Game One 

Farmington vs. Andover, 11 A.M. 

Do not let Farmington’s pedestrian 15-11-2 record fool you-the Tigers are here to play. 

Six of the Tigers’ loss have come by a single goal, and the young Farmington squad took No. 4 seed Maple Grove to the brink in a 3-2 overtime loss. The Tigers also hung with Blake until the very end, allowing an empty-net goal in a 5-3 defeat. Freshman Claire Enright (27 goals, 24 assists, 51 points) is capable of taking over a game, routinely cruising through the opponent’s defensive zone with ease. Enright is verbally committed to Minnesota. Fellow freshman forward Samantha Moehle (22-12-34) joins Enright as one of the team’s leading scorers, and like Enright has scored two overtime game-winners for the Tigers in nine games this season. 

Speaking of overtime, extra session veterans and second-seeded Andover will meet Farmington in the quarterfinals after going to four overtimes in the Class 2A, Section 7 semifinals and another overtime in the finals. A bountiful youth program is beginning to populate the high school ranks, with program-product sophomore Peyton Hemp pacing the team in scoring with 31 goals and 58 points. Junior forward Jamie Nelson follows Hemp in the scoring category with 18 goals and 55 points. Hemp is verbally committed to Minnesota, while Nelson has made a verbal commitment to Minnesota State. In all, the Huskies (23-4) feature six players committed to or verbally committed to Division I programs. 

Game Two 

White Bear Lake vs. Brainerd/Little Falls, 1 P.M.

White Bear Lake is playing in the state tournament thanks to a heroic effort by goaltender Calla Frank in the Section 4-2A playoffs. Frank stopped 115 of 115 shots faced during three playoff games, including 50 in the 2-0 section final win over No. 1 seed Hill-Murray. Frank is a Senior Goaltender of the Year finalist, with sparkling numbers including a save percentage of .945. The Bears (13-12-3) have struggled to find scoring all season, but Minnesota commit Sydney Shearen (14-11-25), and senior defender Olivia Reif (10-12-22) are the Bears’ best bets for offensive output. 

Brainerd/Little Falls, the tournaments No. 3 seed, has won 17 of its last 19 games, despite losing leading scorer Lindsey Booth to an upper-body injury. As far as YHH knows, the Warriors (23-4-1) will not have Booth for the state tournament as well. In her stead, senior forwards Abby Pohlkamp (25-15-40) and Union commit Cheyenne Abear (19-16-35) will team with junior forward, and Bemidji State verbal commit Gabbie Smith (19-14-33) for scoring. Warrior goaltender Olivia King has very quietly piled up a 22-4-1 record and a goals-against average of 1.58. 

Game Three

East Ridge vs. Edina, 6 P.M. 

With a chip on their shoulder the size of Minnesota, the East Ridge Raptors are here to crash the party as first-time state tournament participants. The Raptors (18-8-1) upended defending Section 3-2A champion Eagan in the section final last week, thanks in large part to a strong goaltending performance by Emerald Kelley, who stopped 65 of 69 shots in three section games. Offensively, the Raptors are paced by Katie Flynn (19-18-37) and defender Addi Scribner (17-18-35). Scribner is committed to Ohio State and has significant upside while rushing the puck. 

With back-to-back state championships and another war chest of talent, Edina (24-4) is the No. 1 seed entering this week. At last count, eight Hornets are either committed or verbally committed to Division I programs, including leading scorers CC Bowlby (26-27-53) and Annie Kuehl (19-24-43). Bowlby, a Ms. Hockey finalist, is headed to Dartmouth when her high school career ends, while Kuehl will suit up for Princeton. Defenders Mallory Uihlein (4-29-33) and Vivian Jungels (8-25-33) are committed to Penn State and Minnesota as a senior and freshman respectively.

Not to be lost among the high-flying forwards and staunch defenders, senior goaltender Elli Strittmater has been essential to the Hornets’ success. Strittmater has posted a record of 22-4, with a 1.83 goals-against average, a .906 save percentage, and seven shutouts this season. 

Game Four 

Minnetonka vs. Maple Grove, 8 P.M.

In perhaps the best game of the quarterfinal round regardless of round, playoff-resurgent Minnetonka meets methodical Maple Grove. 

The No. 5 seed Skippers (14-13-1) pulled off an upset of Section 2-2A’s top seed Eden Prairie to advance to the state tournament, in search of their first state crown since 2013. Boston University verbal commit Lacey Martin (27-18-45) has found a groove in the postseason, scoring nine goals and totaling 12 points in just three games so far. Highly-touted defender Maggie Nicholson holds down the back end for the Skippers, who just passed the .500 threshold with their section wins.

Having played in six overtime games already this season, fourth-seeded Maple Grove will be prepared for a nail-biter in round one. Among four overtime wins, one came against the Skippers by a 3-2 score on No. 29, with Crimson forward Tristana Tatur (20-9-29) notching the game-winning goal. In addition to Tatur, a sophomore who is verbally committed to Quinnipiac, the Crimson boast Ms. Hockey semifinalist and Minnesota-Duluth commit Mannon McMahon, one of the state’s top skaters, and rock-solid defender Emma Larson (3-18-21) on the blue line. Sophomore forward Lauren Stenslie (15-16-31) offers the Crimson (19-7-1) another scoring option up front.

Senior goaltender Lucy Morgan has established an impressive resume in two seasons as the Maple Grove starter, piling up 37 career wins and 19 career shutouts. Morgan, a Senior Goaltender of the Year finalist, enters the tournament with a goals-against average of 1.37 and a save percentage of .943.