Essentia Health Arena featured two games on Saturday offering two different stages of the hockey season for this time of the year.  The first game was a Squirt A matchup between Brainerd and Sartell.  This game featured two teams looking to savor another game as their seasons near the finish.  Many of the participants in this game will move on to become Peewees next season and those that return for another season of Squirts will be the big kids on the team and will help next years rookies adjust to the Squirt life.  Meanwhile the final game featured the big kids (Bantam AA) that squirts look up to and want to become. These players were playing in their last regular season game and for many one of their few remaining games left in their youth hockey career, as they advance into the high school ranks next season.   The nightcap from Brainerd featured a Bantam AA matchup with two teams from the (218) looking to fine tune their game and gain momentum as both teams head to Roseau next weekend for the North Regions.  Both games were fun and exciting to watch and provided a great opportunity to see the different skills and style of play during the journey through youth hockey.

The nightcap featured Brainerd and Hermantown two teams headed to Roseau next weekend for the North Regions.  The two teams met in Hermantown last weekend and potentially could meet next weekend in the second round of Regions as both teams are on the same side of the bracket.  Brainerd skated away with the win last weekend so Hermantown was looking to avenge that loss and both teams wanted the momentum a win could provide.

Both teams played cautiously to begin the first with neither team wanting to relinquish that all important first goal.  Brainerd would eventually gain the momentum as the Warriors outshot Hermantown 11-4 in the first.  Hermantown's Cole Manahan and his Warrior counterpart Colin Kleffman would not give up a goal during the first as both teams had high quality scoring chances however the period would end 0-0.

Brainerd would get its best opportunity to solve Manahan when back to back penalties gave Brainerd a 5-3 power play opportunity.  Brainerd took its timeout to set up its power play but was unable to take advantage of the two man advantage and almost gave up a shorty during the advantage.  Hermantown had several solid shifts after killing the penalties and it appeared the energy was shifting in the Hawks favor.  A costly turnover in their own zone proved costly as the Warrior's Jack Evans pounced on misplayed puck and finally solved Hawk goalie Cole Manahan.

Brainerd turned up the heat in the third and Riley Johnson's pretty goal gave the Warrior's some breathing room midway through the third.  Hermantown would not go quietly however after pulling its goalie, with just under two minutes left in the period Darian Gotz was able to get a puck by Brainerd's Colin Kleffman and the Hawks had hope.  In the end Hawk's goalie Cole Manahan's 35 save effort was not enough as Jack Evans diving empty net goal sealed the victory for Brainerd giving them 3-1 win heading to Roseau.