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Blue Ox 2019: Best Of

By YHH Staff , 11/13/19, 12:45PM CST

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Memorable moments from the 2019 Battle for Blue Ox.

2019 Blue Ox Highlight Video

Best of Times


Friday marked the official opening of the Sanford Rink at the Cullen Hockey Center.

In 1981 Styx's Dennis De Young wrote "The Best of Times," a song that marked the creative pinnacle of De Young's run with the band. It could also describe how hard the Blue Ox players work to get their own apex in their young careers. Here are a few "bests" we saw while in Moorhead last weekend.

Best Ribbon Cutting

The community of Moorhead, which has required a third sheet of ice under one roof for longer than the town would like to admit, fulfilled that dream on Friday afternoon. 

The Sanford Rink at the Cullen Hockey Center gives the Moorhead Youth Hockey Association the added flexibility for scheduling, meaning that the Moorhead Sports Center at the high school won't be the de facto third sheet for tournaments and odd practices.

If growth is measured in sheets of ice, Moorhead is reaching its final form. 

Best Atmosphere

The 218 area code was well represented Sunday in the championship game. Not only is Moorhead a great host, but they also bring great crowds for the home team. The number one seed Spud fans filled the Dennis Bushy Rink Sunday. Giving both sides even greater reason to win a silly blue cow.

Best Run - Sioux Falls Power 

Sioux Falls were power-packed and full of exciting endings as Brady Arneson scored with two seconds left to defeat STMA 3-2 on Friday afternoon. The Power then outlasted Minnetonka 3-2 in a shootout Friday night. 

Sioux Falls' dream of a date in the Black Bracket Finals ended Saturday morning with a 5-4 shootout loss to Centennial.  Talk about a powerful run. 

Best Uniform - Minot

If your team colors are brown and gold, your uniform better come correct. Each year, the Minot Wolves deliver a fantastic set of sweaters, effortlessly pulling off the tricky trio of warm colors.

Best Reunion

In 1992, Rochester Mayo Brandon Weick, Shawn Leimbek, and Brian Nelson had their high school dreams dashed when a strapping group of Moorhead Spuds kicked the Spartans 7-1 in the first round of the Tier I Boys High School Hockey State Tournament. Among those players who sent the Mayo boys to the consolation bracket include Moorhead Youth Hockey Association Executive Director Rob Gramer and father of Moorhead Bantam AA skater Jack Arnold, Josh Arnold. Thankfully, peace prevailed, and the Spartans and Spuds went through the weekend without incident.

Best Names

Bauer Berry (Grand Forks)
Brendan Hammer (Andover)
Teddy Manlove (Tonka)
Lincoln Mellenthin (Sioux Falls)
Reilly Piersimoni (Mahtomedi)
Holden Schwarzentraub (Sartell)
Riley Skuza (Stillwater)
Zane Spaniol (Blaine)
Benjamin Svangstu (Minot)


Former Mayo Spartans Brandon Weick, Shawn Leimbek and Brian Nelson rekindled 1992 Tier I State Tournament memories in Moorhead.

Blue Ox All-Tournament First Team

Player Team Position
Tomas Anderson Stillwater Goaltender
Joe Gramer Moorhead Defense
Ty Hanson Hermantown Defense
Harper Bentz Moorhead Forward
Wyatt Carlson Hermantown Forward
Kade Kohanski Hermantown Forward

Blue Ox All-Tournament Second Team

Player Team Position
Kai Weigel Moorhead Goaltender
Josh Muehlbauer Hermantown Defense
Daniel Roeske Stillwater Defense
Dawson McCann Minot Forward
Ian Ness Moorhead Forward
Harper Searles Centennial Forward

MVP: Zam Plante (Hermantown)

Typically an outstanding performer at Youth Hockey Hub events, Zam Plante picked up Tournament Most Valuable Player honors for his eight-goal, 19-point performance over the weekend. 

Plante, flanked on either side by tenacious wingers in Kade Kohanski and Wyatt Carlson, was never held below three points in a single game during the tournament and recorded a six-point outing on four goals and two assists in the Hawks' 7-1 win over Rochester. The trio combined for 20 goals and 24 assists in four games.

With his 19 points, Plante destroyed the previous record of 13 total points, recorded by Elk River's Jax Murray in 2013. Murray now plays Division I hockey for Arizona State University.      


Zam Plante picked up Tournament MVP honors with his record-breaking performance in Moorhead.

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