The Star 
Matt Funk, Cretin-Derham Hall

Lou Nanne mentioned it during the broadcast, and it bears repeating here. Clinging to a 2-1 lead against the tournament's No. 2 seed late in the third period, Funk sent freshman Max Anderson out in a spot typically reserved for the most grizzled of veterans. As it has been all postseason, Funk's faith in his players was rewarded, as Anderson iced the game with an empty-netter.

The Stalwart 
Leo Miller, Cretin-Derham Hall

Miller was nearly perfect for the Raiders on Thursday, turning away 20 shots and allowing just a single goal on a centering pass that glanced off his own defender's skate and into the net. The junior goaltender has made 20 or more saves in his last nine games.

The Savior
Cretin-Derham Hall's depth

Mr. Hockey candidate Jake Fisher is a known commodity from St. Paul to San Paulo, but the Raiders' "other" forwards stepped up in the season's biggest game. While Fisher was held without a point on Thursday, getting performances like those from Holden Saumweber (picked as 45's Player of the Game) can only help the Raiders in the next round.

The Quote 
Holden Saumweber, Cretin-Derham Hall

"It feels great. The team worked hard. We came out with the W."

The Star 
Bobby Cowan, Edina

Cowan led all skaters with five total points on Thursday, recording a hat trick and two helpers.

The junior forward has hit his stride in the postseason, racking up nine assists and 14 points in his last four games.

The Stalwart
Aaron Reierson, Moorhead

After the well-documented departures of four Moorhead standouts with remaining high school eligibility, the scoring burden fell on Reierson, a senior forward who had totaled 23 goals in his first two varsity seasons.

Reierson was one of six Spud goal-scorers on Thursday, making him far from a lone gunman. However, he was a threat to score every time he touched the puck in the offensive zone, and he has 33 goals on the season with one guaranteed game left.

The Savior 
Charlie Sandven, Edina

That would have been an awfully quiet postgame locker room had Edina lost in double-overtime after leading 5-2 in the third period. Thanks to Sandven's Hail Mary from the blueline, the Hornets can now focus on semifinal preparations for Friday instead of dwelling on what could have been.

The Quote 
Charlie Sandven, Edina

"The locker room was good in between periods, we stuck with it, and we got the job done."

The Star
Jack Erickson, Hill-Murray

Were it not for Erickson's heroic play and the Pioneers' discipline in their own zone, this game could have been blown wide-open in the first period. Despite taking the loss, Erickson proved himself all over again as the reigning Class AA State Tournament All-Tournament Team goaltender with 40 saves.

The Stalwart 
Hagen Burrows, Minnetonka

Oddly enough, the Skippers' leading goal-scorer had been held without a goal during the Section 2AA playoffs. Burrows rectified that situation with two of Minnetonka's four tallies on the evening.

The Savior 
John Stout, Minnetonka

Heroes are born in overtime, and as if the Minnesota Duluth commit needed another hint, he's arguably the backbone of the Skipper team.

The junior defenseman assisted on a goal earlier in the game, then netted the game-winner late in overtime to send the Skippers to the semifinals.

The Quote 
John Stout, Minnetonka

"I was not thinking I was going to score at all. I was just really happy. We love this community, and we love each other, so it feels good that we're going to the semis."

The Star 
Gavyn Thoreson, Andover 

Could have gone a couple of different ways here, but let's stick with what we know. 

Thoreson did what he does best on Thursday night, making high-IQ plays in all three zones and finishing with a hat trick and four points. The trio of Cayden Casey, Cooper Conway, and Thoreson has yet to disappoint fans dating back to last year's state championship run. 

The Stalwart 
Jack Hochsprung, Lakeville South 

Hochspring did what he could, making 34 saves on 39 shots. It was the senior netminder's eighth game this season in which he faced 30 or more shots.

The Savior
Beau Altman, Andover

Altman made the saves he was supposed to and then some on Thursday, finishing with 31 stops on 33 shots. The Huskies may not have found their legs in the second and third periods without his play early in the game. 

The Quote 
Jim Erickson, Channel 45 

"That line is worth the price of admission."