You’d be hard-pressed to find a more even matchup than the one that awaits No. 5 seed Rochester Lourdes and fourth-seeded South St. Paul. 

The Packers (19-7-1) thumped the Eagles 8-2 in the final regular-season game for both teams and are finding their three-defender groove under longtime coach Dave Palmquist, winner of over 500 games and a member of the Minnesota Girls Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

Sophomore defender Lilie Ramirez (13-24-37) and junior Makenna Deering (11-23-34) have been offensive powerhouses from their blue line positions all season for the Packers, with junior forward Ella Reynolds providing the punch up front with 14 goals and a team-leading 39 points. South St. Paul also holds one of the best underclassmen goaltenders in the state in freshman Delaney Norman, the starter since her eighth-grade season and the owner of 19 wins and six shutouts this season. 

Rochester Lourdes (17-10) is one of the few teams to give No.1 seed Breck a good game this year, battling with the Mustangs to a 6-5 loss on a late goal early in the season. The Eagles are making their second straight state tournament appearance in the program’s third season, having split with Rochester John Marshall prior to the 2017-2018 season. Senior forward and Sacred Heart commit Emma Schmitz leads the team in scoring with 22 goals and 55 points, followed by fellow senior Sarah Dravis (25-22-47), who is committed to Lindenwood University.

On the blue line, Rochester Lourdes answers the Packers’ Bemidji State verbal commits Ramirez and Deering with its own Division I talent in Maggie Hanzel. Hanzel has proven to be a force on defense for the Eagles and is one of the team’s leading scorers with 17 goals and 43 points. Hanzel is verbally committed to Boston University.