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.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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After 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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Wayzata comes from behind to beat Eden Prairie for first state title

A pair of late second-period goals, one of them shorthanded, sparked a comeback from a two-goal deficit as Wayzata went on to capture its first-ever boys’ hockey state championship with a 5-3 win over Eden Prairie on Saturday night at Xcel Energy Center.

The Trojans and Eagles treated the crowd of 19,655 to a thrilling season finale filled with highlight reel goals, big hits, great saves and a puck caroming of an official’s head.

Wayzata defenseman Logan Lindstrand’s seeing-eye wrist shot from the left point through traffic found its way behind Eden Prairie goaltender Shaun Durocher at 5:32 of the third and that stood up as the game winner. The Trojans put the clamps down on the Eagles from there, keeping them at bay until Colin Schmidt’s empty netter at 16:58.

“I was just trying to get the puck on net,” Lindstrand said. “I saw one of their guys coming up quick and I tried to get it off quick and just lucky that it went in.”

Wayzata goaltender came up big for his team, especially in the first period when he made 14 of his 30 overall saves in the game. Schilling’s performance didn’t go unnoticed by his opponents.

“Schilling’s a great goalie,” Eden Prairie star forward Casey Mittelstadt said. “He’s probably the best goalie in the state, I’ve seen.”

Mittelstadt, who led the tournament in scoring with 14 points, and Minnesota Mr. Hockey candidate Michael Graham each scored for the Eagles, but Wazyata’s stingy defense kept the potent tandem mostly in check.

“They’re tough to score on, we knew that,” Eden Prairie coach Lee Smith said. “I would’ve thought scoring three we would’ve had a chance to win. Honestly, I would never have expected them to get four on us.”

Trailing 3-1 nearly 12 minutes into the second period, things looked to go from bad to worse for Wayzata when its second power play of the period was wiped out after a major boarding penalty was assessed to defenseman Hank Sorensen.

O’Leary called his timeout at that point and gathered his team together and later said his message to them was simply kill the penalty and get back to playing their game.

“We believed that if we play our game, are controlling the puck and taking time and space away from Mittelstadt and Graham that we can win and that’s what we did,” O’Leary said.

Shortly after Eden Prairie’s Connor Olson came out of the box to put Wayzata down a man, Trojans forward Billy Duma’s pass sprung linemate Luke Paterson on a partial break. As the Eagles defender went all-in on Paterson, he slipped a pass back to a hustling Duma as he flew through the Eden Prairie zone and senior beat Durocher to cut the deficit to one at 13:34.

“It really comes back to being up 3-1 and having a major and wasting it,” Smith said. “I think that was the turning point.”

Just 2:16 later, Wayzata junior defenseman Collin Kubinski faked a shot from the blue line before sliding a pass to forward Matt Nelson between the circles and he rifled a shot to make it 3-3 at the second intermission.

“We’re happy with the way we bounced back and how we played the last seven minutes of the second and, obviously, in the third period as well,” O’Leary said.

Sorensen was asked for his thoughts on watching his teammates tie the game from his seat in the penalty box.

“Great show,” Sorensen said, drawing laughter. “It’s like I paid for a ticket and watched it myself.”

Eden Prairie and Wayzata split a pair of 4-2 regular season contests with each team winning on the other’s home ice and, like Saturday, both were capped off with empty-net goals. They were also intense, physical battles so it was only fitting that the rubber match be decided on neutral ice, with the Class 2A state championship on the line, of course.

After the teams traded goals in the first period, the Eagles appeared to assume control of the game on a pair of second-period goals just 3:35 apart by Michael Graham and Jarod Blackowiak. The second of the two came 12 seconds after Wayzata’s Jack Carlson was call for roughing to negate what had been a Trojans power play.

But the night ultimately belonged to the Trojans who return from St. Paul as state champions for the first time.

“That’s a huge accomplishment for the school and the city and our team,” Schilling said. “It’s unbelievable to say you’re a state champ.”

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Wayzata fends off a late push from Stillwater to pull off the upset

St. Paul – Wayzata sophomore Griffin Ness came into the state tournament with three goals on the season. His fourth goal turned out to be a game-winner that put his team into the championship game.

The fourth-line forward got a breakaway and put the puck in the net with 1:35 left in the third period for a 2-0 lead. No. 3 seed Wayzata (20-8-1) went on to upset No. 2 seed Stillwater (27-1-1) 2-1 after a fierce scramble at the end of the Class 2A semifinal Friday evening at Xcel Energy Center.

Ness said he just picked his head up and found a corner. Wayzata coach Pat O’Leary said Ness has had plenty of opportunities in the past month, and it’s stressful when you’re snakebit.

But when Ness got the chance on the big stage, he didn’t miss.

“I was a little nervous,” he said. “I saw the top right corner open, and I just put it there.”

His goal was insurance that his team ended up needing. Stillwater took a timeout after that second Wayzata goal. Stillwater coach Matt Doman reminded his players that there was plenty of time left.

“These guys got no quit in them,” he said. “Their compete tonight was fun to watch.”

Sure enough, just 35 seconds later as the clock hit 1:00, and with an empty Stillwater cage, senior Jackson Cates put one past Wayzata netminder Alex Schilling.

That made it 2-1 with 60 seconds where anything could happen.

Stillwater nearly tied it as they created a scramble in front of the Wayzata net. Stillwater junior Noah Cates took a backhand shot in the closing seconds, but Schilling stuck out his right pad for the save. There was a flurry of players all around the net, but the puck stayed out, the net came off and the clock struck zero.

Those last 10 seconds, “it was a long time,” O’Leary said.

Stillwater was hoping to get a bounce, though they knew it wasn’t going to be easy, Jackson said.

“We almost got another one at the end,” Jackson said.

It was desperation time at the end, Noah said.

“Puck popped out,” Noah said. “I just had to get anything to the net.”

The final couple minutes of the game were perhaps the most intense. It was a 1-0 contest most of the way. Junior defender Logan Lindstrand scored at 6:55 of the first period for Wayzata. Stillwater got off to a bit of a slow start, with just four shots on goal in the first. But they figured it out and “were never panicked,” Doman said.

Schilling made 22 saves in goal, while Stillwater goalie Josh Benson also stopped 22 pucks. There were no penalties in the game.

Stillwater was also without junior forward Luke Manning, who was out with a concussion. He came into the tournament with 21 goals and 22 assists.

“Can’t replace a kid like that,” Doman said. “He’s a bulldog.”

Wayzata moves on to the Class 2A title game Saturday night. The Trojans took fourth place in 2013 and are looking for their first state title.

“We always had that belief that we were going to do this,” Schilling said. “I can’t wait for tomorrow night.”

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Trio of second-period goals fuel Wayzata to the semifinals

St. Paul – The Wayzata Trojans found themselves down 1-0 after the first period. Just like they were down 1-0 against Edina and then Cretin-Derham Hall in the section playoffs.

So, they responded with a three-goal second period.

“The whole mojo on the bench changes completely,” said Wayzata coach Pat O’Leary. “If we’ve been down by a goal or two… we tend to not shorten our bench.”

They weren’t worried, said senior forward Luke Paterson.

“We knew we’re going to come back,” Paterson said. “It was just a matter of when.”

That depth and changed mojo led to a 3-1 victory for No. 3 seed Wayzata (20-8-1) over Burnsville (16-11-2) in the Class 2A quarterfinal Friday afternoon at Xcel Energy Center sent the Trojans into the semifinals against Stillwater on Friday.

It was a scoreless tie until Burnsville’s senior forward Cade Borchardt scored with 45 seconds left in the first period.

The lead didn’t last.

Wayzata got goals 43 seconds apart early in the second period to take a quick 2-1 lead. Senior forward Dillon Riley added another late in the period for a two-goal cushion.

First it was senior forward Mark Senden at 2:46 of the second period. He drove into the zone crashing the net and moved the puck to his backhand at the last minute to put it away for the score. It’s a play he said he works on all the time.

“I thought he would be expecting me to pull it around to the other side,” Senden said, on why he chose to go to his backhand.

Then after a Burnsville scoring chance, senior defenseman Noah Fuhmann made a bank pass off the boards which went right over to Paterson’s stick.

But Burnsville hung in there, leading shots on goal 18-16 through two periods. They were feeling confident taking a 1-0 lead into the dressing room after the first period.

“I thought we were playing our hockey,” said Burnsville coach Janne Kivihalme.

On the other side, O’Leary said the first period was “really uncharacteristic” for his team. Things started to change for the better for Wayzata when its players started moving their feet, O’Leary said.

Wayzata senior goaltender Alex Schilling was the difference in the game in the first, according to his coach. Schilling took a beating in the cage early on, getting the benefit of a goaltender interference penalty and having players crash the net all around – or on top – of him. He also came up big with a couple phenomenal saves and stopped Burnsville’s Gavin Wagner as he tried to go upstairs on a 2-on-1 try.

“They were coming to the net strong,” Schilling said. “I knew they were going to be pushing hard.”

Schilling made 21 saves in the game.

For Burnsville, it was three “uncharacteristic mistakes” that led to Wayzata goals, Kivihalme said.

“It could’ve been a 1-0 game if we’d eliminate those three mistakes,” he said.

Having a 1-0 turn into a 2-1 deficit “hits you hard,” Borchardt said, but finding a way to re-group is part of hockey.

“We didn’t pop one after that,” Borchardt said.

The loss for the Blaze snaps their eight-game winning streak.

“It was a fun run,” Borchardt said. “I knew we had a good chance going in.”

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1. Lakeville North (0-0) The Panthers have yet to play a game although they unseat the Edina Hornets for the number one slot out of the shoot.  They have their sights set on a return trip to the Minnesota State High School hockey tournament in March and know there is plenty of work to do between now and then.  The Panthers are known as one of the most exciting teams in High School hockey and posted a 25-5-1 record last season.  At one point North ripped off a 19 game (18-0-1) unbeaten streak last year.  There is plenty to look forward to with the Panthers who return their top two lines and both can score.  Leading the way is the Poehling trio, made up of seniors Jack and Nick along with sophomore Ryan.  Henry Enebak and Max Johnson anchor the second line and combined for (25g-33a-58pts) last year.   Add in one of the best one-two punches on the blue line with a pair of D1 defensemen in Jack Sadek and Jack McNeely and the Panthers have every reason to believe they can not only return to St. Paul and the State Tournament but win their first ever Class AA title.  Goaltending will be key and former Shattuck St. Mary’s product Ryan Edquist returns to his roots in Lakeville to hold down the fort in the blue paint for the Panthers.  The University of Minnesota goaltending recruit could be key to the Panthers potential success this year.

2.  Edina (1-0-1)  The two-time defending champion Edina Hornets opened the season with an 11-0 thumping of the Holy Family Catholic Fire last week at the Cable 12 Turkey Trot.  Garrett Wait erupted with 6 assists and Matt Masterman had 4 goals in the shellacking.  Dylan Malmquist delivered 2 goals and 2 assists with Casey Dornbach adding a hat trick and and assist in the effort.  The offensive output, coupled with the defensive play illustrated that the Hornets have plenty of depth to bid for their third straight state title.  For now, key leadership losses from last year’s team to graduation pushes Edina down to the #2 slot slot in the MNHockeyMag rankings.  Edina has plenty of depth to lean on from a deep and talented youth program to fill any void that may have been left.  The State Title once again runs through Edina and someone will have to prove they can beat the Hornets on the last day of the season.  On paper to open the season, the Lakeville North Panthers are just a little better.  Edina has won a record 12 state titles in 36 appearances which is a staggering conversion rate.  Their attempt at a three-peat would be the first time since Bloomington Jefferson’s glory teams of 1992-1994 that impressive feat.

3.  Wayata (1-0-1)  A 4-1 win over cross-town rival Maple Grove and a 3-3 tie that wound up as a shootout loss to Edina (recorded in the books as an official tie), the Trojans always have a chance to win based on their defensive play and skill.  Whether blocking shots, staying disciplined in the defensive zone, benefitting from stellar goaltending, or staying on the puck in the offensive zone, coach Pat O’Leary’s teams are difficult to play against and this year’s club will be no different.  Junior goaltender Alex Schilling is primed to take over the number one chore in goal for the Trojans and senior defenseman Alex Stevens has help with sophomore Hank Sorenson holding down the fort.  Junior Max Zimmer (10g-23a-33pts) led the team in points last year and the slick skating offensive talent is back to take on that offensive responsibility again.  Playing in the deep Lake Conference and owning a tough schedule this year will take the Trojans a long way in being a high quality playoff team this year.

4.  Hill-Murray (1-0)  An opening night 3-2 win over the Burnsville Blaze last Saturday was a good start for the Hill-Murray Pioneers.  The strength of the Pioneers is defensively and when that proves out, it means a successful season for coach Bill Lechner’s team.  The Pioneers return their top four defensemen to the table and have depth in goaltending which will have a spirited competition. Senior Sean Wendlandt was the back up to Sam Ilgen last year and will have a healthy battle with sophomore Jake Begley for playing time.  Four year varsity letter-winner Zach Mills will lead the team offensively and he is joined by freshman brother Dylan.  Mikey Anderson is just a freshman, yet he has committed to Scott Sandelin’s UMD Bulldogs to play college hockey.  He moves the puck, has physical strength beyond his years and will be relied upon at a young age to be a key to his team’s success.  The Pioneers welcome in Kyler Yeo, son of Wild coach Mike Yeo, to the lineup and the young man has size, speed, and a three-zoned responsible game.   Never underestimate the Pioneers, in the end-they are always in the mix.

5.  Duluth East (0-0) Yes, the Hounds are the six-time defending Section 7AA champion and yes, a trip to St. Paul goes through Duluth East again this year and most likely will be in the form of a date in the section final at Amsoil Arena in the end of February.  Losses to blue line mainstays Phil Beaulieu and Alex Trapp to graduation will need to be filled but Mike Randolph lost just two other players from his roster last year.  As his teams age and grow, so do their results.  This team is prepared to be elite and is not uncomfortable in playing that role.  Nick Altmann is expected to have another solid offensive year coming off a 20-goal campaign (20g-26a-46pts).  The core of this team is represented in a junior class that two-years ago lost to Edina in the Bantam AA state championship.  Goalie Gunnar Howg (20-7-1, 1.86, .913) is fresh of a 20-win seasons and ready to anchor his team again in goal. Give Randolph talent, and he will make something of it.

6.  Elk River/Zimmerman (0-0)  All the elements are in place for the Elk River/Zimmerman Elks to unseat the Duluth East Greyhounds for the Section 7AA tittle for the first time in 7 season.  The last team to represent the section were the Grand Rapids Thunderhawks back in the day of Patrick White.  That feels like a millennium ago, and the Elks bring on one of the state’s best forwards in Jake Jaremko.  He has been tossed around as a Mr. Hockey Finalist in the preseason and for good reason.  His speed, offensive skills and leadership will be key in the Eks surge this year.  Reggie Lutz (12g-18a-30pts) and Ben Johnson (10g-5a-15pts) return to compliment Jaremko with plenty of depth and help throughout the lineup.  Defenseman Matt Kierstad will provide valuable leadership and experience to the back end with a pair of JV goalies -Joey Grillo and Chase Gauthier – competing for playing time.  The Elks were one goal away in their 3-2 section final loss to the Hounds in making their first trip to the dance since 2005.  This year, they may have enough to find that one goal, maybe two, to be the difference.

7.  St. Thomas Academy (0-0)  There is plenty to look forward to at St. Thomas Academy this year and in their second season at the Class AA, the Cadets are positioned to make another run to the State Tournament.  Nine of their top eleven leading scorers return with speedster Christiano Versich (29g-37a-66pts) leading the way.  The hard driving Peter Tufto (17g-28a-45pts) will be expected to pick up more offensive responsibility and he will be up for the challenge.  Senior Alex Broetzman (25g-24a-49pts) will be receiving plenty of minutes and looked upon to provide leadership, of which the Cadets are never in short supply.  Goalie Matt Snow won 10 games last year and earned an Elite League spot for his efforts while working split duty with Charlie Hallett.  The Cadets will have little trouble on the offensive end this year and have four returning defensemen on their roster including Seamus Donohue who will be heading off to the Air Force Academy to play is college hockey after this year.  The Cadets, as usual, will be a difficult team to play each night and every team in the league is on notice that they will have to skate and be ready for a high tempo hockey game with St. Thomas Academy.

8. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (0-0)  The Red Knights may very well be worthy of a top three ranking by the time the year comes to a close.  As the season opens, Ken Pauly’s Red Knights land in the eighth slot with plenty of offensive depth.  Mark Kaske is expected to have have a memorable season.  Chase Jungels, Carter Roo, and Blake transfer Cade Gleekel add to the offensive fire power with veterans such as Will Duda and Zach Risteau providing the Red Knights offensive depth that will be a challenge for many teams on a nightly basis.  Defenseman Ben Newhouse returns for what should be a highly productive season as the Union College commit will be expected to lead the defensive corps that is made up of juniors Nick Austin, Peter Heimbold, and senior Jack Lawton.  Goalies Jalen Long and Ryan Bischel are both back and combined for 15 wins last year in backstopping their team to the Section 6AA Final where they lost to Eden Prairie 3-2.  The Red Knights enter the Metro West and full-time conference play after playing two seasons of independent hockey with their run and gun style looking to advance past the section final is a legitimate reality for this hockey club, although it will be difficult.

9.  Eden Prairie (0-0) The defending Section 6AA champions saw a pair of Mr. Hockey Finalists (Luc Snuggerud and Steven Spinner) graduate and they will indeed leave a gaping hole in this team from a leadership, offensive and defensive perspective.  However, three state tournament tested defensemen return in Brady Schoo, Marc Sullivan, and Andy Aguilar to lead Lee Smith’s back end.  Michael Graham maintains a dynamic skill set that includes a power and finesse game.  He is just a junior yet his veteran presence will be leaned on this year.  Other key contributors are Riley Argetsinger who is the prototypical power forward for high school hockey, Cole Lawrence, another big body that will be tough to contain on the offensive end of things.  Much has been said about the arrival of Casey Mittlestadt who had an impressive High School Elite League.  He will be challenged in the rugged tight checking of the Lake Conference as the season wears on yet has the ability to be a difference maker and Smith raves about the young talent and his offensive skill blended with a power game.  The Eagles will have a question mark in goal and look to answer that quickly this year.  If they can, they will be in business and the mix again this year.

10.  Cretin-Derham Hall (0-0) The Raiders enter the top ten returning 13 players, most of them impact performers last season.  They have athletes and many perform in multiple sports and have a rounded competitiveness to their game.  The Raiders are always a physically strong team and they have plenty of skill this year.  Nick Reis led the team in goals (25g-21a-46pts) and points last year and will be looked to again.  Brett Huebner will be playing D1 baseball next year and dished out 27 assists last year (9g-27-36pts) to finish second on the team in scoring.  Joe Dekker, Max Jackson, Cal Crawford, and Aitor Flood all play other sports with the Raiders boasting a number of Dvision I athletes on the roster in those sports.  Jim O’Neil’s team posted a 17-7-3 record last year and has the ability to top the 20 win mark this year.

Others receiving consideration:  Stillwater, Prior Lake, Hopkins, Centennial, Moorhead, Farmington

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