MINNESOTA SECTION 8A HOCKEY: Warroad Captures 6th Section 8A Title This Decade; Defeat EGF 2-0

Photos and story courtesy of Grand Forks Herald:

By: Kevin Fee, Herald Staff Writer

Warroad co-coach Albert Hasbargen couldn't confirm whether it was his team's fifth title in the past six years.

“I don't know, you'll have to look that up,” Hasbargen said.

The other Warrior co-coach, Bruce Olson, wasn't sure, either. He just knew it was two in a row.


Alex Christiansen stops Brett Hebel's shot

Bryce Ravndalen stretches for the puck

Brett Hebel looks at the Warriors second goal

Like their neighbor to the west down Minnesota Highway 11 did a night earlier in the same Ralph Engelstad Arena, the Warriors repeated as a section hockey champion Thursday night.


The Warriors scored two power-play goals in a span of 1 minute, 43 seconds and received 25 saves from Jared Paquin to defeat East Grand Forks Senior High 2-0 in the Section 8A boys hockey final.

And, yes, it is five titles in six years. Thief River Falls' title in 2006 interrupted the Warrior string. Senior High was looking for its first section title since 2002, when it defeated Warroad.
The Warriors take a 22-6 record into the state tournament, which begins Wednesday in St. Paul. They join neighbor Roseau, which plays in the state Class AA tournament beginning next Thursday in St. Paul.

MORE:
http://www.grandforksherald.com/articles/index.cfm?id=68957&section=sports

The Section 8A Title Tilt At The Ralph Engelstad Arena

By: Timothy Oshie
Publisher

History will be made tonight as the 64th Section 8 (A) Champion will be crowned at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls, Minnesota.

The first Section 8 champion was the Thief River Falls Thieves in 1945, and the inaugural Minnesota State High Hockey School Tournament held in the old St. Paul Auditorium. TRF lost a heartbreaker to the Eveleth Golden Bears, 4-3, in the championship tilt which jump started Eveleth's dynasty as we now know it.

Next came the Roseau who captured the 1946 and 1947 Section 8 titles and won it all in 1946 with a decisive, 6-0 victory over Rochester. In 1947, the Roseau lost in the championship game, 2-1, to St. Paul Johnson. In 1946, Roseau was known as the Green Wave and were led by Rube Bjorkman notching a hat trick in a 6-0 shutout win over Rochester. Bjorkman later went on to represent the United States in the 1948 and 1952 Winter Olympics games.

Warroad was the next to capture Section 8 as they marched to St. Paul in 1948 with their tandum of Chippewa Indian players Max Oshie, Buster Oshie, Albert Angus and Sam Gibbons. The Warriors would lose to Eveleth, 8-2, in the '48 championship game. The following year in 1949, Warroad once again captured the hearts of the Twin Cities but could only garner a Consolation Championship without the services of Max "Chief" Oshie to graduation.

The history of Section 8 hockey is deep and rich with legendary names who've planted the footsteps. Now, these kids tonight will try to put their names in the history books and march to the drum of Section 8A championship game participants.

The Legends of Section 8 are staples of every town and village in northern Minnesota. Player profile displays hanging in the lobbies of each arena and banners displayed from the rafters.

Tonight, the communities of East Grand Forks and Warroad will proudly display and wear those beautiful jerseys, hats, sweatshirts, jackets and other garments as face-paint (or perhaps body paint) will cover their skin. This coveted event called the Section 8A championship game is held in late-February of every hockey season since 1945. Tonight, each of these two communities will cheer on their beloved (Green Wave and Warriors) to the final horn.

In the end, one team will emerge and one team will not. It has been said that the greatest feats climbed always followed adversity. Tonight, Section 8A will showcase it's top teams in a vicous battle to earn the title. In the end, each athlete will leave with the memories, the comradery and the desire to be the best.

I'd like to extend my personal congratulations to the East Grand Forks Green Wave and Coach Cory Chupka's fantastic staff. The Green Wave, most recently, represented Section 8A in the 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2002 Minnesota State H.S. Championships. Also to Jim Scanlan, Athletic Director of East Grand Forks who was the mastermind behind those four Section 8A titles and state appearances.

On the other side, my personal congratulations to the Warroad Warriors, who've captured Section 8A titles in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007. Congrat's to co-Head Coaches Albert Hasbargen and Bruce Olson for another great season. Also, to a very good friend, Assistant Coach Dennis Fermoyle, who stepped back into the program after retiring in 2006. Warriors hockey is complete again with Coach Fermoyle behind the bench.

The history books will be re-written this evening at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls.

Enjoy the game, and like the famous "Badger" Bob Johnson once said, "It's A Great Day For (Section 8A) Hockey."

MINNESOTA SECTION 8A BOYS HOCKEY TOURNAMENT: Offensive Explosion As EGF Knocks Off Park Rapids To Advance To Championship Game

Courtesy of Grand Forks Herald:

By: Tom Miller, Herald Staff Writer

Forward Zach Lehrke is Park Rapids' all-time leading scorer, the highest goal-scorer in the state and one of 10 finalists for the Minnesota Mr. Hockey award.

But on Monday, it was East Grand Forks Senior High's team that put on an offensive show.

The Green Wave, highlighted by a five-goal second period, coasted to an 8-3 win over Park Rapids in the Section 8A boys hockey semifinals in Ralph Engelstad Arena.

Senior High heads to the section championship for the first time since 2002. The Green Wave face Warroad at 7 p.m. Thursday in the title game in Thief River Falls.

Park Rapids dropped to 24-3, while the Green Wave improved to 12-12-1.

"We haven't been to the final since 2002, so it's pretty big," said Casey Ristau, who had two goals and an assist.

Park Rapids, the No. 2 seed in the section, hadn't allowed more than five goals all season. Senior High, though, showed early on that it could score against the Panthers.

Senior High defenseman Casey Wood dumped the puck into the zone along the right boards. Michael Lukkason got to the puck behind the net and poked it over to Ristau, who also was in back of the goal. Ristau quickly grabbed the puck and put it in the net on his backhand for a power-play goal at 2 minutes, 58 seconds of the first period.

Ristau struck again less than two minutes later. From behind the net, Henry Gutierrez found Ristau close in at the left faceoff circle. Ristau's blast beat goalie Mark Smith for a 2-0 lead at 4:31.

"It was a big key to get those first two goals," Senior High coach Cory Chupka said. "Park Rapids pressed us early, but we were able to weather that. You could see the guys get excited."

From there, the Wave cruised.

Senior High scored five times in the second period to build a 7-2 lead. Jake Useldinger, Macauley Useldinger, Lukkason, Cody Grassel and John Grabanski all scored in the period.
Lukkason finished with two goals and an assist.

MORE:

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EGF SENIOR HIGH 8, PARK RAPIDS 3

First period - 1. EGF, Casey Ristau (Michael Lukkason, Casey Wood) 2:58; 2. EGF, Ristau (Henry Gutierrez, Macauley Useldinger) 4:31

Second period - 3. PR, Bill Winkler (Derek Ricke) 3:40; 4. EGF, Jake Useldinger 4:04; 5. EGF, Macauley Useldinger (Alex Lind, Vizenor) 7:05; 6. EGF, Michael Lukkason (Ristau, Zak Aubol) 7:48; 7. PR, Zach Lehrke (Curtis Tolle) 12:17; 8. EGF, Cody Grassel (J. Useldinger) 15:30; 9. EGF, John Grabanski (Joey Wikoff, J. Useldinger) 16:08

Third period - 10. PR, Kevin McMorrow (Lehrke) 1:44; 11. EGF, Lukkason 3:16

Goalie saves - EGF: Alex Christiansen 7-9-5 - 21; PR: Mark Smith 9-10-7 - 26

New Section 8A Bracket Board Warroad vs. EGF For Championship (Click To Enlarge)

Park Rapids Standout, Zach Lehrke Among Minnesota Mr. Hockey (10) Finalists

Courtesy of Park Rapids Enterprise:

By: Vance Carlson

Zach Lehrke continues to reach milestones as a member of the Park Rapids-Menahga boys hockey team.

The senior forward became the all-time leading scorer in the history of the boys hockey program earlier this season.

On Monday, Lehrke was named as one of 10 finalists for the 24th annual Mr. Hockey Award. Lehrke becomes the first Park Rapids hockey player to receive that distinction.

Park Rapids’ Zach Lehrke (26) was named as one of 10 finalists for the 2008 Mr. Hockey Award. The award will be presented March 9 in St. Paul.

The Mr. Hockey Award is given to the outstanding senior high school hockey player in the state of Minnesota and is selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts, Division I college coaches and selected media members from around the state.

So far this season, Lehrke has 46 goals and 35 assists for 81 points. That is a single-season scoring record for the Panthers, breaking Tyler Lehrke’s 79 points during the 2003-04 season. Zach Lehrke’s 46 goals so far has shattered the single-season record he shared with his older brother of 34 and his 35 assists are approaching the school record of 45 set by Tyler Lehrke in 2003-04.

Lehrke is currently the top goal scorer in the state and is second in total scoring, trailing Mankato West’s Ricky Litchfield by one point and sitting three points ahead of Little Falls’ Beau Hanow-ski. Litchfield has 28 goals and 54 assists for 82 points while Hanowski has 37 goals and 41 assists for 78 points.

With his 81 points this season, Zach Lehrke has 194 in his career. Tyler Lehrke held the previous record with 192 career points, which included 89 goals and 103 assists. Zach Lehrke holds the school record with his 105 career goals and is second with his 89 career assists.

The other finalists for the Mr. Hockey Award are Tyler Barnes of Burnsville, J.T. Brown of Rose-mount, Cory Fienhage of Eastview, Jake Gardiner of Minnetonka, Joe Gleason of Edina, Justin Jokinen of Cloquet, Aaron Ness of Roseau, Drew Olson of Brainerd and Jake Youso of International Falls.

The 24th annual Mr. Hockey Awards Banquet will be held on Sunday, March 9 at noon at the Star Tribune Grand Ballroom at the River Centre in St. Paul. The Minnesota Wild and Acceleration Minnesota are co-sponsors of the Mr. Hockey Awards Banquet. The Mr. Hockey Award is hosted by the Minnesota Minutemen.

Other awards that will be presented at the banquet are the Frank Brimsek Award for the state’s top senior goaltender, the John Mariucci Awards for the Class A and Class AA coaches of the year, and the Cliff Thompson Award for the “Old Timer Coach” of the year.

Previous Mr. Hockey Award winners are Tom Corske (1985), George Pelawa (1986), Kris Miller (1987), Larry Olimb (1988), Trent Klatt (1989), Joe Dziedzic (1990), Darby Hendrickson (1991), Brian Bonin (1992), Nick Checco (1993), Mike Crowley (1994), Erik Rasmussen (1995), Dave Spehar (1996), Aaron Miskovich (1997), John Pohl (1998), Jeff Taffe (1999), Paul Martin (2000), Marty Sertich (2001), Gino Guyer (2002), Nate Dey (2003), Tom Gorowski (2004), Brian Lee (2005), David Fischer (2006) and Ryan McDonagh (2007).

For tickets to the banquet, contact Yvonne Feldkamp at (763) 422-9708 or mrhockeybanquet@aol.com. Individual tickets for the event are $25.

2008 Minnesota Section 8A Hockey Play-offs Bracket Board (Click to Enlarge)

MINNESOTA SECTION 8 TOURNAMENT: Warroad stops TRF in thriller

Courtesy of Grand Forks Herald:

Warroad 2, Thief River Falls 1 2OT

Mark McDonald scored at 8 minutes, 11 seconds of the second overtime to lead Warroad to a 2-1 win over Thief River Falls in the Section 8A boys hockey semifinals Saturday.

McDonald's shot deflected off traffic and past goalie Zane Gothberg. McDonald received an assist from Dane Shaugabay on the play.

"It was a lucky bounce for us and a not-so-lucky bounce for Thief River Falls," Warroad co-coach Bruce Olson said. "The whole game was really intense."

Gothberg had 55 saves, including 18 in the third period and nine in each of the overtime periods. Warroad goalie Jared Paquin also was solid, with 28 saves.

"Our goalie made two-three big saves to give us a chance to win it," Olson said. "Their goaltender was absolutely outstanding."

Warroad will play either East Grand Forks Senior High or Park Rapids in the championship game Thursday in Thief River Falls' Ralph Engelstad Arena.

The Warriors are 21-6.

MINNESOTA SECTION 8A TOURNAMENT: East Grand Forks, Park Rapids Advance To Semi-Finals

Courtesy of Grand Forks Herald:

East Grand Forks 4, Kittson Central 2:

After a long break in action, it didn't take long for the East Grand Forks Senior High boys hockey team to get back into the swing of things.The Green Wave jumped to a 4-0 lead after one period and hung on for a 4-2 win over Kittson Central on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Section 8A tournament.

East Grand Forks faces Park Rapids in the semifinals Monday in Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls.“We caught them off-guard with our speed,” EGF coach Cory Chupka said. “We just needed to get back in the groove. We'd been off since last Tuesday.”

Michael Lukkason, Jake Useldinger, Joey Wikoff and Zak Aubol scored first-period goals for EGF.While EGF out-shot Kittson Central 11-1 and 13-6 in the final two periods, Kittson Central goalie Scott Lindegard kept the Green Wave out of the net.“Their goaltender put up a brick wall,” Chupka said. “(Kittson Central) came out hard and scratched and clawed.”

Ryan Johnson and Jack Deere scored third-period goals for Kittson Central.

Park Rapids 9, Lake of the Woods 2:

Zach Lehrke's five goals and two assists lifted Park Rapids to a quarterfinal victory over Lake of the Woods.Park Rapids, which outshot Lake of the Woods 48-23, pulled away with five second-period goals.Danny Usiski and Cody Hasbargen scored goals for Lake of the Woods.

Warroad Blanks Crookston 7-0: TRF Rallies Late To Upend Bemidji 2-1 In Section 8A Tournament Quarter-Finals

By: Timothy Oshie
Publisher

The 2008 Section 8A Boy's hockey tournament entered the second, of four rounds, last night at the friendly confines of the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls, Minn.

The host team (TRF Prowlers) will clash with the favorite (Warroad Warriors) in the Minnesota Section 8A boys hockey tournament on Saturday. That's because fourth-seeded Thief River Falls won a thriller against fifth-seeded Bemidji on Thursday night, while Warroad cruised to an easy victory over Crookston in quarterfinal games at The Little Ralph.

Prowlers Score Twice Late; Earn 2-1 Comeback Victory Late In 3rd

Thief River Falls, playing in front of the home crowd on the backside of the hockey double-header, scored twice in the final 2:46 of the game to earn the comeback 2-1 win over the Bemidji Lumberjacks.

TRF's Lucas Dillon scored on a penalty shot at 14:14 and Kent Peterson added the game-winning goal with just 46 seconds left in the final stanza.

Bemidji netted the opening goal when Dylan Wizner scored an unassisted tally at 2:45 of the second period. That lead lasted until late, when the Prowlers rallied in front of their hometown fans.

In addition to scoring the game-tying goal, Dillon also set up Peterson's winning goal.

In net, Zane Gothburg stopped 23 shots for Thief River Falls, while Bemidji's Derek Dudgeon made 32 saves.

Thief River Falls Prowlers 2,
Bemidji Lumberjacks 1

Second period - 1. B, Dylan Wizner 2:45

Third period - 2. TRF, Lucas Dillon 14:14; 3. TRF, Kent Peterson (Dillon, Aaron Langan) 16:14

Goalie saves - TRF: Zane Gothburg 4-10-9 - 23; B: Derek Dudgeon 9-12-11 - 32

Warroad Cruises In Section 8A Opener; Downs Crookston 7-0

The Warroad Warriors, winners of 4 of the last 5 Section 8A Tournaments ('03, '04, '05, '07), is once again looking like the team to beat. Senior Bryce Ravndalen had a goal and three assists, while teammates Dane Shaugabay and Mickey Knox added three-point nights to lift top-seeded Warroad past Crookston in a quarterfinal.

Shaugabay, very hot of late scoring 28 points in the last 9 games, scored twice and set up one, while Knox had a goal and two assists to lift the Warriors to 20-6-0 on the season.

Michael Pieper, Brock Nelson and Brett Hebel all added a goal and an assist for the defending section champion Warriors.

Warroad took control in the first on a power-play goal by Pieper at 8:58 and even-strength goals 15 seconds apart by Nelson and Hebel. In the second, Shaugabay and Knox added to Warroad's lead and Ravndalen and Shaugabay rounded out the scoring in the third.

Crookston starting goaltender Matt Grove made 36 saves before giving way to Stevie Noyes in the third. Noyes stopped two shots.

Senior Warrior netminder, Jared Paquin, steered aside all 12 shots and pushed his season record to 14-3-0 on the year.

Warroad Warriors 7,
Crookston Pirates 0

First period - 1. W, Michael Pieper (Bryce Ravndalen, Dane Shaugabay) 8:58; 2. W, Brock Nelson (Brett Hebel, Micky Knox) 13:47; 3. W, Hebel (Carson Gray, Knox) 14:02

Second period - 4. W, Shaugabay (Ravndalen) 8:39; 5. W, Knox (Nelson, Jon Hellquist) 14:02
Third period - 6. W, Ravndalen (Pieper, Jeremy Hahn) 1:23; 7. W, Shaugabay (Jake Mack, Ravndalen) 4:19

Goalie saves - W: Jared Paquin 3-3-6 - 12; C: Matt Grove 10-20-6 - 26; Stevie Noyes x-x-2 - 2

MINNESOTA SECTION 8 HOCKEY TOURNAMENTS: Warriors hope to make run

Courtesy of Grand Forks Herald:

By: Virg Foss - Special to the Herald

Bryce Ravndalen vividly remembers sitting in the stands in the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul in 2005 and watching Warroad complete an undefeated season by winning the Minnesota state Class A boys hockey title.

A freshman at the time, Ravndalen was playing on Warroad's bantam team, not the varsity. Still, seeing his school that featured current UND star T.J. Oshie win a state title left a lasting impression.

“I wanted to get down there myself and do what they did,” said Ravndalen, now a senior and the leading scorer for the Warriors. “I thought it was a pretty cool deal.”

Ravndalen did get to state last year, but the Warriors lost in the semifinals to Hermantown after leading 3-1 entering the final period.

“I still have that (bad) taste in my mouth,” Ravndalen. “We're a better team this year.”

Ravndalen has more hockey in his future. He's given a verbal commitment to St. Cloud State, likely for the 2009-10 season. He also was the first player signed by Dean Blais to stock the United States Hockey League franchise in Fargo that begins play next season.

Warroad (19-6-0) enters Thursday's quarterfinal round of the Section 8A tournament as the No. 1 seed and is undefeated (10-0-0) against other teams in the tournament.

“Certainly our kids know that when you're the No. 1 seed,” Warroad co-coach Albert Hasbargen said, “you're expected to win.”

The Warriors have met all expectations season, earning a No. 5 ranking in the last state poll.
Yet nothing will come easy in the tournament, Hasbargen knows.

“The top eight teams in the section are real close,” Hasbargen said. “You throw a couple of goals in there any time in any game and it will change the outcome.”

Warroad features the top-scoring line in the tournament in the unit of Ravndalen (24 goals, 31 assists), Dane Shaugabay (19-13) and Jeremy Hahn (10-22). In addition, Brock Nelson (12), Brett Hebel (10) and John Hellquist (9) are proven scorers.

Shaugabay, slowed by a wrist injury early in the year, has come back strong with 28 points in his last nine games.

It's a Warroad team long on experience. Seven of the seniors played in last year's state tournament.

“That's an advantage for us,” Ravndalen said. “We're used to playing in big games, and section games are usually barn-burners with no blowouts.”

Warroad's defense took a hit with an injury to Tai Larson. He's listed as questionable for the start of the section tournament, Hasbargen said. But Warroad has a solid goalie in Jared Paquin, who has a 1.42 goals-against average and .908 save percentage. He's had shutouts in his last two starts.

“We need to work really hard,” Hasbargen said. “We're not an overly skilled team. We have some skilled players, but we need to play well in the defensive zone and like anybody in the playoffs, we need to have good goaltending.”

The Section 8A tournament also features the state's second-leading scorer in senior forward Zach Lehrke of Park Rapids Area. He has 48 goals and 40 assists in 25 games.

Park Rapids (23-2), the No. 2 seed, is a bit of an unknown. The Panthers have not played many of the other section teams but did lose 3-2 to Kittson Central, the sixth seed in the tournament.

Crookston's Morgan Terpstra Paces Pirates 2-0 Victory Over RLF Eagles

Courtesy of KROX-AM Sports: Crookston’s Morgan Terpstra scored two first period goals, which would be all the scoring and the Pirates Matt Grove had a 25 save shutout, as Crookston defeated Red Lake Falls 2-0 in a Section 8A boy’s hockey play-in game at the Crookston Civic Arena. Crookston would make it look easy to start the game, when Luke Biermaier kept a Red Lake Falls clearing pass in the offensive zone and then let a nice crisp low shot that Morgan Terpstra tipped in to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead just 43 seconds into the game. “I was just going to the net and Luke shot it from the point and I was able to get my stick on it,” said Terpstra on his 15th goal of the season and sixth against Red Lake Falls in the three games played between the two teams. Crookston pretty much dominated early, holding Red Lake Falls without a shot on goal for the first five and a half minutes. “That was important for us to get that first goal,” said Crookston head coach Jon Bittner, “because it was a battle out there and they didn’t give us much. It was a mucker’s game, so to get the jump start was big.” Morgan Terpstra will have to argue with older brother, Taylor on who scored the second goal, after a scramble in front and Morgan was able to jam it by the Eagles goalie, also a sophomore, Zach Page. “I think Taylor hit the cross bar with the puck and it might have been in, but I just tapped it in to make sure,” said Morgan on the goal. Red Lake Falls coach Brad Kennett and the Eagles thought that Page might have had the puck covered for a whistle before the goal, but it was allowed by the officials and Crookston had a 2-0 lead after the first period. The second period found Red Lake Falls picking up their fore check and forcing Crookston into some miscues in their own zone, which created some scoring opportunities for the Eagles, but they either weren’t able to finish the chances, or were stymied by Grove, who had 12 saves in the second period. “They had some big shots and had some big kids in front of our net during that period,” said Bittner, “ and fortunate enough for us Matt Grove played just outstanding and was on the top of his game.” The third period was much like the second period, in that both teams were feisty, with a number of coincidental minor penalties, which did not help the flow of the game, but the Eagles did have a couple power play chances in the third, including in the last minute and pulled the goalie for the extra attacker, but were unable to get any real threat at Grove and Crookston would prevail 2-0. “It was a good win for us,” said Grove, “it was a good game and they are a tough team, but it gets us to Thief River Falls which was our goal.” Both goalies played very steady, as Page for Red Lake Falls, gave up four first period goals a week ago in the first period to Crookston, and then the early goal tonight, but the youngster settled in and turned away 25 saves himself to keep his team in the hunt. “It was muck, muck, muck all night long,” said Bittner, “it wasn’t one of the more finesse or prettiest games, but a lot of credit to the Red Lake Falls coaches, O.J (Brad Kennett), Todd (Glass) and Mike (LaPlante) over there, as their kids played their hearts out and they have a great group of kids and a great coaching staff.” MORE: http://www.kroxam.com/SPORTS2007.htm

Section 8A Play-In Final Scores On Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Crookston 2, Red Lake Falls 0 (F)
Kittson Central 9, Walker-H-A 1 (F)
Lake of the Woods 6, Bagley/Fosston 3 (F)

Section 8A Tournament @ Ralph Engelstad Arena In TRF

Thursday, February 21, 2008:

#1 Warroad Warriors vs. #8 Crookston Pirates, 6:00 PM
#4 Thief River Falls Prowlers vs. #5 Bemidji Lumberjacks, 8:15 PM

Friday, February 22, 2008:

#2 Park Rapids Panthers vs. #7 Lake of the Woods Bears, 6:00 PM
#3 East Grand Forks vs. #6 Kittson Central Wolfpack, 8:15 PM

Saturday, February 23, 2008:

Winner Warroad/Crookston vs. Winner TRF/Bemidji, 7:00 PM

Monday, February 25, 2008:

Winner Park Rapids/LOW vs. Winner EGF vs. Kittson Central, 7:00 PM

Thursday, February 28, 2008:

Championship Game

A Quick Preview To The 2008 Minnesota Section 8A Hockey Tournament

For Immediate Press Release
Tuesday, February 19, 2008:

A Quick Preview At The 2008 Section 8A Boy's Championships

A season of fourteen grueling weeks of Section 8A hockey has once again passed and now we enter the state of Minnesota's second hockey season. As most of the hundreds of thousands of high school hockey fans set their sights on Minnesota's most coveted crowns, the 2008 Minnesota Class A & AA Hockey Championships.

The Pioneer Sports Department presents the 3rd Annual, 2008 Section 8A Preview and Predictions. If memory serves me correct, last year we predicted 8 of the 9 total games in the tournament only to miss the semi-final game where we had East Grand Forks defeating Thief River Falls to advance to the championship game.

TRF eventually won the contest but fell to the Warroad Warriors, 2-1, in another very memorable Section 8A championship game at the East Grand Forks Civic Center.

Move forward 12 months.

Here are the seedings for this years Section 8A Tournament being hosted by the Thief River Falls at the Ralph Engelstad Arena. The ranking order, team, (2008 season record), players to watch:

#1 Warroad Warriors, (19-6-0), Players To Watch: (F) Bryce Ravndalen, (F) Jeremy Hahn, (F) Dane Shaugabay, (D) Mark McDonald, (D) Michael Pieper and (G) Jared Paquin

#2 Park Rapids Panthers, (23-2-0), Players To Watch: (F) Zach Lehrke, (F) Zach Knapp, (F) Tucker Coborn, (D) Curtis Tolle, (D) Kevin McMorrow and (G) Mark Smith

#3 EGF Green Wave, (11-13-1), Players To Watch: (F) John Grabanski, (F) Joey Wikoff, (F) Jake Useldinger, (D) Kody Vizenor, (D) Nick Ohman and (G) Alex Christiansen

#4 TRF Prowlers, (12-13-0), Players To Watch: (F) Lucas Dillon, (F) Aaron Langen, (F) Brady Johnson, (D) Spencer Johnson, (D) Matt Audett, (G) Zane Gothberg

#5 Bemidji Lumberjacks, (10-15-0), Players To Watch: (F) Dylan Wiznor, (F) JesseNemgar, (F) Mike Rees, (D) Casey Reierson, (D) Ryan Sullivan, (G) Derek Dudgeon

#6 Kittson Central Wolfpack, (17-8-0), Players To Watch: (F) Lukas Dahl,(F) Craig Lindegard, (F) Kellen Albrecht, (D) Jack Deere, (D) Nick Lindegard and (G) Scott Lindegard

#7 LOW Bears, (6-18-1), Players To Watch: (F) Danny Usiski, (F) Jon Carlo Westerlund, (D) Cody Hasbargen, (D) Kyle Hontvedt, (G) Mark Clifford

#8 Crookston Pirates, (4-20-0), Players To Watch: (F) Morgan Terpstra, (F) Jarret Buttenhoff, (F) Josh Prudhomme, (D) Luke Biermeier, (G) Matt Grove

#9 Red Lake Falls Eagles, (6-16-1) Players To Watch: (F) Pat Johanneck, (F) Tyler Cota, (F) Casey Cardinal, (D) Nolan Knott, (D) John Murphy, (G) Zach Page

#10 Bagley-Fosston Flyers, (2-19-0), Players To Watch: (F) Mike Thorson, (F) Charlie Newland, (F) Dillon Spray, (D) Bryant Bolduc, (D) Anders Johnson, (G) Shawn Clark

#11 Walker-Hackensack-Akeley, (1-21-0), Players To Watch: (F) Daniel Nelson, (F) Jake Karst, (F) Channing Alto, (D) Andrew Duchesneau, (D) TJ Knowles, (G) Devon Weberg

The Pioneer Sports Department Predictions:

Game #1: Crookston Defeats Red Lake Falls ( 4-1 ) Play-In
Game #2: LOW Defeats Bagley ( 5-1 ) Play-In
Game #3: Kittson Central Defeats Walker-H-A (7-1) Play-In
Game #4: Warroad Defeats Crookston ( 4-1 ) Quarter-Final
Game #5: TRF Defeats Bemidji ( 4-2 ) Quarter-Final
Game #6: Park Rapids Defeats LOW ( 5-3 ) Quarter-Final
Game #7: EGF Defeats Kittson Central ( 4-3 ) Quarter-Final
Game #8: Warroad Defeats TRF ( 3-1 ) Semi-Finals
Game #9: EGF Defeats Park Rapids ( 4-3 ) Semi-Finals
Game #10: Warroad Defeats EGF ( 3-1 ) Championship Game

The Warroad Warriors, the most prolific team in the history of Section 8A, will capture their 19th Section 8 title with victories over Crookston, Thief River Falls and an old fashioned, barn-burner against the East Grand Forks Green Wave in the title tilt.

Here is a list of selections for the Section 8A (Regular Season) All-Section Teams if it was announced prior to the Section 8A Tourney:

The list would include Warroad's (F) Bryce Ravndalen, (F) Dane Shaugabay, (F) Jeremy Hahn, (D) Mark McDonald; Park Rapids' (F) Zach Lehrke, (D) Kevin McMorrow and (G) Mark Smith; East Grand Forks' (F) John Grabanski, (F) Joey Wikoff, (F) Jake Useldinger and (G) Alex Christiansen; Crookston's (G) Matt Grove and (D) Luke Biermeier; Thief River Falls (D) Spencer Johnson and (F) Aaron Langen; Kittson Central's (F) Lukas Dahl, (F) Craig Lindegard, (F) Kellen Albrecht, (D) Jack Deere, (D) Nick Lindegard and (G) Scott Lindegard; Bagley-Fosston's (F) Mike Thorson; Bemidji's (F) Dylan Wiznor, (F) Jesse Nemgar; LOW's (F) Danny Usiski and (D) Cody Hasbargen; Walker-H-A (G) (G) Devon Weberg; Red Lake Fall's (D) Nolan Knott and (F) Casey Cardinal.

Publishers Note:
This is a mock preview. The intent is to recognize the players from each team and to forecast a potential Section 8A Tournament bracket board and eventual champion. Most of the individual players information is provided by the representing school. All intent is in fun and a chance to correctly choose the brackets, scores and information.

Section 8A Final Scores On Saturday, February 15, 2008

Saturday, February 15, 2008:

Moose Lake Area 9, Bagley/Fosston 3
Mora/Hinckley-Finlayson 13, Walker-H-A 0
Thief River Falls 8, Detroit Lakes 1

END OF REGULAR SEASON

Walker-H-A Wolves Capture Initial Victory In MN / Section 8A Hockey; Other Section Scores On Thursday, February 14, 2008

By: Timothy Oshie

Congratulations to the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Wolves for the programs first Varsity victory in school history and Section 8A.

Valentine's Day was "sweet" to the Wolves as they earned the 5-0 victory over the Bagley-Fosston Flyers.

A personal congratulations to Head Coach, Ben Brovold, and his Assistant Coach, Chad Smith, for their dedication this past season to the kids of Walker-H-A and the Leech Lake Hockey Association and attaining this special win.

And, of course, to the Varsity hockey players and parents who've endured a difficult, yet rewarding first hockey season in Section 8A.

As Coach Brovold stated, "Congrats to the whole hockey association for making the hockey program a success."

Also, a special congratulations to Gretchen Gribbin, the High School Hockey Coordinator for Walker-H-A Wolves whom I'm sure has logged hundreds of hours this past season.

Walker-H-A built the program the old fashioned way and applied for entry into the Minnesota State High School League and earned a spot in Section 8A for 2007-08 season.

On October 9, 2006 the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley School Board entered into a partnership with the Leech Lake Area Amateur Hockey Association for high school hockey. This program will be funded 100% by the Leech Lake Area Amateur Hockey Association.

A memorable feat for the Wolves of Walker-Hackensack-Akeley!

Here are the scores for Section 8A last night:

Detroit Lakes 7, Red Lake Falls 6 (OT)
Greenway 7, Bemidji 2
Walker-H-A 5, Bagley/Fosston 0

Celebrate USA Hockey's "Hockey Weekend Across America"

By: Timothy Oshie

(Information Provided Courtesy Of USA Hockey)

USA Hockey, the grassroots program started back in the 1930's, has launched a very special event this weekend.

Celebrate USA Hockey and all the wonderful memories your family has had over the decades in this great game of hockey.

This weekend marks a very special event. USA Hockey has proclaimed February 15-17, 2008, as officially, Hockey Weekend Across America.

Friday, Feb. 15 - Wear Your Jersey to School Day

• Show your hockey spirit by wearing your favorite jersey from any level of hockey (youth, high school, college, pro, etc.) to school.

Saturday, Feb. 16 - Bring a Friend to the Rink Day

• No matter what the event is (a youth game, an open skate or a professional game) do your best to bring a friend to the rink to introduce them to the sport.

Sunday, Feb. 17 - Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes Day

• Honor your favorite coach, timekeeper, official, player, etc., through a special recognition event. Use the day as a fund-raising effort for you association and just plain show the community what hockey has done for them.

Hockey Weekend Across America’s objective is to celebrate hockey and all those involved in the game at all levels and also expose the game to additional audiences to attract more players, coaches, officials and volunteers to the sport.

“It's terrific to see all the things happening around the country as part of Hockey Weekend Across America,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. “I commend the entire hockey community for its enthusiastic participation.”

Listed below is a partial list of events happening around the country in conjunction with Hockey Weekend Across America, as well as a rundown of special programming airing on NHL Network in the United States as part of the celebration. Also listed are special interviews taking place on XM Radio’s Hockey This Morning on channel 204.

NOTES: The 10th anniversary of the U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team winning the first-ever gold medal awarded in the sport is Feb. 17 as part of Hockey Weekend Across America. … USA Hockey will stage media conference calls this week leading up to Hockey Weekend Across America with Jeremy Roenick (two-time Olympian and member of San Jose Sharks) on Monday; Mike Modano (three-time Olympian and member of Dallas Stars) on Tuesday; five members of the 1998 U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hockey Team (Cammi Granato, Karyn Bye, Angela Ruggiero, Sarah Tueting, Katie King) on Wednesday; and Chris Chelios (four-time Olympian and member of Detroit Red Wings) on Thursday … Hockey Day in Michigan is set for Saturday (Feb. 16) as part of Hockey Weekend Across America … USA Today’s Kevin Allen began blogging Saturday (Feb. 9) about American hockey and will continue throughout the week at USAToday.com. Coverage will be included in the print edition of USA Today as well ... The Labatt Blue/USA Hockey Pond Hockey Championship is set for Feb. 15-17 on Dollar Lake in Eagle River, Wis., as part of Hockey Weekend Across America. A sold-out field of 142 teams from 23 states is expected.

Section 8A Girl's Championship Game Tonight; Warroad vs. Roseau For Berth To State @ Xcel Energy Center

Courtesy of Grand Forks Herald

Warroad and Roseau both are holding opponents to an average of fewer than 1.5 goals per game. But when they meet tonight with a state tournament berth on the line, the matchup will be one of offense against defense.

The teams play at 7 p.m. in Roseau in the Minnesota Section 8A girls hockey championship. Both are strong in goal, Warroad with Morgan Pieper (1.25 goals-against average, 0.936 save percentage) and Roseau with Chelsey Froseth (1.43 GAA, .909 SP).

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2008 Section 8A Tournament Seedings & Information

Courtesty of KQ-92 FM in Warroad, MN: By: Jon Michael ( The Voice Of Border Hockey) The 2008 Section 8A Boy's Hockey Tournament gets underway next Tuesday, February 19, with the play-in round. The Warroad Warriors (#1 seed) will play in the first quarter-finals contest on Thursday, February 21 at 6:00 p.m. The Park Rapids Panthers (#2 seed) will play in the third quarter-finals game on Friday, February 22, at 6:00 p.m. In the play-in round on Tuesday, the Lake of the Woods Bears (#7 seed) will host the Bagley / Fosston Flyers (#10 seed). The winner of LOW - Bagley / Fosston, will meet the 23-2-0 Park Rapids club in the quarterfinals. The Crookston Pirates (#8 seed) will play host to the Red Lake Falls Eagles (#9 seed). The winner of Crookston vs. Red Lake Falls draws the 19-6-0 Warroad Warriors at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls. The surging Kittson-Central Wolfpack (#6 seed) will play host to the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Wolves (#11 seed) with a 5:00 p.m. tilt at the Hallock Memorial Arena. The winner of Kittson-Central vs. Walker-H-A earn a berth to play the East Grand Forks (#3 seed) on Friday, February, 22, 2008. Thief River Falls Prowlers (#4 seed) will play the Bemidji Lumberjacks in the second quarter-finals game on Thursday, February 21, at 8:00 p.m. The Section 8A boys hockey tournament is being held at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls. Section 8A seeds 1. Warroad Warriors ( 19-6-0 ) 2. Park Rapids Panthers ( 23-2-0 ) 3. East Grand Forks Green Wave ( 11-13-1 ) 4. Thief River Falls Prowlers ( 11-13-0 ) 5. Bemidji Lumberjacks ( 9-15-0 ) 6. Kittson Central Wolfpack ( 17-8-0 ) 7. Lake of the Woods Bears ( 6-18-1 ) 8. Crookston Pirates ( 4-20-1 ) 9. Red Lake Falls Eagles ( 6-15-1 ) 10. Bagley-Fosston Flyers ( 2-18-0 ) 11. Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Wolves ( 0-16-0 )

Final Section 8A / Minnesota Scores On Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Section 8A Scores:

Bemidji 6, Detroit Lakes 1
Crookston 7, Red Lake Falls 0
East Grand Forks 3, Thief River Falls 1
Prairie Centre Area 2, Park Rapids Area 1
Kittson Central 7, Walker-H-A 1

Minnesota Scores:

Apple Valley 6, Chaska 3
Becker/BL/M 7, Redwood Valley 5
Burnsville 11, Bloomington Kennedy 0
Cambridge-Isanti 9, S.P. Como Park 4
Champlin Park 2, Blaine 1
Coon Rapids 10, Forest Lake 7
Duluth East 5, Hastings 1
Duluth Marshall 3, Cretin-Derham Hall 1
Eastview 6, Eagan 2
Eden Prairie 5, Rosemount 4
Faribault 6, Mankato East/Loyola 3
Grand Rapids 3, Duluth Denfeld 1
Greenway 5, Eveleth-Gilbert/ME 1
Henry Sibley 3, Simley 0
Hibbing/Chisholm 5, Virginia/MI-B 1
Hill-Murray 5, Mahtomedi 4
Holy Family Catholic 5, LeSueur/SP/L 1
Lakeville South 5, Lakeville North 3
Little Falls 5, Fergus Falls 3
Mankato West 4, Rochester Century 2
Marshall 13, Sleepy Eye Area 0
Mora/H-F 4, Princeton 1
Mound-Westonka 3, Rochester Lourdes 0
New Prague 6, Red Wing 3
New Ulm 8, Waseca 2
Northfield 5, Prior Lake 0
Orono 5, Litchfield/D-C 3
Osseo 3, Anoka 0
Owatonna 8, Austin 1
Proctor 4, Silver Bay/CC 3 (OT)
Robb. Armstrong 8, Elk River 6
Rochester Mayo 4, Albert Lea 1
Roseau 3, International Falls 1
Sartell-St. Stephen 3, Sauk Rapids-Rice 2
Shakopee 2, Hutchinson 1
S.C. Cathedral 4, Hermantown 2
South St. Paul 6, Tartan 5
Spring Lake Park 4, Irondale 3
St. Cloud Tech 5, St. Cloud Apollo 2
St. Francis 5, Robb. Cooper 2
St. Louis Park 6, Chisago Lakes 1
St. Michael-Al 4, Minneapolis West 2
St. Paul Academy 3, St. Paul Saints 2
Two Harbors 5, Moose Lake Area 4
Wadena-Deer Creek 9, Morris Area/Benson 1
Willmar 2, River Lakes 1

EGF Tops TRF 3-1; Feature One Of Section 8A's Best Lines

Courtesy of Grand Forks Herald:

By: Brittany Brevik, Herald Staff Writer

The East Grand Forks Senior High boys hockey team has a top line that poses a big scoring threat to opposing teams.

Thief River Falls witnessed it in action Tuesday night, as the Green Wave downed the Prowlers 3-1 in Section 8A play in the East Grand Forks Civic Center.

Seniors Joey Wikoff and John Grabanski and sophomore Jake Useldinger combined for the three goals for Senior High. All three scores came in the third period.

“Their first line is tough,” Thief River Falls coach Tim Bergland said. “They have a couple of nice lines you need to pay attention to.”

Thief River Falls led 1-0 entering the final period. Jesse Castle scored midway through the second on a breakaway, firing a slap shot that bounced off Green Wave goalie Alex Christiansen's pad and into the net.

The Green Wave picked up momentum 3 minutes, 49 seconds into the third period when Wikoff picked off a pass, weaved through defenders and scored for a 1-1 tie.

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