2024 Class A State Tournament Preview

[ClassAGuy]

2024 BHS Class A State Tournament Preview

The 2024 Boys Hockey Class A Tournament features plenty of familiar teams as 7 of the 8 State Tourney teams from last year return to St. Paul this year and this looks to be shaping up to be a very good overall Class A Tournament. With no real dominant team this year in Class A and 7 of the 8 teams finishing in the Final Top 10 Ranking this should be one of the better Wednesday to Saturday Tourneys in Class A history that we have seen.

5 Storylines and Notes on the 2024 Class A State Tournament

Back Again This Year
One of the major themes when looking at the Class A Tourney field is that it features 7 of the 8 teams from last year. With that much tourney experience returning it should mean we are in store for some good hockey. These teams know the drill of what to expect and how to prepare and get themselves ready. Also, every head coach in this year’s field has coached their team to state at least once which should lead to some very prepared and ready hockey teams.

The Drive for State Title #5 for #5
This offseason was tragic for the Warroad Warriors Hockey team as they woke up this past July to find out the shocking news that their beloved Assistant Coach Michael Tveit, age 38, had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly. Coach Tveit was the Stepfather of star Senior forward Carson Pilgrim and was a father figure to all those on the Warrior hockey team. Now 6 months later his beloved Warroad hockey team heads back to the Tourney playing in his honor and in search of State Title #5 which just so happens to be the number that Michael wore when had the honor of putting on the Warrior sweater in his high school days. The drive for Title #5 for their fallen and beloved #5 seems like destiny and the Warriors will be playing for something bigger this week.

A competitive Class A Wednesday Quarterfinals?
One of the knocks on the Class A State Tournament is the blowouts produced on Wednesday in the Quarterfinals between the seeded and unseeded teams. However, this tournament field would appear to be one of the deepest we have seen as 7 of the 8 teams finished ranked in the Top 10 of the Final A Rankings and with no huge gap this year between the top 2 or 3 and the rest of the Class A field it would appear we should be in store for the best Wednesday we have seen since the epic upset Wednesday of the classic 2017 Class A Tourney.

Another road trip to St Paul
Many of our Boys State Class A teams' fan bases will be making a return trip to St Paul after a week to rest as four programs (Northfield, Orono, Hermantown & Warroad) qualified for both the Girls and Boys Hockey State Tournament this winter. That is an impressive feat for the small school communities and a testament to the work their youth program and community members are putting in to produce really good hockey players both on the boys and girls side.

Alumni Head Coaches
This Class A tournament features 5 of the 8 teams being coached by alumni Head Coaches. Jay Hardwick of Warroad, Pat Andrews of Hermantown, Josh Meyers of Alexandria, Robbie Stocker of St Cloud Cathedral & Ryan Neuman of New Ulm all are coaching the teams they once wore jerseys for in high school this week. It's a really great trend to see Alumni coming back to the community and teaching the game they love to the next generation of program stars where they once grew up and attended.

Section 1A Champions Northfield Raiders
Head Coach: Mike Luckraft 10th year
Record: 22-4-2
Road to State: W 9-2 Faribault, W 8-1 Albert Lea, W 4-1 Dodge County
State Tournament History: 3rd appearance- 2017, 2023, 2024

Meet The Raiders: Head Coach Mike Luckcraft brings Northfield back to the Class A State Tournament in back to back years and for the 3rd time ever with all appearances happening under his watch in the last ten years. The Raiders have been the dominant team in Southern Minnesota all year as they won the Big Nine Conference and went unbeaten and Section 1A play as they were able to outscore teams 21-4 through their 1A sectional playoff run to return back to St Paul looking to do some damage. They are led up front by their trio of Seniors #11 Jake Geiger (26-38-64 pts), #20 Cayden Monson (21-36-57 pts) & #12 Kam Kaiser (36-24-60 pts) who the coaching staff actually split up late in the year trying to create more offensive depth up front. Northfield does have plenty of other offensive weapons to team them up with as Senior #16 Andrew Winter (10-16-26 pts) and Juniors #13 Will Cashin (11-22-33 pts) & #21 Griffin Kennelly (11-6-17 pts) and Sophomores #9 Michael Steward (6-17-23 pts), #19 Christian Whiteman (9-5-14 pts) & #22 Oliver Benjamin (5-11-16 pts) have all been contributing to an offense that averages over 5 goals a game and comes into the Tourney looking deep and dangerous. On the blueline Seniors #7 Ty Frank (0-19-19 pts) & #24 Cooper Rand (1-8-9 pts) are a steady pair who provide experience and a calming influence when on the ice. They also have two elite young defenders in Sophomore #4 Bridger Riley (1-18-19 pts) & 9th grader #2 Ben Geiger (2-21-23 pts) who have been magnificent when considering how young they are. In the net Goalie Junior #1 Max Frank (14-3-1) 1.58 GAA .921 SV% split the net most of the season but down the stretch he won the starting job and he has been very solid so far in their playoff run. All the pieces are in place for this team to make some noise at state and they will be a dangerous most likely unseeded Quarterfinal opponent for whoever they draw on Wednesday at the Xcel.

Section 2A Champions Orono Spartans
Head Coach: Sean Fish 2nd Year
Record: 20-8-0
Road to State: W 9-0 Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato, W 4-1 Providence Academy, W 4-1 Minneapolis
State Tournament History: 11th appearance- 1992, 1993, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2014, 2018 (State Title), 2023, 2024

Meet The Spartans: Head Coach Sean Fish in just his 2nd year at the helm brings Orono back to State for their 11th overall appearance. The Spartans have been a Top Class A team all year as they played a very challenging schedule and won 20 games again this year and they come into the Tourney battle tested. Orono will roll four lines at times, and they have a very deep senior class but they are led on offense by their two youngsters Sophomores #34 Jackson Knight (20-22-42 pts.) & #16 Rory Kvern (15-14-29 pts), who led the team in goals this winter. They also get solid contributions from their nice core of Seniors #15 Cayden Effertz (8-10-18 pts), #6 Easton Sankey (13-12-25 pts.), #22 Tommy Lewin (9-14-23 pts), #38 Brooks Fegers (1-9-10 pts.), #8 Hayden Simon (8-9-17 pts), #10 Ben Setnicker (4-7-11 pts) & #17 Sam Setnicker (1-6- 7pts) who all bring with them experience and many played in the Tourney last year. Add in getting good years out of Juniors #9 Trey Landa (5-18-23 pts) & #7 Lachlan Hoffman (2-10-12 pts) and this is a deep forward group that plays a heavy game and if they can play their style without going to the box they can wear on opponents as the game goes on. The Spartans have a very good defensive core as well led by Seniors #5 John Engebretson (5-20-25 pts.) & #27 Joey Mugaas (10-24-34 pts.) who both are excellent defenders and can contribute offensively as a top defensive pair. Add in Tourney veterans Senior #39 Rylan Schultz (5-9-14 pts.) & Sophomore #3 Luca DeCubellis (3-8-11 pts.), who both also played at State last year, and Orono has a very good group of blueliners as well. In goal, Senior #30 Peyton Anderson (15-7-0) 1.92 GAA .910 SV% has been playing his best hockey late in the year and he has been the key component to their (7-2-0) month of February with his solid play in net. This roster is deep and full of experience and they come to state looking to do some serious damage and win their program’s 2nd ever State Title.

Section 3A Champions New Ulm Eagles
Head Coach: Ryan Neuman 9th Year
Record: 23-5-0
Road to State: W 8-1 Windom, W 6-3 Mankato East, W 4-2 Marshall
State Tournament History: 7th appearance- 1992, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2024

Meet The Eagles: Head Coach Ryan Neuman brings his New Ulm Eagles back to the State for the first time since 2019 and the 7th time overall. This group of New Ulm Seniors had been on the doorstep of State the last two years only to fall in painful Section Final losses. However, they made sure that the third time was indeed the charm as they were able to take down a Cinderella Marshall team and head back to state. The Eagles employ a mainly two line attack led by Seniors #5 Austin Uecker (39-40-79 pts), #21 Kaden Larson (25-33-58 pts.), #22 Bryer Lang (21-34-51 pts) & #4 Brock Wellmann (10-10-20 pts) who along with Junior #2 Brecken Neuman (10-26-36 pts) & Sophomore #16 Brody Nordby (11-9-20 pts) get a ton of minutes and have carried the scoring load much of the season. On the blueline they were able to tighten up their backend by converting Junior #10 Ian Brudelie (17-16-33 pts) from a forward to a defender and that key change has been a game changer for them by shoring up the defensive core. They also get a ton of minutes out of Seniors #18 Landon Barstad (4-14-18 pts) & #12 Kayden Klein (2-8-10 pts) along with Junior #14 Brody Wenner (5-10-15 pts) as the main four guys who see ice defensively. In the net they have Senior #1 Bryer Hoffmann (21-5-0) 2.11 GAA .911 SV% who has been excellent for them and he has three years of varsity experience and is usually at his best when facing a ton of shots which will most likely be the case at State. New Ulm will have a very tough task on their hands as they will be unseeded and draw one of the Top 3 Seeds in the Quarterfinal Round and they will need their Senior leaders to be at their best if they hope to stay competitive within that game.

Section 4A Champions Mahtomedi Zephyrs
Head Coach: Jeff Poeschl 27th year
Record: 17-11-0
Road to State: W 10-0 Bloomington Kennedy, W 6-0 St. Paul Academy, W 3-2 OT Southwest Christian/Richfield
State Tournament History: 15th appearance- 1992, 1994, 1997, 1998, 2001, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 (State Title), 2022, 2023 (State Title), 2024

Meet The Zephyrs: Head Coach Jeff Poeschl and the Defending Class A State Champion Zephyrs return to St. Paul for the 7th time in the last 8 years and for their 15th appearance overall. Mahtomedi has prepared itself for another deep tournament run by playing a schedule filled with tough AA teams that will have hopefully molded them into a real contender at the X which has become commonplace in recent years. The Zephyrs rolls three lines headlined by their top line of Seniors #8 Jake Hodd-Chlebeck (22-25-47 pts), #22 Gene Wegleitner (11-22-33 pts) & Sophomore #21 Jimmy Egan (9-36-45 pts). They have found two good depth lines in Senior #17 Patrick Egan (15-7-22 pts) and Juniors #14 Laken Decker (2-13-15 pts) & #25 Ryan Lipovitz (3-8 11 pts) along with the line of Senior #9 Max Strecker (2-6-8 pts), Junior #10 Winston Wright (10-8-18 pts) & Sophomore #16 Brayden Fuerst (6-6-12 pts) which has developed well over the season. The defensive unit led by smooth skating Junior #6 Sam Harris (5-22-27 pts.) who plays mega minutes and is the leader of the blueline. Add in Seniors 6’8 #2 Wyatt Tarnowski (4-10-14 pts.), 6’3 #5 Cole Swanson (4-8-12 pts.), 6’0 #7 William Brummel (3-9-12 pts) and Sophomore 6’2 #23 Cody Loida (1-5-6 pts) and there is not a lot of time in space given by the big Mahtomedi defensive core which has become the backbone and blueprint of their success over the last decade. In the net Senior # 30 Charlie Brandt (10-6-0) 3.23 GAA .898 SV% & Junior #35 Wes Strub (7-5-0) 1.98 GAA .929 SV% have split the net down the middle most of the year and the rotation has continued into the playoffs so far. This is always a team that is well coached and prepared to make a tourney run around this time of year and the defending champs should not be overlooked as contenders to win the whole thing again this upcoming week.

Section 5A Champions St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders
Head Coach: Robbie Stocker 3rd year
Record: 23-4-1
Road to State: W 10-0 Becker/Big Lake, W 6-1 River Lakes, W 4-1 Monticello
State Tournament History: 12th appearance- 1993, 1994, 2004, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019 (State Title), 2020, 2023, 2024

Meet The Crusaders: Head Coach Robbie Stocker has done a remarkable turnaround job, after inheriting a complete mess, he helped the Crusaders come full circle in only his 3rd year. He brings St Cloud Cathedral back to State for the 2nd consecutive year and the 12th time overall and he has this program back to the normal standard of State Title contenders after the program had been allowed to hit rock bottom before he took over to save his alma mater. The Crusaders have an experienced and potent lineup led by their big top line of Senior #26 Andrew Dwinnell (26-41-67 pts) and Juniors #6 John Hirschfeld (24-49-73 pts) & #24 Joey Gillespie (29-31-60 pts) who have been dynamic and explosive all year and been a match up nightmare for everyone they face. They have also gotten notable secondary scoring as the year has gone along from their second line of Seniors #17 Landon Swenson (6-9-15 pts), #19 Cole Hawg (12-15-27 pts.) & #14 Philip O’Neal (4-7-11 pts) and from their third line Senior #27 Ben Petroske (2-7-9 pt.) and Juniors #13 Jaeger Wood (10-7-17 pts) & #7 Caden Johnson (2-5-7 pts) all of whom have contributed during the playoff run. Defensively they are led by Sophomore #21 Griffin Sturm (9-16-25 pts.) who along with Senior #3 Vince Gebhardt (2-13-15 pts.) provide a good mix of playing making and physicality. Add to them Seniors #10 Sam Hayward (2-8-10 pts) & #20 Thomas Rosenkrans (3-5-8 pts) and they have a solid defensive unit. In the net they have Senior #31 Nick Hansen (16-0-1) 1.44 GAA .935 SV% who plays his best against elite teams and they are unbeaten with him starting in net. The Crusaders have played a very tough Class A Schedule and come in with loads of experience as everyone in this lineup played at State last year. They enter the Tourney having won 15 of their last 16 games and this team looks like a good pick to win their 2nd ever State Title this upcoming week after looking like a dead program just 3 years prior.

Section 6A Champions Alexandria Cardinals
Head Coach: Josh Meyers 4th year
Record: 18-9-1
Road to State: W 14-0 Breckenridge/Wahpeton, W 4-0 Morris Benson, W 6-1 Northern Lakes
State Tournament History: 8th appearance- 1992, 1996, 2010, 2011, 2018, 2022, 2023, 2024

Meet The Cardinals: Head Coach Josh Meyers engineered yet another excellent 2nd half of the season push, which has been a trend of his teams in his four-year tenure since taking over his alma mater, as the Cardinals really found their footing late in the year and went an impressive (14-2-0) in their last 16 games to get the 3 peat in Section 6A and make their 8th overall appearance at State. Alexandria does have depth and state tourney experience at forward as Seniors #8 Gavin Olson (19-16-35 pts), #21 Evan Anderson (17-20-37 pts), #3 Leonard Kompelien (14-18-32 pts), #11 Kasen Muscha (8-15-23 pts) & #16 Caleb Lind (6-7-13 pts) who are sprinkled amongst their three lines have been at their best in the playoffs. Adding to that veteran experience has been the growth and development of their younger players Sophomores #10 Brody Berg (10-9-19 pts) & #17 Evan Klimek (7-18-25 pts) and 9th graders #25 Grady Olson (8-13-21 pts) & #22 William Thornburg (7-10-17 pts) who have really stepped in nicely to the varsity lineup this year to provide needed scoring depth as the year has progressed. Defensively, Seniors #2 Jack Lamski (4-23-27 pts.), #4 Gage Castle (6-8-14 pts.) & #12 Bennett Hagen-Olsen (0-3-3 pts) all have good experience and the growth of Sophomores #15 Niklas Schultz (2-10-9 pts) & #29 Aidan Schneiderhan (0-5-5pts) and 9th grader #18 Grady Suchy (1-4-5 pts) has been key to give them good defensive depth. In the net Senior #1 Brady Metcalf (14-8-1) 2.04 GAA .921 SV% has been very good and is playing his best hockey right now in the playoffs. Alexandria played a scheduled filled with good Class A and AA teams throughout the year and this large group of Seniors will be playing in their 3rd straight Tourney so they won't be intimidated by the big stage or lights and they will not be the normal cakewalk that the top three Class A seeds are used to seeing in the Quarterfinal round and will pose challenge to whoever they draw.

Section 7A Champions Hermantown Hawks
Head Coach: Pat Andrews 7th year
Record: 18-8-2
Road to State: W 14-0 International Falls, W 6-3 Proctor, W 4-0 Hibbing/Chisholm
State Tournament History: 20th appearance- 1994, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2007 (State Title), 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 (State Title), 2017 (State Title), 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 (State Title), 2023, 2024

Meet The Hawks: Head Coach Pat Andrews and his Hermantown Hawks return to St. Paul for the 14th time in the last 15 years and for their 20th appearance overall. This year's version of the Hawks had more struggles than normal as the offensive woes and high number of losses were noticeable throughout the season. However, much of that was attributed to playing a heavy dose of State’s top AA Programs and having a very young group of forwards but when they have played Class A Competition, they are averaging over 5 goals a game. They are led up front by their top line of all underclassman in Junior #23 River Freeman (19-22-41 pts), Sophomores #4 AJ Francisco (8-16-24 pts) & #18 Ford Skytta (16-18-34 pts) who have come on strong late in the year. As always, the Hawks have good depth led by their line of all Seniors #19 Joshua Kauppinen (12-10-22 pts), #7 Evan Gunderson (4-11-15 pts) & #6 Andrew Johnson (7-10-17 pts) who provides the team with a steady shift every time out. The development of their third line of underclassman Junior #26 Charlie Marchand (7-7-14 pts) and Sophomores #16 Bode Madill (2-5-7 pts) & #29 Henry Martinsen (1-1-2 pts) has given them a nice three line attack to wear the opponents down. The strength of this Hermantown team though is their backend as they have four fabulous defensemen in Senior #9 Will Esterbrooks (13-22-35 pts), #13 Weston Bohlman (4-14-18 pts), #8 Drew Nelson (4-11-15 pts) & Junior Henry Peterson (9-9-18 pts) who all have good speed and toughness which allows this team to get out of their end with the best of any in the State. Add to them Goaltender Senior #32 Dane Callaway (18-8-2) 1.75 GAA .938 SV% is one of the most decorated and impressive netminders in all of Class A with a wealth of big game experience. Don't let the more than usual losses on the record fool you as this is a very complete team that comes to St Paul as a main contender to win another State Title #5 this coming week.

Section 8A Champions Warroad Warriors
Head Coach: Jay Hardwick 12th year
Record: 23-5-0
Road to State: W 6-0 Park Rapids, W 5-2 Thief River Falls, W 4-3 2OT East Grand Forks
State Tournament History: 25th appearance- 1948, 1949, 1953, 1963, 1969, 1970, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1994 (State Title), 1995, 1996 (State Title), 1997, 2000, 2003 (State Title), 2004, 2005 (State Title), 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024

Meet The Warriors: Head Coach Jay Hardwick brings his Warriors back to State for the 3rd straight year and the 25th time in program history and this Warroad team is looking to win the school’s 5th State Title. Warroad is led by their high powered 1st line of Seniors #5 Carson Pilgrim (29-34-63 pts.) & #22 Murray Marvin-Cordes (24-27-51 pts.) and Junior #15 Taven James (20-37-57 pts.) which is one of Class A’s best lines; the trio plays mega minutes and has accounted for a big chunk of Warroad’s offense. They have Seniors #13 Damon Skappel (3-8-11 pts) & #33 Peyton Sunderland (1-6-7 pts) and Junior #23 Draydin Johnson (4-4-8 pts) for good defensive forward grit and have also gotten growing offensive contributions from Sophomores #2 Dominic Anthony (9-8-17 pts.) & #20 Ryan Shaugabay (5-9-14 pts) to add some depth scoring as the year has progressed. Defensively are led by Seniors #25 Ryan Lund (18-22-40 pts.) & #27 Will Hardwick (0-10-10 pts) and Sophomore #21 Broden Hontvet (6-26-32 pts) who all have played big minutes and are very good in their own end and can jump up in a rush at any time to be dangerous. In the net Goaltender Senior Ben Norris (23-5-0) 2.16 GAA .895 SV% has stepped into the big role of replacing one of best goalies in program history and done a very nice job and been solid for the Warriors all winter. This team looks to finally finish the job and win the State Title after finishing painfully close in 2nd place the last two seasons. Add in the emotional weight of what transpired in the offseason and this group is playing for a bigger purpose and it would be fitting to see them win State Title #5 in honor of their former Coach Tveit, who passed this offseason, and was #5 in high school

[ClassAGuy]

BHS 2024 Class A State Tournament Schedule

Class A Quarterfinal Games (3/6/24) @ Xcel Energy Center
11:00 AM #2 Warroad (23-5-0) vs New Ulm (23-5-0)
1:00 PM #3 St. Cloud Cathedral (23-4-1) vs Northfield (22-4-2)
6:00 PM #1 Hermantown (18-8-2) vs Alexandria (18-9-1)
8:00 PM #4 Mahtomedi (17-11-0) vs #5 Orono (20-8-0)

Class A Consolation Games (3/7/24) @ Aldrich Arena
11:00 AM Loser of QF Game #1 vs Loser of QF Game #2
1:00 PM Loser of QF Game #3 vs Loser of QF Game #4

Class A Semifinal Games (3/8/24) @ Xcel Energy Center
11:00 AM Winner of QF Game #1 vs Winner of QF Game #2
1:00 PM Winner of QF Game #3 vs Winner of QF Game #4

Class A Third Place Game (3/9/24) @ Xcel Energy Center
9:00 AM Loser of SF Game #1 vs Loser of SF Game #2

Class A Consolation Championship Game (3/9/24) @ Aldrich Arena
11:00 AM Winner of Consolation Game #1 vs Winner of Consolation Game #2

Class A Championship Game (3/9/24) @ Xcel Energy Center
12:00 PM Winner of SF Game #1 vs Winner of SF Game #2

[ClassAGuy]

Same teams with new stories make up Class 1A boys hockey state tournament field
Defending champ Mahtomedi and Orono are back from the metro, Warroad and Hermantown from the north. Only New Ulm is fresh this season.
By Heather Rule Special to the Star Tribune MARCH 5, 2024 — 7:43AM

The Class 1A field for the 2024 boys hockey state tournament is nearly identical to 2023. The matchups and seeds — and one team — are different.

New Ulm represents Section 3 this year instead of Luverne. Hermantown and Warroad flip-flop as the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, with Hermantown grabbing the top seed this time. St. Cloud Cathedral is seeded No. 3 a year after winning the consolation championship. Last year's Class 1A champion, Mahtomedi, returns to defend its titleas a No. 4 seed.

Four takes on the tournament:

Mahtomedi looks to defend title

The Zephyrs needed overtime to win their section final and get back to state, with Sam Harris scoring a pair of goals, including the winner 26 seconds into overtime. Mahtomedi, in search of its third state title in five years, racked up several losses this season; the Zephyrs were 3-7 at Christmas with losses stretching across both classes.

But since January hit, Mahtomedi is undefeated against Class 1A teams and rolls into St. Paul this week on an eight-game winning streak. The Zephyrs will first need to beat Orono, a team they defeated 5-2 on Dec. 30, in the quarterfinals if they hope to keep their back-to-back state title hopes alive.

Orono returns with mix of experience, youth

Orono makes back-to-back state tournament trips for the first time since 2006-07. The Spartans have plenty of senior leadership, starting in goal with Peyton Anderson and extending to the top defensive pairing of seniors John Engebretson and Joey Mugaas, who's second on the team in scoring with 10 goals and 25 assists.

But one of the team's most productive lines includes a pair of sophomores. Left wing Jackson Knight leads the team in scoring with 20 goals and 42 points. Sophomore Rory Kvern centers the line with his 15 goals and 29 points. Kvern started the season on junior varsity for two games before getting called up to varsity.

Senior Tommy Lewin (nine goals, 14 assists) is on the right wing. All three players chipped in goals in the team's 4-1 victory over Minneapolis in the Section 2 championship game.

"We've been buzzing ever since we've been together," Knight said. "It's been great playing with those guys. I love it."

Lewin broke his wrist at Delano on Jan. 6. He returned to game action in late January, when that line was put together. Orono coach Sean Fish praised all three.

"Rory and Jack-o and Tommy have been dominant," Fish said. "I mean, Rory and Jack-o are only sophomores, right. So, bright future. And Tommy's been great on that line, too."

The Spartans lost 6-3 to Class 2A foe Benilde-St. Margaret's on Feb. 1. Only two of their eight losses this season are against Class 1A teams (Mahtomedi and Warroad). Fish marked that Benilde-St. Margaret's game as a turning point in his team's season.

"We kind of bought in to getting pucks deep, playing 200 feet, making sure the teams earned it against us," Fish said after his team won its section championship. "Peyton Anderson's been unbelievable for us the second half of the year; he really turned it on. Credit to him, too.

"You need good goaltending to win a championship. We're getting that from him."

Warroad is back again

Warroad returns for its 25th state tournament looking for its fifth state championship but first since 2005. The Warriors come in having lost the past two state championship games, to Hermantown by a goal in 2022 and then a double-overtime loss against Mahtomedi last year.

Warroad needed double overtime in this year's section final to make it past East Grand Forks. The victory bumped Warroad's overtime record this season to 4-3. Mr. Hockey finalist Carson Pilgrim centers the team's top line and is two goals away from 100 in his career over 90 games played.

Any team wanting to make it past Warroad will have to shut down Pilgrim and the rest of the top line — Taven James and Murray Marvin-Cordes — because they produce 58% of the team's goals.

Individuals stand out

Northfield senior Kam Kaiser leads the state with 15 power-play goals. His 36 total goals this season rank 11th in the state. Teammate Jake Geiger has nine power-play goals.

Austin Uecker of New Ulm enters the tournament with the highest individual goal total at 38 goals and points total with 79.

John Hirschfeld of St. Cloud Cathedral leads the state with 51 assists. Teammate Andrew Dwinnell and New Ulm's Uecker each have 41.

[ClassAGuy]

For those interested the State Hockey Program can be found in the link below. Its Tourney Time!! Enjoy an awesome 4 days everyone!
https://player.flipsnack.com/?hash=RUNB ... dGhndnU%3D

[ClassAGuy]

MN Hockey Magazine State Preview
It's Tourney Time! Check out our 2024 Boys' State High School Hockey Tournament guide ahead of Wednesday's Class A quarterfinals.

Minnesota Hockey Magazine Vol. 12, Issue 3
https://online.fliphtml5.com/aotas/nsmd/

[ClassAGuy]

Class A State Tourney: The Others
By Peter Odney, YHH

ONE PLAYER FROM EACH CLASS A TEAM THAT MAY NOT BE A TOP SCORING LEADER, BUT HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN THEIR TEAM'S RUN TO THE STATE TOURNEY.

Ty Frank
Northfield

Frank returned to the Northfield lineup from injury in late December, and immediately began handing out crisp breakout passes and racking up assists. The three-year contributor to the Raider varsity has 19 assists in 18 games played this season, and likely would have set a career-high in scoring had he not missed 10 games.

Rylan Schultz
Orono

Schultz may not rank among Orono’s leading scorers, but he’s currently tied for second with three game-winning goals and has maintained a solid role on the Spartans’ second power-play unit. If this were the NHL, Schultz would be the type of defenseman a contender trades for - steady, plays a ton of minutes, and blocks shots.

Brock Wellman
New Ulm

A quiet leader and consistent presence for New Ulm in the locker room, Wellman goes about his work on the ice the same way. Wellman prefers substance over flash, and has a knack for producing in big moments, exemplified by his four points in three Section 3A playoff games.

Wyatt Tarnowski
Mahtomedi

It’s easy to notice the towering Tarnowski, who stands on the Mahtomedi blueline like Paul Bunyan at 6-foot-8, 215 pounds. But his numbers make it clear that Tarnowski is a tenacious defender. His 30 penalty minutes rank second among all Zephyrs, with zero of those minutes stemming from a major penalty, and his 44 blocked shots lead the team. Tarnowski also assisted on Sam Harris’s game-winning goal in the Section 4A finals.

Cole Hwang
St. Cloud Cathedral

I can hear the Analytics Tinfoil Hats now: “AlMoSt HaLf HiS gOaLs CoMe FrOm ThE pOwErPlAy.”

And? Do those goals somehow count less than the ones scored five-on-five?

The State Tournament, especially in the semifinals and championship games, is when special teams play their most significant part. Having a weapon with the man advantage like Hwang, who has 12 goals and 27 points this season, is something every coach wants in March.

Kasen Muscha
Alexandria

Muscha is lightning in a Gatorade bottle. The senior forward flies around the ice with jets on his feet, crashing the net and banging into anything that slides into his path. Muscha recorded a goal and two assists in the Cardinals’ win over Northern Lakes in the Section 6A final, and has totaled two goals and six points in three postseason contests.

Weston Bohlman
Hermantown

On a crowded and talent-laden Hermantown blueline, Bohlman has seemingly saved his best for the postseason. The senior assisted on three of the Hawks’ four goals in last week’s Section 7A championship win over Hibbing/Chisholm, marking his fifth game with multiple points.

Kyler Lien
Warroad

Last season, Lien appeared in four games for Warroad, a depth piece on a team that didn’t need much behind its headliners.

This year, Lien has been a steadying presence up front for the No. 2 seed Warriors, recording eight points and bullying his way into the lineup with his tireless, physical play. While he’s not the only one, Lien is a prime example of earned playing time by being willing to throw checks, dig in corners, and always being ready for more.

[ClassAGuy]

Boys state hockey: Class A tournament primer
By JACE FREDERICK | jfrederick@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press
PUBLISHED: March 5, 2024 at 7:41 p.m. | UPDATED: March 5, 2024 at 8:03 p.m.

The boys state hockey tournament kicks off Wednesday with Class A quarterfinal action in St. Paul.

All winner’s bracket games throughout the tournament will be played at Xcel Energy Center and aired locally on television on KSTC-Channel 45 and streamed on prep45.tv.

Here are a few things to watch in Class A competition:

Mahtomedi set to defend title:
Mahtomedi is back after winning last year’s state title in dramatic fashion, topping Warroad in double overtime to hand Warroad its first loss of the season.

The Zephyrs have proven to be a bit of a giant slayer in Class A in recent years, though it’s about time Mahtomedi is viewed in such a light. And yet still, Mahtomedi enters this week as a bit of an underdog, at least to win the whole thing.

The Zephyrs are seeded fourth. They did beat their quarterfinal opponent — fifth-seeded Orono — 5-2 earlier this season.

There’s a decent chance if Mahtomedi is to defend its title and lift the trophy again on Saturday, it’ll have to top Orono, Hermantown and Warroad in succession.

Sure, Mahtomedi fell to Warroad and Hermantown earlier in the season, but history tells us the Zephyrs are consistently much better in March than they are in December or January.

The Zephyrs — who edged Southwest Christian in overtime of the Section 4 final — are led by senior forward Jake Hodd-Chlebeck, who has 25 goals and 22 assists this season.

Warroad looks to take final step:
Warroad has played in the final game of the Class A season in each of the past two campaigns, without a state title to show for it in that span.

Warroad fell to Hermantown in the 2022 title game, then to Mahtomedi last season. But while last year’s team was dominant up to the state tournament, this year the Warriors had to top East Grand Forks in double overtime of the section final to get back to St. Paul.

That doesn’t make Warroad any less dangerous this week, though. It again touts a potent offense, featuring three players with 50-plus points this season. The charge is led by Carson Pilgrim. The senior forward is a North Dakota commit with 29 goals and 34 assists.

The gang is all here:
There is seemingly no one missing from this year’s Class A field. The traditional powers of Hermantown, Warroad, St. Cloud Cathedral and Mahtomedi are all in attendance — all seeded No. 1-4. If the seeds hold, the semifinals figure to be rather memorable.

And, should an upset occur Wednesday to shake up the status quo, that would be a memory in itself.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Boys state hockey: Class A tournament primer
By JACE FREDERICK | jfrederick@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press
PUBLISHED: March 5, 2024 at 7:41 p.m. | UPDATED: March 5, 2024 at 8:03 p.m.

The boys state hockey tournament kicks off Wednesday with Class A quarterfinal action in St. Paul.

All winner’s bracket games throughout the tournament will be played at Xcel Energy Center and aired locally on television on KSTC-Channel 45 and streamed on prep45.tv.

Here are a few things to watch in Class A competition:

Mahtomedi set to defend title:
Mahtomedi is back after winning last year’s state title in dramatic fashion, topping Warroad in double overtime to hand Warroad its first loss of the season.

The Zephyrs have proven to be a bit of a giant slayer in Class A in recent years, though it’s about time Mahtomedi is viewed in such a light. And yet still, Mahtomedi enters this week as a bit of an underdog, at least to win the whole thing.

The Zephyrs are seeded fourth. They did beat their quarterfinal opponent — fifth-seeded Orono — 5-2 earlier this season.

There’s a decent chance if Mahtomedi is to defend its title and lift the trophy again on Saturday, it’ll have to top Orono, Hermantown and Warroad in succession.

Sure, Mahtomedi fell to Warroad and Hermantown earlier in the season, but history tells us the Zephyrs are consistently much better in March than they are in December or January.

The Zephyrs — who edged Southwest Christian in overtime of the Section 4 final — are led by senior forward Jake Hodd-Chlebeck, who has 25 goals and 22 assists this season.

Warroad looks to take final step:
Warroad has played in the final game of the Class A season in each of the past two campaigns, without a state title to show for it in that span.

Warroad fell to Hermantown in the 2022 title game, then to Mahtomedi last season. But while last year’s team was dominant up to the state tournament, this year the Warriors had to top East Grand Forks in double overtime of the section final to get back to St. Paul.

That doesn’t make Warroad any less dangerous this week, though. It again touts a potent offense, featuring three players with 50-plus points this season. The charge is led by Carson Pilgrim. The senior forward is a North Dakota commit with 29 goals and 34 assists.

The gang is all here:
There is seemingly no one missing from this year’s Class A field. The traditional powers of Hermantown, Warroad, St. Cloud Cathedral and Mahtomedi are all in attendance — all seeded No. 1-4. If the seeds hold, the semifinals figure to be rather memorable.

And, should an upset occur Wednesday to shake up the status quo, that would be a memory in itself.

Do Class A boosters hear the same "I'm so sick of the same teams every year!" whine that we hear in AA? Or is it ok to have Warroad every year because they're politically correct?

[elliott70]

Um no Warroad is not there every year.
Since 2010 East grand Forks had been there maybe 6 times and Thief River Falls 4 time
Going by old memory.
Now if you meant Hermantown and Mahtomedi well then yes.

[elliott70]

But yes, it would be nice to see different teams once in a while.