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“It was depressing for a long time,” said senior Blake Biondi. “And we came together as a group this summer.”

After Wednesday’s quarterfinal game, the Hawks appeared comfortable and right back where they belong. Hermantown, this year’s 3-seed in the Class 1A tournament, beat unseeded Monticello 7-1.

Biondi, a Mr. Hockey finalist, scored a pair of goals in the first period, about three minutes into the game and with 50 seconds left in the period for a 2-0 lead, before completing

Monticello’s Alex Opatz congratulates teammate Riley Ronayne on his third period goal which spoiled Hermantown goaltender Jacob Backstrom’s shutout bid on Wednesday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center. (Photo: Tim Kolehmainen / Breakdown Sports USA)

his hat trick with 22.8 ticks remaining in the second for a 4-0 lead. His goals in the first helped give the Hawks some breathing room, said Hermantown coach Patrick Andrews.

“I think it was important to get one right away and then at the end of the first, too, to kind of get some separation going in the second,” Biondi said.

The game was a rematch of the 2017 Class 1A championship game, when Hermantown won back-to-back championships as a top seeded facing an unseeded Monticello team (then Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake). Hermantown won all three state tournament games in overtime that year, beating the Moose 4-3 with 19.4 seconds left in the second overtime.

Monticello’s (20-8-1) goal came from junior Riley Ronayne when he sent the puck on net from center ice, and it bounced into the back of the net. “Pure luck,” Eric Nelson said.

Even with his team coming out on the losing side of Wednesday’s game, Nelson said anticipation for Friday’s semifinal between Cathedral and Hermantown – a game he said could have been a state-championship match-up – should be high.

“You’ve got two high-powered offenses,” Nelson said. “So, it should be a battle, a toe-to-toe battle. A heavyweight fight.”

Andrews said “Friday’s going to be a riot” in the semifinal against Cathedral. Biondi agreed that it’s going to be a great semifinal game, adding that they’re hungry and ready for the Crusaders.

Cathedral and Hermantown (22-3-4) will play in Friday’s first semifinal game after having skating to a 5-5 tie back on Jan. 3. Cathedral scored three goals in the third period, the last coming with 25 seconds left in regulation, to tie the game. It was a result that Zach Kilen, who scored a pair of goals Wednesday, called unfortunate from the Hawks side.

“We were up on them going into the third period,” Kilen said. “Just kind of laid back, thought we had it.

“We’re looking forward to a rematch with them.”

St. Cloud Cathedral opens title defense with dominating win over Mankato East/Loyola

Looking at the boxscore, it’s true that St. Cloud Cathedral had a blow-out victory with the 11-2 score.

A pair of 11s prepare to engage in Mankato East/Loyola’s Jake Schreiber (L) and St. Cloud Cathedral’s Ethan Cumming in the Crusaders’ 11-2 state quarterfinal win over the Cougars on Wednesday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center. (Photo: Tim Kolehmainen / Breakdown Sports USA)

But the game was actually tied 1-1 in the first period.

That lasted for a little less than five minutes though, before 2-seed Cathedral put on an offensive clinic to start the defense of its Class 1A title. The Crusaders (24-3-1) started the third period with running time and had 10 players tally goals in the first Class 1A quarterfinal game Wednesday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center.

“We have a lot of smart hockey players who can hit the open guy easily,” said Mr. Hockey finalist Blake Perbix, who had three assists and scored a power-play goal for a 6-1 lead.  

The Crusaders got a shorthanded tally 1 minute, 42 seconds into the game from senior defenseman Reid Bogenholm to get out to a quick 1-0 lead. But on the same penalty, the Cougars tied it up about a minute later with a power-play goal from junior defenseman Jake Schreiber.

Keeping the game 1-1 lasted a few minutes before the Crusaders scored a trio of even-strength goals before the end of the first period to take a 4-1 lead.

Crusaders coach Derrick Brown was happy his team stretched the lead from 2-1 to 4-1 pretty quickly in the first.

“I felt like after that we kind of put it in cruise control, and the guys did a lot of really good things,” Brown said. “We got some really good diversity. We got scoring from all four liens today. As a coach, you feel real good about that moving forward.”

Not only did the Crusaders have the scoring depth, they were able to mix up their lines and get all 20 players some ice time, including junior goaltender Ian Strong, who played the final 6:54 of the game after Grant Martin made nine saves in the game.

The Cougars got another one back late in the second period from Parker Anthony, but Cathedral scored two more times before the period was over – 40 seconds apart – to take a 9-2 lead into the second intermission on goals from Jack Smith, his second of the game and 25th of the season in only 15 games played and junior Cullen Hiltner.

In the running-time third period, sophomore Chandler Hendricks scored his first goal of the season to hit the double-digit goals mark for his team in the game.

“I just tipped it, and no one was on me,” Hendricks said. “And then I cellied.”

It was another victory for the Crusaders against the Cougars this season, with Cathedral winning 9-3 on Dec. 28 during holiday-tournament play. Fries called the Crusaders power play, which went 2-for-2, “deadly.”

“That team’s on first right now,” said Cougars coach Adam Fries. “They come at you hard. They come at you fast.”

The Cougars (14-14-1) have yet to win a state quarterfinal game in three trips. They’re 1-5 so far in state tournament play, also playing in the 2006 and 2018 tournaments. They won the 2018 consolation semifinal before losing to Thief River Falls in the consolation championship game.

“There’s never been a team in Mankato that’s brought back even a consolation championship,” Fries said. “I think that’s important for our guys. Why don’t we be the first? Let’s go out there and compete.”

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

No. 2 Mahtomedi vs. Mankato East

A descendant of Herb Brooks leaves his mark at The Tourney

Mahtomedi junior Joe Paradise’s trip to the state tournament is likely a self-fulfilling prophecy.

His grandfather, Herb Brooks – you may have heard of him before – helped St. Paul Johnson to a state championship in 1955. And just like grandfather, he left a lasting impression in the Zephyrs’ 4-2 quarterfinal win over the Mankato East/Loyola Cougars.

Paradise knew from a young age that hockey was going to be the sport he excelled at.

“Since, he was like, a big part of my family, so [I] kind of just got right into it right away,” Paradise said.

Paradise scored two goals in the victory and drew attention with his first-period goal celebration in which he and his teammates posed for a mock selfie with Paradise holding the virtual cell phone.

When asked if it was planned, a big grin drew across the junior’s face and replied, “Yeah, we did.” Both he and teammate Charlie Bartholomew couldn’t help but laugh about the celebration.

Mankato East’s Sam Schulz celebrates his second period goal to lift the Cougars to a 2-1 over Mahtomedi after two periods. (Photo by Tim Kolehmainen / Breakdown Sports USA)

Paradise opened the game’s scoring with a slick wrist shot that beat Mankato East goaltender Jack Cusey and he later tied the game for Mahtomedi just 31 seconds into the third period after the Cougars had taken a 2-1 lead into the second intermission on goals by Adam Megard and Sam Schulz.

Furious Finish

The final 10 minutes of play in regulation was quite chaotic, the referees handed out a barrage of penalties, with the highlight being a five-minute major on Layten Liffrig, giving Mahtomedi a five-minute power play. Eventually, Charlie Bartholomew netted the game-winning power-play goal to give Mahtomedi a 3-2 lead. Fifty-eight second later, Kory Pilarski scored another goal, securing the win for the Zephyrs.

Mahtomedi had had only come back once in the regular season when trailing after two.

“This team has shown grit all season, from day one,” Zephyrs coach Jeff Poeschl said. “And as a coach, it’s just a pleasure to be part of. Because on the bench, there’s no quit, there’s no panic. It’s, ok let’s get to work and let’s get this taken care of.”

No. 3 Orono vs. Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato

Orono continues to have Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato’s number

Both teams are very familiar with one another but it’s been a one-sided rivalry as Orono has not lost to Litchfield since 2001 and that streak continued in the Spartans 6-1 win over the Dragons.

“It came out that we’d beaten them 30-some times in a row and 2001 (I think) it was the last time they beat us,” Orono coach Will Scholz said. “So it’s always going to be in their heads but we just to try preach it’s not who we play it’s how play.”

Orono defenseman Zach Adams fights off a check from LDC’s Blake Johnson in the Spartans 6-1 Class A state quarterfinal win over the Dragons. (Photo by Tim Kolehmainen Breakdown Sports USA)

Flood gates open:

After a scoreless first, the Spartans caught fire in the second netting two goals that were 27-second apart. First, it was sophomore Lucas Jorgenson scoring, with senior Davey Burns making it a two-goal lead shortly after. Then the Spartans really poured it on, receiving goals from Daniel Eckerline and Jack Kubitz and just like that it was 4-0 after two.

“It was a fun a game,” Kubitz said. “It was definitely nerve racking in the first period but after we put one in, I think we knew we could beat them. Because the past games, we just had to get past the first one and then the floodgates would open.”

Senior mentality

As regulation winded down, the Dragons would finally get on the board via the power play when senior Orrin Grangroth scored his team’s only goal deficit to 5-1.

Grangroth, a senior who played in his last high school game took pride in making sure his team wouldn’t get blanked at the State Tournament.

“To have our team get on the board was big and not get shutout and it feels good to score on the big stage,” said Grangroth.

No. 1 Hermantown vs. Monticello

Moose give Hawks all they can handle

In a rematch from last year’s Class A championship game, the Monticello Moose faced the defending champions, the No. 1 Hermantown Hawks.

Hermantown jumped out to an early lead but Monticello would not go quietly and thanks to the heroic play of an underclassman, Hermantown will be moving on to the semi-finals.

Hermantown sophomore Blake Biondi (27) led the Hawks to a 4-2 Class A state quarterfinal win over Monticello with a hat trick. (Photo by Tim Kolehmainen / Breakdown Sports USA)

A Sophomore as the MVP?

Hermantown is no stranger to the state tournament but for a sophomore to register a hat-trick and earn game MVP honors? Now that’s something incredibly. His impressive play this season – and in the quarterfinal win – was something a powerhouse like Hermantown was surprised by.

“The other day, we were looking at old stats and we don’t remember a sophomore with the impact in points that Blake’s had,” Hawks’ first-year coach Blake Andrews said of Biondi. “I don’t know if we’ve ever had a sophomore with the hockey IQ in a total package of a game. So Blake has a lot of attributes to his game that most seniors would love to have.”

A humbled underclassman replied, “Thank you, coach.” after receiving such high praise from his coach.

Knock, knock, knock, guess who?

The Hawks are anchored by their top line of Tyler Watkins, Jacob Herter and Biondi as the trio has combined for 163 points this season. So it’s only natural, that they scored the first three goals. First Biondi snuck a past right under the glove of goaltender Tyler Klatt, with assists going to Watkins and Herter. After Hermantown drew a power play, Herter made it 2-0 with assists going to (guess who?) Biondi and Watkins.

Even when Monticello draped all over Biondi, he somehow outmuscles the opposition and pushed another puck to the back of the net, which gave the Hawks a 3-0 lead.

Miller Time

Monticello’s Matt Miller celebrates one of his two goals against Hermantown in the Moose’s 4-2 Class A state quarterfinal loss to the Hawks. (Photo by Tim Kolehmainen / Breakdown Sports USA)

It looked grim for Monticello after Hermantown took a 3-0 lead. Yet 28 seconds later, sophomore forward Matt Miller put on his Superman cape, skated into the offensive zone and blasted a puck from the point and Monticello was on the board. Miller continued to play hero just 2:17 later when the forward streaked in on a breakaway, beating goaltender Cole Manahan for a second time and all of the sudden it was a one-goal game.

“They never said quit,” Monticello coach Eric Nelson said. “They kept going, they kept battling and you know testament to Matt and his shot. He’s got a great shot and a great heart. Just kept getting pucks on net and he was fortunate to get a couple in.”

No. 4 Alexandria vs. No. 5 Thief River Falls

The Cardinals achieved a program first with their victory.

The Alexandria Cardinals and Thief River Falls Prowlers finished off quarter-final play.

In a low scoring affair, the Cardinals pulled through for a 1-0 win; giving the program its first ever state tournament victory.

Alexandria’s Jack Westlund celebrates his game-winning goal in the Cardinals’ 1-0 Class A state quarterfinal win over Thief River Falls. (Photo by Tim Kolehmainen / Breakdown Sports USA)

Tic-tac-toe

Alexandria’s top line of Ben Dohert, Caleb Strong and Jack Westlund we’re creating plenty of chances early on. After nearly lighting the lamp on multiple opportunities, Westlund received a beauty of a pass from defenseman Andrew Revering and Westlund buried the puck in the back of net.

“I got to give some credit to where credit is due to the people who assists me,” Westlune said. “Because without them I never score but it just feels great to be the one who scores, but I mean obviously it’s not just me it’s everyone.”

Westlund came into the tournament with 14 goals, which was tied for second on the team.

Prowlers can’t convert

Thief River Falls drew back-to-back power plays but weren’t able to convert either of them. They had a 5-on-4 for 1:43, followed by a 5-on-3 for 17 seconds, and then another 5-on-4 for 1:43. Yet the Prowlers were not able to convert as Alexandria’s penalty kill stood tall.

“The second period is the period I thought we just didn’t show up,” Thief River Falls coach Tim Bergland said. “Credit them for executing and we didn’t.”

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Quarterfinal matchup gives new-look Moose another shot at Hermantown

The third game of the Class A quarterfinals at the Minnesota state high school hockey tournament, on its face, appears to be the matchup that might hold the most intrigue for an obvious reason.

Monticello will take on top-seed Hermantown in a rematch of the 2017 Class A championship game – which the Hawks won in double overtime – allowing the opportunity for the Moose to exact its revenge.

But this is a different Monticello team with different goals and expectations with just some of the same pieces off last year’s team that made the memorable run to the title game. The former Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake also dropped its co-op with Annandale, going by just Monticello now despite Maple Lake remaining part of the co-op.

“It’s the same experience, but with a different group of guys,” said junior forward and captain Troy Dahlheimer.

“Last year, going into the tournament, our coach told us to enjoy the experience (of state) and just have fun. It turned out, once we got past the No. 2 seed (Delano), it only got easier from there. We knew we were a good team, we were really excited and that’s what drove us all the way to the championship.”

The primary instinct may be to figure Monticello returns an experienced roster with a group that’s played on the big stage, but only eight players return from last season’s roster.

The Moose will rely on Dahlheimer, who had two goals and three assists in the Section 5A Playoffs, for an offensive charge.

Monticello lost St. Cloud State verbal commit Ben Ward (a junior last season who scored 28 goals with 50 assists in 2017-18) to the NAHL and Nick Zwack (31 goals, 31 assists) to graduation. Both were Dahlheimer’s linemates.

“We’re a young team, but it really shows what our program has in store,” said Dahlheimer, who’s the Moose’s top-returning scorer from last season when he had 45 points and has mirrored that total with 45 points heading into state.

“We’ve really been letting these young guys know what an unreal experience the state tournament is.”

Monticello’s Troy Dahlheimer fights through a Ryan Sandelin check in the 2017 Class 1A state title game. MHM Photo / Jeff Wegge)

An eight-game stretch in which the Moose went 2-5-1 to end the regular season could’ve sent the team stumbling into sections. Monticello took that skid not only as a team-galvanizing experience, but also to get familiar with top-notch opponents.

Ranked Class A teams like Sartell and St. Cloud Cathedral beat the Moose, as did state tournament entrants Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato (Class A) and St. Michael-Albertville (Class AA).

“At the end of the year, we played faster teams and I like to think it helped our team play faster once we got to sections,” Dahlheimer said.

Added Monticello coach Eric Nelson: “We weren’t looking down at that point. We knew we had work to do. Sartell was a good team and we played them tough. We knew if we played like we did against Sartell and the way we played for a period and a half against Cathedral, we’d have a good opportunity to make it out of our section.”

Nelson said senior captain and defenseman Tyler Anderson is another key returnee from last season who wants to leave his mark on the program.

The goaltender Tyler Klatt is back to help the Moose attempt to replicate last season’s success and his team will likely need him to replicate his own success in order to make that happen.

Klatt posted a .929 saves percentage in the 2017 postseason and he’s been steady lately, stopping 94 percent of the shots he faced in sections.

“Klatt’s really stood on his head at times,” Dahlheimer said. “He comes up big on breakaways and good shots. He can make big saves when we need one.”

Klatt may have been the main reason the Moose were able to hang with Hermantown in the championship for three regulation periods and nearly two overtimes. He held the Hawks scoreless on 15 shots after the first period, which Monticello finished with one shot on goal.

The Moose put two quick goals on the board early in the second period, but Hermantown tied the game at three late in regulation to force OT.

Just when the game appeared to be lost on a goal in the second OT, the goal was overturned because of goaltender interference on the Hawks, giving Monticello new life.

“After the goal, I burst into tears,” Klatt said. “And when they called it off, I think we got momentum back a little bit.”

Dylan Samberg eventually netted the game-winner late in double overtime to clinch the Hawks’ third state championship.

Hermantown has experienced big changes of its own, with longtime coach Bruce Plante’s retirement after last season. Also gone is Samberg, a second-round NHL draft pick and defenseman at Minnesota-Duluth, and Minnesota State commit Ryan Sandelin.

“They’re obviously still a great team,” Nelson said. “They’re going to be fast, they’re going to move the puck well, they’re going to be physical like most northern teams are. They got the No. 1 seed for a reason.”

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