There were four games in Grand Rapids played at the IRA Civic Center. Each game had some potential intrigue. 

Game 1: Grand Rapids > Roseau (8-2). A few ThunderHawk players got in on the act...Jack Peart had 2G/1A, Dawson Broberg and Maccrea Murphy each had 2G and Braedon Holcomb added 4 assists as they cruised past visiting Roseau.

Game 2: Moorhead > Edina "A" (4-2). Moorhead scored 3 goals in the first four minutes of the third period including the GWG by Carter Johnson to lift the Spuds to a hard fought victory over Edina.

Game 3: Burnsville > Brainerd (3-1). Six different Blaze players had points Friday as they out lasted the Warriors on goals by Jett Heinen, Jayden Glassen, and Zach Branham.

Game 4: St. Cloud > Bemidji (6-0). Ethan Cumming had 2G/2A to pace the Huskies to an easy win over the Lumberjacks. 

Teams in Grand Rapids should check out Sammy's Pizza at 802 South Pokegama Avenue this weekend for some great food.

It is not every day that the number 1 team in the state loses. It is not every day it loses to a team that came into the game 2-22-2. On Friday night the Forest Lake Rangers used clutch scoring and great goaltending to upset the Minneapolis Storm 3-2 to get a major leg up in the Lumberjack Cup pool play. Forcing the Storm into two must win games Saturday to advance to the final four. 

Another tourney favorite, Stillwater fell victim to defending champ Duluth East 5-2 Friday. Charlie Erickson had 2 Goals and an assist to lead the Hounds to a nice win over the host Ponies. Konrad Kausch had 27 saves and was credited with an assist on a goal by Finn Hoops in the first period. One of three first period goals by Duluth East.

Each pool has a lot of hockey left with strong teams like Minneapolis and Stillwater fighting for their lives. 

AA Scores

Black: Duluth East > Stillwater (5-2), Jefferson > Eastview (3-0)

Red: Forest Lake > MPLS, Rochester > St. Paul (7-5)

Story lines: Can Forest Lake build on their win Friday and win one of two Saturday and get into Bracket Play? Stillwater will need a perfect day to stay out of the Fifth Place game, can they find their mojo? Keep an eye on the Jefferson/Stillwater game and the Forest Lake/St. Paul game. Those outcomes will tell the tale of who is in and who is out come Sunday.

If checking were allowed in Squirt hockey, Friday's game between Mounds View Irondale (MVI) and Park Cottage Grove (PCG) would have been called a very defensive, tight checking affair. Both teams had a share of talented players that could never get a great scoring chance all night. Each had several decent shots from the perimeter and a few bad bounces on rebounds that weren't converted. 

The Wolfpack got on the board in the second period when Luke McCarthy got loose and used his speed to create a breakaway. After a pretty head fake on the MVI Goalie, he went to his forehand for the game's first goal. A few minutes later, MVI got on the board when their big Defenseman Patrick Guerin got loose in the slot and buried a wrist shot to tie it at 1-1.  The score was tied after two and most of the third until late in the third. That is when Aiden Brookins got a chance from the high right slot and he rifled in a shot glove side to lift the Pack to a 2-1 win.

Players to Watch

PCG: Nick Pierre has great hands and an excellent all around game. Vincent Lucio and Luke McCarthy were both gamers for the Wolfpack, they left it all on the ice Friday. Cole Sitar was a beast in the nets.

MVI: Sam Diebold is a player to keep an eye out for, he had great skill with and without the puck. Patrick Guerin might be one of the most intimidating Defensemen we will see this year at Squirt A. The Moore Brothers, Howard and Oliver are difference makers.