Edina Black took home three wins and state tournament spot during the regional tournament, defeating Woodbury Black 5-0, Stillwater 3-2, and Minnetonka Black 6-1. The Hornets have won 16 of their last 17 games and have allowed just 38 goals in 47 games this season. After falling to Eveleth-G-V-ME in the North Region upper bracket final, Cloquet rebounded with a resounding 8-1 win over Northern Lakes to continue its season at the state tournament. The Lumberjacks have won 10 of their last 11 games, and three of the team’s five losses have been by two goals or less. 

The year 2020 was just two days old the last time Litchfield-DC lost a game. Since then, LDC has gone 15-0-2 and has played lights-out hockey. LDC topped New Ulm-Sleepy Eye 4-0, Rochester Gold 7-1, and Hutchinson 2-1 to earn the top seed out of the South Region. Moorhead Black’s route to the state tournament wasn’t nearly as smooth as LDC’s, as the Spuds dropped their first-round game 2-1 to Anoka-Rogers White. The Spuds then battled through the backdoor bracket, defeating Orono-Mound Westonka, Chisago Lakes, Alexandria, and Osseo-Maple Grove in the lower bracket final. Should the state bracket shake out a certain way, the Spuds could get another shot against Anoka-Rogers White. 

Speaking of Anoka-Rogers White, the champions of the West Region scored two goals in all three region victors, beating the aforementioned Moorhead Black 2-1, St. Francis-North Branch 2-0, and Osseo-Maple Grove 2-1. Anoka-Rogers White has won six consecutive games and appears ready for the season’s final weekend after trudging through 52 games this year. Like Moorhead Black, Dodge County fell in its first region game, only to make its way to state the hard(er) way. The Wildcats shook off the 3-1 defeat at the hands of Hutchinson with an 8-1 win over Owatonna, a 5-0 triumph over Rochester Gold, and wins over Marshall (2-1) and Hutchinson (4-3). The first-round loss to Hutchinson was just the second loss of the season for the Wildcats. 

After trouncing Two Harbors 11-0 in the first round, Eveleth G-V-ME escaped with a pair of one-goal wins over Hibbing and Cloquet to earn the North Region’s top seed. The team has won four straight games since a 3-2 shootout loss to Cloquet, which snapped a 14-game winning streak for Eveleth-G-V-ME. A 2-1 win over Stillwater in the lower bracket final sends Minnetonka Black to state, where the Skippers could get another crack at the Hornets if both teams advance to the state final. The past three losses suffered by Minnetonka Black have been against the Hornets, providing even more incentive for the Skippers to push through the first two games.