The key match-up in the opening game will be the Hornets offense against the St. Cloud defense.

The Hornets have a solid offense that has strong puck movement, depth in all three lines, and individual skills and team passing.  Over the season, different Hornet players have stepped forward to make the difference in a game situation.  They are not a “one-dimensional” team.

The Hornets breezed through the tough East Regional beating Eastview 4-1, White Bear Lake 5-0 and Minnetonka 12-1 to run their unbeaten (Minnesota) streak to 53-0-0.  Their offensive line’s puck movement was quick and opposing teams have not been able to sustain puck movement with all three lines against the Hornets for a full game.

Lakeville North (ranked #20 and not in the state) figured that out and played the Hornets with a game plan that varied by period and fit their kids style of play.  The Panthers had Edina struggling in the third period at White Bear Lake’s tourney in February before losing 5-2.

The smaller Hornet forwards were diving at the bigger North players in attempt to check them off the puck late in the game.  When they tire, they have a tendency to turn their low attempts to body the bigger players off the puck into dives.

The Hornets have solid defense led by strong goal tending to match their skill at the forwards.  It is hard to single out players on the Edina team, because over the season, different players have stepped forward to make the difference in a game situation.  That is sign of a good team.

Early in the season, Jet Jungles, Liam Malmquist, and Clayton Philips powered the team.  Halfway through, Tyler Madden, Jack Lagerstrom, Stephan Doll, and Peter Tabor were playing well.  As the season was ending, Richie Holetz, Jack Jensen, and Grant Silianoff were playing well.  All season, it did not matter whether Andrew Dietrich or Josh Solomon was in the net.  The Hornets are a good team.

St. Cloud is one team with three lines that can match Edina’s three lines and have the skill levels to move the puck in the Edina zone.  The question is will their defense hold up.  Ben Ward (last year YHH top 50 pick), Nick Portz, Brad Amundsen, and Noah Bissett give the Huskies the firepower on offense; but St. Cloud’s third line led by Rudy Sauerer provides a toughness that keeps pressure off the other lines.  The problem for opposing coaches playing the Huskies, is that the St. Cloud coaches do a good job presenting a different offensive face to their opponents from game to game as MAML found out in the District 5 playoffs, losing 8-1 after tying St. Cloud 3-3 the week before.

The key match-up in the opening game will be the Hornets offense against the St. Cloud defense.  If the Huskies’ defense is moving the puck consistently out of their zone and the St. Cloud is close going into the third period, then it will be anybody’s game.  If the Edina kids start diving at the St. Cloud players, then fans will know it is game on.

St. Cloud beats Edina.

Centennial, the #3 ranked team, has played workmanlike hockey most of the season posting a 46-13-1 record.   The Cougars are led by Hayden Brickner, Reed Hoff and Gabbie Hughes at forward.  Their defense is solid and their goal tenders border on exceptional at times.

The Cougars played their first round opponent, Duluth East, six weeks ago at the White Bear Lake Moose Goohen Tourney.  Centennial jumped out 5-1 lead at the end of the first period aided by six Duluth East penalties.  The Cougars won the game 8-3, won their next two pool games, beat White Bear Lake 6-3 in the semifinals and lost to Edina 6-1 in the championship game.  Centennial beat Duluth East last year 6-1 at the Goohen Tourney.

The #10 ranked Duluth East Greyhounds came back after losing to Centennial at White Bear Lake to win their next two pool games, but failed to advance to the championship round.  They ended up tying Minnetonka 5-5 in Sunday’s getaway game.

The Hounds have some teeth in their offense, led by Nick Lanigan.  Their defense has played well at times.  It has been led by Luke LaMaster.  Both Lanigan and LaMaster are second year players from last year’s peewee A team.

How well the Hounds play defense and can they keep out of the penalty box are the questions in this game?  The Hounds 10-0 win over Cloquet in the North Regional game for the #2 seed, their fourth game of the tourney, is a strong showing for late in the tourney.  Cloquet gave St. Michael/Albertville a tussle three weeks ago playing on the Knights home ice.  Also, the Hounds opened that North Regional with a 5-0 win over Elk River.  The nod here goes to Duluth East.

In the lower bracket opening game, #5 ranked Wayzata plays #8 ranked Grand Rapids late Friday afternoon (daylight savings time has kicked in, last week the game would have been played in the early evening).  Like Duluth East, the longer the Trojans go in the tourney, the stronger they play.  The question is can Wayzata get past Grand Rapids in the first game?

The Wayzata forwards are led by size, Tyler Dingmann and Griffin Ness, and by talent (Rhett Pitlick) at the forwards.  At defense, Sarah Chute (YHH top 50 pick last season) plays steady and continues her tenuous back checking.  The Trojans overall problem as a team is that they fall into lulls during the game and start to slow on puck movement.  That creates opportunities to for the Grand Rapids team.

Grand Rapids peewee AA/A teams at state tourney times are always surprising.  It seems they crank their game up a notch and always come full throttle to win.  The Thunderhawks seem to be on that same path this year.  They easily beat Cloquet, Bemidji and Duluth East to cruise through the North Regional.  The Rapids are led by some strong forwards including Ryker Brazerol and strong goal tending.

The Trojans and Grand Rapids played in the Eden Prairie Tourney early in the season at Thanksgiving.  Wayzata woni 5-3.  The next day, the Trojans lost to Edina in the semifinals 9-0.  Wayzata ended up beating Moorhead 3-2 two weekends ago to get the West’s #2 seed to the state after losing a tough championship game to Centennial 4-3 earlier in the day.  The Grand Rapids lost to Moorhead 8-2, beat Moorhead 7-3, and tied Moorhead 3-3 in games played in February as regular season was ending.  Trojans are starting to roll, they win.

In the final game Friday, #4 ranked St. Michael/Albertville plays #13 ranked Minnetonka.  At Thanksgiving last year, the Skippers were playing well.  In the Eden Prairie tourney after beating STMA 7-4 in their first pool game, the Skippers went on to beat Rochester AA 8-1 and Elk River AA 7-3.  In the first semifinal game Sunday morning they beat Eden Prairie 4-1 and then lost to Edina 4-2.  It was one the Skippers 8 losses to Edina this season.

In the East Regional two weekends ago, Minnetonka surprised people by beating #2 ranked Lakeville South 6-5 in overtime in the quarterfinal game.  They then went on to beat Eden Prairie 3-2 in the semifinal game and looked poised to take on the Hornets again in the East Championship game.  They lost 12-1, but came back to beat Lakeville South a second time 11-6 later in the day.

YHH has watched this Skipper team a number of times from early in the season to late in the season.  The Skipper team is a little like Edina, hard to pick out one or two players.  They have solid play at the forwards, at times.  Their forwards have created some great passing plays.  They play good defense, at times.  But they are an enigma; a fan does not know what team will show up for a game.

St. Michael/Albertville just has a good team.  They have size, strength, and skill at the forwards led by Jordan Drobinski, Blake Spetz, Caden Sigerud, and Garrett Sandberg.  Zach Sjelin heads a strong Knight defense.  STMA rolled through the South Regional; beating Hastings, Jefferson, and Rochester AA, while giving up a single goal.  The Knights show up and beat the Skippers.

If everything goes as predicted on Friday, St. Cloud would play Duluth East in a tough game.  The Huskies win.  Their offensive firepower overcomes the Hound’s defense.  STMA beats Wayzata in the second game but it will be a tough game for the Knights.  With the Bantam AA State Tourney being played at the same time, Saturday afternoon at Braemar will be packed with Wayzata fans there to watch a potential Edina/Wayzata semifinal match-up.  STMA will have their Bantam AA fans there if they can beat #3 ranked Prior Lake on Friday.  The Knights should win.

Sunday, two District 5 teams would battle for the Peewee AA State Tourney at Braemar, St. Cloud and STMA.  In a nail bitter down to the last minute, STMA wins and takes the State Championship.  St. Cloud finishes second, Wayzata beats Duluth East for third, and Edina wins the consolation title.