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Minnesota District Tier I Championships

By Peter Odney , 10/11/20, 2:45PM CDT

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The Green Giants reign supreme in the 14U Girls Division, while Shattuck-St. Mary's 14U Boys and the Blue Ox Youth 15 Boys also capture titles.


The Green Giants 14U Girls celebrate after the final buzzer in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Lakers.

14U Girls: Green Giants 3, Lakers 2


Courtney Little assisted on the game's first goal for the Green Giants and played shutdown defense throughout Sunday's victory.

An effective penalty kill and clutch goaltending helped the No. 2 seed Green Giants to a thrilling 3-2 victory over the top-seeded Lakers, earning the Green Giants the opportunity to represent the Minnesota District in the USA Hockey National Tournament for the third time in four seasons.

A late penalty call against the Green Giants and a pulled netminder gave the Lakers a six-on-four advantage in the game’s final two minutes. Still, the Green Giants were up to the task, repeatedly clearing the puck and getting several saves from goaltender Layla Hemp.

Kendall Rykkeli, Sophia Olson, and Avery Brown each notched one goal in the win for the Green Giants, with Ella Konrad and Ella Pasqua marking the scoresheet for the Lakers. 


The Green Giants, Minnesota District Tier I 14U Girls champions.

14U Boys: Shattuck-St. Mary's 7, Walleye 3


Cole Eiserman scored two goals and added two assists in Sunday's 7-3 win for Shattuck-St. Mary's 14U.

No. 3 seed Shattuck-St. Mary’s pulled away from the Walleye with three goals in the third period, extending and then cementing its lead for a 7-3 win in Plymouth. Jacob Mattson and Tanner Rausch spotted the Walleye a 2-0 lead in the first period, an advantage quickly erased by SSM’s Macklin Celebrini and Brodie Ziemer. 

Ryker Lee and Cole Sierman put the Sabres up 4-2 in the second, but a laser-like shot from the Walleye’s Griffin Krone made the score 4-3 heading into the final frame and tipped the teeter-totter of momentum slightly toward the fourth-seeded Walleye.

Unfortunately for the Walleye, the depth of Shattuck-St. Mary’s allowed the Sabres to continuously cycle the puck in the Walleye zone, eating precious time off the clock the keeping the Walleye from gaining any meaningful possession of the puck.

Ziemer scored his second goal of the game midway through the third, and Eiserman and Celebrini tacked on their second scores as well to close out the contest at 7-3. 


Shattuck-St. Mary's 14U, Minnesota District Tier I champions.

Youth 15 Boys: Blue Ox 4, Shattuck-St. Mary's 3


Sam Kartch notched three assists in Sunday's 4-3 win for the Blue Ox.

15-Only Boys: Blue Ox 4, Shattuck-St. Mary's 3

Sunday’s battle between the Blue Ox and Shattuck-St. Mary’s U15 team was a clear example of why special teams are called “special” teams. 

Five of the game’s seven total goals came on power plays, including all four of the Blue Ox tallies, as the players hailing from across Minnesota’s 218 area code edged the national power Sabres 4-3. 

Blue Ox forward Aaron Reierson potted a pure hat trick in the third period to pull his team within one, tie the game, and then take the lead, all within about 90 seconds. The Moorhead product was greatly aided by Sam Kartch, who assisted on all three of Reierson’s goals. Murray Marvin Cordes scored the first goal of the game for the Blue Ox in the first period, then spent the remainder of the contest, buzzing through all three zones, hitting anything in a dark sweater, and generally creating the best kind of chaos for the Blue Ox.

Defensively, Hampton Slukynsky weathered a storm of Sabres in the third, standing tall while SSM went on a power play and pulled its goaltender. Scoring in the loss for Shattuck-St. Mary’s were Noah Powell, Bowen Burke, and Cooper Pierson.    


The Blue Ox, Minnesota District Tier I Youth 15 champions.

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