Like the forceful winds that sweep the plains of North Dakota, Team Southwest breezed into Fargo’s Farmers Union Insurance Center and swept away the competition with a pair of wins on Saturday. 

Eden Prairie’s Chris Konin scored twice for Southwest in its first win of the day, a 6-3 slugfest over Team Northeast that saw its fair share of penalties and posturing. 

Joining Konin on the scoresheet were Jackson Jutting, Bobby Brink, Sam Walker and Luke Mobley, as Southwest showed off its scoring depth with a five-goal second period. Konin notched his second tally of the game as the lone goal for Southwest in the third frame. 

Team Northeast’s Blaine Warnert handed his team a 1-0 lead in the first stanza, with Mason Nevers and Hayden Brickner adding goals in the second period. Isaac Sorock chipped in two assists during the loss for a Northeast lineup that was missing five key players. 

While offense dominated the first game for Southwest, the staunch goaltending of Jackson Hjelle stole the show in the team’s nightcap, as the Delano netminder turned away 28 shots to earn a shutout over Team North. 

Edina’s Jake Boltmann and Mason Reiners combined with Prior Lake’s Jackson Jutting for Southwest’s first three goals in the 5-0 win, with Hornets Lewis Crosby and Jett Jungels adding the final two scores.

Great Plains and Team North battled to a 2-2 draw in the first game of the morning, with Levi Stauber scoring both goals for North. Mason Salquist and Nick Portz scored once each for Great Plains, which went four-for-four in penalty kill opportunities in the tie.