SQA: Edina White > Andover (3-1) and OMG > White Bear Lake (2-1)

SQB: Rosemount > White Bear Lake (Black) (3-2)

SQA: Minneapolis >  Jefferson (8-2), OMG > Edina Green (4-3) and Prior Lake > Elk River (3-0)

Commentary: The Storm was dominant today against Jefferson…wow, they were on all 4 cylinders (people in MPLS don’t drive gas hog vehicles). OMG outlasted the Green Machine today, they outplayed Edina, but in the end they had a chance to tie. Prior Lake and ER was a great game…both teams had their chances. Prior Lake converted on theirs and ER did not.  Key play was late in the third, PL goalie stuffs a breakaway with a 2-0 lead. PL Goalie was a stud tonight.

SQB: White Bear Lake (Orange) > Irondale (2-0) and North Branch > OMG Crimson (5-1)

Commentary: Did not see WBL/Irondale game…good win for WBL.  Irondale is a very good team. North Branch brought their A game tonight. The Vikings have some very talented skaters…beating a very hot OMG team.

SQA: Rosemount > Prior Lake (2-0), Jefferson > Princeton (4-2), and Andover > Eden Prairie (8-3).

Commentary: Did not see any A games tonight. Jefferson scored three unanswered in the third to beat Princeton.  Andover bounced back with a nice win tonight over a solid EP team and Rosemount just keeps on winning. So far all top seeds have held serve except Andover in Pool C, but that pool is still wide open.

SQB: OMG Crimson > Woodbury (5-1), North Branch > Edina (Black), Edina (Gold) v. Irondale (2-2), CC Black v. Rosemount (2-2), and MPLS > EP Red (5-3).

Commentary: Did the PA for four of the five B games tonight.  OMG Crimson rebounded nicely tonight and looked very strong vs. Woodbury (The Preds just could not convert on their opportunities). Irondale made the B Pool very interesting with a goal with three seconds left to tie Edina Gold. That Pool is still in toss up mode.  Rosemount and Chaska Chan Black tied. Making the C Pool totally up for grabs, too. Coaches check you rules, the first tie breaker is “Goals Allowed” after head to head competition. The Vikings from North Branch have been the most impressive team so far in the B Tournament.  Beating Edina tonight 6-2, in the most exciting 6-2 game I’ve seen in a long time.  It was 4-2 and Edina had some great chances late in the game to make it 4-3, but came up just short.  Minneapolis Purple outlasted Eden Prairie 5-3.  The Storm was just a little too much for EP, who scratched and clawed until the end. Carter Batchelder had the tournament’s first hat trick for EP. That kid can really play.  Minneapolis’ #2 Evenson impressed us also (great skater, very strong).

Out of town teams Moorhead (A and B), Rochester and St. Cloud arrive on the scene. At this time tomorrow night we may have a pretty good handle on some of the pool winners in the A tourney.  Three of the B pools will come down to Saturday play.

SQA: Prior Lake > St. Cloud (6-2), OMG > Rochester (4-1), Moorhead > Eden Prairie (4-3), and Jefferson v. Chaska Chan (2-2).

Commentary: I watched all four A games tonight.  Saw some impressive players from Outstate Minnesota.  Moorhead #6 and #7, St. Cloud #3, #4, and #10…very skilled, and #9 from Rochester has been blessed with hockey ability. OMG advances to Sunday with their third win in a row…Happy Birthday to Wiz Wyatt POTY finalist Tyler Oakland, he had two pretty goals tonight for OMG. Moorhead with a nice win tonight…The Spuds will have their hands full tomorrow against Andover and Edina White. Chaska Chanhassen better get some sleep tonight for their games tomorrow versus MPLS and Princeton.  The game of the day may be the CC vs. MPLS game at 7:00 am.

SQB: White Bear (Orange) v. CC Purple (3-3), Edina Silver v. Rosemount (2-2), Minnetonka > EP Red (6-3), and MPLS > Moorhead (2-0).

Commentary: The B Pool is wide open, three games to go and all four teams have a shot..slight edge to WBL.

Irondale is the only team who needs help, the others own their own destiny. The C Pool is also pretty murky, Edina Silver and CC Black own their own destiny, WBL Black is a made to order spoiler. The Minnetonka vs. North Branch game is pivotal in the D Pool.

SQA: Rosemount > Elk River (7-2), Rosemount > St. Cloud (9-1), Elk River > St. Cloud (5-3), White Bear > Edina Green (4-2), Rochester > White Bear (6-5), Rochester > Edina Green (5-1), Edina White > Eden Praire (4-2), Moorhead > Edina  White (2-1), Andover > Moorhead (6-1), Chaska > Minneapolis (4-1), Minneapolis > Princeton (5-4), Chaska > Princeton (9-0).

Commentary: A great comeback tonight from Elk River tonight versus St. Cloud. Number one seed, Rosemount cruises in the A pool today in impressive fashion winning by a total of 16-2. Number two seed OMG advances in Pool B with three nice wins. Number three seed Andover loses on Goals Allowed tiebreaker to Edina White and Chaska Chan advances despite one tie with Jefferson. The stars were out today.  Lily Delianidas and Will Soderling from Edina were stars again for Edina White, Keaton Kranz, Luke Levandowski and AJ Anello for Rosemount and this kid from Chaska Chan named Brink was incredible. We also saw some other galaxy formations named Mittelstadt, Mulugani, Johnson (MHD), Hodges, Lucius, Humphrey, and Brazinsky.

Final Four: Rosemount vs. Chaska/Chan and Edina White vs. OMG

SQB: North Branch > Woodbury (8-2), Edina Black v. OMG Crimson (2-2), Woodbury > Edina Black (3-2), CC Purple > Irondale (3-2), Edina Gold > WB Orange (5-3), CC Purple v. Edina Gold (1-1), CC Black > WB Black (9-2), Edina v. CC Black (1-1), Edina Silver > WB Black (2-1), Minneapolis > Minnetonka (3-0), EP Red > Moorhead (3-2), Minnetonka > Moorhead (3-0).

Commentary: Two B Pools got a little “messy”, tie breakers everywhere came into play in pools B and C.  Both Edina Silver and Gold emerged as tie breaker winners. North Branch advanced in A and MPLS advanced in Pool D…big city vs. small town in one semi and Cake vs. Eater in the other semi (choose your frosting Silver or Gold).

Final Four: North Branch vs. MPLS and Edina Silver vs. Edina Gold

Tournament Notes: Four pools came down to tie breakers. 28 of 32 teams left with at least one point. Only one complaint to the Tournament Director the whole weekend: the term Squirtacular when googled sends users to an X rated website. Total Goals tie breaker was pivotal in several pools all day today. Three Edina teams make it to the final eight. Best fans were from White Bear and Moorhead…St. Cloud lead the tournament in toe drags…Chaska Chan and Rosemount tied with the most slap shots (127). Elk River with the best comeback. Bloomington Ice Garden lead the state in fewest available parking spots. DynaMoo had the best Chocolate Milk (insert shameless plug).

SQA: Rosemount > Chaska/Chan (3-1) and OMG > Edina White (3-2)
Championship: OMG > Rosemount (5-3)
3rd Place: Chaska/Chan > Edina White (3-1)

Commentary: OMG won in a shootout over Edina White, Justin Janicke with the game winning goal (see video below)! I did not see the game, semifinals were played simultaneously.  Key Play: Edina scored with less than a minute left to tie the score. Rosemount won in a tight defensive game.  Both teams stars were held mostly in check.  Not a lot of scoring chances or shots either way (shots were 18-15). RM iced it with an empty net goal over Chaska/Chan. Key Play: Late in the first, CC defenseman Bobby Brink rifles a shot from the point and that hit Rosemount Goalie Hunter Sandnas in the chest and rolled over his back and stood on the goal line for what seemed like an hour before Hunter could cover it.

SQB: North Branch > MPLS (6-4) and Edina Gold >  Edina Silver (4-3)
Championship: North Branch > Edina Gold (7-2)
3rd Place: MPLS v. Edina Silver

Commentary: A great story of two teams unfolded in the Championship game.  Tiny North Branch with no home rink and a very small population base to draw from sweeps their pool and wins the Championship Bracket today to win the Squirtacular Title 7-2 over Edina Gold.  Edina Gold has made quite a run the last few weeks.  Finishing second in the District 6 tournament, winning their pool yesterday, and then beating association rival Edina Silver this morning 4-3 to get to the Championship is quite an accomplishment.