Talon Sigurdson scores for 02 Machine Black Sunday
2001
Northern WI Blizzards 4, MAP North 2
The 2001 title game could have gone either way, but ended with Nothern WI grinding out a 4-2 win.
Ryan Krueger scored two goals to lead Northern WI, with Andrew Rothmeier and Gunnar Shiffman each scoring once. Schiffman’s goal came with 18 seconds left in regulation, and squelched a MAP North comeback attempt.
Creighton McMahon and Nathan Thelen scored for MAP North in the first and second period respectively, and the boys in orange doled out some serious physical play in the final minutes before being denied.
Northern WI goaltender Ryan Raff was named Tournament Most Valuable Player.
2002
Machine Black 3, Velocity 1
Another nail-biter in the 2002 division, and another winning team aided by an empty-netter to seal the game.
Velocity’s Marc Lund kicked off the scoring with a goal in the first period, and Velocity took that 1-0 lead into the second frame. Machine Black’s penalty kill unit was the highlight of the second period, killing off a pair of penalties.
A pair of goals for Machine Black were scored by tourney MVP Talon Sigurdson and Kade Nielson in the second, and Cade Ahrenholz scored the ENG in the third for Machine Black.
2003
Lake Superior Stars 4, Minnesota Made (2004’s)
The 2004 MN Made team made a valiant run through the 2003 division, but the ride ended with a 4-1 loss to a much larger Lake Superior team.
The Stars scored four unanswered goals, including three in the third period. Tourney MVP Aaron Pionk scored twice for the Stars, with Vance Johnson and Joey DelGreco adding one goal each.
Devin Cardenas scored the lone goal for MN Made.
Aaron Pionk (far right) scores his second goal of the 2003 Independent Classic title game
2004
Hockey Factory 4, WI Flyers 3 (OT)
Braydon Beahm scored as time expired in overtime to lift Hockey to the title victory over the WI Flyers.
Hockey Factory erased a 3-1 deficit in the last 4:16 of the third period, getting two goals from Charlie Masek, including the tying score with just 36 seconds on the clock. Nevan Kearney scored the first goal for Hockey Factory.
Hunter Bill, Turner Richards and Caden Schmirler each scored once for the WI Flyers.
2005
Velocity Black 8, Dakota Thunder 2
In a penalty-riddled championship, Velocity thumped Dakota Thunder 8-2 behind a two-goal performance from Rowan Heitoff, who scored the first two goals of the game.
John Halverson and Teddy Townsend scored in the second to give Velocity Black a 4-0 lead, but the Thunder’s Colten Nestler tallied a goal late in the second to keep the Thunder in the game at 4-1.
Velocity got four goals from four players in the third, with Carter Davis, Tyler Davis, Tyler Winkler and Owen Sanderson all marking the scoresheet.
Noah Mehus scored the second goal for Dakota.
2006
Minnesota Blades 5, Machine Black 2
The Blades rode a streak of four unanswered goals to victory in the 2006 division title game, and five different players scored for the Blades overall.
Mathew Volkman and Brittan Alstead scored in the first period for the Blades, erasing the 1-0 lead Machine Black took early on by a goal from Dylan Herold.
Blaik Bork and Jacob Mattson scored for the Blades in the second, which was answered by Machine Black’s Ozzie Snodgrass.
Mattson scored his second goal for the Blades in the third period, sealing the victory. MN Blades goaltender Easton Cody was named tournament MVP.
Blaik Bork scores for '06 Blades Sunday
2001 Independent Champs, Northern WI Blizzards
2002 Independent Champs, Machine Black
2003 Independent Champs, Lake Superior Stars
2004 Independent Champs, Hockey Factory
2005 Independent Champs, Velocity Black
2006 Independent Champs, MN Blades