The Star
Carson Pilgrim, Warroad 

While known quantities Daimon Gardner and Jayson Shaugabay each tallied four points for the Warriors, it was the sophomore Pilgrim that made the most of his opportunities. 

Pilgrim tied the game at 1-1 when the Warriors found themselves in a 1-0 hole late in the first period, and put the game into running time with a beautiful shorthanded tally late in the third. Given his time on the ice compared to Warroad's top unit, Pilgrim's efficiency cannot go unmentioned. 

The Stalwart
Ryan Lund, Warroad 

In addition to using his tantalizing frame to lay some lumber against the Moose, Lund also displayed a taste of his offensive skills. 

With 9:35 to play in the third period and score 4-1 in Warroad's favor, the Warriors held court in the Monticello zone. The puck was sent toward the blue line, where Lund had just begun to skate for the Warrior bench for a line change. 

Lund pivoted, held the puck in the offensive zone, then muscled the biscuit to Jayson Shaugabay, who zipped it across the slot to Daimon Gardner for Gardner's second goal of the game.   

The Savior
Michael Biller, Monticello 

To say that being the underdog's netminder in a first-round contest is an obvious understatement, but Monticello's Michael Biller made a valiant effort before being substituted out in the third period. Biller made north of 40 saves during his time in the Moose net. 

The Quote

"I remember my first game, he was the superstar, and I was the little kid on the Peewee team. I got put on a line with him, and we got, like, eight points that game."

- Warroad's Jayson Shaugabay on his playing history with linemate Daimon Gardner 

The Star
Carter Haycraft, Mahtomedi 

Haycraft certainly looks the part of a future Division I hockey player with his lanky frame and scout-speak "toolsy" natural abilities. On Wednesday afternoon, Haycraft put those tools to use, scoring a goal and creating a handful of offensive chances while also sacrificing his body to block shots in the defensive zone. Haycraft has evolved from a raw but talented sophomore into a do-it-all 30-point junior who Mahtomedi coach Jeff Poeschl described as a player his teammates love playing alongside. 

The Stalwart
Ben Dardis, Mahtomedi 

Choosing Dardis here may seem gratuitous, but the Senior Goalie of the Year Finalist made his own share of highlight-reel saves in the early minutes of Wednesday's win. While the goal Mankato East/Loyola scored during the third period snapped his four-game shutout streak, Dardis made 21 stops on 22 shots and did nothing shed his unofficial title as arguably the state's top netminder. 

The Savior
Caelin Brueske, Mankato East/Loyola

Brueske finished with 27 saves on Wednesday, with many of those being worthy of a place in SportsCenter's Top 10. Despite the Cougars' slow offensive start, Brueske kept his squad in the game with his timely stops. The senior entered Wednesday's contests, allowing just two goals in his previous five games. 

The Quote 

"He's the backbone of our team. We feed off of him and his energy because he's going to make the saves, and we build off that. That's huge for our team."

- Mahtomedi forward Charlie Drage on Zephyr goaltender Ben Dardis

The Star 
Zam Plante, Hermantown

Surprising? Of course not. 

Plante scored goals, dished assists, won face-offs, and generally dominated the New Prague skaters, sometimes appearing to practice stickhandling moves he recently found on YouTube on any of the Hawks’ seemingly unlimited possessions. Plante finished with two goals and an assist, plus 11 shots on goal, though he could have doubled his totals if not for goalposts and near-misses. 

The Stalwart 
Dom Thomas, Hermantown 

Thomas was the ninth-leading scorer on the Hermantown roster coming into tonight’s game, but his assist sparked the three-goal outburst in the game’s first three minutes. Thomas would add a goal less than two minutes after that helper and played a solid two-way game the rest of the way. 

The Savior 
Carter Puente, New Prague 

Puente surpassed Monticello’s Michael Biller’s 40 saves to lead the day with 42 stops of his own. Puente stood tall between the pipes outside of the early fireworks, making several vital saves on Hermantown chances in premium scoring areas. Puente had stopped 77 of 82 shots heading into Wednesday night’s contest.

The Quote 

“There’s a little bit of carrying that. A little bit of hunger there because of what happened last year. These guys are definitely on a mission.”

- Hermantown Head Coach Pat Andrews on the bulk of the Hawks’ varsity being ruled out for last season’s quarterfinals due to COVID-19 

“It’s mullet time, baby.”

- Zam Plante on his hair prep for this week

The Star
Teagan Pfeffer, Alexandria 

The senior goaltender has been on a hot streak of sorts as of late, allowing just two goals or less in his last six games. Wednesday night, Pfeffer proved the last half-dozen contests had been no fluke, stopping 25 of 26 shots and helping the Cardinals force Minneapolis to go 0-2 on the power play. 

The Stalwart 
Gavin Olson, Alexandria 

One of just three sophomores on the Alexandria roster, Olson has notched 12 goals during the 2021-2022 campaign, eight of those in the postseason. His eighth came at the 5:57 mark of the third period, giving the Cardinals a 3-1 lead and effectively putting the game out of reach for Minneapolis. The Cardinals will undoubtedly look to Olson to continue his scoring ways in Friday's semifinal matchup against No. 1 seed Hermantown. 

The Savior
Zander Zoia, Minneapolis 

One of the catalysts of Minneapolis's offensive attack, Zoia saved the Mill City from being shut out on Wednesday night, scoring with 2:35 to play in the first period to send the game into the second frame tied at 1-1. Zoia took a heavy hit from Alexandria's Pieter Mulder late in the second period but managed to return after a brief break. 

The Quote

"At the end of the day, it's just a hockey game. It's just us versus them on a sheet of ice. It doesn't really matter what's happening in the stands. We just zone in on playing our game. When we're playing our game, we don't think there's really anyone that can beat us."

- Alexandria's Teagan Pfeffer on blocking out Wednesday night's sizable Minneapolis support contingent