BHS: MAML wins; Class AA update
The Moose Charge beat Mora 6-0
Thursday night, 43 games were played in Minnesota Boys High School hockey sectionals and forty three teams ended their season. Friday, four more teams lost. Today, Saturday, the field for the 16 Xcel tickets get smaller as 30 more teams will go home to make their plans for next season. One team, the Monticello-Annandale-Maple Lake team moved on Thursday. Known as the Moose, the MAML team seeded #3 in Section 5A beat Mora-Milaca-Hinckly-Finlayson 6-0 at their home arena. The Moose will play Chisago Lakes at Chisago Lakes Ice Arena Saturday night in a Section 5A semifinal game. Gordon “Moose” Sherritt was a long time Monticello resident whose family helped build the Monticello Ice Arena in 2005. Moose Sherritt played for the NHL’s Detroit Red Wings in the 1940’s. The local youth teams as well as the high school have adopted the name Moose in his honor. But for the Mustangs from Mora, Thursday night they felt what the moose in the wilderness do when they get angry. The wild moose charge like a two-ton truck. The Moose/Mora game story is part of this post. A Class AA section update on the battle for the eight AA tickets to the Xcel is included in this post.
"...and the rockets red glare..."
The 2015-2016 Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake team won their last game of the season to be played at the Moose Sherritt Arena in Monticello.
A game played in Monticello between teams from towns and cities in the local area may seem like small town hockey to most. But if one notices, small town crowds are filled with knowing. The fans know when to show up and what to do when they get there. Those that want to be early do so; those that want to arrive at the drop of the puck know where to park and how long the walk will take. Kids run around the arena; the game becomes a big party for the kids. And there is always something different on the menu, often home cooked. Most fans will stop and say hello if they half know somebody. But once the game starts, the fans become like any other hockey fan, focused on the game. And the game is not small town; contrary to some beliefs. The game is Minnesota hockey, the state of hockey. The small towns are a big part of Minnesota Hockey. Last night, the team for Monticello-Annandale-Maple Lake made their move. They made up their mind to win. They are out to get a ticket to the Xcel. If they do, they will make their towns an even a bigger part of the state of hockey. For hockey fans across the state, what more could be wanted.
Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake-6 Mora/Milaca/Hinckley/Finlayson-0
In the opening minutes of the first period of the game, both teams had their scoring chances. Each team came up short. Gradually, the Moose forwards started to control the puck in the Mustangs’ zone. At the 10 minute mark, the MAML offense forced a faceoff inside the left Mustang blue line. They won the faceoff drawing the puck back toward the blue line and fired at Mora’s goalie Teddy Blenkush. Blenkush came out to a make a right skate save on the shot. The puck bounced off his skate to Moose forward Devon Lyons. Lyons controlled the rebound and knocked the puck forward into an open area behind Blenkush at the top of the right crease. Lyons beat the defense to the puck and rapped it into the net to put MAML up 1-0. Ben Ward and Brandon Lyons got assists.
The Moose Devon Lyons (#12) picks off the rebound on this Teddy Blenkush save and.....
...and turns it into MAML's first score.
Thirty seconds after taking a 1-0 lead, MAML struck again. This time the Moose’s Keith Holme made a quick pass from the left point to Brenden Stiller at the center blue line. Stiller fired a one timer at the Mustang net beating Blenkush high right for the second Moose goal. Holme got the assist. MAML still had to dodge a bullet late in the first period. With Mora on the power play, MAML drew a second penalty creating a 5-on-3 Moose penalty kill. The Mustangs’ power play got the pressure over the next minute on the Moose net, but could not beat MAML goalie Connor Bird. Bird came up with a point blank glove save at the left crease. The opening period ended with MAML up 2-0.
Moose Nick Johnson (#12) watches the second goal hit the back of the net off his screen.
MAML goalie Connor Bird makes the save on this short shot during Mora's 5-on-3 power play.
Both teams again got pressure on the others goal in the first two minutes of the second period. A Mustang penalty resulted in no MAML power play goal, but with five minutes gone in the period, the Moose were given a five minute major. Mora’s forwards attacked Bird and the Moose net relentlessly in the first two minutes of the power play before MALM could clear the zone. Mora returned to the attack again pressuring Bird and the Moose net for the next power play minute and could not score. The Moose cleared the zone and as the Mora power play wore on, the pressure slowed and the clears came more often. The penalty ended with no Mustang goal.
The Mustang's goalie Teddy Blenkush makes a big stop on this Moose rush.
A minute later, Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake’s Holme hit the right corner of the Mustang crease as a shot came from the left point and tipped the puck into the net for a 3-0 lead. Brenden Stiller and Ben Ward got the assist. With just under two minutes left in the second period, Ben Ward scored on a shot from the right faceoff to put the Moose up 4-0. Nate Maas got the assist. MAML scored twice in the third period. Nick Zwack scored an even strength goal one minute into the third period with Jaden Jarmuzek and Holme getting the assists. Halfway through the third, Vile Salovaara scored with Ben Ward getting the assist. MALM won 6-0. The Moose outshot Mora 37-28. Connor Bird stopped all 28 Mustang shots to earn the shutout. MAML will travel Saturday to Chisago Lakes to play the #2 seeded Wildcats in one Section 5A semifinal. Princeton, seeded #1, stays home to play Pine City/Rush City in the second semifinal game.
MAML goalie Connor Bird comes up with another big stop on this 2-on-none Mora rush.
Class AA Update
After last night’s quarterfinal games, the eight team Section 1AA playoffs are down to the expected four teams. The #1 seeded Lakeville North team easily beat Dodge County 12-0 and Rochester John Marshall beat Owatonna 3-1. Those two teams will play each other for a spot in the championship game Saturday at the Rochester Rec Center. Game time is 5:30 PM. Lakeville South rolled over Rochester Mayo 7-1 in their quarterfinal game last night 7-1 and Farmington beat Rochester Century 7-0 in the final quarterfinal game. South and the Tigers now meet in the second semifinal game Saturday at the Rec Center. Game time is 8:00 PM. The defending Class AA North team (20-5-1) won their last eight regular season games and 14 of 15 games in 2016. Their only loss in that stretch of games was to Farmington 1-0. John Marshall (20-6-0) ended their season winning nine of their last ten games, but will be a definite underdogs in Saturday’s game. The Rockets will have to contend with North’s leading scorer Ryan Poehling. Poehling (54 points/20 goals in 25 games), playing his first high school season without his two brothers on his line, has become a stronger player as the season progressed. In the second game, Lakeville South has had some sort of hex on Farmington beating the third place Tigers (in the South Suburban Conference) twice this season 4-2 and 7-0. Farmington (16-8-1) should be the favorite, but South (15-10-1) winning would not be an upset.
Section 2AA has gone as expected. Thursday, Holy Family Catholic beat Shakopee 10-0 and Eden Prairie beat Chaska 6-0. In the first semifinal game Saturday at Braemar Holy Family Catholic plays Eden Prairie. That will be the game to see Saturday and it is a game to close to call. In the second semifinal game, Minnetonka (on a bye) will play Prior Lake who beat 5-1 Chanhassen. The Skippers and the Lakers will play the 4:00 PM game at Braemar. The two teams have not played each other this season, but have one common opponent in the past few weeks, Duluth East. The Lakers lost to the Hounds 3-1 at Duluth East; Minnetonka beat the Hounds 6-1 last week at home. In Section 3AA, St. Thomas Academy beat Park-Cottage Grove 6-3 Thursday and Jefferson beat Eastview 5-0 to set up one semifinal game Saturday at Inver Grove Heights VMCC at 1:00 PM. Burnsville beat East Ridge 9-0 and Rosemount beat Apple Valley 7-1 to setup the second semifinal at VMCC at 4:30 PM. As expected, Section 3A will be a battle between St. Thomas Academy and Burnsville.
Section 4AA plays its quarterfinals Saturday at Aldrich Arena. The #1 seeded Stillwater team plays the #8 seed Irondale-St. Anthony at 11:00 AM; #2 seeded Hill-Murray against the #7 Mounds View plays at 1:00 PM; #3 seeded Tartan plays the #6 seeded Woodbury at 5:00 PM; and the #4 seeded Roseville plays the #5 seeded White Bear Lake in the 7:00 PM nightcap. Roseville beat the Bears 2-1 early in the season and lost to them 4-0 in January. The Raiders did not finish well losing three of their last five games including a 6-1 loss to Mounds View. Both Roseville and White Bear Lake finished tied in points in the conference, but Roseville held the edge with White Bear Lake losing their final three games including a 3-1 loss to Woodbury. The Raiders had beaten Woodbury (their only win in their last five games 5-2). White Bear Lake is the dark horse in Section 4AA. The Bears have shown they can compete tying Stillwater 0-0 earlier in the season and losing to the Ponies last week 5-2 in a game where Stillwater scored a burst of three third period goals to break open a tie game.
Look for Tartan and Hill-Murray (15-8-2) to win their quarterfinal games and then play a great game in the semifinals. The Pioneers have beaten Tartan by the narrowest margins twice this year (1-0 and 3-1 with an empty netter). In those two games, Hill-Murray has outshot the Titans 42-41. Both teams are workmanlike in their play. Solid play plus contained physical and emotion could result in a Titan upset. Stillwater should win their side of the bracket and end up playing the Titan/Pioneers winner. Stillwater looks tough and ready. There will be no “unlucky bounce” quarterfinal loss like the one Stillwater had two years ago at the Xcel. If the Ponies make the Xcel this season, watch out. This year could be a St. Paul suburbia final in Class AA.
The other potential Xcel finalist is Blaine (even though west of 35W, Blaine is more St. Paul than Minneapolis being east of the Mississippi). In Section 5AA, the Bengals rolled over Coon Rapids 11-0 Thursday night while Maple Grove beat Spring Lake Park 6-1. The two winners meet in the second semifinal game played at the Champlin Ice Forum at 7:00 PM Saturday. Blaine (21-4-0) looks tough. Their two top scorers, Luke Noterman (78 points/28 goals) and Riley Tufte (78 points/47 goals) are big, strong, and effective. The move of Max Bautch to the Tufte/Noterman line in the last month has kept the two scoring. That line produced the first four goals in their win over Coon Rapids Thursday. Alex Penn, now playing on the second line out for Blaine, has strengthened that line. Blaine looks like a team bound for the Xcel. In the first Section 5AA semifinal game at 3:00 PM Saturday, #2 seeded Centennial plays the #3 seeded Anoka team. Centennial beat Osseo 5-0 and Anoka beat Champlin Park 4-0 in their quarterfinal games. Anoka won their last seven regular season games. That is always a good sign this time of the year. Isaac Johnson, the Tornadoes leading scorer (41 points/23 goals) will be the attention getter from a strong Centennial defense in this semifinal game. Centennial has beaten Anoka twice this season 6-4 and 7-4. In those two games, the Cougars have outshot the Tornadoes 67-37, but “held” Johnson to three goals and five points. This third game between the two teams, can Anoka’s defense stop the Cougars.
Section 6AA is Benilde-St. Margaret’s. The Red Knights beat Holy Angels Thursday 6-1 and are now 25-0-1 on the season. The one blemish to their record is a 4-4 tie with defending Class AA champs Lakeville North. BSM will play Cretin-Derham Hall Saturday at Bloomington’s Ice Gardens at 3:00 PM in in the first Section 6AA semifinal game. The Hall was making a nice year end run before being jolted by losing to Jefferson 5-0 in their season ender. The Hall’s goal tending struggled in that game giving up five goals in 22 shots to the Jags. The Hall’s defense will be stronger. In the second semifinal game played at 7:00 PM, Wayzata and Edina play. The #2 seeded Trojans beat Armstrong/Cooper 9-3 and #3 seeded Edina beat St. Louis Park 7-2 Thursday. On neutral ice at BIG, these two teams will play for a fourth time this season. Wayzata has won the first three games (4-2, 3-1, and 5-1) and should win the fourth time. The Trojans are getting stronger as a team especially in the last half of play.
In Section 7AA quarterfinal play last Tuesday, #1 seeded Grand Rapids beat Cambridge-Isanti 10-2 at home, #4 Cloquet beat #5 Duluth Marshall 2-1, #2 seeded Duluth East edged Andover 2-1, and #3 seeded Elk River beat Forest Lake 7-0. Grand Rapids and Cloquet will play a Saturday afternoon semifinal game at Duluth’s Amsoil Arena (2:00 PM start time) and Duluth East plays Elk River in a noon game at Amsoil. The Rapids have beaten Cloquet twice this season 5-0 and 5-1. In the first meeting in early December, Grand Rapids out shot Cloquet 43-9 putting 19 unanswered shots on goal in the second period. In the second meeting, Cloquet was tied going in the third period, gave up an a goal in the first minute of play, and kept the game close until Rapids scored three goals in two minutes just before the game ended. Grand Rapids outshot the Lumberjacks 34-20 in the second game. Cloquet could push the Thunderhawks Saturday. In the game between Duluth East and Elk River, the Elks should find no solace in the Hounds season ending loss to Minnetonka 6-1. The Skippers scored three power play goals in taking a 4-0 lead halfway through the game. Nor can the Elks find any solace in East’s narrow 2-1 win over Andover (Huskies goalie Blake Johnson stopped 40 of 42 Hounds shots to keep the game close). The Elks will match the Hounds Luke Dow, Ash Altmann, Ian Mageau, and Garret Worth with Al Schwab, Max Michaelis, Nat Horn, the Perbixs, Jensen Zerban, and Jax Murray. If that sounds familiar to you in some way, it should be. These players have mainstays in Minnesota hockey for the last three years. East has the edge, their players are still older.
Section 8AA went as predicted here. Bemidji (with a bye) hosts St. Michael-Albertville. STMA, seeded #4, beat Roseau 5-2 in their quarterfinal game. Bemidji is one of the strongest teams in the state. They are just physically strong. STMA has size, but not the same power that Bemidji has. The two teams played each other at Bemidji three weeks ago. The Lumberjacks won 5-2 on three third period scores. Bemidji should win again. Rogers beat #3 seeded Brainerd 4-2 in Tuesday’s quarterfinals and now travels to Moorhead to play the Spuds in Section 8AA second game. The #2 seeded Moorhead beat Buffalo 5-0 Tuesday to advance. The two teams have not played this season, Moorhead is the favorite.