Editor's Note: each year YHH covers hundreds of games at all levels. A majority of what we cover is the elite level of hockey. We cover AAA offseason, AA in season, and every form of all star hockey possible. On Saturday, staff writer Peter Odney caught a game at Langford Park in St. Paul. They took on City of Lakes in the Consolation Game of the Langford Park Winter Classic.

The temperature may have been hovering just above 0 on Saturday, but things were heating up in the Langford Park Winter Classic consolation championship. Langford Park Blue trounced City of Lakes (Minneapolis) 7-1 to earn the consolation title, showing off a balanced offense that saw five different players mark the scoresheet. LPB’s forward Sander Lien showed off his speed and strength, defying the City of Lakes defense on nearly a dozen end-to-end rushes, and finished with an impressive three goals and one assist. 

A pair of Lien’s goals came from plays where he simply out-skated the defense and slipped the puck past the City of Lakes goaltender, who faced a barrage of LPB shots. LPB defenseman Andy Kingston had his own highlight-reel worthy goal, stepping into the City of Lakes zone and ripping a shot past the goaltender, giving LPB a 2-0 lead midway through the first period. Lien’s second goal of first period gave LPB a 3-0 lead after one frame. City of Lakes trimmed the lead to 3-1 early in the second, but a pair of quick goals by LPB’s Noah McCreight and Otto Ganser put the lead out of reach for good. McCreight and Ganser each added an assist in the game.  LPB finished its scoring explosion in the third period, with goals by Adam Gaudio and Lien putting the final touch on his hat trick. 

Side: Roseville won the Langford Park Winter Classic, dispatching a scrappy Edgecumbe Gold team 1-0 Saturday night.