Despite not seeing any USHL action last spring, Zellers previously scored in his USHL debut – April 11, 2023 – and came into this season averaging a goal-per-game with the Green Bay Gamblers.

While it’s a pace that seems unsustainable over a full season, Zellers is flirting with exactly that through 36 games.

“I didn’t really know what to expect with it being my first full year here, but I came in with an open mind and just wanted to produce for my team and help us win hockey games,” Zellers said. “So it’s gone pretty well, individually and as a team, and I’m having a ton of fun so far.”

Pretty well is an understatement for Zellers, as the North Dakota commit leads the USHL with 32 goals and his 52 points rank third.

Zellers – a third-round pick (2024) of the Colorado Avalanche – hasn’t gone more than two consecutive games without a point and has 16 multi-point efforts. He’s also coming off a six-point (3-3-6) week and leads the league with six game-winning tallies.

After missing Green Bay’s first four games in September, he returned on Oct. 4, scoring three goals over his first two games. He’s continued producing from there.

“In the beginning it was pretty tough and it’s a big jump from the U18 level to the USHL, and obviously I was still coming back from my injury too,” Zellers said. “You get a lot less time and space with the puck and in the corner, and the guys are faster, stronger and more mature. So you have to adjust to that and be at your best every shift. But I think I’ve been able to adjust pretty well.”

It’s no secret the fast start helped Zellers’ confidence and it’s continued to grow. He’s been a factor every night for the Gamblers, even going back to his debut.

Green Bay’s staff has always liked his offensive instincts and competitiveness – which led them to select him in the 2022 USHL Phase I Draft.

He’s flashed both of those traits this season and as each game goes by, he only makes that pick look better.

“You look at his numbers and what he’s doing from an offensive standpoint, and honestly, it’s incredible,” said Green Bay head coach Pat McCadden. “Coming into this season he was no-contact in training camp and he missed the first four games as he was still coming back from his injury, and we didn’t know what to expect right away. But he scored three goals in the first two games and he’s never looked back. He’s just an unbelievably talented player.”

Will Zellers had 160 points (76-84-160) over 91 U18 games at Shattuck-St. Mary’s, and that production has followed him to the USHL this season. “I think I’m at my best when I’m using my skating and speed to drive the play and be on top of the defense,” he said. “I like to shoot the puck and I’d consider myself a shot-first guy, so my game really feeds off that and I try to be the first person on the puck and have the puck on my stick.” (Photo courtesy of Green Bay Gamblers)

Taking Steps
Zellers will be the first to admit his game is far from a finished product, and he’s especially prioritized his play away from the puck – which he still wants to improve before making the jump to college.

McCadden and assistant coach Mason Baptista both praised Zellers for his growth this season, citing his work ethic and coachability. He’s a natural goal scorer and thrives in the offensive zone, but he’s also taken pride in his play defensively.

“I think the most impressive part of Will’s game is how competitive he is,” McCadden said. “He wants to score so bad and he’s always willing to work for it, and at times he just wills the puck into the net. And I think that bleeds into his overall game.

“We’ve seen him play more of an effective, hard defensive game and he stays on pucks, and he’s improved in all three zones. So I think that’s helped him create more offense as well.”

Both coaches want to see him continue killing plays defensively and use his skating to his advantage, especially as a winger.

At the same time, Zellers’ game has plenty to like. Whether that’s his ability to read goalies, go to the net, win 1-on-1 battles, or choose the right play with the puck on his stick – which Baptista added sets Zellers apart.

“You look at his body of work from where he started this season to now, and it’s impressive. But it’s also not surprising when you see him work every day,” Baptista said. “He had the injury and didn’t get to start on time like everyone else, and you figured it would take some time. But he was able to get past it and move forward right away, and he’s really found his game.

“I think we’ve seen him consistently create chances and opportunities, and he’s learning how to adapt his game too. Regardless of the coverage he’s getting from other teams, he’s continued to produce, and that’s really a sign of a special player.”

Will Zellers and Aidan Park were teammates at Shattuck-St. Mary’s and developed plenty of chemistry, which has followed them to Green Bay. “I think Will’s game has skyrocketed over the last few years and he’s improved a ton, and he’s having an unbelievable year,” Park said. “He’s super competitive and a really good hockey player, but he’s also a really supportive friend and is always there for you, and he’s someone that’s just fun to be around.” (Photo courtesy of Green Bay Gamblers)

Bright Future Ahead
Zellers immediate focus is on this season. He wants to help Green Bay hoist the Clark Cup and develop his game, both on and off the ice.

However, he’s certainly looking forward to his future in Grand Forks. His parents, Kim and Kurt, grew up in North Dakota and went to UND, and Zellers attended a number of games at Ralph Engelstad Arena as a kid.

He grew up idolizing Zach Parise and later Brock Boeser, and his dog is even named after the latter. Zellers quipped he needed two more dogs so he could have his own CBS line, in honor of UND’s Drake Caggiula–Boeser–Nick Schmaltz combination.

Zellers initially committed to Boston University at 16 years old but had a change of heart, and he decided between Minnesota and North Dakota. The final decision was an easy one.

“It was a pretty fulfilling decision,” Zellers said. “Growing up as a kid and going to games at The Ralph, and now being able to play there this coming fall myself, it’s surreal. I know everyone in my family is really looking forward to it.”

Will Zellers’ dream school has always been North Dakota, where he will play next fall. He remembers first putting on skates around age 2 and joked that he learned how to skate before he could walk. He grew up skating on an outdoor rink every winter and has been obsessed with the sport since he was 5. (Photo courtesy of the Zellers Family)

So are those closest to him in Green Bay.

“I think he’s going to go into North Dakota and score right away, and he’s an extremely gifted offensive player,” McCadden said. “I know they’re excited to get him, and they should be, and I think he has the ability to do a lot of the same things he’s done for us this year. So I’m really excited for his college career and he certainly has the talent and ability to play professionally. I’m very excited for the kid’s future.”

Whatever that future holds there’s one thing Zellers plans to continue doing: Working. It’s what’s got him to this point and led to his success this winter.

“When I was little I was never on the Squirt A or AA team or the Peewee AA team, and I was always on the B teams, so I was never one of the top kids in my age group. But I think my path has made where I am today a lot more satisfying and helped my development,” Zellers said. “I’ve had to work a little bit harder and earn everything, and I’ve always been able to go back to those foundations. But that’s something I can take with me forever.”

The post Will The Thrill appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

The Plymouth native grew up glued to NHL Network and could rattle off any player’s stats or tell you where each team sat in the standings at the drop of a hat. He’s always had a passion for the sport and it started as a young kid skating on his outdoor backyard rink.

It’s a sport he’s found some success in too, whether that be in high school or now, as Gunderson has been one of the USHL’s top performers with the Sioux City Musketeers.

“I would just say the coaches have really believed in me and given me the opportunity to do well this year, and I’ve really just tried to take advantage of it,” Gunderson said. “Last year I obviously didn’t have the same opportunity and had to play a different role on our team, but I had a really good summer and changed a lot of habits, and I just wanted to make sure I could be at my best coming into this season.”

Gunderson is currently tied for the USHL point lead (44) through 37 games and his 15 goals are tied for ninth. The right-shot center has points in five of his last six and 13 multi-point games on the season, and he’s anchoring Sioux City’s top line between Giacomo Martino and Tate Pritchard.

It hasn’t exactly been a smooth road up to this point, as Gunderson put up 80 points during the 2021-22 season at Maple Grove, only to suffer an injury in November of 2022 – which limited him to 33 USHL games and forced him to miss the 2022-23 high school campaign.

Gunderson’s also been traded twice in the USHL, going from Madison to Green Bay in June of 2023 and Green Bay to Sioux City coming out of the Christmas break last season. Along with changing his college commitment multiple times from Western Michigan to Notre Dame and now Ohio State.

He struggled to contribute offensively in both Madison and Green Bay, or find a consistent spot in either lineup. Although he wasn’t a big point producer, he played a key role down the stretch for the Musketeers – who advanced to the Western Conference Finals last spring.

“When I got to Sioux City last year I hadn’t been playing a ton, so I really used that time to get into the gym and work on practice habits, but also focus on my eating and my nutrition so I could change my body around. And I think that’s been a big thing for me this season,” Gunderson said. “I carried that into this summer and the USHL is a really tough league, so you have to be at your best every night and I’ve just tried to put myself into the best position to be successful.”

Landen Gunderson made his USHL debut with Madison on March 30, 2022. He’s now played 120 regular-season games in his USHL career, including 65 with Sioux City. “I thought I’d be able to come into the USHL and play the same offensive game that I did in high school right away, which didn’t happen, but I think (playing in the USHL) has really broadened my horizons and made me a better overall player,” Gunderson said. “It’s a talented league and you learn to be versatile and embrace different roles, and I think it teaches you what it takes to be successful.” (Photo courtesy of Sioux City Musketeers)

A good change of scenery
Gunderson was someone that Sioux City head coach Jason Kersner and GM Sean Clark both targeted, especially as they geared up for a potential playoff run – which came to fruition.

Gunderson played 28 regular-season games for the Musketeers and another eight in the playoffs. He scored three times and added eight assists over those 28, and he finished a plus-2.

However, his value went well beyond the scoresheet, whether it was through faceoffs, his penalty-killing ability or simply his USHL experience.

“He had been on our radar for a while and we had a pretty good team last year, but we felt he could add some good depth to our lineup and he proved to be really valuable,” Kersner said. “Don’t get me wrong, we liked him a lot as a player and he’d previously shown he can score, but he was going to be a depth player and he did a lot of the little things well. But he just kept playing himself into more opportunities.

“So once the season ended and we had our exit meeting and knew he was coming back, he let us know he was ready for a top-six role and top minutes, and he believed he was ready to take a step. So give Landen a ton of credit because he had a big-time summer and he’s been unbelievable this season.”

That off-season work especially impressed the Sioux City brass, as Kersner said Gunderson looked like a “different player” at their main camp.

He came in leaner, faster and stronger, and the Sioux City staff could tell in June that he was poised for a big year – which has been huge for a team that lost its top eight point producers from a year ago. He got off to a quick start too, recording points in his first 13 games, and his confidence has only continued to grow.

Gunderson has continued to fill whatever role the Musketeers need, while once again showing his offensive ability and putting the puck in the net.

“I think the most impressive part about Landen is that he’s shown through his development that he can be such a versatile player in our league and now he’s putting up the points too,” Kersner said. “So when he goes off to school he has several different tools in his toolbelt and can potentially play whatever role (Ohio State) needs him to and then work his way up the lineup.”

Landen Gunderson came in as a ninth grader and racked up 147 points (45-102-147) over 78 career games at Maple Grove High School, including 80 (21-59-80) over 30 games in 2021-22. “He’s just always been an absolute competitor and doesn’t accept any mediocrity,” said head coach Todd Bergland. “He wants to perform at the highest level in everything he does and Landen’s just a gifted play-maker, and it’s been fun to see him progress to where he is now.” (Photo courtesy of Sioux City Musketeers)

Stronger through adversity
While any player would welcome Gunderson’s start to the season, perhaps his success is a little sweeter, especially with what he’s gone through the past two-plus years.

Although he spent time with Madison at the end of the 2021-22 season and played those 33 games in 2022-23, Gunderson considers this his second full season in the USHL.

He was still dealing with the lingering effects of a nagging injury at the start of last season and admits he probably rushed back from his ankle, but he’s back to 100% and it’s showing.

That doesn’t even include the mental hurdle that comes with playing in the USHL and managing the day-to-day ups and downs, which Gunderson has experienced his share of. This has been his first time since high school having the same coach coming into a season too.

Yet those around Gunderson aren’t surprised to see him power through it all and are happy he’s being rewarded.

“It’s outstanding to see but knowing the type of person Landen is, I’m also not surprised,” said Todd Bergland, who coached Gunderson at Maple Grove. “To think of where he was with Madison and the injury, and then last year was a little bit of an up-and-down season, things weren’t going perfect for him and it’s been a long road. But he’s battled through all the adversity and he’s doing a lot of the same things offensively that he did for us. So it’s been awesome to see how much he’s blossomed this year and the season he’s having.”

While he’s wearing a different jersey and a few years older, he’s showing many of those same traits and the type of player he can be, and he’s looking to continue doing so.

“I’ve went through a lot and it was a really tough two years, honestly, and I think that’s made this season even more enjoyable,” Gunderson said. “I broke my ankle and missed out on that senior year, then I got traded twice, so I was coming into this season and just really wanted to make the most of it.

“I think all the adversity I’ve gone through and some of that frustration only pushes you to be better and teaches you a lot of good lessons too, but I also wanted to prove to myself that I’m still a good player and can play at a high level. So I think the start to this year has been pretty rewarding and hopefully I can keep it going.”

The post Gunderson Gets Rewarded appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

“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.

The post Tonka Is Back appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

“I tell them they’re going to skate Herbies if they mess up,” McClanahan said, generating some laughter in the postgame press conference.

In all seriousness, McClanahan, a gold medalist from the 1980 Olympic team, said he talked about accepting and embracing the big stage with his team.

“It’s even bigger today than when I had the opportunity to play in it, eons ago,” said McClanahan, who saw an undefeated season get upended with a loss to Richfield in the 1976, single-class tournament quarterfinals.  

The 2-seed Bears relished the opportunity and came away with a 7-5 victory over Maple Grove in a back-and-forth thriller to kick off the 2A part of the boys’ hockey tournament Thursday afternoon. All seven goals came from the Bears’ top line, with junior Joe Miller netting a hat trick and senior Jack Sabre scoring two goals and an assist.

Blake held a 3-2 lead through two periods, but the action was far from over, with seven more goals coming in the third period. After Sam Jacobs tied the game a few minutes in for Maple Grove, senior Gavin Best and Miller connected for a shorthanded goal to re-take the lead.

Maple Grove’s Chris Kernan tries to beat Blake goaltender Aksel Reid to a loose puck during their Class 2A quarterfinal game on Wednesday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center. (Photo: Tim Kolehmainen / Breakdown Sports USA)

Miller and Best had a 2-on-0 opportunity through neutral ice and passed the puck back and forth a few times before Miller completed his hat trick.

“2-on-0s are pretty hard to come by,” Miller said. “But glad we were able to put it in the net.”

McClanahan loved to see the passing between two of his top players on that opportunity.

“It’s not just fun to watch,” McClanahan said. “I think it’s fun for the guys that are doing it.

“You move the puck like that, you’re going to have a lot of chances.”

Sabre made it a two-goal lead a couple minutes later, but Maple Grove tied it again with a pair of goals 1 minute, 16 seconds apart thanks to Tyler Oakland and Joshua Giuliani’s second of the game.

The game-winner came off senior defenseman Will Svenddal’s stick on the power play with 2:14 to play in regulation. His shot from the point made it through traffic and into the net. The penalty was a slashing call on Ben Leafblad.

“We battled the whole game,” Guiliani said. “I thought we were the better team. They got some lucky calls that I thought were not very good. And then they capitalized on their opportunities.”

A couple minutes later, Henry Nelson knocked the Maple Grove net off its pegs with 1:46 to play. McClanahan declined a penalty shot and chose to take the power play on the delay-of-game penalty. Best scored an empty-netter to seal the victory.

“It was pretty crazy,” Miller said. “I think I can say I’ve never played in a game quite like that. A lot of ups and downs. But I think we managed it well.”

Maple Grove coach Todd Bergland said after the game that he was not too upset about the delay-of-game call, but rather, he took issue with the slashing call during the tie game, “when we’ve got all the momentum in the world.”

“That clearly wasn’t a penalty,” Bergland said. “Again, refs are human. They make mistakes. And it’s a tough profession. I commend them for everything. But that was the game-changer right there. That was it. You don’t call that penalty, and we’re probably on the other end of the stick.”

These two teams faced each other not long ago, on Feb. 15 during the regular-season finale. The Crimson tied the game with 2 minutes, 2 seconds left in regulation before Sawyer Skanson scored the overtime game-winner about three minutes into the extra session for a 5-4 Crimson victory.

Blake (23-6-0) won the consolation title in 2006 in the Class 1A tournament. The program is in its first state trip as a Class 2A team, having opted up for the 2017-18 season.

Sabre called the Class 2A tournament the “holy grail.”

“This is the pinnacle of high school hockey, and this is where we wanted to be,” Sabre said. “We knew we could compete at this level.”

Maple Grove (20-9-0) is winless in three state tournament appearances so far (2012, 2017), taking an 0-5 record into the consolation bracket.

Eden Prairie pounces on Lakeville South

The state tournament is a place for star players to shine and add to their already impressive goal and points totals for the season. It’s a rarer to see a player score his first goal of the season on such a big stage.

But 3-seed Eden Prairie senior Kai Stansberry accomplished the feat, scoring what turned out to a game-winning goal in his team’s 4-0 shutout over Lakeville South in the second Class 2A quarterfinal Thursday. He put his team up 1-0 early on a mini breakaway, 3 minutes, 48 seconds into the game.

“My line, we do the heavy hitting,” Stansberry said. “We’re the grinders on the team. So, we like to get that jumpstart.”

It was a relief to get that first goal under his belt, coming on his line’s first shift of the game, too.

Stansberry shifted to the forward position about halfway through the season, according to his coach Lee Smith. They needed to make a change to get heavier and bigger to face the stronger teams as of late.

Eden Prairie Mr. Hockey finalist Ben Steeves scores the Eagles’ fourth and final goal in spectacular fashion during the second period of their 4-0 Class 2A state quarterfinal win over Lakeville South on Thursday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson)

“And we’ve been talking about him being the difference-maker down the stretch,” Smith said. “And today he was.”

The Eagles (23-5-1) had a 2-0 lead through the first period after a goal from Luke Mittelstadt before getting a pair of goals from senior Ben Steeves in the second. First, Steeves finished off play where the puck bounced back out front from the end glass.

The fourth goal was reminiscent of one of the most famous goals former Minnesota Wild player Mikael Granlund scored, a diving play at the goalmouth. Steeves was a man on a mission with that goal, noting how Lakeville South was playing defensively, man-to-man.

“Every time I’d hear someone say, ‘I’ve got Steeves! I got (Jackson) Blake! I got Mittelstadt!’” Steeves said. “And they would just stay on us.

“So, we kind of figured out that if you beat your guy that’s on you, you can just take it to the net and nobody will come to you because they stay on the other guys. When I put it through the guy’s stick, I just drove the net and buried it.”

Steeves, a Mr. Hockey finalist, is up to 35 goals this season.

Eagles senior goaltender Axel Rosenlund made 29 saves for his third shutout of the season. The Cougars had some more offensive zone time in the second period and got some chances in the third but couldn’t cash in.

“We needed to get that one in just to get the bench going and get everybody going,” said Lakeville South coach Janne Kivilhalme.

The game was a complete rematch of last year’s quarterfinal, a game Eden Prairie also won, but it took three overtimes to get to the 3-2 decision. The Eagles outshot the Cougars 66-29 in that one, including 27-8 in overtime.

The Eagles and Bears will face each other in the semifinals. Blake defeated Eden Prairie 5-4 on Jan. 25.

“Hopefully it’s not miracle on ice for them again,” Smith said. “Hopefully it’s our time.”

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Minnetonka’s Lacey Martin watches as her third period shot eludes Maple Grove goaltender Lucy Morgan for a 5-2 lead in the Skippers’ 7-4 Class 2A state tournament semifinal win over the Crimson on Thursday at Xcel Energy Center. (MHM Photo / Rick Olson).

Minnetonka avenges early-season loss to Maple Grove
 
In late November, Minnetonka lost to Maple Grove 3-2 in overtime.  But this time around it was the fifth-seeded Skippers who had the last laugh as they dominated No. 4 Maple Grove 7-4 in Thursday night’s Class 2A quarterfinal finale. 

The post Tonka Skips Past Crimson appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

After a day of upsets and a near miss in Class 1A, another high seed fell to open the Class 2A tournament when unseeded Lakeville South stormed back from a one-goal deficit to knock off St. Thomas Academy. Moorhead, on the other hand, became the first seeded team to take care of business in regulation with its win over Hill-Murray.

No. 1 Eden Prairie survived a scare in the evening session from unseeded defending champion Wayzata with a late rally. Goals came in bunches in the late game in a Grand Rapids comeback win over Maple Grove. See below for more.

No. 2 St. Thomas Academy vs. Lakeville South

Emotions ran high, especially early on in the Class 2A tournament’s opening quarterfinal clash between the Cadets and the Cougars. Having last qualified for the state tournament in 2012, Lakeville South brought no tournament experience to the contest while St. Thomas Academy returned four players from its inaugural Class 2A entry in 2015.

Lakeville South’s William Moore celebrates his third period goal to put St. Thomas Academy away. (Photo by Tim Kolehmainen/Breakdown Sports USA)

Whether that experience edge was a factor or not, the Cadets (23-5-1) jumped all over the Cougars in the opening moments, scored the game’s first goal and outhsot Lakeville South 17-4 in the first period. But the Cougars (19-9-1) rebounded for a 5-2 win, their first in the state tournament since Justin Kloos led them to a 2-1 third-place game win over Moorhead in 2012.

Lakeville South’s Cory Checco, William Moore and Bradley Golant each had a goal and an assist and goaltender Isaiah DiLaura weathered that first-period St. Thomas Academy barrage to finish with 31 saves.

 “We knew they were gonna come out strong and everyone was gonna have big emotions,” DiLaura said. “I just tried to channel my emotions and just stop every first shot and make every save that I could.”

Ray Christy, one of the Cadets’ four tournament returnees, got STA on the board first just past the halfway point of the opening period at a time when the Cougars were playing firmly on their heels.

“We started out nervous because none of us had been there before and it’s kind of a glorious experience, I want to say,” Checco said. “Once we kept getting the puck down deep and forechecking their forwards the way that we usually do when we play, I think we took over the game.”

Checco’s goal at the 12-minute mark of the first drew Lakeville South even on the scoreboard but, more importantly, it gave the Cougars a much-needed confidence boost.

“From there we just took it and ran with it because we just wanted it more,” Checco said. “I felt like after we got that first one, we got the first jitters out of the way.”

Despite the huge disadvantage in shots, Lakeville South coach A.J. Bucchino felt like his team was in good position tied 1-1 after the first period.

“It was a great situation, it was a two-period hockey game after that,” Bucchino said. “As a coach we just try to keep our composure and remind these guys to keep it simple and keep moving and, as you know, in sports anything can happen.”

What happened was Jack Olsen gave Lakeville South the lead 4:55 into the second and Checco set up Dawson Klein for the eventual game winner just 47 seconds later. It took STA’s Brenden McFadden only 26 seconds to pull the Cadets back within a goal at 3-2 but that’s as close as St. Thomas Academy would get.

Moore’s goal with 3:26 to play sealed it for the Cougars and Golant added an empty netter in the final minute.

No. 3 Moorhead vs. Hill-Murray

Moorhead’s Matt Herbranson celebrates what would be his game-winning goal in the Spuds’ 4-2 win over Hill-Murray. (Photo by Tim Kolehmainen/Breakdown Sports USA)

Moorhead scored three times in the last half of the second period to create the separation it needed in a tight battle with the Hill-Murray as the Spuds advance to the state semifinals with a 4-2 Class 2A quarterfinal win over the Pioneers.

Moorhead (23-3-3) will face Lakeville South in the early game on Friday night in a rematch of the 2012 state tournament third place game, the last time each school played in a state semifinal.

Jacob Holtgrewe scored the game’s first goal and added an assist, Kyler Kleven notched a pair of assists and Matt Herbranson potted the eventual game winner at 10:31 of the second period. Moorhead goaltender Lance Leonard outdueled Frank Brimsek Award nominee Jake Begley to pick up the win with 24 saves.

The Spuds carried a 1-0 lead into the second period but Hill-Murray’s Joseph Quast knotted things up for the Pioneers 6:27 into the second period. But Carter Randklev and Herbranson scored 38 seconds apart surrounding the 10-minute mark to open up a two-goal Moorhead lead.

Back-to-back power plays late in the second breathed life into Hill-Murray (19-6-4) as Derrick Breezee scored on the first one to make it 3-2 Spuds. But after the Moorhead bench was penalized for too many players on the ice, the Spuds’ Jack Steeze sucked the wind out of the Pioneers with an unassisted shorthanded tally to make it 4-2.

Moorhead turned it up a notch in the third period, outshooting Hill-Murray 15-6 for a 38-26 advantage in the game. The teams combined for an astounding 32 blocked shots in the hard-fought contest.

No. 1 Eden Prairie vs. Wayzata

Eden Prairie’s Jack Jensen celebrates after teammate Nolan Sullivan’s empty net goal secured a 3-1 Class 2A quarterfinal victory for the Eagles over Wayzata. (MHM Photo / Jonny Watkins)

Casey Mittelstadt’s championship dream survived on Thursday night. But just barely. 

Nicky Lievermann’s goal with 1:22 remaining capped off a third period comeback and lifted top-seeded Eden Prairie to a 3-1 Class 2A quarterfinal win over defending champion Wayzata.

Mittelstadt, who spurned offers from the Gophers and the USHL to return to the Eagles for his senior season, won a faceoff back to Lievermann at the left point who fired a shot through traffic that beat Wayzata goaltender Reid Waszczenko. 

Eden Prairie (22-4-2) was also the favorite a year ago when it lost 5-3 to Wayzata (10-18-1) in the 2016 state championship game. The expectations were even higher on Thursday facing a team that rallied in the section playoffs after posting a seven-win regular season.

Wayzata led 1-0 with less than seven minutes remaining when Eden Prairie defenseman Noah Deraney’s one-time blast from the right point deflected off Trojans’ forward Tyler Stevens and over Waszczenko to tie the game at 1-1 at 10:31 of the third period. The goal was Deraney’s first of the season.

“I had a chip on my shoulder from last year,” Deraney said. “I just wanted to go out there and just contribute to the team any way I could. It’s a good way to start.”

The goal celebration was a mixture of joy and relief.

“The biggest thing was to keep playing like we were,” Eden Prairie coach Lee Smith said. “We were having great opportunities, we just weren’t getting a lot of second chance opportunities because the goalie was doing such a good job and they were boxing out really well.”

Waszczenko was outstanding throughout and finished with 35 saves including a memorable pair in the opening period, stoning Mittelstadt on a nifty deflection seven minute in and Jensen with a quick left pad five minutes later.

The late-game rally may never have happened if not for Eden Prairie goaltender Nick Wiencek’s third-period heroics. Despite facing just 15 shots, Wiencek made perhaps the game’s biggest stop with under 10 minutes to play, thwarting Wayzata’s Griffin Ness after the Trojans forward stepped around both Mittelstadt and Sam Pajor in the slot. 

“As a coach, all you can do is rally and you’ve got to rally that, ‘This guy just made the save that saved our season,” Smith said. “And our guys became Warriors and played even harder down the stretch.”

After a scoreless first period, the Trojans struck first when Grant Anderson picked his corner with a laser of a wrist shot that beat Wiencek’s outstretched glove 55 seconds into the second. But that’s all the Wayzata offense could muster against the star-studded Eagles.

Wayzata coach Pat O’Leary fed Mittelstadt a steady diet of the Trojans’ top defensive pairing of Jack Carlson and Anderson and Wayzata frustrated Eden Prairie by blocking 20 Eagles shots.

“We teach our kids to play three zones so pucks are hitting us,” O’Leary said. “It’s one of those deals where we block 20, or whatever you said, but two hit us and went in our own net so it’s the nature of the beast.”

No. 4 Maple Grove vs. No. 5 Grand Rapids

Photo by Jonny Watkins

In stark contrast to Thursday night’s early game between Eden Prairie and Wayzata, goals were anything but hard to come by in the nightcap. 

Grand Rapids exploded for four second-period goals, including three within 2:41, to turn a one goal deficit into three-goal lead and the Thunderhawks rolled to a 6-4 Class 2A quarterfinal win over Maple Grove.

Trailing 2-1 after one period, Grand Rapids got goals from John Stampohar, Jack Burnson Drake Anderson and Blake McLaughlin, the final three in short order, to carry a 5-2 lead into the final period. 

“We like to play better when we’re down a couple goals, for whatever reason,” Grand Rapids coach Trent Klatt said. “We’re certainly not trying to put ourselves in a hole but we’re not worried when we get behind a couple goals because we can score.

“It would just keep me from having a heart attack on the bench if we would just start at the beginning of the game.”

McLaughlin scored twice to lead a quintet of Thunderhawks with two points including Gavin Hain and Burnson with a goal and an assist and Michael Heitkamp and Micah Miller with a pair of assist each. Goalie Zach Stejskal turned aside 25 Maple Grove shots for the win.

Sam Huff’s three-point night (1-2–3) led the way for Maple Grove while Justin Kelley added a goal and an assist. Crimson goaltender Ethan Haider made 30 saves in a losing cause.

Things looked dire early on for the Thunderhawks as Maple Grove’s Trevor Kukkonen scored just 20 seconds into the contest and the Crimson led 2-0 at the 4:26 mark on Huff’s goal. Maple Grove had nine of the game’s first 10 shots and appeared to be in control.

But Gavin Hain’s goal at 11:32 of the first gave Grand Rapids life as it headed to the first intermission down by just a goal.  

“Once we pumped that second one in, I mean the floodgates kind of opened up,” McLaughlin said. “We started finding twine and it was a fun comeback.”

Kelley’s goal closed the gap just 18 seconds into the third but McLaughlin’s second of the game restored the cushion. The Crimson wasn’t done yet, however, as Jayden Walsh made it 6-4 with just under eight minutes left in regulation. 

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Oberle goal lifts Eden Prairie over Maple Grove for Class 2A title

Lauren Oberle could not have picked a better time to score her first goal of the state tournament. 

After Eden Prairie gained a two-man advantage with 3:18 left in overtime, Oberle snuck the puck past Maple Grove goaltender Breanna Blesi, propelling the Eagles to a 3-2 state championship victory over the Crimson. 

Oberle’s goal earned Eden Prairie its third state title and first since 2008.

Maple Grove had momentum through the third period and into overtime, which included a puck that hit the left pipe in overtime. Thus, the Eagles knew their best opportunity to win was the 5-on-3. They didn’t want to waste it. 

“We knew we would have a lot of time on the puck, but we would just need to look for the right moment,” Oberle said. “(Naomi) Rogge saw me with the puck, and that was the right moment.”

The Crimson (22-6-2), who made their first state appearance in 2016, came in 8-8 on the penalty kill at state. The Eagles (22-7-2), however, found a way to beat it once in the second period, and when it mattered most in overtime. 

Eden Prairie coach Jaime Grossman said his team’s intelligence, which earned them section all-academic champions in 2016, played a key role in cracking the Crimson’s perfect penalty kill. 

“This is a smart group,” Grossman said. “When we teach them stuff, they pick it up pretty quickly and they execute it the way we ask them to execute it.”

The group was also smart enough not to get down after Maple Grove scored two-third period goals in 80 seconds to tie the game at 2-2 with 10:27 left in regulation. 

The way the game was finishing in the third period, it seemed Eden Prairie would walk away with the victory. But, the Crimson had other plans. 

“They continued to fight,” Maple Grove coach Amber Hegland said. 

The four goals scored in regulation was surprising considering the level of goaltending both net minders displayed in the state semifinals. 

Both Blesi and Eagles’ goaltender Alexa Dobchuk shut out their opponents on Friday night, and the goaltending battle on Saturday lived up to its billing in the first period. 

Blesi picked up right where she left off on Friday when she made 43 saves in a shut out Hill Murray. She stopped 10 shots in the first period, but her most impressive first period moment was when she denied two consecutive shots when Eden Prairie had a 2-on-1 during a Crimson power play. Blesi never lost composure, keeping her team right in the close game. She finished with 41 saves. 

Alexa Dobchuk, who stopped 28 shots in the victory, came out just as strong as Blesi, showing no signs of nerves despite the stage. 

“When you know it is going to be a tight game, you have to have faith in the Lauren Oberle’s of the team that they are going to get a goal for you,” Dobchuk said.

Anna Gravelle and Rachel Werden scored the two second period goals for the Eagles, which set up Oberle’s overtime winner. 

Eden Prairie doesn’t have any Ms. Hockey finalist, and many of its players won’t likely win individual accolades. Yet, here the Eagles stand with a state championship trophy. 

The key to their success: the players bought into playing team hockey. 

“We think some of our kids get underrated because we play a team game,” Grossman said. “There are some teams that let their kids take over games and play individual, but we ask our kids to play disciplined, system hockey.”

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