The Tourney, that is really all you have to say in Minnesota for people to know what you are talking about. From the storied history of the tourney to the excitement of a sold out arena some fans will take days off from work to attend the games or do all they can to record and watch them later. I know in the days before streaming video I used to have my mom tape the games (yes on VHS which dates me big time) and then send them to me in big care package so I could watch them later. The Tourney always provided tons of excitement and the memories of the games and players I’ve watched play are just etched in my brain. I will date myself again by saying I remember watching players like Robb Stauber, Darby Hendrickson, Jamie Langenbrunner, Mike Crowley, Dave Spehar, Wyatt Smith, Johnny Pohl, Matt Cullen, Blake Wheeler, T.J. Oshie, Alex Stalock and many others represent their schools and communities. The clear boards of the St. Paul Civic Center were distinctive and made the tournament standout that much more. That only continued when the event was moved into the Xcel Energy Center in the year 2000.
I will never forget 1995 in the epic Class AA showdown between Apple Valley and Duluth East and staying up well past 1AM to watch the game finally end in the fifth overtime. Sure, I certainly do remember the ‘missed goal’ that Duluth East had in the 2nd overtime but that was a day and age before video review. Contrast that to this year’s tournament where all goals will be reviewed much like they do in the NHL. One thing is for certain, another 100,000+ fans will make their way to St. Paul to see who is crowned the champions of Class A and AA.
While fans usually cherish the tradition of the tournament, there will be quite a few fresh faces in the tournament field this season. Perennial tournament attendees Edina, Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Warroad, Lakeville North, Duluth East and St. Thomas Academy have not made it through sections so we should see a bunch of unique match ups. I think this has the makings of the most-wide open tournament since the Tournament started using seeding. The one drawback of this was the tourney might be deprived of some higher profile players that were getting some recognition from NHL scouts. Some of these players were rated by NHL’s Central Scouting Service; like Blaine’s Riley Tufte (#17 by CSS), Hibbing / Chisholm’s Scott Perunovich (#109 by CSS), St. Thomas Academy’s William Jerry (#189 by CSS) as well as Luverne’s young superstar Jaxon Nelson are not in the tournament. At least we will have some great hockey hair to talk about.
While that detracts a bit from the ‘star power’ of this tournament there are still plenty of talent on the ice and I have little doubt that at least a few will eventually make their way to the ranks of professional hockey. So as I have done in the past I will provide a preview of each quarterfinal match up, giving you players to watch as well as predictions about who will win.
I also am proud to announce a new feature of the game preview, I talked to Karl Schuettler of A Patient Cycle.com you can follow Karl on Twitter too at @KarlEastHockey. He is a high school hockey junkie who has covered the Tourney the last 5 years. So for the first time we’ll include his predictions as well as my own for each game as well as who win it all in both Class A & AA. Check out his State Tournament Quarterfinal Preview podcast here.
At this time I would like to give a stick tap to Doug Hagen at FollowthePuck.com (follow him on Twitter @FollowthePuck) as he does a tremendous job of reporting scores and uploading stats for teams all across the State of Hockey. He does one helluva job and I also know he’d appreciate donations too!
Class A (Starts Wednesday)
#2 Breck (24-3-1) vs. Mankato West (15-11-2) 11AM ~ The Mustangs are a perennial power in Class A and after a strong regular season they hope to steamroll their way to a state title while they play fresh face Mankato West who won 1-0 over Northfield in a very wide-open Section 1A. The Scarlets do not bring the most potent offense to the tournament but its led by seniors Gabe Langworthy, Tyler Loe and junior Jimmy Snell. Junior Jackson Peterson commands the crease for the Scarletts with a (15-11-2) record, a 2.87 goals against average and a .873% save percentage but he better be ready to stand on his head against the maelstrom he’ll be facing on Wednesday. Mankato West lost to state qualifiers St. Paul Academy twice (1-4, 1-8) and St. Cloud Cathedral (3-8).
Breck has a young and powerful squad that has plenty of firepower up front as well a strong defensive corps. Les Larson’s squad looks for offense from seniors Chase Ellingson (34 goals and a Mr. Hockey finalist) and Charlie Gamer as well as junior Grant Parrish. On the defense senior Nick Paulson and sophomore Nick Strom make life miserable for opposing forwards with strong, physical play. Between the pipes Sophomore Linden Olness (23-3-1) and 1.76 goals against average and a .904% save percentage and has faced against many of the best clubs in Class A. Breck has two wins over state qualifiers St. Paul Academy (6-0, 4-3 OT), Thief River Falls (4-1) and St. Cloud Cathedral (9-1).
Prediction: (State of Hockey News) I think this game has all the makings of a pretty big blowout. The Scarletts haven’t played a team as nearly as good as Breck is and its firepower and experience will be pretty evident from the start. I think this one will be 6-0 or 7-0 by end of the 2nd and Les Larson will be giving his lower lines plenty of ice time in the 3rd.
(KarlEast) The Scarlets pulled a nice upset to make it here, but it’s tough to see them being able to muster much against Class A regular Breck. The Mustangs have some front-line talent in Mr. Hockey finalist Chase Ellingson, and have no obvious weaknesses. They should roll through this one to the tune of 7-1, and are on a collision course with Hermantown in the Class A championship game.
#3 Thief River Falls (22-6) vs. Princeton (21-7) 2PM ~ this is another game where neither opponent will be familiar with one another but the quality of schedule varies considerably in what could be a pretty one-sided match up. The Princeton Tigers qualified for state with a win over Monticello-Annandale-Maple Lake in a section where most of the clubs had losing records. Jeff Hanson‘s squad will hope to show that they can compete with an average offense led by seniors Tyler McAlpine, Derek Abrahamson and Cole Heinemann. Princeton’s hopes really are on the shoulders of senior goaltender Gabe Pangerl (13-2) record, a 1.70 goals against average and a .924% save percentage, he will have to be a wall if the Tigers are to have any chance at all. The Tigers did not face any of the tournament attendees this season.
The Prowlers come to the tournament after a very strong regular season where they blitzed most of their competition with a high-octane attack led by coach Tim Berglund. Thief River Falls attacks in waves and their offense is lead by seniors Ethan Johnson, Lucas Magnusson and Michael Johnson. On defense, junior Brendan Bushy likes to get involved offensively as well as playing a strong physical game. In the crease the Prowlers look to senior Kade Nelson (22-6) with a 1.95 goals against average and a .909% save percentage who brings poise and confidence to the blue paint. The Prowlers have not beaten any of the tournament attendees but they have played respectably against Hermantown (0-4), Breck (1-4) and two losses to Class AA qualifier Bemidji (3-7, 1-4).
Prediction: (State of Hockey News) I can’t imagine Princeton being able to match the Prowlers skill or general team speed. Thief River Falls is an excellent transition team and they like to pounce on turnovers in the neutral zone and attack off the rush. I’m not sure Princeton has really faced any opponent quite as explosive as Thief River Falls and that normally is a recipe for disaster. I expect another one-sided game, 6-0 Prowlers.
(KarlEast) The Tigers are a nice story and have a couple quality forwards, but don’t have the star power of Thief River Falls, who have lethal forward Ethan Johnson and a dynamic defenseman in Brendan Bushy. Both teams are stout defensively, so I don’t see a lot of scoring in this one, but Thief River Falls should pull it out 4-1.
#1 Hermantown (24-2-1) vs. Litchfield Dassel-Cokato (20-8) 6PM ~ the perennial Class A powerhouse is seeded #1 again but will they be able to be champions or will they come up short again, while another fresh-face ambushes the most high profile team in southwestern Minnesota to make their way to St. Paul. The Dragons are used to overwhelming foes with a strong offensive attack with seniors David Raisanen, Casey Peterson and Jared Pedersen. On defense, team captain Ben Haugo is the workhorse for Litchfield Dassel-Cokato. In the crease, senior Dylan Lemke has been a rock for the Dragons with an (8-2) record, a 2.44 goals against average and a .904% save percentage. Litchfield Dassel-Cokato has not played against any of the state tourney qualifiers this season.
So from the relative inexperience of the Dragons you go to what is perhaps the most experienced club in the entire tourney in Hermantown. Bruce Plante‘s squad brings its normal abundance of offensive firepower led by senior Cole Koepke, juniors Jesse Jacques and Ryan Sandelin. Defensively the Hawks are stifling with a pair of strong two-way senior defensemen Eric Gotz and Wyatt Aamodt who is rated 210th by NHL Central Scouting. In the blue paint, senior Luke Olson seems like he’s been manning the crease for a decade with an (18-2) record, a stingy 1.36 goals against average and a .940% save percentage. Hermantown is battle tested with wins over state qualifiers like St. Cloud Cathedral (6-2), Thief River Falls (4-1), as well as a win over Class AA qualifier Wayzata (5-3) early in the season but they also lost to Bemidji (2-4).
Prediction: (State of Hockey News) I think this could be an interesting game at the start since Litchfield Dassel-Cokato plays an aggressive up-tempo style similar to that of Luverne whom they defeated in the Section 3 final, but they won’t be able to trade goals with a club like Hermantown for long. The Hawks might start by trading goals early but they’ll lock it down defensively and then beat up the Dragons in transition, 7-3 Hermantown.
(KarlEast) While the Dragons are actually pretty good as far as 3A entrants go, they’re just not in the same league as powerful Hermantown. The Hawks are loaded with forward talent and have Wyatt Aamodt to lay some big hits, and they should be able to roll through to the semis with the same ease they had in marching through the 7A playoffs. Hermantown wins this one 9-1.
#4 St. Paul Academy (23-5) vs. #5 St. Cloud Cathedral (20-7-1) 8PM ~ I think this game has the potential to be a real dandy. St. Paul Academy has been steady for most of the season and while they may not have garnered the attention the same way as some of the other qualifiers they are a junior dominated squad with a freshman and one 8th grader. Don’t let their youth fool you, as Matt Funk‘s team has some nice firepower up front with senior Justin Jallen (19 goals) junior Jack Johnston (24 goals) sophomore Dev McCabe also has lots of speed. Sophomore Andy Beran has started every game between the pipes with a (23-5) record, a 1.88 goals against average and a .918% save percentage. St. Paul Academy has beaten tournament attendee Mankato West twice (4-1, 8-1) but lost to Breck twice (0-6, 3-4 OT).
St. Cloud Cathedral comes out of Section 6 as the #2 seed. Derrick Brown‘s squad has lots of speed and quickness where they force turnovers and score well in transition. Senior forwards Logan Neu, Jack Petroske, Tanner Schmit and junior Michael Spethmann are opportunistic finishers as the Crusaders roll three well-rounded scoring lines. Sophomore goaltender Keegan Karki (13-6-1) was very sharp in the playoffs and he’ll be tested early and often by the Spartans. St. Cloud Cathedral has a victory over tournament attendee Mankato West (8-3) but losses to Hermantown (2-6) and Breck (1-9).
Prediction: (State of Hockey News) I think this game will be a barn burner, but I think St. Cloud Cathedral’s experience will serve them well and they will jump out to an early lead. The Crusaders’ puck pressure can really be stifling and even though both of these clubs are battle tested I think St. Cloud Cathedral advances in a 4-3 victory.
(KarlEast) This should easily be the best Class A quarterfinal, and these two teams have a lot in common, including decent depth and touted sophomore goalies. While SPA has a little more front-end talent, the Crusaders have been hot lately, and they’ve also been on this stage before. Because of that, I’ll pick Cathedral 3-2 here.
Class A Championship prediction: (State of Hockey News) I’m going with Hermantown. I feel like I’ve gone with Hermantown every season, but this team has to finally win it all doesn’t it? Bruce Plante’s squad has more experience than nearly any team in the tournament and while it will be a psychological hurdle to breakthrough I think this is the Hawks’ year. Perhaps if they win, the team will make the jump to Class AA so many feel they should.
(KarlEast) Breck. As good as Hermantown is, we’ve all seen this story before. Until the Hawks prove they can do it, I’m going to bet against them, and this Breck team is a bit under the radar. Two of their three losses came in one weekend, and they’ve held their own against some of Class AA’s best. If it is Breck and Hermantown in the championship, it should be a great one, and I think Breck steals it on a late goal by Chase Ellingson.
Class AA (Starts Thursday)
Farmington (18-8-1) vs. #2 Stillwater (27-1-1) 11AM ~ This match up pits two newcomers to the tournament. Both teams have a limited amount of experience against the other elite teams in Class AA. The Tigers have something no other team in the state does in 3 victories over defending champion Lakeville North this season including the section 1AA final. Farmington uses a more scoring by committee approach which makes them difficult to match up against. The Tigers’ top scorers in senior defenseman Erik Holmstrom along with forwards Wyatt Jensen and John Siebenaler. Senior defenseman Tyler Jette is their workhorse and the 6’3″, 185lber is rated 168th by NHL Central Scouting. Between the pipes the Tigers look to sophomore Gavin Enright (15-8-1) 2.53 goals against average and a .910 save percentage who has been Farmington’s anchor all season long. They have lost to tournament attendees Eden Prairie (1-5) and a loss and tie Burnsville (4-4 & 2-3) but they did beat Wayzata (5-3).
The Ponies have a squad with a lot of offensive weapons and the scary part is a good portion of them are only juniors. Stillwater is led offensively by junior Noah Cates who became famous for his section-clinching goal that was good enough for the top play on ESPN‘s Sports Center, but brother (and senior) Jackson Cates are a great 1-2 combination. Juniors Luke Manning and T.J. Sagissor also can bring plenty of skill and speed making Stillwater one of the most potent clubs in the tourney. Senior Goaltender Josh Benson has a 19-1-1 record and stellar 1.75 goals against average and a .923% save percentage. Someone might say the Ponies are overrated since they have not played against any of the other Class AA qualifiers even though they too had a win over defending AA champion Lakeville North as well.
Prediction: (State of Hockey News) I think Farmington pulls off the big upset. Its no easy feat to beat a team like Lakeville North once, but to defeat 3 times and 6-2 in the section finals makes me believe the Tigers have what it takes to advance. I think Holmstrom and Jette will be the x-factor in shutting down the Ponies’ attack. My pick is 4-2 Tigers. Section 4 wasn’t as tough as it has been in previous seasons.
(KarlEast) This one could be an adventure for the Ponies, as Farmington comes in hot and can play tight defense. Still, they’ve got the depth and puck movement to break down the Tigers, and as long as they can handle the stage, they’re smart enough to avoid the odd-man rushes that could doom them. I’ll take the Ponies 4-3.
Burnsville (16-10-2) vs. #3 Wayzata (19-8-1) 2PM ~ this match up pits two suburban clubs that were not nearly as heralded as other clubs in their respective sections but they both are solid programs with some terrific coaches behind the bench in Janne Kivihalme at Burnsville and Pat O’Leary at Wayzata. The Blaze kind of remind me a little bit of Duluth East last season where they are a solid defensive team and got hot late in the season and dominated a very tough St. Thomas Academy squad in the section final. Burnsville is led offensively by seniors Cade Borchardt and Eric Otto who are a nice combination of finesse and power. Senior defenseman Nolan Sawchuk anchors the Blaze’s defense while fellow senior Nick Lee commands the crease (11-6-1) 2.06 goals against average and a .900% save percentage who will have to play big if Burnsville is to have a chance. The Blaze has lost to the Trojans already this season (2-5) as well as tournament attendee Eden Prairie (0-2) but they have tied and beaten Farmington (4-4, 3-2).
Wayzata is another club which flew under the radar in part due to the fact of their conference containing perennial powers Edina and Eden Prairie. The Trojans are a very well-rounded team that scores by committee and plays solid defensively. Senior Mark Senden is the catalyst offensively working with sophomore Colin Schmidt but Wayzata has 3 lines that can score which makes for a troublesome match up. On the blueline junior Hank Sorenson and sophomore Grant Anderson can provide some offensive punch as well as be a nice shutdown tandem. Between the pipes, senior Alex Schilling (13-7) 2.35 goals against average and an .896% save percentage carries the mail for the Trojans. Wayzata has beaten Burnsville (5-2), Grand Rapids (3-2) and Anoka (3-1), but have lost to Farmington (1-2) and split with top-seeded Eden Prairie (2-4 and 4-2).
Prediction: (State of Hockey News) I think Wayzata wins this one 4-2. I think the scoring depth of Wayzata will be too much for Burnsville to handle. Cade Borchardt will make this one interesting, but in the end the Trojans will advance to the semifinals.
(KarlEast) Burnsville isn’t an easy draw, with a good one-two forward punch and good balance and team play beyond. But this Wayzata team is well-built to withstand an upset threat, and should be able to grind away and pop in enough goals to win. Hank Sorensen should also leave his mark before this one is over, and his Trojans should win 4-1.
Anoka (18-9-0) vs. #1 Eden Prairie (19-7-2) 6PM ~ I am not sure I can ever remember a top seeded team since the tournament started implementing that system where their record is not far and away better than their opponent. This is the first state tournament for Anoka since 2003 but Head Coach Todd Manthey has been there before. Anoka is used to having people doubt them and while they may not have the profile of Blaine, Elk River / Zimmerman or even Maple Grove they have the makings of a good trap team. The Tornadoes are led offensively by junior Isaac Johnson and seniors Michael Talbot and set up man Blake Neumann. Senior Reese Grailer is one of the better defenseman in the state and he’ll be busy against a high powered Eden Prairie offense. Spencer Olson will backstop the Tornadoes and while his 3.27 goals against won’t scare anyone, he was pretty solid in the section playoffs. Anoka only faced one other team currently in the AA tournament in a loss to Wayzata (1-3).
The Eagles are the top seed and they have high profile up front in junior and Gophers’ commit Casey Mittlestadt (22 goals, 59 points) and senior Michael Graham who is rated 85th by NHL Central Scouting lead the way offensively for Eden Prairie. Eden Prairie’s top two lines are very strong. Junior Nicky Lievermann is another skilled blueliner that anchors Lee Smith‘s defense. Between the pipes, senior Shawn Derocher (7-3-2) 2.76 goals against average and .884% was superb in the section playoffs which was arguably one of the toughest in the state. The reason Eden Prairie is the top seed is how well they’ve been against the rest of the tournament field as they earned a season split against #2-seeded Wayzata (4-2, 2-4) and wins over Farmington (5-1), Grand Rapids (6-3) and Burnsville (2-0).
Prediction: (State of Hockey News) Todd Manthey is a great coach and person, I’ve always respected their program. As an Elk River alum and even though the Tornadoes are our arch-rival, I’m hoping Anoka can pull off an upset but I just don’t think it will happen. The Eagles have too much firepower and Mittlestadt and Graham are perhaps the best 1-2 punch in the whole tournament. I do not think Eden Prairie is invincible, but they’ll win this one 5-1.
(KarlEast) While I think Eden Prairie is a vulnerable top seed, I don’t see them falling in the first round. Even if they aren’t clicking on all cylinders, they still have the star power to win this one. Anoka should be able to hang around for a little while, especially if the Eagles get penalty-happy, but look for Casey Mittelstadt to be the deciding factor as Eden Prairie wins 5-2.
#5 Bemidji (23-2-2) vs. #4 Grand Rapids (21-6-1) 8PM ~ There is some mild anger in the Twitterverse over this quarterfinal game between two northern clubs. Bemidji is a club that comes into the tournament with a bit of a chip on its shoulder as some question their strength of schedule as geography kind of dictates they have a lot of games against Class A schools. Head Coach Wade Chiodo knows his team cannot dwell on what their seed is and his club brings experience and lot of character out of a well-rounded team. Offensively the Lumberjacks have two solid scoring lines with juniors Alex Pollock and Brady Tatro as well as seniors Rocky Copiskey and Jack Johnson leading the way. Senior Defensemen Nick Leitner and Eric Fitzgerald are two great two-way defenseman who can bring it at both ends of the ice. Between the pipes the Lumberjacks lean on sophomore Matt Fitzgerald (17-2-2) 2.05 goals against average and an .898% save percentage but his poise will be tested right away. Bemidji tied Grand Rapids early in the season (1-1) but they had no other games against Class AA opponents. They did beat top Class A threats Hermantown (4-2) and Thief River Falls (4-1) though.
Grand Rapids ended Duluth East’s 7-season streak as the representatives of a very tough Section 7AA with an overtime thriller over the Greyhounds. 1st Year Head Coach Trent Klatt has plenty of weapons up front and are led by sophomore Gavin Hain, junior Micah Miller and seniors Alex Adams, Jonah Bischoff and 6’4″, 186lbs Mitchell Mattson who is rated #49 by NHL Central Scouting. The Thunderhawks blueline is anchored by junior John Stampohar. In the crease sophomore Gabe Holum will have to make his 5’10” frame seem bigger than it is. The Thunderhawks have found ways to play a number of games against metro area teams but they have not fared particularly well losing to Wayzata (2-3), Eden Prairie (3-6) and a tie against Bemidji (1-1) and Grand Rapids lost to Hermantown (5-0).
Prediction: (State of Hockey News) I think this will be the best match up of the first round in either class. Grand Rapids is loaded up front to be sure, but I think they’re vulnerable defensively. I think this has the makings for a back-and-forth affair that will be exciting to watch but I think Bemidji edges Grand Rapids 6-4. It is very interesting that both clubs are backstopped by sophomore goaltenders and I think they’re going to be tested early and often.
(KarlEast) This has all the makings of a thriller, and is a great clash between Grand Rapids’ high-flying offense and Bemidji’s depth and stout defense. This could easily go either way, but the Thunderhawks have been especially hot down the stretch. I’ll pick Gavin Hain and Alex Adams to step up and make a difference in a 4-3 Grand Rapids win.
Class AA Championship prediction: (State of Hockey News) My pick is Wayzata. I think the Trojans are gamers and will be able to shutdown opponents with their strong defensive game. Even though there is a lot of offense in this tournament, it will be Wayzata’s ability to counterpunch and defend that will have them be 2016’s Class AA champions.
(KarlEast) Wayzata. The team with the strongest defense is usually the safest bet, and the Trojans also come into this tournament on a hot streak. No other team can generate chances up and down the lineup quite like they can, and their style of play should frustrate the better offenses they’ll run into in the later rounds. As long as they stay out of the box, they should lift their first championship trophy.
What do you think? Who do you think will win it all? Leave a comment below!
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
