenseman Carson Cochran.

“It was just like a flash, like the time went by so fast. Just a bunch of people on top of me and I couldn’t even see the puck. I saw it hit my toe and it like bounced over a little bit … it’s always nice when the D try to help out and stop the pucks.”

Rapid Fire

The opening period was marked by a flurry of goals just past the midway point as the teams combined for three goals in a 2:08 span which ended with the Greyhounds holding a 2-1 lead.

Edina took the game’s first lead when Evan Shoemaker made a nifty move through the left circle and tucked the puck past Kleive just inside the far post at the 9:24 mark.

Nevers nearly made it 2-0 Edina when his shot from in close clanged off the left post. The missed opportunity hurt more when the Greyhounds tied it up 17 seconds later on Garrett Worth’s fourth of the tournament.

The Greyhounds weren’t done, taking their first lead just 55 seconds later on a goal by Ian Mageau. The senior forward carried the puck up the left wing boards and made a strong move cutting to the net around an Edina defenseman before shoveling the puck past Mackay.

More than Worth it

Worth added an empty-net goal, giving him five for the tournament and a Class AA leading 47 on the season. Remarkably, the senior has yet to receive a Division I college offer, much to the bewilderment of his coach Mike Randolph.

“I’m really frustrated because there’s not a lot of goal scorers around and I don’t get it,” Randolph said. “This guy knows where to go. Put him with the right people and he’s going to score goals. He’ll score at every level.”

Putting on the hits

Mike Randolph-coached teams are known for their physicality and this Greyhounds squad lived up to the reputation of their predecessors. Duluth East hit Edina early and often and did not allow the speedy Hornets to fly through the neutral zone as they are accustomed to doing.

The hit that drew the most fan reaction came less than four minutes into the second period when Duluth East’s Ricky Lyle read Walker’s drop pass to Jungels in the left offensive circle and the junior forward leveled Jungels with vicious open-ice check.

Hounds and Hornets History

Friday’s meeting between the two storied programs was the first since March 6, 2015 when Nick and Ash, the Altmann brothers, banded together for a pair of goals to lead the unseeded Greyhounds to a 3-1 win over then No. 2 seed, and two-time defending champion Hornets.

The teams have met five times in the state tournament since 2011, with four of those coming in championship play. Edina’s lone win in that span was a 3-2 state semifinal win in 2013 en route to capturing the first of the Hornets’ two straight titles.

No. 1 Minnetonka vs. No. 5 Centennial

One night after battling back from a two-goal deficit to eliminate St. Thomas Academy in the quarterfinals, Centennial jumped out to a 2-0 lead on goals by Hayden Brickner and Jack Menne just 4:19 after the game’s opening faceoff. Like the Cadets, however, the Cougars watched the lead, and ultimately a Class AA title game berth, slip out of their grasp.

Bobby Brink and Josh Luedtke each scored twice for the Skippers in a 6-2 win, a hard-earned win considering the 54 shots Minnetonka fired on Centennial goaltender Travis Allen.

“We know it’s a 51-minute game,” Minnetonka coach Sean Goldsworthy said. “That’s kind of how we treated it. First four minutes didn’t go the way we wanted it but we had a lot of hockey left.”

Centennial goaltender Travis Allen makes one of his 48 saves against Minnetonka in the Skippers 6-3 Class AA state semifinal win over the Cougars. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watlkins)

The Travis Allen Show

Like Philadelphia goaltender Ron Hextall winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in a losing cause against the Edmonton Oilers in the 1987 Stanley Cup final, Allen was the MVP of this game with his 48, often spectacular, saves. Allen even had the hat to show for it, donning winter headwear straight out of the movie Fargo, a donation from the Lino Lakes police department with the city’s crest affixed to it. The Cougars bestow it on the player deemed to be Player of the Game.

Allen, who as made 81 saves through two games of the tournament, said he thrives on all the action.

“I was having a blast out there, it’s not often you get shelled like that and can keep the game tied,” Allen said. “It’s my dream game, I just love getting shelled.”

“It’s not my dream game,” Menne interjected.

Scary moment

Centennial star Lucas McGregor struggled to leave the ice under his own power late in the second period after a collision at center ice with a Minnetonka player. McGregor got back on his feet and hobbled to the bench, immediately taking a seat in the back where he was examined by a trainer. 

McGregor returned to the ice following the second intermission and scored his first goal and second point of the tournament with 3:51 to play.

Tonka on the Brink

Minnetonka is in a position to win its first-ever boys’ Class AA hockey title thanks in no small part to star forward Bobby Brink. Only a sophomore, Brink led the Skippers in assists with 49 and, with four goals so far in the state tournament, has reached the 20-goal plateau. 

Brink scored twice against Centennial, getting the Skippers on the board in the first period and notching the go-ahead shorthanded goal just 59 seconds into the third period. Brink’s follow through on his third-period shot hit the post, knocking his stick out of his hands. The lack of lumber had no effect on his goal celebration, though.

Despite a mounting shots advantage with little to show for it, Minnetonka simply kept coming with the knowledge it was just a matter of time. David Andes scored what turned out to be the game winner 5:48 into the third and Luedtke put the game away four minutes later with his second of the game and the fifth point of the tournament for the Skippers defenseman.

“I think what you’re seeing is that we don’t have any panic,” Goldsworthy said. “We believe we played the toughest schedule in the state this year and, when you do that, it galvanizes you and it prepares you to be in situations like that.”

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Notes and quotes from Day 1 of the Class AA state tournament

By Declan Goff and Brian Halverson [table id=8 /]

No. 1 Edina vs. Lakeville North

Edina’s top line impresses in quarterfinal win.

It was hard to tell if the Class AA quarterfinal matchup between the Lakeville North Panthers and Edina Hornets was a hockey game or a track meet.

It was as if Edina had rockets glued to their skates in their 7-1 win over Lakeville North.

Speed Kills

Edina’s top line of Sammy Walker, Jett Jurgens and Mason Nevers have been terrorizing opponents with speed and goals all season. Every time the trio headed towards the net, Lakeville north just couldn’t keep up with them.

“You just can’t teach speed,” Nevers said who finished with two goals in the win. “When you can outskate teams for three periods it’s really special.”

Panthers coach Trent Eigner was well aware just how dangerous Edina can be with open space.

“You give a really good offensive team and you make them comfortable and loose, (I mean) good luck.”

Edina senior forward Sammie Walker’s goal and four assists led the Hornets to a 7-1 Class AA state quartefinal win over Lakeville North. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

The Sammy Walker Show

Edina senior Sammy Walker put on a clinic. With incredible quickness and a compass for the net, Walker was orchestrating offense all game long. He finished with five points points: one goal and four assists. With his team on the penalty kill, Walker skated coast-to-coast, deked out an opposing player at neutral ice and skated in untouched to beat Panthers’ goaltender Will Johnson to put Edina up 3-0 in the first period.

“The D stepped up on me, so I didn’t have a lot of options,” a humbled Walker said. “I just kind of threw it out to the middle and beat him to the puck and then the rest is history.”

Walker was drafted by the Tampa Lightning in 2017 NHL Draft and will also be playing college hockey for the University of Minnesota this fall.

Jett all the way

Walker’s linemate Jett Jungles is also having a phenomenal season. He came into the tournament with 23 goals and the junior ended up netting two more to go along with two assists in the team’s win. His first came on the power play and his second tally was on a 2-on-0 with Walker feeding Jungles a puck which he rifled to the back of the net.

“Yeah I was really picking if I should pass it back or not,” Jungles said. “Because I was like, I should give Sammy a goal – but I just got it and we both finished it off. It was a good play by Sammy.”

Like Walker, Jungles will also be playing college hockey, but at Northern Michigan. However he isn’t expected to join Grant Potulny’s Wildcats until the 2019-20 season.

— By Declan Goff

No. 3 Duluth East vs. St. Michael-Albertville

Mr. Hockey finalist Garret Worth’s hat trick leads Duluth East to a win over St. Michael Albertville.

The Duluth East Greyhounds marched to a 5-0 win over the St. Michael Albertville Knights in the quarterfinal round.

A potent offense and stellar goaltending set up the Greyhounds for a date with the Edina hornets in the semifinal round.

A hat trick for Duluth East’s Garrett Worth drove the Greyhounds past St. Michael-Albertville 5-0 in the Class AA state quarterfinals. (MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

Worth It

Worth has been scoring goals all season long. Entering the tournament, Worth, a finalist for Mr. Hockey, had 42 goals in 28 games this season. So go figure he that the senior continued his scoring trend with a hat trick. His first goal was a snipe from the slot, his second goal came when he buried a loose puck in front of the crease and his third was a tipped slap shot. It was a little bit of everything.

“To see that first one go in right away, I think that’s what jump started us,” Worth said. “We came out a little flat to start the game and we weren’t getting much chances and much quality looks. We stuck with it and Kleive came up big in the net and the puck started filling in for us.”

Unsung Hero

Obviously Worth and the Greyhounds offense was essential to the team’s win, but you have to give credit to Duluth East netminder Parker Kleive who pitched a shutout making 28 saves. Greyhounds coach Mike Randolph had high praises for his goaltender to make up for the team’s slow start.

“He earned that shutout,” Randolph said. “We were sloppy in a lot of areas of our game. I thought we came out a little anxious. And I thought as the game went on and we got stronger and stronger.”

Everyone loves Cake

It’s not exactly a secret that some fans pick on other schools who have a slew of students that come from high-income families. Which is exactly what was on Worth’s mind when asked why he’s excited to take on Edina in the semifinal round.

“It’s going to be an exciting game. I mean It’s Edina vs. East in the Xcel there’s nothing better than that,” Worth stated, with a big grin on his face. When asked to expand on that he replied, “It’s East and Edina, you kidding? It’s the cake from the north and cake from the south.”

— By Declan Goff

No. 1 Minnetonka vs. Hill-Murray

The Skippers scored early and then often, particularly in the first period, and cruised to a 6-2 win over the Pioneers.

Sophomore Bobby Brink scored twice as seven different Minnetonka players found their way to the score sheet. The two teams combined for three shots on goal in the first 5:53 of the game with all three finding the back of the net.

The Skippers celebrate the first of two Bobby Brink goals in the second period of Minnetonka’s 6-2 Class AA state quarterfinal win over Hill-Murray. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

Rapid Response

Joe Molenaar gave the Skippers a quick 1-0 lead less than three minutes into the game, but the Pioneers wasted little time netting the equalizer. Just 1:26 later, Hill-Murray senior Michael Fleischhacker beat Minnetonka goaltender Charlie Glockner to draw the Pioneers even again.

Not to be outdone, the Skippers showed they could play the quick answer game and beat the Pioneers at it in the process.

Sophomore defenseman James Miller’s goal 1:34 later to put the Skippers back out in front for good.

“One of our statements is, you’ve got to work harder after a goal, and that was disappointing,” Lechner said. “Hats off to Minnetonka, they worked harder after we scored.”

In the second, Hill-Murray’s Joseph Quast cut the Skippers’ lead to two with a sharp angle shot from the goal line to Glockner’s left at the 6:04 mark. But it took Brink just 25 seconds to score his first goal of the game for a 5-2 Minnetonka lead.

“We’ve been doing that all year,” Goldsworthy said. “I think we have resilient kids and we’ve been preaching next shift all year, whether we score or we get scored on.”

Department of Offense?

Miller’s goal was the first of his varsity career and he celebrated accordingly. Teammate, and fellow defenseman, Grant Docter, was among the happiest Skippers to be there the see it.

“We shoot a lot together and I’ve always wanted to see him get that first one so that was awesome,” Docter said. “He had a good celly too so it was good to see him get that first one and pull that big celly out of nowhere.”

Docter and defense partner Josh Luedtke finished with three assists each, sharing assists on three of Minnetonka’s goals to give the Skippers’ blue line a seven-point night. The duo finished plus-4 on the night and were not on the ice for either Hill-Murray goal.

Extra Special Teams

Brink’s shorthanded goal with 59 seconds to play was the 14th such goal for the Skippers this season against just 12 power play goals allowed. Minnetonka notched its 27th power-play goal of the season on Luke Loheit’s tally midway through the opening period.

The Skippers kept the Pioneers scoreless on three power-play opportunities, including a five-minute major boarding penalty to Loheit early in the third.

“We’ve got some kids, if you give them some space in an odd-man situation, you can score some goals,” Goldsworthy said.

No. 4 St. Thomas Academy vs. No. 5 Centennial

Cougars overcome 2-0 deficit and stage third period rally to upset Cadets 3-2

True Believers

Goals by Cade Huntley and Ben Stucker gave St. Thomas Academy a two-goal lead after one period and the Cadets appeared to be in control after goaltender, and Frank Brimsek Award finalist, Atticus Kelly withstood an early surge by Centennial. But appearances are deceiving according to Centennial coach Ritch Menne.

“Even if it had gotten to 3-0 I don’t think our guys were panicked,” Menne said. “We’ve got some firepower, we’ve got some great goaltending, we’ve got great defensemen and it’s an extremely tight group of players that truly love one another.”

Cougar Comeback

After Carter Wagner got the Cougars on the board in the second, Jack Menne’s shorthanded goal midway through the third tied the game at 2-2. Then with just 3:32 left in regulation, Hayden Brickner pounced on a rebound and fired a shot past Kelly for Centennial’s first lead.

“I think it got down to almost what goalie was going to make the last big save,” St. Thomas Academy co-coach Greg Vannelli said. “When they made that save on the first shift of the third period, on a 2-on-1, that was huge and then for us to give up a shorthanded goal … those two things, I think, decided that third period.”

Centennial goalie Travis Allen makes one of his 33 saves in the Cougars 3-2 Class AA quarterfinal win over St. Thomas Academy. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

The Big Save

The save Vannelli referred to was Centennial goalie Travis Allen’s tremendous stop on STA’s Ray Christy just 30 seconds into the third period.

“Just saw white [jerseys] and did a quick prayer,” Allen said when asked what he remembers of the play.

Allen, who split time with Bryce Crowley in the Cougar crease this season, stopped the final 24 shots he faced and 33 overall to give his team a chance. “We’re not sitting here this season if he hasn’t been as great as he’s been,” Jack Menne said of Allen.

Signature Win

Centennial came to St. Paul with an 0-3-1 record against tournament participants, losing to Duluth East and twice to Edina while tying Hill-Murray. That changed on Thursday and the Cougars have a chance to add to that win total against Minnetonka on Friday night.

“Our guys are battle-tested, they’re resilient, they’re positive, they support one another,” Ritch Menne said. “It’s a terrific group that’s had success all the way up and maybe they’ll get a little recognition after tonight.”

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