Minnesota Hockey (the organization) tries to run all youth state tourney’s on a four year pre-planned schedule to avoid controversies about state tourney match-ups.  A tournament match-up where like this game where the two top teams meet in the opening game of the tourney was decided by a number two years ago-each teams play subsequently got them to this game.  Not only are the teams ranked #1 and #2, they also finished tied in a tie in the combined District 3/District 5/District 6 peewee AA league.  OMG has posted a 54-3-0 record this season.  Edina posted a 46-6-3 record.  The two teams have played each other six times this year; OMG has won four games (2-1, 5-2,4-1, and 5-1) and lost twice (1-4 and 2-4).

After losing to OMG twice early in January, Edina has played well posting a 19-2-1.  One loss and the tie came in games against Eden Prairie; the second loss was to OMG.  The Hornets beat Duluth East twice in that string of 19 wins, OMG once, Cottage Grove once (2-1), Prior Lake once (4-1), and Elk River in the East Regional championship game 2-1.  The Hornets skate three lines that focus on a dynamic attack on the net off the rush.  If denied in their initial rush, they pressure in the zone moving the puck board to board trying to create opening in the slot that can be reached by an Edina forward.  They have a solid defensive corps and set of goaltenders, but will be up against OMG for the seventh time.

One of the surprises in Peewee AA Regional play was Prior Lake beating Osseo/Maple Grove 5-4 in the South Regional semifinals.  To OMG’s credit, they came back to beat hometown favorite Owatonna 6-1, White Bear Lake 4-3 and Wayzata 9-3 to take the South Regional’s #2 ticket to Grand Rapids.  After beating Wayzata, OMG beat Cottage Grove 6-0 in a pre-tourney “tune-up” for both teams.  The top ranked peewee team in the state, OMG has shown they can move the puck against top teams executing plays.  They play more positional hockey as team and that shows discipline.  Against Eden Prairie, in their 5-1 win in early February, the Crimson team style of play dominated.  Against Prior Lake three weeks later, it struggled.  In their 9-3 win over Wayzata, the Crimson struggled before their offense started to roll.  This game will contrast two good teams with different styles of play that will be fired up playing their first tourney game.  OMG wins. 

Eden Prairie finished third in the D3/D5/D6 league behind OMG and Edina.  They won the West Regional easily beating Lakeville North 7-0, Chaska/Chanhassen 8-3, and Apple Valley 7-4.  Eden Prairie posted a 40-9-4 record this season.  Four of their nine losses were to OMG were tough by an average score of 7-1.  Three of their losses were to Edina by closer scores (4-2, 6-3, 4-2).  Eden Prairie holds a 6-4 win over the Hornets.  The Eagles have a solid team that revolves around an effective scoring offense centered around Carter Batchelder (#11).  Batchelder is a player that has the knack to score goals and is backed by Drew Holt and Jackson Blake.  Their defensive corps is strong and the Eagles goaltenders are solid.  Eden Prairie is a tough team to score on and strikes fast on the offense.

In District 11’s regular season play, Cloquet (33-14-2) finished second to Duluth East.  So it was no surprise when Cloquet was edged by Duluth East 1-0 in the North Regional Championship game.  The Lumberjacks then came back to edge a surprisingly tough Roseau team 3-2 to win the ticket to Grand Rapids.  Roseau was ranked #17 in YHH’s NOW rankings.  Cloquet’s head coach is Jamie Langenbrunner who skated 18 years in the NHL.  Born in Cloquet, Langenbrunner skated his first NHL game for the Dallas Stars at the age of 19.  He posted 13 points for Cloquet in the 1993 Tier I tourney, second to John Matchefts 14 points scored in the 1948 tourney and John Mayasich’s 18 points scored in the 1951 tourney.  Cloquet is led by Logan Dushkin, Mason Langenbrunner, and Sam Baker.  Baker was a Top 50 peewee A pick in 2015.

This is a tough game to call, both teams can win this game.  Cloquet made it to the tourney last year and was beaten by tourney runner-up Minneapolis in the quarterfinals. The Lumberjacks went on to win the consolation title.  Eden Prairie's offensive firepower gives them the edge.  The nod here goes to Eden Prairie.    

The defending state peewee AA champ, Prior Lake, is back this year to defend their title.  This year the Lakers have posted a 28-18-4 record.  The path they are following is similar to that taken last year, sort of out of the blue.  Ranked out of the top ten, the Lakers beat Edina and Eden Prairie to get to the state tourney played a Woodbury.  There, the Lakers beat Rosemount, St. Cloud, and the Minneapolis Storm in the championship game.  This year, still not ranked in the top ten and finishing in the middle of the D3/D5/D6 combination league in regular season, the Lakers are in the middle of another late season run to a potential second state title in two years.  In the South Regional two weeks ago, the Lakers beat White Bear Lake 4-3, OMG 5-4, and Wayzata 5-1 to win the South’s #1 ticket to Grand Rapids.  The Lakers have four players returning from last season’s team.  The Prior Lake Association also made a good move in picking up Ed Czech, Eastview’s long time peewee AA coach, and his son Brad Czech to coach the Laker’s peewee AA team back to state.

Elk River has posted a 39-12-9 record this season.  The Elks and Prior Lake have played twice this year.  Elk River won both games (4-0 at the Big Pumpkin in late October and 4-2 in early December).  The Elks won District 10’s peewee AA league beating second place Blaine.  They beat Centennial 6-2 in the D10 championship playoff game.  In the East Regional played in Anoka, the Elks lost to Edina 2-1 in the championship game and came back to beat a surprisingly tough Lakeville South team 4-0.  In their last sixteen regular season games Elk River posted a 9-4-3 record.  Their four losses were to Cottage Grove 5-0, Centennial 4-3, Eden Prairie 6-4, and to OMG 6-4.  The Elks can be dangerous, especially if their defensive corps toughens, but Prior Lake wins keeping the Lakers repeat hopes alive one more day.