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Squirtacular: Quarterfinal Recap

By Peter Odney, 01/20/18, 9:30PM CST

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Eight teams in both the Squirt A and Squirt B Divisions do battle in Blaine.


Orono celebrates its semifinal win over Minnetonka on Saturday night.

Saturday Offers High Stakes and High Drama

Saturday's slate of games during the 2018 Youth Hockey Hub Squirtacular provided fans and players alike with close games, dazzling performances, and more than just a hint of competition. 

Stillwater Red and Prior Lake began the Squirt B portion of the evening with wins over the Junior Coyotes (AZ) and Osseo-Maple Grove Gold respectively. The Ponies held off last season's Squirt B champion in the Coyotes, while the Lakers continued their spirited run with a nail-biting win over the Leafbirds Gold.

Edina White edged Osseo-Maple Grove Black 5-3 while Rogers shut out Wazyata 5-0 to set the stage for Sunday morning's semifinals between the Hornets and the Royals.

In the Squirt A Division, Stillwater took down Chaska/Chanhassen in a shootout 6-5, a victory highlighted by the Ponies' three-goal comeback with under six minutes to play in regulation. Luke Geisbauer scored the game-winner in the shootout for the Ponies. 

The game spurred an episode of deja vu for several YHH staffers, who remember the 2016 quarterfinal matchup between Stillwater and Rosemount, another battle that ended in a shootout after a third period rife with drama. 

Representing the flip side of the first quarterfinal, Orono followed with a textbook 4-1 over Minnetonka, quickly disposing of the Skippers with goals from Tre Peck, Carson Clark, Payton Mulheran, and Henri Ament.

St. Louis Park downed White Bear Lake in the orange-on-orange clash of the evening, with Junior Podein pacing the Orioles with two goals and a pair of assists. Podein currently leads the tournament in scoring with five goals and 11 assists for 16 total points. Osseo-Maple Grove White advanced to the semifinals with a 3-1 win over Green Bay. The Leafbirds have faced St. Louis Park once this year, slipping past the Orioles 3-2 on Nov. 19.     

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