Minnesota Class A state boys hockey tournament: Pedigree of success Tradition-rich Warroad out for another title By: Virg Foss, Courtesy of Grand Forks Herald

ST. PAUL — As Warroad (24-4) heads into tonight’s final opening-round game of the Minnesota State High School Class A state hockey tournament against Rochester Lourdes (17-8-3), history skates into battle with it.

Not only did the Warriors win state titles in 1994, 1996, 2002 and 2005 and come from a community that bills itself as Hockeytown USA, but they are backed by a coaching staff rich in success.

Head coach Albert Hasbargen was co-coach of the 2005 championship team with Dennis Fermoyle, now one of Hasbargen’s assistants.

Another assistant to Hasbargen, Bruce Olson, coached Roseau High School to a state title in 1999. Assistant coach Adrian Hasbargen was a member of UND’s 2000 national championship team. Goalie coach Corwin Saurdiff is a former Warroad High and college standout.

Few teams have coaching staffs with resumes as glittering.

But it’s the product on the ice that will ultimately determine whether tradition-rich Warroad, seeded fourth in the tournament, can bring home another title.

The pedigree of success extends to the players.

Nice lineage

Warroad’s leading scorer, Brock Nelson, is the grandson of 1960 Olympic gold medalist Billy Christian. Another top forward, junior Nick Stoskopf, is the grandson of former UND coach Rube Bjorkman.

Nelson is one of 10 finalists for the Minnesota Mr. Hockey Award as the state’s top player. The winner will be announced at a banquet in St. Paul on Sunday, with the entire Warroad team staying to attend.

Nelson, a Sioux recruit, is coming off a dazzling eight goals in three games in the Section 8 tournament, pumping his season total of goals to 47 in 28 games.

“To win a championship, your top players have to have the best games of their lives,” Albert Hasbargen said.

As good as Nelson is, he won’t have to do it alone.

Senior Brett Hebel has 26 goals, Stoskopf 18, senior Aaron Rasmusson 12 and an inexperienced defense has come of age.

How sophomore goalie Andy Foster handles the pressure of his first state tournament could be a key. Foster has started just 10 games this season, but one of them was a 25-save shutout of Thief River Falls in the Section 8 final.

He was battling others for the backup goalie spot when the season started. He was thrust into a major role when senior goalie Shaun Storey abruptly quit the team during the section tournament.

“He (Foster) seemed to be the most mature as far as handling things on the ice, not letting things bother him as much,” Hasbargen said of his rise up the goalie ranks with the Warriors.

On the big stage

That calm will be tested under the bright lights and extreme pressure of the state tournament at the Xcel Energy Center tonight.

Hasbargen knows from experience that pressure is different at the state tournament. “It seems like when it’s the section finals, it’s the seniors who are most nervous, because it’s their last chance at a state tournament,” Hasbargen said. “But when you get to state, it’s the young guys who are nervous.”

And at age 16, Foster’s nerves will be tested. He carries a 1.9 goals-against average and .910 save percentage into state.

“Any time you go down there (St. Paul), everyone has to be at the top of their game,” Hasbargen said.

“You also need some luck and you need to get some bounces go your way. All teams there are good. There are no easy games.”

Hasbargen said when Warroad beat Osseo and Roseau earlier in the season, he knew this team could be special.

“That was kind of the measuring stick for us, when we beat some of the better teams around,” he said. “We knew then we were a pretty good team.”


Tonight’s game

Who: Warroad vs. Rochester Lourdes.
When: 8:30 p.m., approximate, Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul.
TV: KCPM (GF Channel 9).
Records: Warroad 24-4-0, Rochester Lourdes 17-8-3.
Of note: Warroad has won state titles in 1994, 1996, 2002 and 2005.

SECTION 8A BOY'S HOCKEY POST SEASON AWARDS: 2009-10 Northwest Conference Co Champions are the Park Rapids Panthers and the Kittson Central Bearcats .. All Conference Team Also Named .. Congrat's To All Athletes

The 2009-10 Northwest Conference Co Champions are the Park Rapids Panthers and the Kittson Central Bearcats 


The All Conference Team: 


Goalies
Alex Lyon   LOW
Alex Chaput   Kittson Central


Defense
Kevin McMorrow  Park Rapids
Jeff Bergh   Kittson Central
Jake Pelach   LOW
Garrett Schmitz  RLF


Forwards
Craig Lindegard  Kittson Central
Sam Coborn  Park Rapids
Tucker Coborn  Park Rapids
JonCarlo Westerland   LOW
Dylan Zutz   RLF
Dillon Spray   Bagley

Coach of the Year:  Scott Klein Kittson Central
Assist. Coach of the Year:  Jason Sobolik  Kittson Central  

PRESS RELEASE: The Warroad Warriors Boy's Hockey Team Make 20th Trip To Minnesota State High School Tournament .. Timothy Oshie To Provide Color Analyst .. Games Broadcasted On Internet On Minnesota Sports Broadcasting Network / KQ-92 FM In Warroad

Tonight, the Warriors take on the Rochester Lourdes Eagles at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN at 8:00 P.M. CDT.

Steve Pesek, the Director of Communications and Marketing for the Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network, sent out this press release yesterday informing Warroad fans to the broadcasts.  I will be working with long time Warrior broadcaster, Jon Micheal, on the call to KQ-92 FM in Warroad.  You can also click on the link to listen to our broadcast tonight via the Internet by clicking on to:

http://mnsportsnetwork.com/kq92.php or http://kq92.com

Here is the MSBN Press Release:

This is Steve Pesek, the Director of Communications and Marketing with the Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network. I just wanted to inform you of our online coverage of the 2010 Boys State Hockey Tournament this week, March 10th-13th. MSBN will broadcast ALL 16 games from the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN over the four days and it will ALL be available for FREE on http://MnSportsNetwork.com.

Throughout the season, Warroad Warriors' webcasts on http://MnSportsNetwork.com have been a production of KQ92 and Lake Country Sports Radio of Warroad, MN. During this tournament, these Jon Michael / Timothy Oshie called broadcasts will be available to fans with the KQ92/Border Broadcasting feed made specially available on it's own page at http://mnsportsnetwork.com/kq92.php . To access these broadcasts, you may visit the link in this email or go through the http://kq92.com homepage.

All MSBN produced broadcasts can be found LIVE on our website homepage at http://MnSportsNetwork.com. Listeners can go to the website 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time and click on the designated link to the bottom of the homepage. Our pregame coverage will begin then, with the opening face-off scheduled to follow (Start times on games subject to change based on previous competition). All MSBN broadcasts on http://MnSportsNetwork.com are FREE and along with the LIVE broadcast-stream of the games, they will have live statistics, a real-time scoreboard, live photos, and interactive email communication. After the games are over, make sure to head back to MSBN's website to check out the MSBN Full Archives, in order to listen to the broadcasts again whenever you want (MSBN Full Archives are also FREE).

We encourage you to pass this message along to anyone that may be interested, as MSBN is excited to broadcast high school sports all year long on http://MnSportsNetwork.com. If you have any questions feel free to contact me and I will be more than happy to help. Thank you very much for
your time and best of luck to the Warriors in the tournament!

2010 Boys State Hockey Tournament:

March 10th - Class "A" Quarterfinals:
11:00 AM - Alexandria vs. #2 Mahtomedi
1:00 PM  - Virginia/Mountain Iron-Buhl vs. #3 Hermantown
6:00 PM  - New Ulm vs. #1 Breck School
8:00 PM  - Rochester Lourdes vs. #4 Warroad

March 12th - Class "A" Semifinals:
11:00 AM - Semifinal #1
1:00 PM  - Semifinal #2

March 13th - Class "A" 3rd Place Game and Championship:
9:00 AM  - Third Place Game
12:00 PM - Class "A" Championship Game

LET'S PLAY HOCKEY PRESS RELEASE: The Minnesota State High School Boys State Tournament Banquets For Class A / AA

Media Alert

What:            2010 Boys State High School Hockey Tournament Banquets

Where:            Roy Wilkins Auditorium, St. Paul

When:             Class A Banquet – Tuesday, March 9 – 6:00 PM

                       Class AA Banquet – Wednesday, March 10 – 7:00 PM

Key Points

• Only time to catch all coaches and players in each tournament at once
• Prime photo opportunities for stills and video
• Interview opportunities galore
• The kids are all dressed up!

  

Class A Notes – Tuesday, March 9 - 6:00 PM

• New Ulm has not been to the state tournament since 1992
• Alexandria is making its first appearance since 1996
• Warroad attending for 7^th time in last 8 years – won titles in ’05 and ‘03
• Warroad has made 20 appearances with four titles ('94, '96, '03, '05) and an all-time tournament record of 25-8
• Breck has won 11 straight state tourney games – won titles in '09, ’04 and ’00
• Breck's Tyson Fulton leads the tournament field in scoring with 84 points
• Hermantown won its lone state title in its last state tournament appearance (2007)
• Mr. Hockey Finalists in the state tournament: Adam Krause (Hermantown), Brock Nelson (Warroad)
• Class A field: Alexandria, Breck, Hermantown, Mahtomedi, New Ulm, Rochester Lourdes, Virginia/Mt. Iron-Buhl, Warroad 
• Keynote Speaker: Brian Bonin, former Mr. Hockey/Hobey Baker Award Winner

Class AA Notes – Wednesday, March 10 – 7:00 PM

• Edina returns for 4^th straight tourney
• Edina coached by two former Minnesota North Stars: Curt Giles and Don Beaupre
• Blaine's Nick Bjugstad leads the tournament field in scoring with 69 points
• Minnetonka's lone loss was a 5-4 overtime defeat at the hands of Edina
• Roseau will be making its record 33rd state tournament appearance. The Rams have won a record seven state titles
• Edina has won six state championships and has made 26 appearances in St. Paul
• Apple Valley is making its first appearance in the state tournament since winning the 1996 title
• Blaine, Duluh East, Edina and Hill-Murray each appeared in the 2009 state tournament
• Mr. Hockey Finalists in the state tournament: Nick Bjugstad (Blaine), Max Gardiner (Minnetonka), Justin Holl (Minnetonka)
• Class AA field: Apple Valley, Blaine, Duluth East, Edina, Hill-Murray, Lakeville North, Minnetonka, Roseau
• Keynote Speaker: Shjon Podein, former Stanley Cup Champion

2010 Minnesota Hockey WEST REGIONAL Pee Wee "A" Tournament At East Grand Forks .. Results From Friday - Saturday .. History Made As Both Teams Pulled Their Goaltenders In Moorhead vs. Centennial Game Tonight

Friday, March 4, 2010

Bemidji 5 -  Moorhead 1

Elk River 8 - Centennial 1

East Grand Forks 8 - Alexandria 1

Andover 7 - Brainerd 3

Elk River 4 - Moorhead 2

Centennial 4 -  Bemidji 1

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Andover 7 -  East Grand Forks 3

Elk River 8 - Bemidji 1

Moorhead 8 - Centennial 2
This game seen a little of everything tonight.  I served as a goal judge throughout the afternoon and witnessed what I'm saying is a hockey oddity.  With Moorhead having to win by a minimum of (6) goal margin, the game started fast and furious.


Moorhead jumped out to a 3-0 lead at one point then had a 5-1 lead.  Centennial cut it to 5-2 in the third period and the young Spuds hopes for a Sunday match-up seemed to vanish.  


At that point, Centennial called a time-out after a Moorhead penalty.  Centennial then pulled their goaltender thinking they would get back into to game with a 6-on-4 situation.  After Moorhead gained control of the puck, the Spuds goalie headed towards the bench and we had a once-in-a-lifetime situation with both team's goalies pulled.


The fans on both sides of the arena were stunned and confused.


Moorhead scored an empty net, shorthanded goal to take the 6-2 lead with under 2:00 to play in the game.  It was at that point Centennial figured to simply keep their goaltender in the game.  Under a minute to play, Moorhead scored two more tallies with the final goal coming at :04 left in the contest and advanced to the final round on Sunday afternoon.


What seemed impossible, and improbable, became reality in front of stunned parents and fans at the East Grand Forks Civic Center.


It was the talk of the town on this Saturday, March 6, 2010.

Andover 6 - Alexandria 3

East Grand Forks 9  -  Brainerd 1

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Elk River (#1 Pool Red) vs. East Grand Forks (#2 Pool Blue) 12:00 P.M.

(Winner #1 State Seed)

Andover (#1 Pool Blue) vs. Moorhead (#2 Pool Red) 2:00 P.M.

(Winner #2 State Seed)

(Winners Advance To MAHA State PeeWee "A" Tournament)

@ Faribault, MN .. March 19-21, 2010

Just Release From The Offices Of The Minnesota State High School League: CLASS A / AA PAIRINGS FOR BOY'S HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Minnesota State High School League has selected the brackets for both Class A / Class AA for the 66th Annual event next week at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MInnesota.

Here are the top four seedings for Class A:

1. Breck School
2. Mahtomedi
3. Hermantown
4. Warroad

Pairings for the Class A State Tournament Quarterfinals on Wednesday, March 10, 2010:

Top bracket:
Mahtomedi (23-5-0) vs. Alexandria (21-6-1), 11AM
Hermantown (25-3-0) vs. Virginia/MIB (18-7-3), 1PM

Lower bracket:
Breck School (26-2-0) vs. New Ulm (16-9-1), 6PM
Warroad (24-4-0) vs. Rochester Lourdes (17-8-3), 8PM

Here are the top four seedings for Class AA:

1. Minnetonka
2. Edina
3. Blaine
4. Hill-Murray

Pairings for the Class A State Tournament Quarterfinals on Thursday, March 11, 2010:

Top bracket:
Edina (20-6-2) vs. Roseau (22-5-1), 11AM
Blaine (21-4-3) vs. Apple Valley (17-11-0), 1PM

Lower bracket:
Minnetonka (25-1-2) vs. Lakeville North (11-15-2), 6PM
Hill-Murray (25-2-1) vs. Duluth East (19-5-4), 8PM

SECTION 8A BOY'S HOCKEY TOURNAMENT: Unlikely hero sends Warriors to state .. Starting an untested sophomore goaltender in a section championship hockey game had all the makings of disaster for Warroad High School coach Albert Hasbargen and his defending Minnesota Section 8A champion Warriors .. Courtesy Of Grand Forks Herald

By:  Virg Foss, Grand Forks Herald

Starting an untested sophomore goaltender in a section championship hockey game had all the makings of disaster for Warroad High School coach Albert Hasbargen and his defending Minnesota Section 8A champion Warriors.

“I didn’t get any sleep last night,” Hasbargen said. “The last time I looked at the clock it was 4:30 in the morning.”

He had no choice but to start Andy Foster in Warroad’s biggest game of the season Thursday night, however. Senior goalie Shawn Storey quit the team after starting and winning in the section opener.

All Foster did was stop all 25 shots the Thief River Prowlers threw at him — 16 of them under heavy pressure in the third period — as the Warriors beat the Prowlers 2-0 to advance to the state tournament with their fourth straight section title in tow.

“His practice yesterday wasn’t very good,” Hasbargen said of Foster.

Foster was very good Thursday night in front of 2,300 fans at the EGF Civic Center, considering his opposing netminder was Zane Gothberg (24 saves), voted as the state’s best senior goalie.
Warroad’s two big offensive guns fired bullets past Gothberg.

Senior wing Brett Hebel, with his back to Gothberg, grabbed a loose puck, did a spin-o-rama move and blazed home a wrist shot from 10 feet at 6:18 of the opening period for his 26th goal of the year and a 1-0 lead.

Then Mr. Hockey finalist Brock Nelson leaped into the air just inside the blue line to grab a clearing effort late in the second period. Warroad’s scoring leader snapped a low shot just inside the post and past Gothberg at 15:29 for his 47th goal of the season.

“We just needed to get a goal somewhere, and it didn’t happen,” TRF coach Tim Bergland said. “It’s not a good feeling right now. We can hang our heads high because I thought we played hard.”

Warroad (24-4) won the most important rubber match from the Prowlers (19-8-1) after the two teams split 2-1 decisions during the regular season.

But nobody expected 16-year-old Foster to come up aces in Warroad’s most important game of the season.

Yet he was calm, cool and collected throughout. In the third period alone, he stopped Micah Ranum’s close-in attempt to stuff the puck past him, turned back Ryan Crosson’s end-to-end rush and kicked out a couple of howitzers from the left point by Jacob Malwitz.

Don’t count Foster among any doubters of his ability to perform under pressure.

“It was in my mind all the way through that if you work hard enough,” he said, “you’ll make it here.”

He made it big time Thursday.

So his dream comes true as a first-year varsity player.

“I’ve always wanted to get to state and win a section title,” Foster said.

Foster had a bead on everything the Prowlers threw at him. “They were shooting good and screening,” he said. “I just happened to see the puck. Everything turned out good.”

Warroad’s defense limited the Prowlers to nine shots on net through two periods in building a 2-0 lead. It was plenty enough to survive an onslaught of 16 shots at Foster in the third period.

“They (Warroad) played a great defensive game,” Bergland said. “We had our chances. We didn’t bury the puck. We didn’t get the breaks, or whatever cliché you want to say.”

But the bottom line is that Foster delivered the game of his life.

“That young man had a lot of pressure tonight,” Hasbargen said. “He stepped up to the challenge.”

This was the third time in the last four years Warroad has defeated Thief River Falls in the title game, and this has been the biggest margin of victory.

It’s Warroad’s 18th section title and the seventh in the last eight years.

SECTION 8A BOY'S HOCKEY TOURNAMENT: Warroad Utilizes A Very "Defensive" Approach To Knock Off Thief River Falls .. Senior Brett Hebel Notches 1G + 1A .. Mr. Hockey Finalist Brock Nelson Nets One As Warroad Advances To Xcel Energy Center Next Week

Section 8A
Championship
Warroad 2, Thief River Falls 0
W: Brett Hebel GWG 10:42 into the first period, Brock Nelson 1 goal
W: Andy Foster 25 Saves | Shutout Win
TRF: Zane Gothberg 24 Saves | Loss
Note: Mr. Hockey Finalist Brock Nelson scored one while Brett Hebel scored the game-winner but it was Warroad's goaltending that did the Prowlers in. Andy Foster out-dueled the 2010 Frank Brimsek Award winner, Zane Gothberg, in goal. (One source said Eric Hebel scored the game-winner but I received an email stating that it in fact it was Brett Hebel that scored, not Eric.)

SECTION 8A BOY'S HOCKEY TOURNAMENT: Thief River Falls Prowlers ||| Warroad Warriors .. The Clash of the Titans .. These Section 8 Foes Repeat The Old Rivalry Of Year's Past .. For Tonight's Championship Tilt At EGF Civic Center

Section 8A
Championship
(2) Thief River Falls (19-7-1) vs. (1) Warroad (23-4-0), 7PM | EGF Civic Center
Courtesy of followthepuck.com (Doug Hagen) .. The Minnesota Hockey Stats Guru

Game notes: In two games this season, both teams won a game with the same score, 2-1.

If Thief River Falls has a chance to win, they will need to score at least three goals for Zane Gothberg. When Thief River Falls scores three or more goals in a game, they are 15-1-0. When they score less than three goals, they are 4-6-1.

On the other side, Warroad has only been held to two goals or less in a game four times in 27 games. Thief River Falls held Warroad to two or less goals in two out of those four games. Brock Nelson and Brett Hebel both combined to average 2.48 goals per game in 25 regular season games. The rest of the team averaged 2.28 goals per game. In 2 playoff games, Nelson and Hebel are averaging 4.5 goals per game. Nelson alone is averaging 3.5 per playoff game. He leads all other players in the state in scoring in the playoffs at 11 points with seven goals and four assists.

Thief River Falls needs to keep Nelson and Hebel away from the puck, don't let them shoot, and let Gothberg stop the pucks that come his way from the rest of the team. Otherwise, the Warriors will 'be baaack' at the X to contend for another state title.

Area notebook: History says 8A title game will be defensive battle / Courtesy Of Grand Forks Herald

Nobody should be surprised if the Section 8A boys hockey championship game comes down to one goal.


By: Greg DeVillers, Grand Forks Herald


Nobody should be surprised if the Section 8A boys hockey championship game comes down to one goal.


History says that’s likely.


With a state tournament berth on the line, rivals Warroad and Thief River Falls meet for the Section 8A title at 7 tonight in the East Grand Forks Civic Center. Warroad is three-time defending champion and has won the 8A title six of the past seven years; Thief River Falls won the 8A championship in 2006.

The teams have met twice this season, each winning once by a 2-1 score. “You look for those types of low-scoring games in section finals,” Prowlers coach Tim Bergland said. “And if history says anything, you expect that kind of game again.”

Close goes beyond this season.

In the 8A playoffs in the past four seasons:
- Thief River Falls beat Warroad 3-2 in four overtimes in the 2006 section final;
- In the 2007 title game, it was Warroad 2, Thief River Falls 1;
- In 2008, Warroad needed two overtimes to beat the Prowlers 2-1 in the 8A semifinals;
- Last year, Warroad got a late goal by Brock Nelson to beat the Prowlers 3-2 in the 8A title game.

“Our teams are pretty similar,” Warroad coach Albert Hasbargen said. “They have a great defense, with the top goaltender in the state. And we take pride in playing great defensive hockey. It will be interesting to see if things open up or if it’s a battle in the defensive zones again.”

There’s also the potential of the 8A final coming down to two future Sioux teammates. Nelson paces the Warriors with 84 points (46 goals, 38 assists). On the last line of defense for the Prowlers is Zane Gothberg (1.81 goals-against average, .921 save percentage), this year’s Minnesota senior goalie of the year. Both are seniors who have committed to play at UND.

“I wouldn’t think you’d see that too often, two players out of UND’s backyard going against each other,” Bergland said. “I’m sure they know each other. It will be something they’ll probably talk about in the future.”

Nelson and Brett Hebel (25 goals, 41 assists) give Warroad a strong 1-2 punch, followed by Carson Gray (7-33) and Nick Stoskopf (17-21).

Thief River Falls relies more on balance in an offense led by Mathew Lindquist (15-19), Micah Ranum (24-8) and Ryan Crosson (8-20).

“You have to assume it will be another low-scoring game,” Hasbargen said. “It might take a lucky bounce to win it.”

Warroad's Brett Hebel .. A "True" Warrior .. Blends Skill, Grit, Determination Helping Lead Warriors To Section 8A Title Tilt Tomorrow Night At EGF Civic Center In His Final Season

By:  Timothy Oshie (Publisher)

Publishers Note:  I've had the honor of coaching and teaching Brett Hebel during the 5-year tenure at Warroad Schools #690.

More than a great athlete, Brett has that personna you strive to develop in young student/athletes.

(Cutline of picture above)

#9 Brett Hebel (front right) celebrates a goal at the
2009 MN State High School Tournament.  Also pictured from L to R: #12 Dane Shaugabay, #3 Brock Nelson, #4 Michael Pieper

When did you decide that hockey was going to be your #1 sport in your life?  Who got you going in this great game of hockey? What memories do you cherish most of your youth career (Mites to Bantams) and also now your Prep career?

Ever since I gave up my second year Bantams to play High School, I knew hockey would be #1. My Dad has been pushing me towards hockey for as long as I can remember. He and both my uncles played hockey so I guess I just knew I would. My most cherished memories are placing 3rd in the Fargo Flyers Squirt Tourney, going to the State Tournament my second year PeeWees, and playing in 3 Minnesota State Hockey Tournaments. Especially last year’s Championship game.

The Great Plains Elite team made an incredible run after struggling early on in the Upper Midwest Elite League.  What were the deciding factors of the turn‐around ? What was it like playing for Coach Dean Grillo, a Warroad Warrior hockey alumnist?  What special circumstances and experiences did you take out of the Fall Elite League and Bauer Tournament?

I think one factor was that Brock Nelson, Adam Knochenmus, and I played well together as did the other lines. We had good defense and great goaltending. Our team had good

chemistry and a good work ethic. Coach Grillo was a great coach, he was very positive and taught us a lot about playing at the next level as did Coach Scott Oliver, Tyler Palmicino and Coach Hummerdinger.

What can you say about your Warrior coaches .. Albert Hasbargen, Dennis Fermoyle, Bruce Olson, Adrian Hasbargen, Corwin Saurdiff ?

The Warrior coaches are great. They push us hard to get better and succeed on and off the ice. They also put a lot of focus on how important teamwork and commitment is.

Summer training and development is now very crucial to your career. Give us a glimpse of what you do in the off‐season to build your body and play at such a high level of hockey ?

I follow a weekly acceleration program, focusing on weight lifting and plyos. I skate when there is ice and rollerblade when there isn’t.  Also, a good diet and vitamins are

an important part in training.

You've been blessed to go to the MN State Tourney in 2007, 2008, 2009.  What things stand out in your mind of this coveted event at the Xcel Energy Center.  What's it like to play in a Class A championship game and what do you take most out of the once in a lifetime experience?

Playing in the Xcel Center is amazing, playing against the top teams in the state. Competing in the Class A Championship game was an incredible experience. The

atmosphere is awesome with thousands of fans cheering you on and knowing this is what you worked hard for all year. I will never forget these memories, playing for your

hometown with some of my best friends.

Describe the feeling of pulling over and down a Warroad Warrior hockey jersey?

It is such an honor to put on the Warrior jersey. Especially, knowing some of the great hockey players before me that wore the Warrior jerseys.

Talk about your folks .. how significant were they in your hockey career? Is there other people you'd like to recognize and give thanks?

My dad has pushed me to succeed in hockey ever since I was a little kid. My mom has always been there for me. My whole family has been there to support me through the

years. I would also like to thank all my coaches who encouraged me and helped me improve.

St. Louis Blues center T.J. Oshie is the latest in line of NHL players to come out of Warroad.  Do you watch the NHL games and what do you look for when you do?  Describe the feeling of coming out of the Warrior locker room and the PA announcer says, "And here your Warroad Warriors" while the Native American chant is going on in the crowd when you hit the ice?

I watch Pro Hockey when I get a chance, especially T.J. and the Blues. I focus on their moves and see what I need to improve on. When I come out on the ice to the Warrior

chant, I have a feeling of great pride. You can’ help but get pumped up by it.

Is there anything else you'd like to add Brett? Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer tonight.  I wish you the best of luck on Thursday in the Section 8A Hockey championship game versus the Thief River Falls Prowlers.

Thanks so much for your support and encouragement Tim

SECTION 8A HOCKEY: Prowlers oust Wave Warroad, Thief River Falls to meet for section championship Junior Micah Ranum isn’t the leading goal scorer for Thief River Falls High School by accident .. Courtesy Of Grand Forks Herald

By: Virg Foss, Special to the Herald, Grand Forks Herald


Junior Micah Ranum isn’t the leading goal scorer for Thief River Falls High School by accident.

Three minutes after he was stoned by East Grand Forks goalie Hunter Aubol on Monday night on his deke on a breakaway, Ranum made the play of the game.

He stole a clearing pass in the Green Wave defensive zone, zipped in on Aubol and slipped a backhander just past his outstretched right leg to snap a 1-1 tie with 32 seconds left in the second period.

Ranum’s 24th goal of the season was the difference as Thief River Falls (19-7-1) shaded East Grand Forks 2-1 in the Minnesota Section 8A boys hockey semifinals at the EGF Civic Center.

The victory puts the second-seeded Prowlers into Thursday’s 7 p.m. championship game at the Civic Center against three-time defending section champion and top seed Warroad (23-4), which split a pair of 2-1 decisions with the Prowlers during the regular season.

“I was lucky enough to get a turnover,” Ranum said. “The defense made a little mistake there. I capitalized on that. That’s a heartbreaker for the other team.”

In a game that included some controversy, Ranum’s goal was ultimately the difference.

Senior High thought it had taken a 1-0 lead 6:57 into the first period when Zach Lawdermilt slid the puck past Prowler goalie Zane Gothberg.

Officials quickly waved off the goal, though. Gothberg’s helmet came off just before Lawdermilt shot the puck in, and rules call for an automatic stoppage of play when a goalie loses his helmet.

The Green Wave then thought they had taken a 1-0 lead into the first-period break. Gothberg slid down and out of position at 10:39 of the first period, giving EGF’s Jake Useldinger an open net for his power play goal to open the scoring.

As time expired to end the period, Thief River Falls’ Matt Audette knocked in a rebound on a wild goal-mouth scramble. The officials gathered and ruled that the puck was in before time expired, tying the game at 1-1.

Aubol (35 saves) was brilliant in stopping 20 Prowler shots in the second period when Thief River Falls pressed the play, outshooting the Green Wave 21-4. But the quick turnover by his defense set up Ranum’s backhander just inside the right post.

“I wanted that so bad,” Ranum said of his goal. “It was just bad after I missed that breakaway there. Their goalie played a wonderful game. He kept them in it.”

Ranum’s view of Audette’s goal to end the first period? “I saw the one that saved our lives this game,” he said.

Ranum and Prowler coach Tim Bergland thought Brady Meunier scored the goal, but it was officially credited to Audette.

“As soon as it went in, I looked right at the ref,” Bergland said. “He was standing right on the goal line, right next to the goal. He obviously had a good view of it. He’s pointing goal, so I thought it was in. But then they (officials) started talking, and you begin to wonder.”

There is no video review available in high school hockey until the state tournament, so the debate may linger. “If it went in, that’s great. If it didn’t go in (before the period ended), you don’t want to win games that way. We’re fortunate it was ruled a goal.”

EGF coach Cory Chupka didn’t make an issue out of it.

“You don’t have the instant replay, so things that are generated at the goal at the buzzer, there’s a lot of commotion. They went off their judgment. When it comes down to that, you’re not too happy, but we had to accept it and we had to go on. There are a lot of things in hockey you can’t take back.”

The Prowlers outshot the Green Wave 37-18 with Gothberg, a UND recruit, finishing with 17 saves.

Almost half of them (8) came in the last period when the Green Wave pressed for a tying goal.

The Green Wave had a chance to take the lead nine minutes into the second period on Casey Ristau’s clean breakaway. Gothberg came out to cut the angle and Ristau shot high and wide.

Chupka was proud of the performance of the Green Wave, who finish at 12-14-1. “We left everything on the ice,” he said. “We showed we could play at this level. We had a lot of chances. It wasn’t meant to be.”

Key play: Micah Ranum’s steal and unassisted goal for 2-1 TRF lead with 32 seconds left in second period.


Key players: Ranum; EGF goalie Hunter Aubol (35 saves).

SECTION 8A BOY'S HOCKEY TOURNAMENT: Thief River Falls Defeats East Grand Forks, 2-1, Advances To Championship Tilt Versus Warroad On Thursday Night .. Micah Ranum Scores GWG Late In 2nd Period

Thief River Falls 2, East Grand Forks 1
TRF: Micah Ranum scored the GWG with 32 seconds left in the 2nd period.
TRF:Thief River Falls will face Warroad in the Section 8A championship on Thursday, March 4th at 7:00 p.m. at East Grand Forks Civic Center.
EGF: Jake Useldinger scored the Green Wave's lone goal ending the season with 29 goals with 26 assists for 56 total points.

AND THEN THERE WAS THREE: Old Fashioned Match-Up Tonight .. EGF vs. TRF .. With The Right To Face The Warroad Warriors .. LET'S PLAY HOCKEY

East Grand Forks (12-13-1) vs. Thief River Falls (18-7-1), 7:00 PM | EGF Civic Center

SECTION 8A BOY'S HOCKEY TOURNAMENT: Warroad rolls past Bearcats ..Warroad High School chooses not to play the smaller programs in Minnesota Section 8A boys hockey, electing to play a beefed-up schedule that could help the Warriors come playoff time .. Courtesy of Grand Forks Herald

By: Virg Foss, Grand Forks Herald

Warroad High School chooses not to play the smaller programs in Minnesota Section 8A boys hockey, electing to play a beefed-up schedule that could help the Warriors come playoff time.

It’s hard to argue with that logic. Warroad has won the last three section titles and six of the last seven to advance to the state tournament.

One of the smaller schools Warroad doesn’t play from Section 8 is Kittson Country Central.

Well, David (Kittson County Central) got a rematch with Goliath (Warroad) on Saturday night and guess what?

This time Goliath slew David.

The Warriors scored two shorthanded goals in the first 64 seconds of the game as the Warroad raced to a 5-0 lead after one period and a 9-2 victory.

“Anytime you have shorthanded goals scored against you,” Warroad coach Albert Hasbargen said, “it’s hard to fight back. We scored two of them and it took the gas out of them right there.”

Senior Brock Nelson, a UND recruit and a Mr. Hockey finalist in Minnesota, put on a scoring clinic. He scored four goals and assisted on two others, running his season goal total to 46.

The victory sends Warroad (23-4) into Thursday’s championship game against the winner of Monday’s game between East Grand Forks Senior High and Thief River Falls. The Warriors will be gunning for their fourth straight section title.

Nick Stoskopf, who had two goals, scored shorthanded just 23 seconds into the game, nine seconds after the Bearcats went on a power play. Aaron Rasmussen’s shorthanded goal 41 seconds later took more zip out of KCC.

“We saw the article (in the Grand Forks Herald) where they kind of said they wanted us,” Nelson said.

“We knew they would come out ready to play. We wanted to get that quick start — and we did.”

Nelson now has seven goals and four assists in two tournament games.

“Your top players have to play big in big games,” Hasbargen said. “That’s how you win.”

The shorthanded goals deflated any hopes the Bearcats had of pulling off a monumental upset and making the section finals for the first time since 1961.

“When we got those two shorthanded goals, it gave us motivation and I think that kind of killed them right away,” Nelson said.

Warroad, scoring nine goals for the second straight game in the tournament, picked up other goals from David Nelson, and Austin Strieff.

Warroad scored five power-play goals on 10 tries to go along with the pair of shorthanded goals.
With the third period played in running time under state rules based on the score, KCC, which finishes at 16-7, gave its fans something to cheer about.

Donavon Kasprowicz scored on a rebound at 1:39 of the final period and leading scorer Craig Lindegard banged in a power-play goal, his 47th goal of the season, three minutes later for the final score.

But it was no answer for Nelson and friends. “I just try to come ready to play every game and bring the best to the table every time,” Nelson said.

“They’re a good team,” KCC coach Scott Klein said. “They have great team speed and great individual skills. Our boys had trouble matching up one-on-one.”

Especially when Goliath has a giant of a game.

SECTION 8A BOY'S HOCKEY TOURNAMENT: Warroad Dominates Early & Often .. Ends Kittson-Centrals Quest For Section Final .. Warroad To Meet Winner of TRF / EGF For Bid To Xcel Energy Center March 10-13, 2010

Warroad 9, Kittson County Central 2
W: Brock Nelson 4 goals, 2a, Nick Stoskopf 2g, Aaron Rasmusson 1g, 1a
W: David Nelson 1 goal, Austin Streiff 1 goal, Brett Hebel 3 assists
W: Andy Foster 15 Saves | Win
KCC: Donovan Kasprowicz 1 goal, Craig Lindegard 1 goal
KCC: Alex Chaput 29 Saves | Loss


Note: Warroad will play the winner of the Thief River Falls/East Grand Forks game. TRF/EGF will play Monday night at East Grand Forks Civic Center.

Section 8A Boy's Tournament Resumes Tonight .. Warroad To Face The Kittson-Central Bearcats As KCC Cinderalla Season Continues .. Warriors Trying To Advance To 8th Consecutive 8A Final

(#4) Kittson County Central (15-6-0) vs. (#1) Warroad (22-4-0), 7:00 PM | EGF Civic Center

SECTION 8A BOY'S HOCKEY TOURNAMENT: TRF Prowlers Explode For Three Goals In 3rd .. Prowlers Riley Soderstrom / Pirates Seth Heppner Each Net A Pair .. EGF Defeats Park Rapids .. Casey Ristau Pockets A Pair While Jake Useldinger Adds 2 Points .. G Hunter Aubol Stops 33 of 34 Panther Shots

THIEF RIVER FALLS 4 - CROOKSTON 2


Second period — 1. TRF, Riley Soderstrom (Jacob Malwitz, Derek Kayser) 3:27
Third period — 2. C, Seth Heppner (Nick Regeimbal, Mark Bittner) 4:23; 3. TRF, Chris Forney (Ryan Crosson, Matt Audette) 8:01; 4. C, Heppner (Alex Prud-homme, Bittner) 10:25; 5. TRF, Brady Meunier (Matt Lindquist, Zane Gothberg) 12:03; 6. TRF, Soderstrom (Malwitz, Crosson) 15:56
Goalie saves — TRF: Zane Gothberg 6-1-10 — 17; C: Nick Biermaier 6-9-11 — 26


EGF SENIOR HIGH 5, PARK RAPIDS AREA 1


First period — 1. EGF, Casey Ristau (Jake Useldinger, Tucker Poolman) 1:59; 2. PRA, Levi Erickson (Tucker Coborn) 7:02
Second period — 3. EGF, Ristau 16:30
Third period — 4. EGF, Useldinger :35; 5. EGF, Alex Robertson (Brandon Peabody, Jake Greenwood) 9:26; 6. EGF, Jeremy Wikoff (Josh Mosher) 13:46
Goalie saves — EGF: Hunter Aubol 12-10-11 — 33; PRA: Ryan O’Mara 8-3-4 — 15

SECTION 8A TOUIRNAMENT: Day 2 of 5 .. Host East Grand Forks To Battle Park Rapids .. TRF vs. Crookston In Exciting Section 8A Tourney Action

Quarterfinals:

(#7) Crookston (8-15-3) vs. (#2) Thief River Falls (17-7-1), 6:00 PM | EGF Civic Center

This match-up is always a tough one to pick.  Crookston and Thief River Falls split head to head on the regular season with the Pirates defeating the Prowlers, 1-0, back on February 4, 2010.  Crookston has been known to make late season surges under the tutelage of head coach Jon Bittner.  Crookston hasn't been in the Section 8A championship tilt since 2002.

Thief River Falls brings in a very highly touted, 17-7-1 record to the Section 8A quater-final game tonight.  The Prowlers are the only program to stop the streaking Warroad Warriors in terms of the last 3/4's in the decade in 2000's.  TRF snapped Warroad's three in a row Minnesota State Class A appearances in a historic 4-OT affair with Warroad back in the 2006 Section 8A finals.  Seni0r Michael Forney provided the fireworks in that fourth overtime session to defeat Warroad, 3-2.

Prior to that, Warroad captured Section 8A titles in 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005.  Since that epic battle in 2006, the Warriors have strung together (3) consecutive titles to reign seven Section 8A championships in the 2000 decade.  East Grand Forks, now the Green Wave's head s coach, Jim Scanlan, won back-t0-back titles in 2001 and again in 2002.

With that said, Warroad has netted (11) .. East Grand Forks (4) and Thief River Falls (1) Section 8A championships since the inception of the Class A / AA format in the Minnesota State High School League format.

Thief River Falls features Mathew Lindquist (15G/17A=32 pts.), Micah Ranum (23G/8A=31 pts.) and Ryan Crossen (8G/18A=26 pts.).  Senior netminder, and NHL Central Scouting #5 North America goaltender, Zane Gothberg, needs to live up to the billing to advance the Prowlers to the semi-finals.

(#6) Park Rapids Area (16-7-2) at (#3) East Grand Forks (11-13-1), 8:15 PM | EGF Civic Center

SECTION 8A TOURNAMENT: Kittson Central Edges LOW In Night Cap / Warroad Explodes For 9 vs. Red Lake Falls ... Results From Thursday Night Action

Kittson County Central 4, Lake of the Woods 3
KCC: Craig Lindegard 2g, 1a | Lindegard scored the GWG with 3:33 left in the 3rd period
KCC: Markas Dahl 1g, 2a, Devan Schuler 1 goal
KCC: Alex Chaput 39 Saves | Win
LOW: Jake Pelach 1 goal, Ian Sugden 1 goal, Shae Pepera 1 goal
LOW: Alex Lyon 28 Saves | Loss


Warroad 9, Red Lake Falls 3
W: Brock Nelson Hat Trick, 2a, Nick Stoskopf 2g |1sh|, 1a, Brett Hebel 2shg, 1a

W: Carson Gray 1g, 2a, Aaron Rasmussen 1g, 1a

W: Shawn Storey 17 Saves | Win

RLF: Garret Schmitz 1g, 1a, Cody Hanson 1 goal, Andrew Jahnke 1 goal

RLF: Zach Page 27 Saves | Loss

SECTION 8A TOURNAMENT KICKS OFF TONIGHT AT EGF CIVIC CENTER .. Warroad Hosts Red Lake Falls / Kittson-Central Takes On LOW

#8 (Red Lake Falls Eagles) at #1 (Warroad Warriors), 6:00 PM

The Eagles, under the guidance of head coach Brad Kennett, meet up with the Warroad Warriors for the first time in six years.  The 8th seed Eagles have a hefty task ahead of them tonight.  With that said, give credit to Red Lake Falls Eagles who've had a solid season (10-14-0) and take momentum into tonight's contest with a 7-0 whitewashing over the Bagley/Fosston Flyers on Tuesday night.

Warroad enters the 2010 Section 8A tourney as the #1 seed for the seventh time in the last eight seasons (2006 Thief River Falls).  Albert Hasbargen, 6th season, comes into tonight's contest as Section 8A's most decorated coach with (5) Section 8A titles and (1) Minnesota State Class "A" Championship in 2005 (29-0-2).  The Warriors feature a Minnesota Mr. Hockey Candidate in Brock Nelson (39G) and perhaps one of the state's most prolific scoring lines with Brett Hebel (23G), Nick Stoskopf (13G) along with Nelson.  That line has scored 63% of Warroad's goals this season.  Senior netminder, Shawn Storey, returns to the line-up for the Warriors after an injury.

#5 (Lake of the Woods Bears) vs. #4 (Kittson-Central Bearcats), 8:15 PM

This one could be a toss up as the Bears (12-12-1) invade the Civic Center against the hot, K-C Bearcats (14-6-0).  The 'Cats feature one of Minnesota's most prolific goal scorers in Craig Lindegard (44G) and a University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux Men's Football recruit.  Along with LIndegard, is KCC's Markas Dahl (22G) and Gabe Montoya (16G) goals.  Those three score 67.2% of the teams goals.

OLYMPICS 2010: They were the first U.S. owners of hockey gold .. Roger Christian retrieved his white USA hockey jersey from the 1960 Winter Olympics from the bedroom closet .. Courtesy of Grand Forks Herald

By: Ryan Bakken, Grand Forks Herald

WARROAD, Minn. — Roger Christian retrieved his white USA hockey jersey from the 1960 Winter Olympics from the bedroom closet.


Actually, the No. 10 jersey now is closer to yellow than white, showing what 50 years can do to wool. But his medal is just as gold as ever. And his smile when reminiscing about those days in Squaw Valley, Calif., hasn’t dimmed a single watt.

“You know,” he said Wednesday from his home on the Warroad River, “when you play seven games in the Olympics and all of them go well, that’s pretty thrilling, pretty special.”

It was also special for him that the current USA hockey players wore replicas of the 1960 team’s white — not yellow — jerseys when they upset Canada on Sunday, showing that the style still carries good karma. Even more special was that Roger, next-door neighbor/brother Billy Christian and other 1960 team members also received the same jersey, making them replicas of the replicas.

They’re different from the originals in that the material is a synthetic blend instead of wool and the players’ names are on the back, a custom that hadn’t been invented 50 years ago. For Christian, the thrill was from being remembered.

“It was a tear-jerker when he opened the package,” said Jean Christian, his wife of 49 years.

Family comes first

Roger watched the entire United States-Canada game Sunday, but otherwise his viewing of the men’s team has been limited. He has spent more time watching the women’s team because it includes Warroad’s Gigi Marvin.

“I’ll watch for a while, do something else and come back and check on it later,” he said. “I’m not much of a TV guy.”

He spends more time on woodworking in his garage. And every day at 5:30 p.m., Roger and Jean take dinner to Roger Jr., who has spent the last 11 years at the local care center after a snowmobile accident. The hockey they’re most interested in is played by their four grandchildren, ranging in age from 10 to 13.

He has handed down most of his Olympics’ memorabilia to the hockey-playing grandchildren and his three sons. At least for now, he has kept the original white jersey because the only time he wore it was in the final game, when he scored four goals as USA rallied past Czechoslovakia for the gold medal. He also played a major role as USA defeated the Soviet Union for the first time ever, assisting on both of his brother’s goals in the 2-1 win.

“People always said they liked to watch us because we passed so well,” Roger said about his brother, who spends winters in Florida. “We knew where each other were without having to look.”

Although beating the Soviet Union and Canada on the way to the 1960 gold medal was a big surprise, it didn’t grab the attention of being a “miracle” as it was for the 1980 USA team, which included Roger’s nephew David Christian. It was a time when the USA needed some good news because the Cold War was heating up with the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the Iranian hostage crisis and the OPEC oil shortage.

Also, the media was different 20 years later.

“In 1980, the world was in an uproar,” Christian said. “And very few people in our part of the country even had TV in 1960. The little TV we had around here was pretty snowy.

“It was a bigger thing in 1980, but they couldn’t say they were the first. We were the first.”

The significance isn’t lost on Hockeytown USA, however. “I’ve showed my medal in Warroad about 1,000 times the last couple of weeks,” Roger said.

Different hockey era

Framed photographs in the sunroom show it was a different era of hockey. It was a time of no visors, no helmets, very few slap shots and no multi-millionaire pros.

“After the final game, the Soviets asked us what we were going to get for winning the gold,” Roger said. “We told them we were getting a kick in the rear and then going back to work.”

That was half-true. A week after winning the gold medal, the Christian brothers were working construction in Crosby, N.D., and playing amateur hockey north of the border.

“In those days, you could make more money working than playing in the NHL,” he said.

“For American kids, the Olympics was as high as you could go.”

Bringing harmony

Roger, 74, is a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame and the only player on the Warroad Lakers amateur team with his jersey retired. With Billy and David also as Olympians and the success of the family hockey stick company, the Christians are regarded as the “first family” of American hockey by some.

The brothers were credited for more than their on-ice skills in capturing gold. Historians say the brothers also played a key role in establishing team harmony.

There was dissension when several team members, including Herb Brooks, were dumped in favor of other players, including brothers Bill and Bob Cleary of Harvard, just prior to the Olympics. The players first voted to go home if their teammates weren’t reinstated.

“Our team manager told us that we’d better go back and vote again because otherwise we’d never play another game of organized hockey in our life,” Roger said. “We then decided to give the newcomers the silent treatment.”

Historians said the Christians broke the ice, so to speak. Roger said that’s only partly true.

“We were brought up to talk to people who talked to you,” Roger said. “They started talking to us at the dinner table. When you’re from a small town, you talk back.”

Tensions eased, the skilled Cleary brothers helped them win, the animosity lifted and the first miracle hockey team won a gold. And, 50 years later, they have both white and yellow jerseys to prove it.

2010 SECTION 8A PLAY-OFFS: Early Returns .. Pirates Knock Off Wolves 16-1; Red Lake Falls Blanks Bagley/Fosston Flyers 7-0

Crookston Pirates 16, Walker-H-A Wolves 1

Red Lake Falls Eagles 7, Bagley/Fosston Flyers 0

2010 SECTION 8A PLAY-0FFS: Walker-H-A Travels To Crookston Sports Center / Bagley Invades Red Lake Falls .. The Trek For The Xcel Energy Center Starts Tonight

First Round

#9 Bagley/Fosston (8-15-0) at #8 Red Lake Falls (9-14-0), 7PM | Cardin-Hunt Arena
Prediction: Red Lake Falls 4, Bagley/Fosston 3

#10 Walker-H-A (0-23-0) at #7 Crookston (7-15-3), 7PM | Crookston Sports Complex
Prediction: Crookston 9, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley 1

Section 8A Girls Hockey: Wave can’t make Warroad waver Warroad got its repeat here Thursday. The Warriors won the Minnesota Section 8A girls high school hockey title for the second straight season, beating East Grand Forks Senior High 6-0 in the championship game .. Courtest of Grand Forks Herald

WARROAD, Minn. — Warroad got its repeat here Thursday.

The Warriors won the Minnesota Section 8A girls high school hockey title for the second straight season, beating East Grand Forks Senior High 6-0 in the championship game.

The shutout was the 16th this season for Warroad goalie Shelby Amsley-Benzie. She turned back 27 shots, one more save than the Green Wave’s Tamara Twite recorded.

“We gave up more shots than we usually do. But Shelby was outstanding,’’ Warroad coach David Marvin said.

Warroad took a 2-0 lead after one period on goals by Layla Marvin and Brook Story. Then Megan Brettingen scored 6:34 into the second on a crucial goal.

“We had a great chance,’’ Wave coach Jim Scanlan said. “Leah Jensen went in alone. But Shelby made a great save. Then, on the ensuing faceoff, Brettingen scored on a breakaway, so instead of it being a 2-1 game, we’re down 3-0.

“That was a huge swing. We wanted to keep it close going into the third. To get that goal would have been big for us. It’s hard enough to score one goal on (Amsley-Benzie). To have to get three or four by her, that’s tough.’’

Said David Marvin: “Megan out-raced the defense and made a heckuva deke on Twite. That was a big swing.’’

Layla Marvin, Madison Egeland and Story added goals to give Warroad a 6-0 lead after two periods.

“When they had chances, Warroad finished plays,’’ Scanlan said. “Tamara played well. She made a lot of big saves, robbing them a number of times with some huge saves to keep it close.

“We had chances, too. Shelby stoned us. We just couldn’t get anything by her. She made a lot of stops, and a lot of them were on high-quality chances.’’

Warroad takes a 25-1-1 record to the state tournament, which begins Wednesday in St. Paul. Senior High, which was making its first appearance in a girls hockey section final, closed with a 17-10-1 record.
Warroad is the state’s top-ranked team.

“We played as well as we could,’’ Scanlan said. “Warroad is a quality team. It wouldn’t surprise me if they win state. They’re as good a girls hockey team as I’ve ever seen.’’

Section 8A Wraps Up Regular Season: Red Lake Falls Beats Wadena-D-C .. TRF Downs Bemidji In Donnie Brooke .. Prairie Center Shuts Out Walker-H-A

Prairie Centre Area 8, Walker-H-A 0
PC: Jason Christianson 2g, 1a, Nate Mettenberg 1g, 3a, Ryan Connor 1g, 2aPC: Tyler Schultz 1g, 1a, Robby Polipnick 1g, 1a, Sean Colton 1g, 1a, Preston Pung 1gPC: Aaron Olson 10 Saves | Shutout Win
WHA: Micah Bank 28 Saves | Loss

Red Lake Falls 5, Wadena-Deer Creek 1
RLF: Garrett Schmitz 1g, David Johnston 1g, Cody Hanson 1gRLF: Robbie Glass 1g, Alex Derosier 1gRLF: Cole Larson 15 Saves | Win
WDC: ?? ScorerWDC: Tyler Muehler 43 Saves | Loss

First period — 1. RLF, Cody Hanson (David Johnston) 10:05 

Second period — 2. RLF, Robbie Glass (Dylan Zutz, Andrew Jahnke) 11:19; 3. RLF, Garrett Schmitz (Alex Derosier) 14:47; 4. WDC, Logan Meyer (Taylor Ber-musa) 16:02 

Third period — 5. RLF, Johnston (Derosier) 5:16; 6. RLF, Derosier (Johnston, Glass) 7:27 

Goalie saves — RLF: Cole Larson 7-5-4 — 16

Thief River Falls 2, Bemidji 1

Section 8A Wraps Up Regular Season Tonight: (3) Games On Tap As Each Of The (10) Teams Gear Up For The Race To Xcel Energy Center In March

Thief River Falls at Bemidji, 7:30 PM | Nymore Arena

Wadena-Deer Creek at Red Lake Falls, 6:00 PM | Cardin-Hunt Arena

Prairie Centre Area at Walker-H-A, 7:00 PM | Walker Comm Center

2010 Seedings For Section 8A .. Warroad Claims #1 / TRF #2 / EGF #3 / KCC #4 .. All Leads To Showdowns At The East Grand Forks Civic Center .. Click On Box To Immediate Right To See All Section 8A Tourney Details

1. Warroad

2. Thief River Falls

3. East Grand Forks

4. Kittson County Central

5. Lake of the Woods

6. Park Rapids Area

7. Crookston

8. Red Lake Falls

9. Bagley/Fosston

10. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley

The Race To Section 8A Seedings Meeting; Thief River Falls / East Grand Forks Skate To 2-2 Deadlock .. Warroad Blanks Lake of the Woods .. Crookston Downs Red Lake Falls .. Bagley Explodes On Walker-H-A

Thief River Falls 2, East Grand Forks 2 (OT TIE)

Second period — 1. TRF, Micah Ranum (Brenden Skime, Derek Kaiser) 1:08; 2. EGF, Zach Lawdermilt (Jake Useldinger) 1:59; 3. EGF, Lawdermilt (Useldinger) 6:11; 4. TRF, Skime (Ranum, Ryan Grosson) 11:33
Goalie saves — EGF: Hunter Aubol 6-9-5 — 20; TRF: Zane Gothberg 4-7-7 — 18


Crookston 4, Red Lake Falls 1

First period — 1. C, Alex Edevold (Zach Mercil) 2:50; 2. C, Connor Morgan (Morgan Terpstra, Ryan Edevold) 7:18
Second period — 3. C, Terpstra 1:33
Third period — 4. C, R. Edevold (Terpstra, Alex Prudhomme) 6:03; 5. RLF, Garrett Schmitz (Dylan Zutz, Robbie Glass) 3:55
Goalie saves — C: Nick Biermaier 8-4-8 — 20; RLF: Zach Page 13-13-10 — 36


Warroad 4, Lake-0f-the-Woods 0


Bagley/Fosston 13, Walker-H-A 2

Crucial Match-Ups Tonight In Section 8A Hockey; TRF Travels SW To EGF In Seedings Implications .. Bagley At Walker-H-A .. Crookston At RLF .. Warroad Travels East On 11 To Battle LOW Bears

Bagley at Walker-H-A, 7:00 PM | Walker Comm Center

Crookston at Red Lake Falls, 7:30 PM | Cardin-Hunt Arena

Warroad at Lake of the Woods, 7:30 PM | Baudette Arena

Thief River Falls at East Grand Forks, 7:30 PM | EGF Civic Ctr.