Bantam B: Stillwater Red > St. Cloud Red (5-0), Wayzata Navy > International Falls (5-0), North Metro > Duluth Denfeld (3-2), and Chaska/Chanhassen > Buffalo Black (7-0)

Commentary: Wayzata and Stillwater, a rematch from Bloomington Tournament, Wayzata can avenge their only loss of the year. North Metro with a nice win over DD (last year’s champion) and Chaska/Chan with an impressive win over Buffalo…do not count this team out, they are hotter than a pistol right now.

Bantam A: Mahtomedi > Hutchinson (7-3), Crow River > TRF (3-2), Detroit Lakes > East Grand Forks (3-0), and Edina > Sartell (4-0)

Commentary: Crow river contunies to impress, Mahtomedi and Crow River will be a great game. The Zephyrs struggled early versus Hutch, but then got it into high gear late. As I said in our predictions video, Detroit Lakes doesn’t know what losing means right now. Edina beat a very solid Sartell team…Tomorrow it’s Mahtomedi and Crow River…a MNH dream match up of two true Bantam A team affiliated with two Class A High School teams and Edina, big association kids getting a shot at State glory versus a very deserving Detroit Lakes association making the most of the AA/A pilot program. Can’t wait to see how this tournament shakes out.  It’s a win/win no matter how this one ends.

Bantam AA: STMA > Prior Lake (4-3), Duluth East > Osseo Maple Grove (3-2), Wayzata > Grand Rapids (2-1), and Edina > White Bear Lake (9-0)

Commentary: I had Prior Lake winning the whole tournament, but they were ousted in the first round by St. Michael-Albertville, big congratulations to the Knights. STMA people have to be on cloud 9. Duluth East advances, a non-metro team assured of championship appearance…North means North. Wayzata will be tough to beat tomorrow in the semi-finals in a game versus Edina that many consider the State Championship game.  Braemer will be the place to be tomorrow afternoon.

Bantam B: Wayzata Navy > Stillwater Red (4-2) and North Metro > Chaska Chanhassen (3-1).

Commentary: Jaxson Stauber had some big saves for Old Navy as the avenged their only loss of the season over Stillwater Red.  Stillwater Hockey still yet to fly a banner…their day will come soon. North Metro downs Chaska Chan and ends their great run the past month…great job StormHawks. A great D3 battle…they are slapping backs in the D3 offices somewhere tonight (two all D3 finals tomorrow – this one and one in PWA).

Bantam A: Mahtomedi > Crow River (4-2) and Edina > Detroit Lakes (1-0)

Commentary: Four great teams hit the ice today…our pick Mahtomedi won today over CR.  Crow River really came on the second half of the season and has a lot to build on (assuming some kids don’t move onto HS) for next year.  Their rate of improvement the last three years is remarkable. Edina has quietly put themselves into a State Final.  Tomorrow is going to be a stiff challenge for the Hornets…Mahtomedi has all three phases of the game: Scoring, Defense and great goaltending.

Bantam AA: Duluth East > STMA (4-2), and Edina > Wayzata (4-2)

Commentary: Edina beats Wayzata in a clash of the titans today at Braemar. Two former Hornet players coached against one another at Braemar in a great battle. Duluth East is playing very well and beat STMA, ending a great season for the Knights. No matter what STMA will be a force to reckon with at the high school level the next 5 years. As noted in the PW post, a strange fact that three of the four final four today at Braemar were also teams in the AA High School semifinals.  Hmmm…I wonder if Hill Murray has a Bantam team that we are not following???

Bantam B: Wayzata > North Metro (4-3, 3 OT)

Bantam A: Mahtomedi > Edina (6-0)

Bantam AA: Edina > Duluth East (4-3)

Commentary: The Hornets scored with 19 seconds left to send the game into OT and won on a power play goal. What a game at Braemar! Huge shout out to Duluth East for a great tourney, I’ll bet it was a long drive back to Duluth for those boys.  Reports from Braemar that Duluth brought a great contingent to cheer on the Hounds. In Woodbury, the game of the day had to be once beaten Wayzata Navy beating District rival North Metro.  Congrats to Bantam A juggernaut, Mahtomedi on their impressive run in Buffalo. If they keep up this dominance the whispers of AA will begin to grow louder.