Minnetonka Black has allowed just 50 goals in 36 games this season, riding a staunch defense and strong goaltending yo a 27-5-4 record. The Skippers blanked Elk River 1-0 in the quarterfinals before dispatching Stillwater 4-1 and edging Anoka-Rogers 2-1 in the National Region upper bracket final. The Skippers have won seven of their last eight games. The team to hand them that loss will be their first-round opponent, North Wright County. Ironically, the Riverhawks have also won seven of their last eight, including a winding path through the American Region. The Riverhawks lost to Wayzata Blue 3-2 in the quarterfinals before beating Armstrong Cooper, Eagan-IGH, and Hastings. Four appears to be the magic number for North Wright County, which scored four goals in all three region wins preceding the state tournament. 

Moorhead edged Proctor-Hermantown 3-2 and then snuck past Duluth 2-1 to earn its trip to state. The Spuds have won four of their last five games with the lone loss coming against Grand Rapids by a score of 2-1. Edina has won four of its previous six games, losing to Forest Lake in overtime and rival Minnetonka Black in a shootout during Eden Prairie’s Prelude to the Playoffs. The loss to Forest Lake came in the first round of region play, and the Hornets bounced back with wins over Minnetonka Blue, Stillwater, and Elk River to advance. 

If four is the magic number for North Wright County, three takes its place as the calling card for Wayzata Blue. The Trojans beat that same North Wright County team 3-2 in the region quarterfinals, blanked Lakeville 3-0 in the semifinals, and eked out a 3-2 win over Osseo-Maple Grove in the upper bracket final. The last loss the Trojans suffered before embarking on a six-game winning streak came against Armstrong Cooper in overtime on Feb. 15. Proctor-Hermantown advanced to the state tournament after beating Grand Rapids-Greenway 6-0, Alexandria 5-1, and Duluth 4-3 in the win-or-go-home lower bracket final of the Olympic Region. 12 of the Mirage’s 15 losses have been by two goals or less. 

With 51 games already played this season, Osseo-Maple Grove ranks near the top of the state when it comes to total contests. The Leafbirds have won five of their last six games, with the lone loss coming against Wayzata Blue in the region’s upper bracket final. Like Proctor-Hermantown, the Leafbirds have felt their share of heartbreak, losing 13 of 18 games by two goals or less. One of the few teams to have played more games than OMG, Anoka-Rogers enters the weekend with 56 games under its collective belt. A pair of 3-1 wins over Minnetonka Blue and Forest Lake put Anoka-Rogers into the National Region upper bracket final, where it fell to Minnetonka Black 2-1. Anoka-Rogers has beaten Osseo-Maple Grove twice this year by scores of 4-1 and 3-1.