Warroad had jumped ahead early and went on to win the game 6-2, avenging a game two weeks earlier when Roseau won 3-2 in overtime in Roseau. As I sat there, looking at this enormous video screen 20 feet away, a fellow stepped in front of me, looked out from under a knit cap and over a graying goatee and said: “John Gilbert. Do you remember me?”

I had to admit that I didn’t recognize him.

“Neal,” he said. “Neal Broten.”

You’ve got to be kidding! Here was one of my favorite hockey players ever, and I didn’t recognize him. We had a nice conversation. He came up from the Twin Cities area to visit his dad and mom, Newell and Carol, who still live in Roseau.

That was one of many conversations I had, including one with David Christian, who also drove up from the Twin Cities for Hockey Day Minnesota. The crowds for the event were very good, as the temperature hovered in the mid-20s. My wife, Joan, and I drove up Friday, hoping to arrive in time to see the Roseau-Warroad alumni game, which would hinge on which side could round up the most alums. Roseau alums whipped Warroad alums, 6-2.

On the 4 and a 1/2-hour drive up from Duluth to Warroad, we tuned in KDAL radio to hear Bruce Ciskie’s broadcast of the UMD-Wisconsin women’s WCHA game at AMSOIL Arena. Wisconsin won a close game, but I was astounded to notice that Ciskie has adopted a style in which he gives the time on the clock — “11:30 of the second period” — as the official time of the game. He didn’t say time remaining, which would have legitimized it, but he just gives a time and the period, which is totally disconcerting to a listener like me, who wants to know the score and the remaining time. (When I got back, I asked Ciskie when he started doing that, and he said, “I hate doing math.” Huh?)

We got to Warroad and checked in, making friends with the beautiful little owner’s dog, Bentley. After trying, but failing, to get over to the end of the alumni game, Joan and I went over to Izzy’s, which used to be owned by Izzy Marvin, but which still sells the best hamburger in town. Like every other establishment in town, Izzy’s was jammed.

A group of young players periodically cleared ice buildup from the outdoor rink. (MHM Photo / John Gilbert)

Picture-perfect Hockey Day
It was a nearly perfect three days in Warroad last weekend, which was the ideal time for moderate temperatures and the lack of the usual January snowing, blowing and freezing in this little Canadian border town on the Southwest tip of Lake of the Woods. The organizers did a fantastic job of laying out the outdoor rink on the high school football field, which had one end zone right up against the Marvin Event Center. That center became our gathering spot for everything from watching hockey games to eating a steady flow of different foods supplied throughout all three days for anyone fortunate enough to have a VIP or media pass.

As a long-term resident of the pampered life of a sportswriter, I’ve grown to appreciate all the various press boxes I normally visit while watching games. No such luxury this time, so I spent much of it standing outside to shoot photos from in front of the windows of the event center. That was where I watched the very impressive Warroad girls high school team, ranked No. 2 in Class 1A, lose 4-3 to big and powerful Class 2A-foe Lakeville North, a team that has a good shot at making the state tournament.

The Warroad teams paid tribute to their heritage, and to the achievement of gaining the continued use of the term “Warriors” after numerous politicians had tried to get them to drop the name. Saturday started with the indigenous drum band playing an opening tribute that was quite an emotional attraction. And the Warroad players wore jerseys that had “Kaabekanong Ogichidaag” emblazoned on their chests. That, in Oglala Sioux, means “Warroad Warriors,” somebody said.

Another person said it was a modernized term for “War in the Road,” which dates back to the 1800s, when the warring factions of different tribes fought their battles on the road leading into Warroad. Probably for the rights to the many huge walleyes waiting for fishermen out on Lake of the Woods. The area tribe made a deal with the city of Warroad to give them the land on which to build their new school back in the early 1900s, and the agreement included a deal that assured the school would keep the name “Warriors” as a tribute to the Native Americans.

There were games for all age groups, from youth to college, and included some high school attractions. One of those attractions came in men’s hockey when Concordia College (Moorhead) came from behind to beat a strong St. Olaf team 4-2 with three third-period goals in a Division III classic.

There were also video tributes to Henry Boucha, who died in September, and continuing tributes to the Marvin family, which runs various industries, including the huge window-building plant that is the area’s largest employer.

Wayzata skated past Moorhead 5-2 in a boys high school feature. (MHM Photo / John Gilbert)

The Warroad girls high school team is coached by David (Izzy) Marvin, who has brought them to prominence and state championships. Izzy’s dad is the late Cal Marvin, who owned a resort and was general manager and coach of the Warroad Lakers, who won Canada’s Allen Cup for Senior Men’s teams.

“Other small towns that start girls programs need to do what Warroad has done,” Izzy said. “And that is to get behind the girls program. When we started, Cal got behind the girls program, and when Cal was behind something, not many people chose the other side.”

Perfect explanation for Cal’s influence and for the Warroad girls’ success.

Wrapping up the weekend
After watching and shooting photos at games such as the Wayzata boys powerhouse whipping Moorhead 5-2 in one of several other high school games, it was time for the Warroad-Roseau boys high school weekend highlight. I was prepared to head back outside to get a spot for shooting photos. However, the two rows of standing sites ahead of the event center were elbow to elbow, with the grandstands on both sides of the football stadium also jammed, as a crowd possibly approaching 5,000 filled every spot.

That’s what sent Joan and me back inside and over to the huge video screen for the Bally Sports North telecast.

As the second period ended, the sun was going down and it felt a little chillier, and I suggested to Joan that since we were watching on the big screen, we could hustle back to the hotel and catch the third period and maybe the Wild-Anaheim finale on BSN in our room. So we took off.

We got to the hotel in time to see the third period of the Warroad-Roseau game. But for some unknown reason, the connection between BSN and the motel had quit and despite scrolling through every station in the guide, we never found the end of the game. Nor did we find the Wild game, although we tried hard enough that we were too tired to go out seeking a late dinner, and we settled for crackers and cheese that we had brought with us.

When we were through with our snack/dinner, I tried scrolling through one last time — and there we found the Wild-Anaheim game! Just in time to see the Wild collapse into their bye-week swoon.

We slept well, got up Sunday morning and started our return trip in the test-drive Prius I was driving for my automotive column. We wanted to get back in time for the NFL championship games in the AFC and NFC, so we thought a quick breakfast at McDonald’s would be best, grabbing a couple bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwiches. We pulled into the drive through and were informed they quit selling those at 10:30 a.m., and it was already 10:40 a.m.

So we took off, heading east on Hwy. 11 for Baudette, another Lake of the Woods town. Passing through, we saw Alice’s Restaurant, where an impressive waitress named Ashley took care of our orders for Denver omelettes, whole wheat toast and… some of the worst coffee this side of instant.

But it got us home, after a fantastic Hockey Day Minnesota weekend in Warroad. Next year, the extravaganza will be in Shakopee. The following year, it will move to Hastings. Both of those cities will have a major challenge trying to live up to the high-bar setting of Warroad, which remains “Hockeytown, USA.”

The post Friends Boost HDM appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

William Howard Taft had just been elected President of the United States.

The Titanic was three years away from its ill-fated voyage in the Atlantic; and the University of Minnesota, which had been playing its hockey games on frozen Como Lake in St. Paul, was amid a nearly 20-year hiatus from competition.

But just a stone’s throw from the Canadian border, high school hockey teams from Warroad and Roseau were squaring off against one another for the very first time.

So, the origins of one of Minnesota’s greatest sports rivalries commenced long before official record-keeping began in the mid-1940s.

“Why would people say it’s the best rivalry? I think because everybody has something in the game,” said Larry Olimb, Warroad native and 1988 Mr. Hockey Award recipient. “In Warroad, everyone’s part of the hockey community, and Roseau is the same way. Then just being so close to each other, and being so competitive over the years.”

The U.S. Olympic team, as well as the NHL, have reaped the benefits of this far-north region of Minnesota.

But both hockey havens have perhaps shined brightest in youth and high school competition, regardless of the era.

“In 1999, my senior year, we won a double-A state championship,” Mike Klema said, looking back on the rivalry.

Klema, a Roseau native, went on to play four years at Yale, and is now vice president in the Roseau Youth League and coaching his two Mite-aged sons.

“I just looked back at it from my experience thinking what a great, great run of teams that Roseau and Warroad produced in the 90s,” he said. “And that’s not to shortchange any other decade, because obviously, going back to the 40s, Roseau and Warroad have had really strong histories.”

Past and present, the names are synonymous with Minnesota hockey: Marvin and Christian; Oshie and Nelson; Bjorkman, Boucha and Broten.

Both communities have consistently produced great players and even greater play on the ice.

“No matter if one program has a lot more talent than the other a certain year it doesn’t matter,” said Gigi Marvin, a Warroad native and three-time Olympian for Team USA. “It seems like everything goes out the window and you just play on character and heart and passion and so it’s a lot of fun.”

Rivalry by number
The towns are just 26 miles apart, with the population of Roseau eclipsing that of Warroad, 2,712 to 1,810 respectively.

By the numbers, as they pertain to hockey, Roseau holds the edge as well, with a series record of 107-71-5 since 1945. The two schools battled on 30 occasions throughout the 1960s, the most of any decade.

Roseau has 34 appearances in the boys’ state high school tournament, with seven championships. Two of those titles were won in Class 2A, after the advent of the two-class brackets.

Warroad has made it to the tourney 24 times, bringing home four Class 1A titles.

In the years before the 1991-92 season, schools competed in the single-class system. For Roseau and Warroad, that meant only one team would emerge from the Section 8 region and head to the state tournament.

“By the time we’re done playing each other in high school, we’ve probably played each other 30, 40 times,” said Bill Lund, a Roseau native who was part of the Rams’ 1990 state championship team.

Lund played his college hockey at St. Cloud State and later skated four seasons for Lake Charles in the Western Professional Hockey League.

“Back when we were squirts, we’d play them four times every year, all the way through,” Lund recalled. “And then obviously, in summer hockey, they used to come over to our camp.

“For a couple of weeks in the summer we got along. In the winter, we didn’t get along so well.”

The animosity was tempered for Lund after college when he played on Cal Marvin’s storied Warroad Lakers Senior A team.

“It was Roseau and Warroad guys along with a bunch of other guys playing for the Allan Cup up in Canada,” Lund recalled fondly. “It was one of the best memories ever, playing those two years with the Warroad Lakers.”

Talent throughout the decades
One common theme – regardless of era – rises above the battles: Players who competed in the rivalry still carry an appreciation for the level of competition and how it only raised their game.

“The thing about that rivalry is both teams are usually really good every year. So, that’s what makes it even better,” said Hampton Slukynsky, Warroad’s 2023 Goalie of the Year who now plays with the Fargo Force of the United States Hockey League.

“I think with having two really good teams in northern Minnesota, it makes it a lot more competitive. You want to be better than Roseau, if you’re from Warroad. Or if from Roseau, you want to be better than Warroad.”

Last season, Warroad had the unique distinction of not only having the Goalie of the Year in Slukynsky, but also Mr. Hockey Award recipient Jayson Shaugabay on their roster as well. The pair led the Warriors to Class 1A runner-up finishes the past two seasons.

For Shaugabay, the rivalry ranks as the pinnacle in his accomplished amateur career.

“Leading up to the Roseau-Warroad game has always been the most exciting time in my life,” Shaugabay said. “Even when I was 5 years old watching or, until I got to play in it, it was the most anticipated two games of the year.

“It’s pretty much just like playing in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but the high school version and it’s just so fun.”

Ready for Hockey Day
Warroad is primed for the three-day event, which has far surpassed earlier incarnations in size and scope.

That excitement is no doubt taken up several notches this January when Hockeytown USA hosts Hockey Day Minnesota.

“Back when it started in Baudette, Minnesota, it was mainly just a game,” said Tad Palmquist, Hockey Day Minnesota co-chair. “Now it’s an entire village. So, it’s everything. We added everything from a big snow hill for the kids to sled down. We’ve added a mini version of the skate path we have on the river.”

The village will also feature exhibits honoring Warroad’s rich hockey history and that of the region. A tribute to Cal Marvin and his Warroad Lakers legacy will highlight the event, as will a ceremonial puck drop in tribute to Henry Boucha, who died on Sept. 18, 2023.

But Palmquist is quick to point out that the weekend will highlight not only Warroad but the entire region, including Hockeytown’s favorite rival.

“We know it’s hard to get the Hockey Day way up north like this, especially in a rural town like Warroad,” he said. “So we want to celebrate all the local towns and obviously Roseau being a key part of that.”

While Warroad will travel to Roseau for their first meeting of the season at the historic Roseau Memorial Arena on Jan. 9, the main event will face off on Jan. 27, for a Hockey Day Minnesota showdown no one will soon forget.

“One thing about our rivalry is it’s not always bitter,” Palmquist said. “On the ice, it’s bitter, maybe. But it’s also built on respect.

“And a lot of these people end up being friends along the way.”

The post The Rivalry appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

This is the 18th Hockey Day Minnesota, and it makes you wonder what it took those who make such decisions so long before going to the northernmost reaches of the state to select Warroad as the host. The town population is about 1,800, which is only a percentage of those inside Warroad Gardens, the perfect indoor arena that fills up for every home game of the Warroad Warriors.

The town also boasts some of the greatest iconic players of Minnesota’s long hockey history, and is half of the state’s most intense hockey rivalry. The other half is Roseau, which is about 20 miles to the west of Warroad. Travel five miles east to find Baudette, another small town that would rather boast about its walleye fishing than its hockey. 

Warroad, located on the southwesternmost tip of Lake Of The Woods, a huge, sprawling lake that stretches into Canada and houses various resorts and cabins and countless of the delectable-eating walleyes, would never shrug off its fishing heritage, but it also would never let it intrude on its love of hockey.

If you go back in the annals of state hockey, you find legendary names such as Max Oshie, the Marvin family, brothers Gordon, Roger and Billy Christian, Henry Boucha, Alan Hangsleben, Gopher All-America Larry Olimb, and on up to the modern era, when T.J. Oshie of the Washington Capitals and Brock Nelson of the New York Islanders carry the torch for Warroad’s current presence in the NHL.

The Marvin family owns Marvin Windows, the largest employer in the area and the builder of classic windows and doors for home building. Cal Marvin, meanwhile, managed the Warroad Lakers, a senior men’s team that lured outstanding ex-college stars to Warroad to work, make a living and play for an amateur team that was the only American senior team to win Canadian amateur senior championships.

The Christian Brothers ran the Christian Brothers Hockey Stick factory, which once filled the stockrooms of all the top area Division I colleges. They played at North Dakota, and the three brothers all played together on the National and Olympic teams including the 1960 gold-medal U.S. Olympic team that beat the Russians and won Gold at Squaw Valley, Calif.

So, the subtle highlight of Hockey Day Minnesota, with games televised by Bally Sports North, is that there are great high school games. That includes the 4:30 p.m. Saturday-afternoon battle between the Warroad and Roseau boys’ teams. But at 8 p.m. Friday, there will be a Warroad-Roseau alumni game — which could be a classic, depending on who can round up more alumni.

Otherwise, an almost constant flow of strong high school games, a men’s college game with Concordia College-Moorhead facing St. Olaf, a high-ranking Wayzata-Moorhead boys’ high school game, plus high school girls’ varsity and JV games will run throughout the days on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The climax is supposed to be the Saturday night game with Anaheim facing the Wild at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. 

UMD women’s team in midst of tough stretch
All of that doesn’t mean the college hockey teams entering both the men’s and women’s stretch drives are relaxing for the weekend. Hardly.

“Every weekend feels like playoff hockey,” said Maura Crowell, coach of the Minnesota-Duluth women’s hockey team. “I’m lucky to have 20 players who can play at such a high level.”

The Bulldogs are in the midst of a tough couple of weekends. They traveled to Ohio State to face the No. 1 Buckeyes and lost 3-0 and 1-0. That means for the month of January, the Bulldogs lost 2-1 and tied 2-2 at No. 8 Quinnipiac, then swept Bemidji State with a pair of shutouts before suffering the two shutout losses at No. 1 Ohio State. Instead of a rest, the Bulldogs are back home at AMSOIL Arena to take on No. 2 Wisconsin.

“I’m happy with how we’re playing, especially last Saturday night, when we lost 1-0,” Crowell said. “I thought Saturday night was one of the best games of the year. Ohio State is No. 1 — by far, in my opinion right now — and we’re No. 7. I’ll take that for now.”

Crowell’s optimism has infested her players, who seem to have shrugged off the obvious fact that you don’t win many when you get shut out for a whole weekend.

“We played one of our best games Saturday at Ohio State,” said Bulldogs senior forward Clara Van Wieren. “It was good to see us implementing all the things our coaches have been telling us.

“Yes, I’d love to get into a high-scoring game, but the WCHA is so tough, and there are such good goalies that it’s hard to score.”

UMD’s women are 10-8 in the WCHA, fifth behind Ohio State (17-1), Wisconsin (14-4), Minnesota (12-5-1) and St. Cloud State (10-7-1), and being pursued by the rest of the league, Minnesota State-Mankato (4-14), Bemidji State (2-16) and St. Thomas (2-16). The Bulldogs are buoyed by the fact that after losing 3-0 at Wisconsin on Dec. 1, they upset the Badgers 3-2 the next night, but that second game has also probably caused Wisconsin coach Mark Johnson to circle this weekend’s dates.

College men’s hockey teams with their own Hockey Days this weekend
UMD’s men also return home this weekend after a weird series at Western Michigan. The Bulldogs broke open a tight 2-1 game Friday by scoring five third-period goals for a 6-3 win in a rare outburst, with all four lines contributing for a team that has had trouble getting any goals. The Bulldogs lost 5-2 the following night.

In the NCHC men’s race, St. Cloud State (7-2-3) is tied with North Dakota (7-4-1) for first place, with Denver (8-3-1) third. St. Cloud State is home against seventh-place Omaha this weekend, while a major showdown series has Denver at North Dakota. Minnesota-Duluth, sixth with a 4-7-1 record, is home against eighth-place Miami.

“They’re a big, heavy team,” UMD coach Scott Sandelin said of Miami. “When we played in their building, we were ready one night, and not ready enough the other. They’re a good hockey team, and we’ve got to approach them that way. They’re behind us, and we want to keep them there.”

Minnesota teams stand 1-2-3 atop the CCHA, with upstart St. Thomas first at 10-6, followed by Bemidji State (8-7-1), and Mankato (8-5-1). With a light slate this weekend, Mankato is at home against Northern Michigan with a chance to rise.

Minnesota has struggled to move into contention in the Big Ten, and this weekend may be the Gophers’ turning point. Standing third with a 7-4-3 record, the Gophers play at second-place Michigan State (10-2-2) for two games, while first-place Wisconsin (10-2) plays at fifth-place Michigan (4-6-1).

Not all of Minnesota’s teams are celebrating Hockey Day Minnesota, but they might as well be.

The post Warroad Is Focus For HDM appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

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The post State Tourney Gallery: Lakeville North vs. Roseau appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

SCOREBOARD | GAME LIVE

SAINT PAUL—The Minnesota Class AA Boys’ State Tournament couldn’t have gotten off to a better start than an overtime thriller and that’s what the crowd was treated to. Lakeville North and Roseau were tied 1-1 and were even at 30 shots apiece before freshman Henry Enebak scored the game-winning goal 5:08 into in overtime for the Panthers.

“It’s pretty hard to describe, I can’t really put it into words,” Enebak said. “It’s been a fun year and I just got lucky.”

The game was a defensive battle as it was halfway into the second period before Roseau notched the first goal of the game off the stick of Alex Halstengard. But Lakeville North’s Jack Poehling tied the game only 53 seconds later. That would be the only scoring until Enebak’s in overtime.

“It’s great for the program, it’s great for the kids,” Lakeville North coach Trent Eigner said of the win. “I’ve been on the other side of it and our kids are excited.”

Lakeville North, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, had its hands full with Roseau through much of the game. The Panthers seemed to control most of the game with long periods of time spent in the offensive zone, but then the Rams would come down and through a flurry of shots on Jake Oettinger.

“People talk about the seedings but at the end of the day you’re down to eight really good hockey teams,” Eigner said. “You’re going to see good hockey games, but to get through this first game is a big step for out hockey program.”

Roseau held their own throughout the game but Ryan Anderson was definitely key early on as the Panthers were creating plenty of turnovers in the Ram zone.

“We needed to survive the first five minutes of that game, and we were real shaky and nervous to start off with,” Roseau coach Andy Lundbohm said. “We got that first T.V. timeout, we sat everybody down and said ‘let’s just play some hockey’ and then I felt we kind of took it to them.”

Lakeville North will play the winner of the second quarterfinal game featuring No. 3 Eden Prairie and Centennial on Friday at 6 P.M. Roseau will of course play the loser of that game on the University of Minnesota campus at Mariucci Arena.

The post Panthers Dodge Rams appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

Lakeville North Panthers (23-4-1, 15-2-1)
Head Coach:  Trent Eigner (2nd season, 48-36-2)
Section:  1AA
Conference:  South Suburban, 1st place
State Tournament appearances:  (8) 2002, 03, 04, as North:  06, 10, 11, 13, 14
State Titles: None

Road to State:
Dodge County 11-1
Owantonna 7-1
Lakeville North 6-0

Top 5 Scoring Leaders:
Player                       GP    G    A    Pts

Jack Poehling             28    28    23    51
Nick Poehling             28    12    29    41
Tristen Hazlett           28    12    26    38
Ryan Poehling            27    11    22    33
Max Johnson              27    12    19    31
Jack McNeely             28    4    26    30

Goaltending Leaders:
Player                    W    L    T    GAA        Sv%        Sho

Will Dupont             14    1    0      1.87          .904           2
Jake Oettinger          9    2    1      1.62          .937            3

What to expect:  
The Panthers head to the state tournament for the second straight year, but this year as the No. 2 seed — and the Panthers are a legitimate contender for the title.  There is plenty of offensive balance on this team and they keep the puck out of the net as well with one of the best goaltending tandems in the league.  Senior Tristen Hazlett erupted for 9 points (3g-6a-9pts) as they decimated their Section 1AA opponents by a 24-2 margin in three games.  After starting the season 2-3-0, the Panthers are 21-1-1 in the past 23 games and have a solid chance to build on their performance of two losses in last year’s tournament.

Edina Hornets  (22-4-1, 7-0-1)
Head Coach:  Curt Giles (14th season, 301-102-15)
Section:  2AA
Conference:  Lake Conference, 1st place
State Tournament appearances:  (36) as Edina 1955, 56, 57, 60, 62, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, as Edina East 73, 74, 77, 78, 79, as Edina West 81, as Edina 82, 83, 84, 87, 88, 89, 95, 96, 97, 98, 2000, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
State Titles: (11) 1969, 71, 74, 78, 79, 82, 84, 88, 97, 2010, 13

Road to State:
Prior Lake 8-2
Bloomington Jefferson 5-1

Top 5 Scoring Leaders:
Player                       GP    G    A    Pts

Miguel Fidler                27    18    27    45
Dylan Malmquist        25    14    25    39
Cullen Munson           27    18    19    37
Tyler Nanne                27    8    22    30
Kieffer Bellows           25    11    18    29

Goaltending Leaders:
Player                         W    L    T    GAA        Sv%        Sho

Andrew Rohkohl        20    4    1        1.90         .920          3
Kobi Boe                        2    0    0        1.00         .944          0

What to expect:  
This season is the eighth straight trip to the state tournament for the Edina Hornets and 36th overall.  Head coach Curt Giles quietly picked up win No. 300 with Edina’s 8-2 section semifinal win over Prior Lake.  It is the work of the Hornets’ skipper that positions his team for success each year.  The Hornets are 10-0-0 in their last 10 games and have been defensively solid, allowing less than two goals against per game this year.  Goaltender Andrew Rohkohl is seldom talked about yet has put up a stellar season for the Hornets.  His team is the No. 1 overall seed and is the favorite to capture back-to-back championships, which would be the first time a team has done that in Class AA since Bloomington Jefferson’s three-peat from 1992-94.

Eagan Wildcats  (18-9-1, 9-8-0)
Head Coach:  Mike Taylor (11th season, 202-95-11)
Section:  3AA
Conference:  South Suburban Conference, 5th place
State Tournament appearances:  (4) 2006, 11, 12, 14
State Titles: None

Road to State:
East Ridge  5-1
Cretin-Derham Hall 2-1
St. Thomas Academy  4-2

Top 5 Scoring Leaders:
Player                      GP    G    A    Pts

Jack Jenson               28    20    36    56
Kyle Stebbing            26    18    18    36
Tommy Muck            28    9    21    30
Nick Wolff                  26    10    15    25
Max Elsenheimer      28    9    12    21

Goaltending Leaders:
Player                         W    L    T    GAA        Sv%        Sho

Andrew Lindgren        18    9    1       1.73          .934           5

What to expect:
The Wildcats experienced pockets of struggles this year, especially early in the season.  At one point they sported an ordinary 9-7-1 record.  Since then, the Wildcats are 8-2-0 and have won five straight.  Mike Taylor’s Wildcats have been to the tournament three of the last four seasons and looked the part taking out top seeded Cretin-Derham Hall and highly regarded St. Thomas Academy in the Section 3AA tournament.  The Wildcats’ power play is tough and they have the goaltending to shut anyone down in Andrew Lindgren.  Eagan defeated the Edina Hornets earlier in the year and are capable of putting together three more wins to earn a potential first state tournament championship.

Stillwater Area Ponies  (16-10-2 , 11-5-2)
Head Coach:  Matt Doman (1st season, 16-10-2)
Section:  4AA
Conference:  Suburban East Conference, 4th place
State Tournament appearances:  (1) 2014
State Titles: None

Road to State:
Tartan 6-3
White Bear Lake 2-1
Hill-Murray 2-1

Top 5 Scoring Leaders:
Player                            Gp    G    A    Pts

John Heddle                   26    17    17    34
Devin Cates                    25    9    14    23
Sam Sagissor                 28    12    11    23
Brandon Jungmann     25    9    12    21
Mitch Reinke                 26    5    14    19

Goaltending Leaders:
Player                      W    L    T    GAA        Sv%        Sho

Josh Benson              11    8    1      2.59          .892           1
Scotty Finberg            2    0    0     2.50          .844          0
Daniel Ahrendt          3    2    1       3.79         .809           1

What to expect:  
For the first time since 2004 — and just the second since 1981 — a team other than Hill-Murray and White Bear Lake will be representing their section. The Ponies knocked off White Bear Lake and Hill-Murray with back-to-back 2-1 wins in the Section 4AA semifinals and finals.  They adhered to coach Matt Doman’s plan and shut down a pair of teams that were prolific offensive teams.  The Ponies believe in their game plan, and goalie Josh Benson was lights out in back-to-back efforts.  The Ponies have a tall order in the tournament-tested and top-seeded Edina Hornets in the quarterfinals.  If they execute like they did in the section playoffs and convert on their scoring chances like they can, the Ponies can be a potential bracket buster.

Centennial Cougars (16-10-2 , 8-7-2)
Head Coach:  Ritch Menne (3rd season, 51-26-4)
Section:  5AA
Conference:  Northwest Suburban Conference, 5th place
State Tournament appearances:  (3) 2004, 2013, 2014
State Titles: (1) 2004

Road to State:
Champlin Park 5-1
Maple Grove 4-0
Blaine 2-1

Top 5 Scoring Leaders:
Player                      GP    G    A    Pts

Ryner Gorowsky        27    25    16    41
Connor Lovick           28    18    16    34
Adam Anderson        28    7    21    28
Collin Hughes            28    11    12    23
Colton Berg                27    7    13    20

Goaltending Leaders:
Player                   W    L    T    GAA        Sv%        Sho

Blake Miller            12    10    1    2.49         .897            4
Jon Albers            4    0    1    2.13        .892        1

What to expect:
The Centennial Cougars make their second straight appearance to the tournament this year and third overall.  A spirited section final win over the Blaine Bengals illustrated that the Cougars can beat any team in this field.  They bring a solid blend of skill and grit led by Ryner Gorowsky, the cousin of Tom who led the 2004 team to the title that year.  Last year, the Cougars lost a heart-breaking overtime quarterfinal round game to the Wayzata Trojans and will look to build from that experience as they open with the Eden Prairie Eagles.  The Cougars are 5-0-1 in their last six games.

Eden Prairie Eagles  (17-8-3, 3-4-1)
Head Coach:  Lee Smith  (21st season, 394-143-30)
Section:  6AA
Conference:  Lake Conference, 3rd place
State Tournament appearances:  (7) 1992, 99, 2001, 03, 09, 11, 14
State Titles: (2) 2009, 11

Road to State:
Robbinsdale Armstrong 8-0
Holy Family Catholic 6-2
Benilde-St. Margaret’s 3-2 (ot)

Top 5 Scoring Leaders:
Player                          GP    G    A    Pts

Steven Spinner            28    20    27    47
Luc Snuggerud           28    9    37    46
Michael Graham        28    18    20    38
Colton Schmidt          17    12    11    23
Riley Argetsinger       28    10    10    20

Goaltending Leaders:
Player                   W    L    T    GAA        Sv%        Sho

Jake Gerdes            11    7    2       2.75        .897            1
Erik Evers                3    1    1        2.35        .898           0

What to expect:  
Lee Smith’s team has two Mr. Hockey finalists on the roster in Steven Spinner and Luc Snuggerud.  They rank No. 1 and 2, respectively, in scoring on the team and lead the Eagles in more than just points with veteran leadership and a thirst to win.   After stumbling through the difficult Lake Conference (3-4-1), the Eagles turned up their game in the section playoffs and defeated the highly regarded Holy Family Catholic Fire by a score of 6-2.  The Eagles followed that up with a well played defensive tussle, a 3-2 overtime win over Benilde-St. Margaret’s, to advance to the state tournament.  Smith is just six wins shy of 400 in his 21-year coaching career and his teams have been productive in recent years.  When in St. Paul, the Eagles earned state titles in each of their last two appearances.  Eden Prairie opens the tournament against Centennial in what should prove to be a defensive chess match from the opening face-off.

Duluth East Greyhounds  (21-6-1)
Head Coach:  Mike Randolph  (26th season, 544-149-20)
Section:  7AA
Conference:  Independent
State Tournament appearances:  (21) 1958, 60, 61, 64, 75, 91, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 2000, 03, 04, 05, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
State Titles: (3) 1960, 95, 98

Road to State:
St. Francis 6-0
Grand Rapids 5-2
Elk River 3-2 (ot)

Top 5 Scoring Leaders:
Player                       GP    G    A    Pts

Nick Altmann            28    20    26    46
Phil Beaulieu             28    18    24    42
Alex Trapp                 28    7    26    33
Jack Kolar                 26    19    9    28
Brian Bunten            28    8    17    25

Goaltending Leaders:
Player                       W    L    T    GAA        Sv%        Sho

Gunnar Howg            16    5    1       1.85        .912             4
Lucas Hedin                2    1    0       2.29        .879            0

What to expect:  
The ‘Hounds have become regulars at the state tournament as they make their sixth straight appearance this season.  A state title has been elusive in that span, though, as East has suffered its share of heartbreak over the years with the last championship coming in 1998.  Since that time, the ‘Hounds have come up empty nine times in the new millennium.  They own a Mr. Hockey finalist in Phil Beaulieu who has the ability to control a game and will play significant minutes.  The key to the ‘Hounds over the years has been a puck possession flowing style that is fun to watch with a devastating power play — this year at 43 percent.  The ‘Hounds are on a seven game winning streak and have outscored their opponents 36-10 in those games.

Roseau Rams  (20-7-1, 5-5-1)
Head Coach:  Andy Lundbohm (5th season, 88-47-3)
Section:  8AA
Conference:  Mariucci Conference, 3rd place
State Tournament appearances:  (34) 1946, 47, 53, 55, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 71, 75, 77, 78, 79, 81, 83, 84, 90, 91, 98, 99, 2000, 06, 07, 08, 10, 14
State Titles: (7) 1946, 58, 59, 61, 90, 99, 07

Road to State:
River Lakes 4-3
Bemidji 4-1
Moorhead 7-4

Top 5 Scoring Leaders:
Player                    GP    G    A    Pts

Zach Yon                  28    39    41    80
Alex Strand              28    29    48    77
Cole Bjugson            22    9    36    45
Alex Halstengard     28    19    23    42
Brady Castle            28    11    10    21

Goaltending Leaders:
Player                      W    L    T    GAA        Sv%        Sho

Ryan Anderson         20    7    1    2.25            .901           8

What to expect:  
The No. 1 seed in Section 8AA, the Roseau Rams mustered a .500 record and third place finish in the Mariucci Conference behind Class A clubs East Grand Forks and Warroad.  That is nothing to be ashamed of as all three teams could have made a claim for a Class AA title.  There is some major high end talent on the Rams led by Mr. Hockey finalist Zach Yon.  Alex Strand is not far behind for consideration and Cole Bjugson is a Reed Larson award finalist for the top senior defenseman this year.  Roseau averages about five goals scored per game and will bring its high flying offensive game to the tournament and have to ability to go deep in the field with its talent.  The Rams have a difficult task in the Lakeville North Panthers, but as usual, the Rams effort will be unquestioned and they always have a chance to win.

The post Class AA State Tournament Preview appeared first on Minnesota Hockey Magazine.

1.  Edina Hornets (10-2-0, 0-0-0)  The Hornets put together two quality weeks of wins to catapult to the top spot unseeding Hill-Murray in the MHM Class AA rankings.  The culmination of their last 6 wins in a row over those two weeks was the 4-2 victory at the Schwan’s Cup Gold Division final Saturday night.  The Hornets rallied from three goals down in the third period against Burnsville to capture a 4-3 overtime semifinal win to earn that right.  Edina opened the tournament with a 4-1 win over the #1 ranked Class A Breck Mustangs. This week they have three games that include a face-off with the 7-1-1 Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders,  a re-match with the Burnsville Blaze from the Burnsville Civic Center and that game can be heard on Sports Radio 105 the Ticket and seen right here on MinnesotaHockeyMag.com, and a stiff test with the White Bear Lake Bears.

2.  Hill-Murray Pioneers (9-1-0, 4-0-0) The Pioneers won 9 straight games before falling to the Edina Hornets in the Schwan’s Cup Gold Division final game by a score of 4-2.  That loss moved them down one slot to #2 this week.  The Pioneers have been scoring goals at an efficient clip and this week was no different leading up to the Edina game.  They opened the tournament with a quarterfinal round win over Duluth East 6-3.  They also topped Minnetonka 5-3 to set up their game with Edina.  The Pioneers are off all week until Saturday when they face the Lakeville North Panthers who have cracked the MHM top ten with a terrific run at the St. Louis Park Holiday Classic.

3.  Wayzata Trojans (9-3-0, 0-0-0)  In a season that is seeing teams jump in and out of the top ten and returning again, the Wayzata Trojans are the epitome of this trend.  After opening the seasonk in the top ten, they faded with three losses, all before December 7th.  Since then, they have won five straight games including three at the St. Louis Park Holiday Classic.  They opened with a 3-2 win over the Moorhead Spuds and followed that up with a 6-1 win over the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars.  The biggest test was with last week’s #3 Blaine Bengals and the Trojans passed with flying colors in earning a 4-0 win.  It was a win that featured a steady performance in all areas of the game.  They have two big Section 6AA games this week as they play host to the Benilde-St. Margaret’s Red Knights on Thursday and then travel to Victoria to battle the Holy Family Catholic Fire on Saturday.

4.  Blaine Bengals (8-2-1, 6-0-0) The Blaine Bengals had an interesting week at the St. Louis Park Holiday Classic as the hammered the Maple Grove Crimson 9-3 in a quarterfinal game that doubled as a Northwest Suburban Conference game. They ran into a stiff challenge from the Lakeville North Panthers that ended in a 3-3 tie with the Bengals prevailing in the shootout.  Up next was the championship game with the Wayzata Trojans and that resulted in a 4-0 loss moving the Bengals down a notch to #4 this week.  They are still an incredibly deep team that puts pucks in the net and has the ability to light it up on any given night.  This week on deck for the Bengals is a conference game with the Andover Huskies on Saturday afternoon.

5.  Benilde-St. Margaret’s Red Knights (9-2-2) Since losing two straight games a few weeks back, the Red Knights are 5-0-2 since.  Their week consisted of a 3-3 tie with Bloomington Jefferson that resulted in a shootout loss at the St. Louis Park Holiday Classic.  The Red Knights finished with back-to-back wins that included repelling the Moorhead Spuds 4-2 and handling the Eden Prairie Eagles 5-2.  One game is on the docket for the Red Knights this week and that is a Thursday night affair with the Wayzata Trojans.

6.  Lakeville North Panthers (8-3-1, 7-1-0) After starting the season 2-3, the Panthers have found their groove and are on a 6-0-1 run in their last 7 games.  This past week it was a successful St. Louis Park Holiday Classic that featured a 7-0 shellacking of last week’s #4 Eden Prairie Eagles, a 3-3 tie with the #3 Blaine Bengals, and a 5-1 win over the #8 Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars to take third place in the tournament.  The unbeaten string will be on the line as they have a huge test with the #2 Hill-Murray Pioneers this Saturday.

7.  Burnsville Blaze (8-3-0, 5-1-0)  The Blaze started the season 1-2 and are 7-1 since.  Their only conference loss was to #6 Lakeville North and wins this week in the Schwan’s Cup Gold Division against St. Thomas Academy by a score of 3-2 and Minnetonka 3-0 delivered a third place finish.  They were 17 minutes away fro the championship game and a rematch with the Hill-Murray Pioneers yet saw it slip away against Edina.  The Edina Hornets rallied for three goals in the third period and won in overtime to stop the Blaze winning streak at seven games.  This week, two tough games are on the schedule, the first with the #1 Edina Hornets in a re-match from last Saturday’s championship game.  That game can be heard live on Sports Radio 105 The Ticket and also seen streaming simulcast on MinnesotaHockeyMag.com  The Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars close out the Blaze week on Saturday.

8. Grand Rapids (9-3-0, 1-0-0)  The Thunderhawks played three games in a row this past weekend at home and won all three.  They opened play with a 5-4 win over Mahtomedi, followed that up with a 7-2 trouncing of St. Francis and topped Brainerd by a score of 3-1.  They are on a 4 game winning streak and face off with Cloquet-Esko-Carlton and have the scrappy Hopkins Royals on Saturday.

9.  St. Thomas Academy (5-3-1, 1-1-0) The Cadets staved off banishment to the Silver Division of the Schwan’s Cup with a win over Prior Lake in the 7th place game of the Schwan’s Cup Gold Division.  One goal losses to #7 Burnsville (3-2) and #1A Breck (5-4) could have gone either way yet a 2-3-0 run over the last five games puts them on the edge of the top ten.  They have a chance to improve their standing with games against Totino Grace and Mahtomedi this week.

10.  Eastview Lightning (8-2-0, 3-2-0) The Lightning put together three straight wins at the Schwan Cup Silver Division as they defeated Andover (4-1), Roseville (2-1), and Centennial (2-1) to run their winning streak to four games.  The Lightning are a deep team that had a dicey run two weeks back but have worked they way through it.  This is a team  that can beat anybody in high school hockey.  The Lightning face-off with the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles who are playing some solid hockey to date in their only game this week.

Others Receiving Votes:  Eden Prairie, Elk River, White Bear Lake, Eagan,  Duluth East, Cretin-Derham Hall,  Roseau, Bloomington Jefferson, Brainerd/Pillager/Pierz,

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