2022 Section 2A Playoffs
Posted: Sun Feb 20, 2022 11:01 am
Section 2A Official Seeding (11 Teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Minneapolis- (18-6-1)
2- Delano- (18-7-0)
3- Orono- (11-13-1)
4- Providence Academy- (18-6-1)
5- Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato- (16-8-1)
6- Southwest Christian- (10-13-2)
7- Mound Westonka- (11-13-1)
8- Breck- (9-16-0)
9- Hutchinson- (10-14-1)
10- Waconia- (5-19-1)
11- Bloomington Kennedy- (6-18-1)
Section 2A Playoff Bracket
Play-In Round (2/22/22) @ High Seed
#9 Hutchinson 6 #8 Breck 3
#6 Southwest Christian 6 #11 Bloomington Kennedy 3
#7 Mound Westonka 3 #10 Waconia 2
Quarterfinals (2/24/22) @ High Seed
#1 Minneapolis 5 #9 Hutchinson 1
#4 Providence Academy 7 #5 Litchfield Dassel Cokato 3
#3 Orono 2 #6 Southwest Christian 1
#2 Delano 6 #7 Mound Westonka 2
Semifinals (2/26/22) @ St Louis Park Rec Center
#1 Minneapolis 5 #4 Providence Academy 1
#2 Delano 2 #3 Orono 1 2 OT
Section Final (3/2/2022) @ St. Louis Park Rec Center
#1 Minneapolis 3 #2 Delano 1
Section 2A Champions: Minneapolis (21-6-1)
2022 Section 2A Playoffs Preview
The Section 2A playoffs will be like a mini-state tournament, with the semifinals and championship sure to draw big crowds for games with off-the-charts intensity and drama at the St Louis Park Rec Center. This year the entertainment promises to be high quality yet again, only this time it’s starting in the quarterfinals, where newcomer Top 20 Class A ranked and 2021 State Participant Litchfield Dassel Cokato, the number 5 seed, squares off against Top 20 Ranked Class A number 4 seed Providence Academy. Or how about the fact that section #8 seed Breck, who has wins over MPLS-Providence Academy-LDC & SCC, would be maybe the favorite in their rematch with the #1 seed Minneapolis. The Section 2A Quarterfinal matchups could be the Section Final matchups in some Class A sections. This Sectional will be the most fun to watch throughout as there are plenty of capable teams looking to knock off 3 time defending 2A Champion #3 State Ranked Delano.
One of the teams is number 1 seed Minneapolis (18-6-1) who has had a magical season and definitely earned the #1 seed by knocking off Delano, Orono and Providence Academy to earn this section top seed. Their trio of Senior Forwards Jack Hanson, Zander Zoia & Evan Grimm all have scored double digit goals this winter. Add in the Junior blueline trio of Drew Pitts, Joel Hanson & Hank Davis along with the solid goaltending of Senior goaltender Alex Lamont and this team is well equipped to make a serious run in Section 2A and become the first team to reach State from the big city since 1994.
Number 2 seed Delano (18-7-0) has represented Section 2A 4 of the last 5 years and this version of the Tigers looks primed to carry on that tradition of being the Section best. The Trio of Seniors Gunnar Paulson & Jesse Peterson along with Junior Will Brown has provided just enough scoring for the deceive minded and structurally sound Tigers. Seniors Colin Lommel & Craig Halonen head up a very solid group of blueliners and the emergence of Junior Drew Dorsey in net who wrestled the starting job away from last year’s mainstay makes this Delano team look playoff ready. They are very well coached and know how to win the tight playoff games that are necessary to make it to the X through the State’s toughest section.
Number 3 seed Orono (11-13-1) comes into the playoffs with less than a fabulous record but they have played a very tough schedule this year. The Spartans showed with their low scoring win over Delano and tight OT loss to Minnepaolis they can compete with the Sections best. The Spartans are led by their Junior trio of leading scorers Bradley Walker & Avery Anderson up front and Goaltender Brock Peyton who can hold the Spartans in every game. For them to make a serious run though they will need to find secondary scoring outside of the duo mentioned earlier which has been a serious challenge for the Spartans all winter.
Number 4 seed Providence Academy (18-6-1) started the year off with a mediocre (2-2-0) start after that they went on a tear going (15-2-1) in their next 18 games to garner a Top 10 ranking before crashing hard right before playoff time. We know the Lions can score; they have four forwards in Juniors Johnny Hendrickson & Andrew Owen along with sophomore forwards Louie Wehmann & Sammy Lewis all who have double digit goals. Add in senior blueliner John Reller who has 10 goals himself from the back end and the Lions offense is ultra potent. Finding their mainstay netminder though has been hard as they have rotated between Junior Nate Miest and Sophomore Evan Villagomez. If Providence Academy wants to make program history and reach the X for the 1st time ever they will need to be better in tight low scoring games then they have shown in the regular season.
Number 5 seed Litchfield Dassel Cokato (16-8-1) had high hopes entering the offseason last spring as they were coming off a State Tournament bid and they would bring back almost every member of their team to make a very good senior core and would be the undoubted Section 3A Favorite. Then section realignment took them to 2A and Dassel Cokato made an extended football run to State Title and the Dragons got off to a slow (2-4-0) start. However, this senior heavy team found their footing in mid-year and went (14-4-1) in their last 19 games. Senior Zachary Zwilling and Jack Hillman led them up front and Senior Gavyn Lund and Grant Grochow lead the blueline for the veteran group that could be the darkhouse to make a surprise playoff run through 2A and return to state after all.
Number 6 seed Southwest Christian (10-13-2) has had a disappointing year coming in having high expectations with a good core returning from the year before. However, the Stars have really struggled scoring Forwards Junior Caleb Bendell and Senior Andrew Erhart have done their part to lead the team in scoring and Senior defenseman Brody Hardacre has been as good as advertised on the blue line something is just missing with this group and they lack depth it seems. They have played a ton of tight games and will be no easy out in the playoffs but again a team that I don’t know if they have enough to string together three wins in this very tough and deep section.
Number 7 seed Mound Westonka (11-13-1) has had an up and down year; they have shown moments of looking like a contender but overall they haven't been able to sustain consistently good play. Their top three players returning have done their part as forwards Senior Michael Doshan & Junior Max Krebsbach have a agin put up eye popping numbers and Senior defender Cooper Kantola has had a really nice senior season they haven't got much help from anyone else and the goaltending has been a huge problem as well.
Number 8 seed Breck (9-16-0) has had a rough year after their resurgence last winter. The Mustangs have shown though even in their disappointing year they should not be totally overlooked. They have wins over 3 of the top 5 seeds in 2A, Minneapolis, Providence & LDC, on their resume and they are led by stud Senior defenseman Carter Theissen and Senior netminder Jack Thomson who can stop 50 shots on any given night. Breck will be a tough first round opponent why they may not have enough to make a Section Title run; they could produce an upset or two along the way.
Number 9 seed Hutchinson (10-14-1) went from perennial 3A contender to Section 2A cellar dweller this winter. The Tigers have two outstanding seniors in Brady Knorr and Karson Starett who carry the offensive load and they also have a pair of freshmen in forward Emmett Reiter & defenseman Toren Miller who both look to have promising high school careers. However, the goaltending has been a nightmare and they have tried using Five different players and have failed to find that starter that is needed to make any kind of a push in this tough section.
Number 10 seed Waconia (5-19-1) is another team having a tough year. The Wildcats have gotten good years from leading scorers Junior Brett Siddons and Senior Tyson Wiese but they have not been able to again string together any kind of constituent play to be considered a real threat in section as deep and tough as 2A.
Number 11 seed Bloomington Kennedy (6-18-1) has had rough go of it they do feature a pair of Dosan Boys, Logan and Luke, who are very good Senior defenders and Senior Tyler Jost and Junior Clayton Deutsch have provided some good offensive punch up front but again a team that doesn’t have the depth or goaltending to make a run in Class A’s toughest Sectional.
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Minneapolis- (18-6-1)
2- Delano- (18-7-0)
3- Orono- (11-13-1)
4- Providence Academy- (18-6-1)
5- Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato- (16-8-1)
6- Southwest Christian- (10-13-2)
7- Mound Westonka- (11-13-1)
8- Breck- (9-16-0)
9- Hutchinson- (10-14-1)
10- Waconia- (5-19-1)
11- Bloomington Kennedy- (6-18-1)
Section 2A Playoff Bracket
Play-In Round (2/22/22) @ High Seed
#9 Hutchinson 6 #8 Breck 3
#6 Southwest Christian 6 #11 Bloomington Kennedy 3
#7 Mound Westonka 3 #10 Waconia 2
Quarterfinals (2/24/22) @ High Seed
#1 Minneapolis 5 #9 Hutchinson 1
#4 Providence Academy 7 #5 Litchfield Dassel Cokato 3
#3 Orono 2 #6 Southwest Christian 1
#2 Delano 6 #7 Mound Westonka 2
Semifinals (2/26/22) @ St Louis Park Rec Center
#1 Minneapolis 5 #4 Providence Academy 1
#2 Delano 2 #3 Orono 1 2 OT
Section Final (3/2/2022) @ St. Louis Park Rec Center
#1 Minneapolis 3 #2 Delano 1
Section 2A Champions: Minneapolis (21-6-1)
2022 Section 2A Playoffs Preview
The Section 2A playoffs will be like a mini-state tournament, with the semifinals and championship sure to draw big crowds for games with off-the-charts intensity and drama at the St Louis Park Rec Center. This year the entertainment promises to be high quality yet again, only this time it’s starting in the quarterfinals, where newcomer Top 20 Class A ranked and 2021 State Participant Litchfield Dassel Cokato, the number 5 seed, squares off against Top 20 Ranked Class A number 4 seed Providence Academy. Or how about the fact that section #8 seed Breck, who has wins over MPLS-Providence Academy-LDC & SCC, would be maybe the favorite in their rematch with the #1 seed Minneapolis. The Section 2A Quarterfinal matchups could be the Section Final matchups in some Class A sections. This Sectional will be the most fun to watch throughout as there are plenty of capable teams looking to knock off 3 time defending 2A Champion #3 State Ranked Delano.
One of the teams is number 1 seed Minneapolis (18-6-1) who has had a magical season and definitely earned the #1 seed by knocking off Delano, Orono and Providence Academy to earn this section top seed. Their trio of Senior Forwards Jack Hanson, Zander Zoia & Evan Grimm all have scored double digit goals this winter. Add in the Junior blueline trio of Drew Pitts, Joel Hanson & Hank Davis along with the solid goaltending of Senior goaltender Alex Lamont and this team is well equipped to make a serious run in Section 2A and become the first team to reach State from the big city since 1994.
Number 2 seed Delano (18-7-0) has represented Section 2A 4 of the last 5 years and this version of the Tigers looks primed to carry on that tradition of being the Section best. The Trio of Seniors Gunnar Paulson & Jesse Peterson along with Junior Will Brown has provided just enough scoring for the deceive minded and structurally sound Tigers. Seniors Colin Lommel & Craig Halonen head up a very solid group of blueliners and the emergence of Junior Drew Dorsey in net who wrestled the starting job away from last year’s mainstay makes this Delano team look playoff ready. They are very well coached and know how to win the tight playoff games that are necessary to make it to the X through the State’s toughest section.
Number 3 seed Orono (11-13-1) comes into the playoffs with less than a fabulous record but they have played a very tough schedule this year. The Spartans showed with their low scoring win over Delano and tight OT loss to Minnepaolis they can compete with the Sections best. The Spartans are led by their Junior trio of leading scorers Bradley Walker & Avery Anderson up front and Goaltender Brock Peyton who can hold the Spartans in every game. For them to make a serious run though they will need to find secondary scoring outside of the duo mentioned earlier which has been a serious challenge for the Spartans all winter.
Number 4 seed Providence Academy (18-6-1) started the year off with a mediocre (2-2-0) start after that they went on a tear going (15-2-1) in their next 18 games to garner a Top 10 ranking before crashing hard right before playoff time. We know the Lions can score; they have four forwards in Juniors Johnny Hendrickson & Andrew Owen along with sophomore forwards Louie Wehmann & Sammy Lewis all who have double digit goals. Add in senior blueliner John Reller who has 10 goals himself from the back end and the Lions offense is ultra potent. Finding their mainstay netminder though has been hard as they have rotated between Junior Nate Miest and Sophomore Evan Villagomez. If Providence Academy wants to make program history and reach the X for the 1st time ever they will need to be better in tight low scoring games then they have shown in the regular season.
Number 5 seed Litchfield Dassel Cokato (16-8-1) had high hopes entering the offseason last spring as they were coming off a State Tournament bid and they would bring back almost every member of their team to make a very good senior core and would be the undoubted Section 3A Favorite. Then section realignment took them to 2A and Dassel Cokato made an extended football run to State Title and the Dragons got off to a slow (2-4-0) start. However, this senior heavy team found their footing in mid-year and went (14-4-1) in their last 19 games. Senior Zachary Zwilling and Jack Hillman led them up front and Senior Gavyn Lund and Grant Grochow lead the blueline for the veteran group that could be the darkhouse to make a surprise playoff run through 2A and return to state after all.
Number 6 seed Southwest Christian (10-13-2) has had a disappointing year coming in having high expectations with a good core returning from the year before. However, the Stars have really struggled scoring Forwards Junior Caleb Bendell and Senior Andrew Erhart have done their part to lead the team in scoring and Senior defenseman Brody Hardacre has been as good as advertised on the blue line something is just missing with this group and they lack depth it seems. They have played a ton of tight games and will be no easy out in the playoffs but again a team that I don’t know if they have enough to string together three wins in this very tough and deep section.
Number 7 seed Mound Westonka (11-13-1) has had an up and down year; they have shown moments of looking like a contender but overall they haven't been able to sustain consistently good play. Their top three players returning have done their part as forwards Senior Michael Doshan & Junior Max Krebsbach have a agin put up eye popping numbers and Senior defender Cooper Kantola has had a really nice senior season they haven't got much help from anyone else and the goaltending has been a huge problem as well.
Number 8 seed Breck (9-16-0) has had a rough year after their resurgence last winter. The Mustangs have shown though even in their disappointing year they should not be totally overlooked. They have wins over 3 of the top 5 seeds in 2A, Minneapolis, Providence & LDC, on their resume and they are led by stud Senior defenseman Carter Theissen and Senior netminder Jack Thomson who can stop 50 shots on any given night. Breck will be a tough first round opponent why they may not have enough to make a Section Title run; they could produce an upset or two along the way.
Number 9 seed Hutchinson (10-14-1) went from perennial 3A contender to Section 2A cellar dweller this winter. The Tigers have two outstanding seniors in Brady Knorr and Karson Starett who carry the offensive load and they also have a pair of freshmen in forward Emmett Reiter & defenseman Toren Miller who both look to have promising high school careers. However, the goaltending has been a nightmare and they have tried using Five different players and have failed to find that starter that is needed to make any kind of a push in this tough section.
Number 10 seed Waconia (5-19-1) is another team having a tough year. The Wildcats have gotten good years from leading scorers Junior Brett Siddons and Senior Tyson Wiese but they have not been able to again string together any kind of constituent play to be considered a real threat in section as deep and tough as 2A.
Number 11 seed Bloomington Kennedy (6-18-1) has had rough go of it they do feature a pair of Dosan Boys, Logan and Luke, who are very good Senior defenders and Senior Tyler Jost and Junior Clayton Deutsch have provided some good offensive punch up front but again a team that doesn’t have the depth or goaltending to make a run in Class A’s toughest Sectional.