Clashing resumes on deck for Sunday’s Bantam AA championship 

The teams competing in Sunday’s championship game could not taken more different paths to the Blue Ox's ultimate showdown. 

Moorhead has running-timed all three of its opponents and has never appeared to be in danger of losing. Grand Forks gave its fans a collective heart attack on Saturday night thanks to a close game.

On paper, this could be one of the most entertaining Blue Ox championships in history. Or a complete dud. It’s all up in the air. 

Moorhead scored three times in the first and three times in the second in an 8-1 win over Blaine in Saturday’s semifinals, paced by Joey Cullen’s hat trick and assist and Henry Buttweiler’s two goals and two helpers. Cullen leads the Spuds with five goals and 10 points heading into tomorrow’s finale. 

Nolan Marto scored in regulation and again in the shootout to help Grand Forks to a thrilling 2-1 win over Minnetonka in the other semifinal. Marto and Tyler Kunz’s goals in the shootout led to victory, with goaltender Alex Straus stopping two of three Skipper shooters. Like Cullen, Saturday’s catalyst Marto leads the team in scoring with three goals and six points.

Red and black on full display in Blue Bracket final 

Color cousins Lakeville North and Stillwater will meet in the Blue Bracket final, each bringing a single loss to the proverbial table. 

The Panthers picked up wins over Andover 4-1 and Hermantown 5-3 on Saturday to advance to the bracket final. The Panthers’ scoring prowl is led by Dylan Baker’s six goals, with Samuel Bennett contributing two goals and five points to the effort. 

After losing to Blaine in the opening round, Stillwater has rattled off victories over Duluth East (9-2) and Prior Lake (5-4), earning the date with the Panthers. Jonah Johnston’s six points lead the Ponies, Mikey Belde has five, and Jakob Bjornlie and Gavin Gust each have four.

Greek god and ancient warrior meet in the White Bracket championship 

In a battle that could decide the fate of the Bronze Age, the Mahtomedi Zephyrs (Greek god of the west wind) will take on the Wayzata Trojans in the White Bracket spotlight. 

The Zephyrs were bumped by Lakeville North 5-2 in the first round but shut out Fargo 4-0 and squeaked by Spring Lake Park 2-1 to move on to Sunday’s game. The Zephyrs (again, the Greek god of the west wind) will look to Vinny Redpath and Ryker Dunbar for offense. Redpath and Dunbar each have three points so far. 

Wayzata had its dreams dashed heartbreakingly in overtime against Prior Lake but has since responded with a big 10-1 win over Brainerd and a 7-3 win over East Grand Forks. Smooth-skating Bode Sarsland is the leader in the clubhouse and has six points in total. Matthew Leach and George Mattson follow with five points apiece for the Trojans. 

Bantam A championship set 

Edina will face Moorhead in the Bantam A finals on Sunday, as the Hornets marched past Osseo-Maple Grove 5-1 on Saturday. The Hornet goaltending duo of Tyler Bambery and Sawyer Carlson have allowed just three goals total, a single goal in each of their three games, beating Fargo 3-1 and White Bear Lake 4-1 before the win over the Leafbirds. 

Elliott Trottier leads the Hornets with two goals and four points, followed by Camden Hester with a pair of goals and an assist. Five Hornets have two points apiece heading into Sunday’s game. 

Moorhead has been similarly stingy, allowing four goals in three games while defeating Blaine 4-1, St. Paul 6-2, and Minnetonka 2-1. Brennen Vannett has been on fire through three games, totaling five points, while Zach Bertie and Isaac Leiseth have tallied four points each for the Spuds.

North Dakota dominance among Bantam A scoring 

A pair of players from the Flickertail State lead the Bantam A division in scoring, with Fargo’s Ryan Adsero pacing the field with seven goals and nine points in four games. Following Adsero is Brian Wiese of Grand Forks Red with six goals and eight points. A mix of Minnesotans trails the North Dakotans for the Bantam A scoring lead, including White Bear Lake’s Gavin Hawes. 

Adsero’s prime game came in a 10-1 win over West Fargo Blue, in which he had four goals and an assist. Wiese has been consistently productive, marking the scoresheet with at least one point in each game, highlighted by three-point performances against Grand Forks Red and Blaine.