Class A QF: Princeton vs. #3 Thief River Falls

[karl(east)]

PRINCETON VS. #3 THIEF RIVER FALLS
-The morning session wraps up with another battle of a fairly rare Tournament entrant taking on a classic power.

Princeton (21-7, Unranked, 1-seed in 5A)
State appearances: 3 (first since 2003)
Key section win: 3-1 vs. 3-seed MAML
-The Tigers return to State after a long absence, and led the way from start to finish in Section 5A. They’re led by a dynamic forward duo of Jake S. Carlson (3) and Tyler McAlpine (5), but the offense is not especially deep; instead, they held opponents to just two goals a game, and play tight defense in front of goalie Gabe Pangerl (32). They got the most fortunate draw of the unseeded teams, but even so, this will be an uphill battle for a team that didn’t play any other State qualifiers over the course of the season. Sam Schroeder (16) and Derek Abrahamson (17) also have respectable point totals, while no defenseman logged more than six points during the regular season.

Thief River Falls (22-6, #6, 1-seed in 8A)
State appearances: 13 (9 in one-class tournament, 4 in Class A; first since 2012)
Championships: 2 (one-class tournament, 1954 and 1956)
Key section win: 3-1 vs. #11 East Grand Forks
-The Prowlers return to State after a three-year absence, and their calling card is exactly what we’ve come to expect out of 8A representatives: hard-hitting, tough defensive hockey. The dynamic Brendan Bushy (66) and Wyatt Ortloff (4) lead the D corps in front of a strong goaltender, Kade Nelson (35). But the Prowlers’ biggest star is forward Ethan Johnson (14), one of Class A’s most explosive talents. The top line, rounded out by Michael Johnson (27) and Lucas Magnusson (12), provides the vast majority of the offense. They’re a very strong team, but don’t quite have the depth of Breck or Hermantown, and will need to lock in defensively and be opportunistic on offense to keep the state title in the state’s northwest corner.

[green4]

Penalties being called pretty tight in this one too, at least at the start

[rainier]

Ethan Johnson is a fantastic player. Super fast was a rocket shot. Fun to watch.

[Chucky Boomer]

Ethan Johnson is a fantastic player. Super fast was a rocket shot. Fun to watch.

I'm all for the tigers but looks like men against boys in this game with Ethan Johnson out there.

[air force one]

Is Bergland floating Johnson in the neutral zone looking for the long pass from Bushy?

[rainier]

Is Bergland floating Johnson in the neutral zone looking for the long pass from Bushy?

Yep. Tried it several times when they played Hibbing. I imagine its a big part of their offense.

[warriors41]

E. Johnson has been as good as advertised. I think I like watching Bushy play more though. He's so patient with handling the puck. Great hands on that kid.

[MNHockeyFan]

I think I like watching Bushy play more though. He's so patient with handling the puck. Great hands on that kid.

I'll say. I think I blew it not putting him on my All Tourney Team in the Tourney Challenge thread.

[TheNightman]

Johnson looked fantastic today, which I expected, but Bushy really caught me off guard. He's quite the player.

Johnson does a lot of cherry picking and rarely backchecks or passes, but I would assume that's what he's being told to do.