Top-seeded Hermantown makes its way down I-35 for its ninth straight Class A State Tournament, where the Hawks will meet seven other teams determined to knock the defending state champions off their perch. 

Metro-area participants Mahtomedi and Orono represent the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds respectively, with the Zephyrs making their third state tournament appearance in the past four seasons and the Spartans' roster littered with state Bantam A champions. 

Alexandria picked up the No. 4 seed after upending St. Cloud Cathedral in the Section 6A finals, and with offensive catalyst Ben Doherty back in the lineup and further separated from the injury that took seven games from his junior season, the Cardinals are poised to make a run in St. Paul. 

Continue reading for a full preview of the Class A State Tournament first-round matchups.   

After scraping its away out of Section 4A, Mahtomedi enters its second consecutive state tournament armed with depth and a seven-game winning streak. 

The Zephyrs (21-6-1) have a lineup featuring 13 players that have totaled 11 or more points this season, pointing to a nearly bottomless well of players who can make a mark on the scoresheet. Leading the attack is senior forward Charlie Bartholomew (15-16-31) and sophomore forward Nikolai Dulak (14-15-29). Dulak scored the game-winning goal in overtime of the section semifinals in Mahtomedi’s 3-2 win over Northfield. 

Mankato East (16-10-2) succeeds from the crease outward, with senior goaltender Jack Cusey setting the tone for the rest of the Cougars. Cusey recorded a 13-10-2 record for the Cougars, finishing the regular season and section playoffs with a goals-against average of 1.87, a save percentage of .931 and two shutouts.

Cusey stopped 86 of 88 shots faced so far in the postseason. Offensively, the Cougars are paced by junior forward Sam Schulz (8-20-28), with Jake Anderson, Matthew Salzle, and Layten Liffrig all totaling 20 or more points. 

Orono features a trait that can bless very few teams at the Class A level: size. 

The top three scorers in the Spartan lineup are monsters, with one 6-foot-2 player and a pair of 6-foot-3 redwoods. Senior forward Jack Suchy (19-37-56) is one of the 6-3 forwards and has found a new gear in the postseason with four goals and 10 points during the Section 2A playoffs. Fellow senior forward Thomas Walker (18-22-40) and sophomore forward Lucas Jorgenson (12-24-36) offer the Spartans (20-7-1) two more outsized scoring options up front.

Senior goaltender Evan Babekuhl has won all 20 games for the Spartans this season, totaling four shutouts. In addition to obvious size and skill, the bulk of the Orono roster has played for a state Bantam A title, as the Spartans claimed the crown in 2015 and 2016 while finishing as state runners-up in 2017. 

Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato upset Section 3A No. 1 seed Luverne 4-1 to make its appearance in St. Paul, with junior forward Brandt Pedersen leading the way with 27 goals and 44 points. Orrin Gangroth, Paul Raisanen, and Dylan Schutz offer balance in the scoring department, with all three players eclipsing 20 points entering the state tournament.

The Dragons were outscored by opponents 85-75 during the regular season, but curiously had a 27-25 edge in the third period of those games. 

Making its ninth consecutive trip to the Class A state tournament, Hermantown meets Monticello is a rematch of last season’s state title game. But instead of former Mr. Hockey candidates Ryan Sandelin and Dylan Samberg spearheading an impossibly-deep-for-Class A lineup, the Hawks (20-6-2) have relied heavily on one forward unit during the 2017-2018 campaign. 

Senior forward Tyler Watkins (25-41-66) teams with sophomore forward and Minnesota-Duluth commit Blake Biondi (27-27-54) and fellow senior Jacob Herter (20-31-51) to give the Hawks a line that can take over a game, and one that also comes through in the most clutch moments. Fittingly, the line sent the Hawks to the state tourney, with Watkins burying a pass from Herter in the second overtime of the Section 7A finals against Greenway. 

Monticello, last year’s state tournament darlings, lost catalysts Ben Ward and Nick Zwack, but mainstays Troy Dahlheimer and goaltender Tyler Klatt are back, and the Moose have seemingly found their groove after losing four of their last six regular-season games. Dahlheimer leads the team in scoring with 21 goals and 45 points, while Klatt guided the Moose to the Class A finals last season and has won 16 games this season with a save percentage of .908. 

If a team has visions of defeating Alexandria, they’d better do it in three periods. The Cardinals (17-10-1) are 6-1-1 in games decided in overtime, including a 2-1 win in the extra session against the top seed in Section 6A St. Cloud Cathedral in the section final. 

Junior forward Jack Westlund (14-18-32) paces an offense powered by non-seniors, with the next-highest scorer being sophomore Caleb Strong (12-19-31) and junior Ben Doherty (15-12-27). Doherty is a game-changer for the Cardinals, who were clearly not the same team while Doherty was sidelined for seven games with an injury. 

Thief River Falls emerged form Section 8A as the No. 4 seed with upset wins over top-seeded Warroad and No. 2 seed East Grand Forks.

Sound familiar?

While the Prowlers (16-10-2) may not have the firepower of last season’s Section 7AA No. 4 seed and eventual state champion Grand Rapids, senior forward Aaron Myers (27-20-47) and sophomore forward Tucker Skime (7-27-34) offer a pair of dynamic scoring options.

The Prowlers have also played solid defense despite a pedestrian record, allowing just 50 goals during the regular season. Senior goaltender Nick Corneliusen may have some of the best numbers from a goaltender largely unknown to the metro area, with a save percentage of .930 and five shutouts.