Two incredible games at St. Croix Saturday - Moorhead beats Wayzata 4-3 in four overtimes and Minnetonka takes down Cloquet 4-3 in three overtimes...wow!!! It took thirteen periods of hockey to give the fans two finalists. Both games had eery similarities - the winning team coughed up a two goal lead. The winning team had needed 50 shots on goal to win and they both took more than two OTs. Will either team have any gas left in the tank for an encore?

Game one saw Moorhead take a commanding 3-0 lead before Wayzata's Trevor Wong was relieved by Danny Fraga... a move that fired up their team and closed off the flood gates of Spud goals. Early in the third Luke Fairchild tied it and for the next hour and a half the two teams battled. Both teams had a power play, but neither could capitalize. Finally in the fourth overtime, YHH POTY finalist Ethan Frisch spun out of traffic and taped a pass onto Kyler Kleven's stick who then found Isaac Howe streaking for the net. Howe ended it by shoveling it past Fraga who had been amazing his entire relief effort for the Trojans.

In the nightcap Tonka jumped to a 3-1 lead after Luke Loheit went coast to coast and finished with a snipe. But the Lumberjacks would fight back. First, Kade Bender got a power play goal at the end of the second and Nick Baker scored out of the blocks of the third. From that point on both team had their chances to win, but goalies Owen Carlson (Cloquet) and Jon Howe (Tonka) played like champions. 

Four minutes into the third overtime, Teddy Lageback shoveled in a loose puck past Carlson and the Skippers are headed to the championship to defend their state title. If they win, they will be third association to repeat (Edina multiple, Eden Prairie). 

Sunday's Pick

Tonka > Moorhead

The postgame celly ensues...video cred, Emmett Wurst

Orono beat East Grand Forks Saturday 6-3 to claim a spot in the state championship on Sunday. Bauer Berry had two second period goals for the defending Bantam A champs. Three Spartans - Danny Eckerline, Lucas Jorgenson and Preston Perrault - had a goal and an assist. Jhett Pesch finished with two goals for the Green Wave.

2013 Wiz Wyatt winner Grant Slukynsky had four goals to lead Warroad to a 6-1 win over Mounds View Irondale and into the state final. The second consecutive year Slukynsky and the first year Bantams will play for the big prize - last year the Warrior PeeWee A team fell in the final. 

Sunday's Pick

Orono > Warroad

Elk River and Edina Green have both caught fire at the right time of year, both winning easily Saturday. Edina beat Rogers (5-1) and Elk River beat Orono White (5-0) to advance to the state finals. 

Sunday's Pick

Edina > Elk River

Osseo Maple Grove did a number on Eden Prairie scoring the first eight goals of the game matching the Eagles speed and strength for the first two periods and then cruising to a 8-4 win on Saturday. After stumbling two weeks ago to Prior Lake and struggling with White Bear and Wayzata, the Leafbirds seem to be clicking on all cylinders in Grand Rapids. They will be tough to beat Sunday.

Duluth East has found a way to win each their first two games. Friday they got two goals from Josh Locker, one in OT. Saturday they got two more from Locker and  pretty breakaway goal by Kaden Nelson to ice the game for the Hounds 4-3. East will have to play a perfect game Sunday to knock off OMG Sunday.

Sunday's Pick

OMG > Duluth East

When the season kicked off, Mound Westonka and Johnson Como North St. Paul both had great rosters registered. By early December, the two teams along with Mounds View Irondale put a grip on the top three spots in the rankings. On Saturday, they both punched a ticket to the state finals. First, JCNSP knocked off East Grand Forks 6-3. Joey Moberg had two goals and an assist for the Polar Devils in their quest for a championship.

Mound Westonka got two goals and an assist from both Beau Courneya and Nick Blood as the Whitehawks jumped all over the Cards. Blood scored two goals two minutes apart to kick off the third period and extend their lead to 5-2. These goals compounded by a misconduct given to Alex superstar Jakob Stender spelled trouble for the Cards. 

Sunday Pick

Mound Westonka > JCNSP

There wasn't much doubt who the top four teams in PeeWee B were: OMG, both Edina teams and Hallock. Saturday OMG knocked off Hallock giving the Bearcats their first loss of the year and Edina Green cruised to an easy win over Champlin in the bottom bracket. 

These two teams met in January in the Osseo Maple Grove tourney final and Green won 3-2...Sunday's game promises to be a great one. 

Sunday's Pick

Edina Green > OMG

Roseau and Edina each won regulation nail-biters on Sunday in Burnsville. Roseau got two goals from Reese Strand and great down the stretch goaltending from Kiana Flaig to beat North Wright County 3-1 to advance to the state finals. Annie Kuehl scored with 3:37 left in the game to lift #1 Edina to a 1-0 win over #2 Anoka to send her team to the championship. 

These two teams met once in December and they skated to a 1-1 tie. Sunday's game will find Edina short-handed - they have a pair of sisters missing for religious reasons. The Hornets have lost only twice all year, both on Sunday.

Sunday's Pick

Edina > Roseau

Not much surprise in the U12A. Heading into the season both Edina and Andover had an amazing crop of talent. The talent won out, both teams won every game outside their three battles except one tie...all year. When they faced each other, each won once and they tied in their third. Game four will be the most important in Cottage Grove Sunday. 

Andover got two goals from Peyton Hemp and Gabby Krause added a goal and an assist Saturday as the Huskies knocked out Osseo Maple Grove 4-0. Edina played Minnetonka for the sixth time Saturday, they won to advance to the finals 3-2. The Hornets got three goals from three separate scorers, Lily Hendrickson, Vivian Jungels and Hannah Chorske to seal the win.

Sunday's Pick

Edina > Andover