Minnesota H.S. Section 8A Boy's Hockey Site

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Lumberjacks Swarm Green Wave, 10-1; LOW Edges Kittson Central In OT, 4-3; Roseau Defeats TRF, 4-1; Crookston Clips Red Lake Falls, 8-1

BEMIDJI 10 - EAST GRAND FORKS 1

First period — 1. EGF, Jake Useldinger 1:56; 2. B, Lucas Phillips (Steven Heller, Will Bruestle) 9:59; 3. B, Braden Devescovi (Isaac Bitter) 12:39

Second period — 4. B, Heller (Bitter) :38; 5. B, Welle (Forseth) 46; 6. B, Heller (Phillips) 2:22; 7. B, Rylee Curb (Heller, Bitter) 5:45; 8. B, Jesse Nemgar (Heller, Bitter) 8:09; 9. Devescovi (Nemgar, Curb) 11:05

Third period — 10. B, Phillips (Heller) 9:07; 11. B, Nemgar 11:56

Goalie saves — EGF: Shane Wasylow 10-11-x — 18; Beau Scheving x-7-12 — 19; B: Jeremiah Graves 7-6-4 — 16

LAKE OF THE WOODS 4 - KITTSON CENTRAL 3, OT

First period — 1. LOW, Travis Mollberg 2:00 (Shae Pepera, Travis Tom), 2. KCC, Craig Lindegard 11:58 (Gabe Montoya), 3. LOW Mollberg 15:30 (Pepera, Tom)

Second period — 4. KCC, Lindegard 3:03 (Montoya, Markas Dahl)

Third period — 5. KCC, Lindegard :18 (Montoya, Tyler Hultgren), 6. LOW, Pepera 5:29 (Mollberg, Tom)

Overtime — 7.LOW, Wade Holen 1:21 (Justin Peters)

Goalie saves — LOW: Alex Lyon 6-7-10 — 23, Alex Chaput 10-8-9-1 — 28

ROSEAU 6 - THIEF RIVER FALLS 3

First period — 1. R, Shane Omdahl (Travis Connell, Adam Knochenmus) 4:16; 2. TRF, Riley Soderstrom (Brady Johnson, Brady Meunier) 8:14

Second period — 3. TRF, Matt Audette (Jacob Malwitz, Chris Forney) 7:20; 4. TRF, Soderstrom (Malwitz, Derek Kayser) 8:16; 5. R, Zach Johnson (Trevor Baumgartner, Omdahl) 16:19

Third period — 6. R, Omdahl (Knochenmus, Baumgartner) :34; 7. R, Knochenmus (Omdahl) 4:15; 8. Omdahl (Knochenmus) 11:59; 9. R, Knochenmus (Connell, Ryan Leverington) 14:10

Goalie saves — R: Ethan Kvidt 11-12-8 — 31; TRF: Zane Gothberg 7-7-5 — 19

CROOKSTON 8 - RED LAKE FALLS 1

First period — 1. C, Nick Regimbal (Morgan Terpstra) 6:22; 2. C, Jared Johnson (Ryan Bittner, Kolton Walker) 7:14; 3. C, Michael Awender (Regimbal, Bitt-ner) 11:25; 4. C, Mason Grimes (Bittner, Connor Morgan) 13:08

Second period — 5. C, Bittner (Zach Mercil) 15:28

Third period — 6. C, Jerek Janorschke (Alex Edevold, Jared Johnson) 3:01; 7. C, Austin Proulx (Bittner) 11:02; 8. C, Jared Johnson (Bittner) 15:02; 9. RLF, Garrett Schmitz (Dylan Zutz) 16:21

Goalie saves — C: Nick Biermaier 4-12-0 — 16; RLF: Zach Page 7-7-x — 14, Cole Larson x-x-5 — 5

Tuesday’s Results

Benilde-St. Margaret’s 4, St. Cloud Tech 1
Edina 4, Burnsville 0
Farmington 5, Rochester John Marshall 2
Grand Rapids 6, Cloquet/Esko/Carlton 1
Hibbing/Chisholm 4, International Falls 2
Holy Family Catholic 5, Mankato East/Loyola 3
Minneapolis East 2, Robbinsdale Cooper 1
Minnehaha Academy 1, Simley 0
Rochester Century 4, Lakeville North 1
Rochester Mayo 7, Red Wing 4
South St. Paul 4, St. Paul Johnson Governors 3
St. Cloud Cathedral 7, St. Cloud Apollo 1
St. Francis 6, Coon Rapids 2
St. Paul Como Cougars 4, North Metro Stars 1
Willmar 9, Morris Benson Area Storm 2

Girls hockey: Wave get first win against Crookston

Courtesy of Grand Forks Herald:

Keeley Gregoire had both goals for East Grand Forks Senior High on Tuesday, including the game-winner in overtime.

By: Tom Miller, Grand Forks Herald

It took seven years and a few minutes of overtime, but the East Grand Forks Senior High girls hockey team has beaten Crookston for the first time in program history.

Keeley Gregoire scored two goals, including the game-winner in overtime, to lift the Green Wave to a 2-1 victory over Crookston on Tuesday in the East Grand Forks Civic Center.

“We hadn’t beaten Crookston before, so we really wanted this,” Gregoire said. “In over-time, I think we wanted it more.”

The Green Wave’s first season of girls hockey was the 2002-03 season.

“This kind of shows parity in girls hockey now,” Crookston coach Jim Persson said. “It was Warroad, Roseau and Crookston for a long time. This could be a statement game for East Grand Forks. We hope it’s not. We hope we can regroup and get them back in Crookston.”

More: http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/142933/

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

The 2009-10 Season Has Arrived .. This Week In Section 8A

Tuesday, December 1, 2009
East Grand Forks @ Bemidji, 7:30PM | BSU – John Glas Fieldhouse
Kittson County Central @ Lake of the Woods, 7PM | Baudette Arena
Roseau @ Thief River Falls, 7:30PM | Ralph Engelstad Arena
Red Lake Falls @ Crookston, 7:30PM | Crookston Civic Arena

Thursday, December 3, 2009
EGF @ G.F. Red River (ND), 7:30PM | Purpur Arena

Friday, December 4, 2009
Bagley @ Ely/T-S/B-E, 7:30PM | Ely Ice Arena
Brainerd @ EGF, 7:30PM | EGF Civic Center
GF Central @ Crookston, 7:30PM | Crookston Civic Arena
LOW @ Silver Bay/Cook, 8PM | Rukavina Arena
Park Rapids @ Walker-H-A, 7:30PM | Walker Comm Center
Warroad @ Mound-Westonka, 7:30PM | Thaler Sports Center

Saturday, December 5th, 2009
Brainerd @ Crookston, 3PM | Crookston Civic Arena
LOW @ Ely/T-S/B-E, 3PM | Ely Ice Arena
Monticello/A/ML @ TRF, 3PM | Ralph Engelstad Arena
Park Rapids @ EGF, 4PM | EGF Civic Center
Warroad @ Orono, 2PM | Orono Ice Arena

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

2009 Section 8A All-Star Line-Up

SECTION 8A ALL-STAR TEAM:

Defensemen:
Matt Audette / TRF Prowlers / Sophomore
Cody Hasbargen / LOW Bears / Senior
Jacob Malwitz / TRF Prowlers / Junior
Alan Mart / Crookston Pirates / Senior

Forwards:
Brock Nelson / Warroad Warriors / Junior
Brett Hebel / Warroad Warriors / Junior
Chris Sylvester / Warroad Warriors / Senior
Micky Knox / Warroad Warriors / Senior
Dane Shaugabay / Warroad Warriors / Senior
Jake Useldinger / EGF Green Wave / Junior
Henry Gutierrez / EGF Green Wave / Senior
Jesse Nemgar / Bemidji Lumberjacks / Junior
Lucas Dillon / TRF Prowlers / Senior
Tyler Aandal / TRF Prowlers / Senior
Kent Peterson / TRF Prowlers / Senior

Goaltenders:
Matt Grove / Crookston Pirates / Senior
Zane Gothberg / TRF Prowlers / Junior

Monday, March 16, 2009

MINNESOTA STATE CLASS "A" ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM; CONGRATULATIONS TO NICK LEDDY OF EDEN PRAIRIE NAMED 2009 MINNESOTA MR. HOCKEY

NEWS RELEASE: Hockeytown USA Hosts 2nd Annual Section 8 All-Star Hockey Games On March 22-23, 2009 In Warroad

WARROAD MN, – The 2nd Annual Hockeytown Hockey Classic Section 8 All-Star Game will be held at The Gardens Arena on Sunday, March 22, and Monday, March 23rd 2009. Hosted by Warroad Memorial Arena Association (WMAA), the event will include both a girls’ and a boys’ game and the Section 8A all-stars competing against those from Section 8AA.

The teams will be comprised of the best varsity players from Section 8, regardless of age whom have been nominated by their coaches. The girls’ high school hockey game will begin at 6 p.m. and the boys will follow at 8 p.m. on both dates.

Don’t miss watching the incredible hockey talent from across the region including players from Thief River Falls, Moorhead, Roseau, Crookston, EGF, Elk River, Buffalo, Park Rapids, St. Cloud, Bemidji, River Lakes, Monticello, Becker, Brainerd, Sartell, North Wright County, Baudette, Northern Lakes, Hallock, Red Lake Falls, and Warroad.

Warroad, MN and the Warroad Memorial Arena Association have hosted many different events such as US Olympic teams, Section 8 Boys Hockey tournaments, and Youth Regional and State Hockey tournaments.

MINNESOTA STATE CLASS "A" CHAMPIONSHIP: Breck Tops Warroad For Title; Warriors Finish Incredible Season; Goldsmith, Pieper, Hebel, Nelson All-Tourney

Warroad's Michael Pieper (right, 4) keeps the puck away from Breck School's Tyson Fulton (left, 23) Saturday afternoon during the Minnesota Class A Boys Hockey State Championship at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. (Photo by Derek Montgomery)

Joe Rehkamp scored one goal and added three assists and John Russell made 33 saves to lead Breck to a 7-3 victory against Warroad in the state Class A boys hockey championship game Saturday in the Xcel Energy Center.

By: Kevin Fee, Grand Forks Herald

ST. PAUL – The Breck cheering section was chanting his name several times throughout the game.

“Johnny Russell, Johnny Russell.”

“That’s the best feeling in the world, kids at school chanting your name, you can’t ask for anything more,” the junior goalie said.

Unless, of course, you lead your team to a state championship.

Russell stopped 33 shots, including 15 in the third period, to spark Breck to a 7-3 victory against Warroad in the state Class A boys hockey title game Saturday before 6,038 fans in the Xcel Energy Center.

The goalie was at his best in the third, stopping the Warriors on several close-range chances, including a sliding blocker save, to help the Mustangs end their championship season at 27-3-1.

Warroad finished its season at 28-3, one victory shy of the school record.

Warriors coach Albert Hasbargen called Russell the best goalie his team faced this season.

“This young man won the game for them,” Hasbargen said. “I thought we were the better team out there. I don’t know what you people thought, but I just felt we had more scoring chances.”

Warroad had a 36-24 edge in shots on goal, but it had trouble containing the Mustangs’ speedy forwards. Joe Rehkamp, who will play hockey at Air Force, flew past the Warroad defensemen on several occasions.

Rehkamp, one of two seniors on the team, led the Breck offense with one goal and three assists.

“They had tremendous speed. Our defensemen were probably not used to that,” Hasbargen said. “He got by us a few times. We kind of ran into the same thing against Moorhead (during the regular season) with their speed.”

A wild first period ended in a 2-2 tie before Breck took control in the second with two goals on special teams.

Forward Reid Herd redirected a nice feed from classmate Rehkamp past Warroad goalie Jason Goldsmith at 7:43 while the Mustangs were skating shorthanded. Michael Mooney scored a power-play goal from the high slot at 14:39 for a 4-2 lead.

Hasbargen called the shorthanded goal “huge.”

“It saps a lot of energy out of you,” he said.

In the third, Wesley Iverson scored on a breakaway at 13:01 for a 5-2 lead. Warroad answered at 14:58 on a goal by Dane Shaugabay before Breck sealed it with empty-net goals from Rehkamp and Brenden Yates.

Les Larson, in his first season as Breck head coach, said his knows a lot about the history of Minnesota high school hockey. And Warroad’s tradition was not lost on him.

“We’re playing Warroad today,” Larson said. “I’m thinking (former Warrior) Henry Boucha. I remember when I was a young high school player, I idolized Henry Boucha. . . . It’s a huge thrill.”

Breck, of Golden Valley, won its third state title. The Mustangs were unbeaten in their last 24 games, with its last loss in 2008. Warroad, which had a 13-game winning streak snapped, was searching for its fifth title in 20 tournament appearances.

“We’ve been down here many times,” Hasbargen said. “Second place is not what we wanted. We’re not satisfied. It’s tough.”

Saturday, March 14, 2009

MINNESOTA STATE CLASS A & AA FINAL RESULTS / CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES FOR SATURDAY, MARCH 13, 2009

WARROAD 5, ST. CLOUD CATHEDRAL 3

First period — 1. W, Dane Shaugabay (Brett Hebel, Michael Pieper) 14:08

Second period — 2. SCC, Jon Larkin 4:47; 3. W, Brock Nelson (Hebel, Pieper) 10:51; 4. SCC, Joe Nessler (Larkin, Bret Schwinghammer) 11:13

Third period — 5. W, Chris Sylvester (Micky Knox, Nick Stoskopf) 7:15; 6. SCC, Alex Koopmeiners (Kyle Kudak) 8:33; 7. W, Hebel (Pieper) 9:07; 8. W, Shaugabay (Nelson) 16:28

Goalie saves — W: Jason Goldsmith 8-4-7 — 19; SCC: Nick Maiers 7-6-4 — 17

BRECK 6, LITTLE FALLS 1
First period — 1. B, Chase Nystedt (Charlie Borer, Austin Rudnick) 5:15

Second period — 2. B, Tyson Fulton (Joe Rehkamp, Mike Morin) 6:19

Third period — 3. B, Rehkamp (Riley Borer, Cameron Born) 2:53; 4. B, Morin (Fulton, Michael Mooney) 4:17; 5. B, Nystedt (Charlie Borer, Welsey Iverson) 6:17; 6. LF, Wesley Waytashek (Ben Hanowski) 6:27; 7. B, Born (Rehkamp, Reid Herd) 9:47

Goalie saves — B: John Russell 7-11-6 — 24, Max McCormick x-x-0 — 0; LF: Michael Sperl 4-16-6 — 26

TODAY'S GAMES:

Fifth place — Hutchinson vs. Rochester Lourdes, 10 a.m., Mariucci Arena; third place — St. Cloud Cathedral vs. Little Falls, 9 a.m., Xcel Energy Center; championship — Warroad vs. Breck, noon, Xcel Energy Center

SEMI-FINAL FRIDAY GAMES:

EDEN PRAIRIE 4, BLAINE 2

First period — 1. B, Nick Bjugstad 4:57; 2. B, Clayton Wagamon (Travis Kovalchuk) 8:29

Second period — 3. EP, Taylor Wolfe (Mitch Rogge, Kyle Rau) 9:52

Third period — 4. EP, Kyle Rau 6:29; 5. EP, Rau (Wolfe) 13:14; 6. EP, Nick Leddy 16:22

Goalie saves — B: Danny Harper 9-8-9 — 26; EP: Andrew Ford 7-4-6 — 17

MOORHEAD 2, CRETIN-DERHAM HALL 1

First period — 1. M, Braden Rahman (Alex Altenbernd, Jordan Doschadis) 8:19

Second period — 2. CDH, Bob Kinne (Tony Barbato) 13:35; 3. M, Doschadis (Altenbernd, Rahman) 15:07

Goalie saves — M: Logan Marks 8-4-4 — 16; CDH: Ben Walsh 8-8-4 — 20

CONSOLATION SEMI-FINALS:

Hill-Murray 5, Rochester Century 1

Edina 6, Duluth East 4

TODAY'S GAMES:

Fifth place — Hill-Murray vs. Edina, at Mariucci Arena, noon; third place — Blaine vs. Cretin-Derham Hall; championship — Eden Prairie vs. Moorhead

Boys hockey: Warroad knocks off St. Cloud Cathedral; Warriors Clash With Breck; A Repeat Of 2000 Class A Final

Warroad's Dane Shaugabay celebrates his first of two goals in front of St. Cloud Cathedral's Nate Schmidt (on ice) Friday afternoon at the XCel Energy Center in St. Paul. The goal put the Warriors up 1-0 in the first period. Photo by Derek Montgomery.

Dane Shaugabay had two goals to lead third-seeded Warroad into the Class A championship game with a 5-3 victory against St. Cloud Cathedral. Warroad will meet Breck in the final.

By: Kevin Fee, Grand Forks Herald

ST. PAUL – Warroad coaches picked up a tip drill while watching the NHL’s Minnesota Wild do one in October in the Xcel Energy Center.

“It’s something we saw the Wild do in practice and took it home with us,” Warroad coach Albert Hasbargen said.

The practice paid off right back here in St. Paul on Friday, as Brett Hebel’s tip-in goal was the game-winner in the Warriors’ 5-3 victory against St. Cloud Cathedral in the state Class A semifinal in the Xcel Energy Center.

Hebel deflected defenseman Michael Pieper’s shot past goalie Nick Maiers at 9 minutes, 7 seconds of the third period to give the Warriors a 4-3 lead. The goal came just 34 seconds after Cathedral had evened the score.

Dane Shaugabay added an empty-net goal with 32 seconds to play to send the Warriors to the championship game for the first time since they won the program’s fourth state title in 2005.

Warroad (28-2) meets Breck (26-3-1), which defeated previously unbeaten Little Falls in the other semifinal, at noon Saturday in the Xcel Energy Center.

Shaugabay’s second goal of the game capped a wild third period of back and fourth scoring between two defensive-minded teams.

“We like great defensive hockey,” Hasbargen said. “We like guys keeping their gaps tight all over the rink, wherever it is. We don’t like getting scored on.”

When the Warriors do get scored on, they’re always on guard. The same holds true when they score.

“We preach that,” Hasbargen said. “When we come down here it just seems like goals are scored in bunches. We tell them all the time you have to concentrate on that next shift after a goal is scored, whether it’s on our team or whether we score.”

Warroad found itself in a bit of a shootout in the third.

After Chris Sylvester scored at 7:15 of the period on a tip of a Micky Knox pass to make it 3-2 Warroad, Cathedral answered just 1:18 later. Alex Koopmeiners put a shot past Warroad goalie Jason Goldsmith after a pass from Kyle Kudak.

Hebel, who added two assists, then answered the Koopmeiners goal to give Warroad the lead for good. Pieper started the play to earn his third assist of the game.

“We score like that a lot,” Hebel said of his tip shot. “I always tell coach on the bench, ‘It’s the Wild tip drill.’ ”

The teams entered the third period tied at 2. Shaugabay scored on a rebound in the first for Warroad and Jon Larkin answered at 4:47 of the second for Cathedral. Brock Nelson made it 2-1 Warroad on a rebound of a Hebel shot at 10:51 of the second, but Cathedral’s Joe Nessler scored just 22 seconds later.

“That first period kind of came back to kill us,” Cathedral coach Eric Johnson said.

Things were different when Cathedral defeated Warroad 4-2 on Jan. 2 in St. Cloud.

The difference in the rematch?

“We got the bounces in January and they got them in March,” Johnson said.

Hasbargen was concerned about Cathedral’s ability to connect on long passes from its defenseman. The Crusaders scored on a long pass to take a lead in the first minute in the first meeting between the teams.

“We were ready for it, and our kids executed it very well,” Hasbargen said of Warroad’s defense in the rematch. “Our defensemen did an excellent job of keeping those yellow jerseys in front of them.”

As a result, the Warriors have a shot at a state title Saturday.

Hasbargen was impressed by Breck after watching it defeat Little Falls 6-1 later in the day.

“We’re going to have to play our best game ever,” he said.

Friday, March 13, 2009

MINNESOTA STATE CLASS "AA" TOURNEY: Spuds Upset Edina 5-2; Coach Morinville .. “That You Come Out & Work Hard & Good Things Will Happen!"

Unseeded Moorhead emphasized winning the first period. Top-seeded Edina might have had its eye on a bigger prize. (Courtesy Of Grand Forks Herald)

By: Kevin Fee

ST. PAUL – Unseeded Moorhead emphasized winning the first period. Top-seeded Edina might have had its eye on a bigger prize.

“No. 1 seed, what are you looking at?” Moorhead coach Dave Morinville said. “You’re looking at playing in the championship game. We’re working on winning the first period. That was the key for us. We wanted to make sure we won that first period.”

Moorhead won the first period and carried the momentum to a stunning 5-2 victory against Edina in the Minnesota state Class AA boys hockey quarterfinals Thursday night in the Xcel Energy Center.

More than 16,000 fans watched Moorhead receive two goals each from Trent Johnson and Tyler Larson and 30 saves from Logan Marks en route to a win over a star-laden team led by Mr. Hockey finalists Marshall Everson and Anders Lee.

But the hard- and quick-skating Spuds, a team that lost eight straight games during the regular season and were defeated 3-0 by Edina over the Christmas break, charged into today’s 8 p.m. semifinal.

Moorhead improved to 16-9-3 by using its quickness and scoring quick goals. The spurts included two goals in 51 seconds in the second period and two goals in 40 seconds in the third, sparking the Spuds to one of the program’s biggest victories.

“Edina’s a great team,” Morinville said. “We only had to beat them one time. I don’t want to play them seven times, but we just had to beat them one time. That’s all we had to do.”

While the Hornets had some high-flying college recruits with more than 60 points on their roster, the Spuds brought in a more balanced team with a high scorer of 30 points.

“We have some guys who can scoot, plus we’ve got some who work hard and are in shape,” Morinville said. “We’re not going to dazzle you with our brilliance out there. We’re going to work hard and show up and play the game.”

Despite being outshot from the start in the first period, Edina (24-5) took a 1-0 lead at 12 minutes, 16 seconds. Brendan Baker’s shot from the point went through Marks’ pads and into the net on the power play.

The Spuds, who had a 15-8 edge in shots on goal in the first, tied it with a power-play goal with just 43 seconds left in the period. Alex Altenbernd, who returned from mononucleosis this week to provide a lift, slid a pass over to Larson in front of the Edina net. Larson’s shot slid under goalie Johnny Ankeny and just crossed the goal line during a scramble.

Moorhead then scored the two goals in 51 seconds in the second for a 3-1 lead.

Johnson found the puck behind the net, came in and beat Ankeny between the pads at 5:50, just after a Spud power play had expired.

Altenbernd made it 3-1, taking a nice backhand feed from Johnson and putting one in on the glove side of Ankeny on a power play. It was a bang-bang passing play, with Jordan Doschadis starting it off.

Edina pulled to within 3-2 at 3:45 on the third on a power play by Baker before Moorhead went on another spurt.

Johnson scored at 11:46 after Andrew Vandal chipped a pass over to him. Vandal got a rebound of a Kyle Kraemer shot and knocked it over to Johnson.

“I just went to the net,” Johnson said. “Vandal was able to get the rebound and hit it over to me. And I just smacked it home.”

Larson provided the final margin after beating an Edina defender to the puck in back of the net. Larson skated in front and put a wraparound shot to the far side and past Ankeny, stunning the Hornets and their fans, who had thought this group of players might win a state title before they were through.

Instead, unseeded Moorhead still has a chance at its first state title.

“It’s a huge victory,” Johnson said. “They were the No. 1 seed. We just came out flying. We didn’t have anything to lose. They had everything to lose. They may have more skill guys than us, but we worked hard.”

And the Spuds received stellar play from Marks in goal in a game that was at its best during a stretch of about 1:30 in the third that featured up-and-down, big-stop-after-big-stop hockey.

“That’s hockey,” Edina coach Curt Giles said. “That’s athletics. That’s sports. It’s that old momentum swing. . . . It’s tough to stop it. You feel like you’ve got a little bit of it stopped and, bang, something bites you again.”

Said Morinville: “What a message to send to our youth programs, that you come out and work hard and good things will happen.”

Thursday, March 12, 2009

MINNESOTA STATE CLASS A TOURNEY: Warroad Rolls Past Hutchinson; Brock Nelson Notches Hat Trick .. Former Goalie Jake Mack Snipes 2 At The "X"

Warroad's (9) Brett Hebel heads back to the bench after his second-period goal against Hutchinson during a boys Class A state hockey tornament in St. Paul, Minn, Wednesday, March 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Star Tribune,Bruce Bisping) ** ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS OUT

Warroad scored two goals in a span of nine seconds in the second period to break open a close game and cruise to a 7-1 victory against Hutchinson in the state Class A boys hockey quarterfinals Wednesday in the Xcel Energy Center.

By: Kevin Fee, Grand Forks Herald

Warriors score five times on special teams, will meet St. Cloud Cathedral in semifinals

ST. PAUL – Everything changed in nine seconds, going from talk of a possible Hutchinson upset to a Warroad rout.

Warroad scored two goals in the second-period spurt to break open a close game – at least on the scoreboard – and cruise to a 7-1 victory against Hutchinson in the state Class A boys hockey quarterfinals Wednesday in the Xcel Energy Center.

Less than two minutes after Hutchinson cut a deficit to 2-1, Brett Hebel and Brock Nelson scored power-play goals in the span of nine seconds to move the Warriors well on their way to the semifinals.

“We pride ourselves on ‘D,’ so we weren’t very happy when they scored that goal,” Nelson said. “We wanted to answer that and put them away. And we did that the next shift.”

Nelson scored three goals and added one assist for the Warriors. Jake Mack added two goals for Warroad, which improved to 27-2. The Warriors had a 35-5 edge in shots on goal, and scored three power-play goals and two shorthanded goals.

“Defensive hockey is played all over the ice,” Warroad coach Albert Hasbargen said. “If you stay on the attack, that limits the other team on their offense.”

Third-seeded Warroad will have a stiffer test in the semifinals, where it meets second-seeded St. Cloud Cathedral (26-2-1) at 11 a.m. Friday. Cathedral defeated the Warriors 4-2 during the regular season.

Hutchinson coach Matt Telecky said Warroad was difficult to penetrate in the quarterfinals.

“They did a nice job of keeping all the shots to the outside,” Telecky said. “They didn’t give us a lot of space, especially in the middle of the rink. They didn’t give us opportunities.”

Warroad led 1-0 after the first period. Nelson scored with a big shot to the short side of goalie Zak Swenson at 12:47.

Mack made it 2-0 Warriors at 3:03 of the second, putting a centering pass from Aaron Storey by Swenson.

Hutchinson’s playoff leader, Riley Bengtson, cut the lead to 2-1 at 10:19 of the middle period with a quick shot after taking a centering pass from Logan Hahn. At that point, the Tigers were 1-for-2 on shot attempts.

That might have provided a wake-up call for the Warriors, who responded with the two quick goals.

Hebel scored at 11:54 on a 5-on-3 power play, beating Swenson with a shot from the circle to the goalie’s right. Then Nelson scored at 12:03, taking a center pass from Dane Shaugabay and sliding one under Swenson.

It was 4-1 Warriors.

Hasbargen said the spurt was big for the Warriors.

“When a team scores like that, they start believing in themselves,” he said. “You start squeezing the stick yourself then. Those two goals were just huge. They basically turned the game right around for us.”

Nelson completed his hat trick at 1:54 of the third on a power play.

The final two goals came from unlikely sources in Joey Olson (first career goal) and Mack, who played goalie up until last year.

“I played my junior year at defense,” Mack said. “Now this year they’ve got me playing forward. I do it all. I ref and coach summer hockey, too.”

Hasbargen said he’s looking forward to the rematch with St. Cloud Cathedral.

“They have a nice team,” he said. “They beat us down there, but hopefully our guys come out and play the best game of their lives.”

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Notes From The Xcel Energy Center: Class "A" + Class "AA" In The Eve On The Class "A" Quarter-Finals Beginning At 11:00 AM Tomorrow

Class A Notes –

- Little Falls is only unbeaten team in tourney at 28-0 –0
- Little Falls 5th straight tourney
- Little Falls forward Ben Hanowski set the state record for career points beating the mark set by Red Wing’s Johnny Pohl – has 66 goals in 28 games
- Warroad attending for 6th time in last 7 years – won titles in ’05 and ‘03 as well as '94 and '96 and leads most Class "A" titles with (4); has made Class "A" Tourney Record (11 Times) Since The Inception In 1994
- Warroad along with Hermantown Last "A" teams to go undefeated at 29-0-2 (Warroad '05 / Hermantown '07)
- Breck has won 8 straight state tourney games – won titles in ’04 and ’00
- St. Cloud Cathedral’s Joe Nessler has been to five straight state tourneys between soccer, hockey and golf
- (3) Class "A" Players From 2004 & 2005 Tourney Now In National Hockey League Blake Wheeler (Breck) Boston Bruins; Matt Niskanen (Virginia) Dallas Stars; T.J. Oshie (Warroad) St. Louis Blues

Class A field: Rochester Lourdes, Breck, Hutchinson, Mahtomedi, St. Cloud Cathedral, Little Falls, Virginia, Warroad

Class AA Notes –

- Hill Murray returns to defend state title - 4th straight state tourney appearance
- Edina returns for 3rd straight tourney – lost to Hill Murray in last year’s title game
- Edina coached by two former Minn. North Stars: Curt Giles and Don Beaupre
- Moorhead has been in title game six times and finished 2nd every time
- Blaine twins Clay and Jay Wagamon are involved in auto racing

Class AA field: Rochester Century, Edina, Cretin-Derham Hall, Hill-Murray, Blaine, Eden Prairie, Duluth East, Moorhead

2009 POST SEASON AWARDS: All-Mariucci Conference Team / All-Northwest Conference Team / All-Section 8A Team

ALL-MARIUCCI CONFERENCE:

The players were selected on a vote from the Conference Coaches:

Goaltenders:
Zane Gothberg ( Thief River Falls Prowlers )
Matt Grove ( Crookston Pirates )

Defensemen:
Tai Larson ( Warroad Warriors )
Michael Pieper ( Warroad Warriors )
Jacob Malwitz ( Thief River Falls Prowlers )
Ian Cochran ( Moorhead Spuds )

Forwards:
Brock Nelson ( Warroad Warriors )
Tyler Landman ( Roseau Rams )
Lucas Dillon ( Thief River Falls Prowlers )
Jake Useldinger ( East Grand Forks Green Wave)
Trent Johnson ( Moorhead Spuds )
Adam Knockenmus ( Roseau Rams )

Head Coach-of-the-Year: Tim Bergland ( Thief River Falls )
Assistant Coach-of-the-Year: Dennis Fermoyle ( Warroad )

ALL-NORTHWEST CONFERENCE:

The players were selected on a vote from the Conference Coaches:

Goaltenders:
Alex Lyon ( Lake-of-the-Woods Bears)
Zach Page ( Red Lake Falls Eagles )

Defensemen:
Garrett Schmitz ( Red Lake Falls Eagles )
Eric Derosier ( Red Lake Falls Eagles )
Nick Lindegard ( Kittson-Central Wolfpack )
Tyler Bergh ( Kittson-Central Wolfpack )
Jeff Bergh ( Kittson-Central Wolfpack )

Forwards:
Adam Skala ( Red Lake Falls Eagles )
Joncarlo Westerlund ( Lake-of-the-Woods Bears )
Cody Hasbargen ( Lake-of-the-Woods Bears )
Jalen Stay ( Lake-of-the-Woods Bears )
Craig Lindegard ( Kittson-Central Wolfpack )
Dylan Zutz ( Red Lake Falls Eagles )

Head Coach-of-the-Year: Brad Kennet ( Red Lake Falls Eagles )
Assistant Coach-of-the-Year: Jason Sobolik (Kittson-Central )

MINNESOTA 8A ALL-SECTION TEAM:

The players were selected on a vote from the Section Coaches:

Goaltenders:
Zane Gothberg ( Thief River Falls Prowlers )
Matt Grove ( Crookston Pirates )

Defensemen:
Michael Pieper ( Warroad Warriors )
Tai Larson ( Warroad Warriors )
Kevin McMorrow ( Park Rapids Panthers )
MaCauley Useldinger ( East Grand Forks Green Wave )
Jacob Malwitz ( Thief River Falls Prowlers )
Mark Bittner ( Crookston Pirates )
Garrett Schmitz ( Red Lake Falls Eagles )

Forwards:
Brock Nelson ( Warroad Warriors )
Lucas Dillon ( Thief River Falls Prowlers )
Jake Useldinger ( East Grand Forks Green Wave )
Dane Shaugabay ( Warroad Warriors )
Brett Hebel ( Warroad Warriors )
Jesse Nemgar ( Bemidji Lumberjacks )
Kent Peterson ( Thief River Falls Prowlers )
Adam Skala ( Red Lake Falls Skala )
Tyler Aandal ( Thief River Falls Prowlers )

Head Coach-of-the-Year: Albert Hasbargen ( Warroad )
Assistant Coach-of-the-Year: Adrian Hasbargen ( Warroad )

MINNESOTA STATE CLASS "A" HOCKEY TOURNAMENT: Warroad Led By Top Unit Of Nelson, Shaugabay, Hebel (Courtesy Of Grand Forks Herald)

They’re called the gold line because of the color of their practice jerseys. The nickname seems appropriate, the way these three forwards have been golden for the Warroad boys hockey team this season.

By: Kevin Fee

They’re called the gold line because of the color of their practice jerseys.

The nickname seems appropriate, the way these three forwards have been golden for the Warroad boys hockey team this season.

Senior Dane Shaugabay and juniors Brock Nelson and Brett Hebel have put up numbers for one line that haven’t been seen in the hockey tradition-rich Warroad in some time.

They have a combined 180 points in 28 games, an average of 6.4 per game, entering the Minnesota state Class A hockey tournament. Warroad (26-2) meets Hutchinson (19-7-1) at 1 p.m. Wednesday in the quarterfinals in the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Dennis Fermoyle, a Warrior assistant coach this season who has been around the program for 20 years, says the Nelson line might be the best he’s seen in Warroad.

“When they’ve got things going, they are very good,” Fermoyle said. “We’ve had some good lines, but I think that’s the best line we’ve had.”

Nelson, a grandson of U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer Billy Christian, is the leader of the group. Nelson, a crafty center, has 41 goals and 33 assists for 74 points.

Shaugabay has put up 22 goals and 32 assists for 54 points. And Hebel has 20 goals and 32 assists for 52 points.

Here’s what Warroad coach Albert Hasbargen has to say about the three:

On Nelson: “He’s got God’s gift with his hands. He’s just a natural goal-scorer. He’s fun to watch out here. . . . You can tell he’s not a first-generation hockey player. He just knows the game.”

On Shaugabay: “He has a good shot and complements the other two. . . . He’s pretty foxy around the net as far as finding the twine.”

On Hebel: “He’s a physical player who gets in front of the net and is hard to move, likes to screen the goalie. And he’s real tough along the wall.”

The three aren’t the only difference-makers for the Warriors, of course.

The team has received solid play from goalie Jason Goldsmith, several defensemen, including veterans Michael Pieper and Tai Larson, and a second forward line of Chris Sylvester, Micky Knox and Nick Stoskopf.

With little varsity experience, Goldsmith was the question mark entering the season. He’s come through, posting a 25-2 record, a 1.50 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage.

But the gold line is what puts fear in opponents. Hebel can do it in several ways.

“He is the player on our team I’d least like to play against,” Fermoyle said. “He’s a big, strong kid and he plays physical and does it very well. He does it without taking penalties.
“Defensemen do not want to hang on to the puck when he’s coming at them.”

Hebel said: “I go into the corners and grab the puck and give it to Brock and Dane and then go to the net.”

Hasbargen likes the line’s unselfishness and says the three move well north and south on the ice.

“They don’t do a lot of sideways stuff,” he said. “They attack quickly and they get back quickly."

"If I were a coach on the other side of it, I would certainly have to shut down this line to have success against us.”

That will be Hutchinson’s charge Wednesday.

Saturday, March 7, 2009

2009 Minnesota State High School Hockey Boy's Class "A" & "AA" Tournament Pairings As Announced By The Minnesota State High School League

Xcel Energy Center In St. Paul, Minn

Class "A" On Wednesday, March 11, 2009:

11:00 AM: #2-seed S. C. Cathedral (25-2-1) vs. Mahtomedi (20-6-2)
1:00 PM: #3-seed Warroad (26-2-0) vs. Hutchinson (20-7-1)
6:00 PM: #1-seed Little Falls (28-0-0) vs. Virginia/MIB (23-5-0)
8:00 PM: #4-seed Breck School (24-3-1) vs. Roch Lourdes (20-7-0)

Class "AA" On Thursday, March 12, 2009:

11:00 AM: #2-seed Eden Prairie (25-3-0) vs. Hill-Murray (18-9-1)
1:00 PM: #3-seed Blaine (24-3-1) vs. Rochester Century (15-11-2)
6:00 PM: #1-seed Edina (24-4-0) vs. Moorhead (15-9-3)
8:00 PM: #4-seed Duluth East (24-3-1) vs. Cretin-Derham Hall (20-7-1)

2009 Minnesota Sectional Championships Scores From Around The State In Class "AA" & "A" .. The 16-Team Hockey Showcase Is Set

From Staff Reports Across Minnesota:

( Spotter Taylor Mychal-Richard Oshie )

Class AA Results:

Class 2A - Section 1 Rochester Century 5, Lakeville North 3 F
Class 2A - Section 2 Edina 5, Bloomington-Jefferson 0 F
Class 2A - Section 3 Cretin-Derham Hall 2, Apple Valley 1 F/OT
Class 2A - Section 4 Hill-Murray 5, Stillwater Area 4 F/2OT
Class 2A - Section 5 Blaine 7, Centennial 1 F
Class 2A - Section 6 Eden Prairie 4, Minnetonka2F
Class 2A - Section 7 Duluth East 4, Elk River 1 F
Class 2A - Section 8 Moorhead 5, Roseau 2 F

Class A Results:

Class 1A - Section 1 Red Wing 2, Rochester Lourdes 3 F
Class 1A - Section 2 Breck 7, Mound-Westonka 2 F
Class 1A - Section 3 Hutchinson 3, New Ulm 1 F
Class 1A - Section 4 Mahtomedi 4, St. Thomas Academy 1 F
Class 1A - Section 5 St. Cloud Cathedral 5, Hermantown 1 F
Class 1A - Section 6 Little Falls 3, Alexandria 2 F OT
Class 1A - Section 7 Virginia M-I-B 3, Hibbing 1 F
Class 1A - Section 8 Warroad 3, Thief River Falls 2 F

Thursday, March 5, 2009

MINNESOTA SECTION 8A CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: Warroad Nips Thief River Falls 3-2 In Thriller; Brock Nelson Tallies GWG w/ 1:53 Left In Regulation

Courtesy Of Grand Forks Herald:

Brock Nelson’s goal with 1 minute, 53 seconds remaining lifted Warroad to a 3-2 victory over Thief River Falls on Thursday night in the Minnesota Section 8A boys hockey championship in The Gardens.

By: Brittany Brevik, Grand Forks Herald

WARROAD, Minn. — Thief River Falls had an answer for just about every goal Warroad put on the board.

But the Warriors — as usual —kept their cool, stuck to the game plan and it paid off.

Brock Nelson’s goal with 1 minute, 53 seconds remaining lifted Warroad to a 3-2 victory over Thief River Falls on Thursday night in the Minnesota Section 8A boys hockey championship in The Gardens.

“The third goal really did it for us,” Warroad senior defenseman Michael Pieper said. “After that, it was just defense. We really like to take care of our zone. We know that if we can get up and win in our zone, then we can win the game.”

It is Warroad’s third straight section championship and, of course, its third trip to the state tournament.

The Warriors will play on Wednesday against an opponent to be named in St. Paul.

Warroad took a 1-0 lead in the first period when a Pieper shot deflected off Brett Hebel and past Thief River Falls goalie Zane Gothberg (19 saves).

The Prowlers answered with Kent Peterson’s tally with 2.2 seconds left in the first.

“I thought we controlled the first period pretty dramatically,” Pieper said. “When they scored with a couple of seconds left, that kind of hurt. But we came out in the second, they tied it up again and we kept playing.

“We know we’ve got enough offensive power and defensive support with our goalie. We’re not going to lose our cool. We’re going to play our game and know that our game’s better than the rest.”

Nick Stoskopf scored the lone goal of the second period, as he took a shot from the point that Gothberg appeared to have under control. A second later, the puck trickled in behind the goalie for a 2-1 Warroad lead.

“It was a good defensive battle, but we got some lucky bounces tonight,” Warroad coach Albert Hasbargen said. “Typically we get some pretty goals. . . . we just got some bounces and ended up on top.”

Thief River Falls knotted it at 2 when Warroad goalie Jason Goldsmith (16 saves) left a rebound out front and Brady Johnson was there to knock it in.

“We didn’t get too frustrated when they tied it up every time,” Pieper said.

Nelson notched the third tally for Warroad on an assist from Dane Shaugabay. Shaugabay, with the puck, weaved through a crowd of players in front of the net and took a shot that bounced off Gothberg’s left pad. Nelson was there at the left post to score his 41st goal of the season.

“He’s just a natural goal-scorer,” Hasbargen said.

The coach missed the game-winner.

“I was talking to some players on the bench and really didn’t see the score,” he said. “I looked at the clock and saw how short time was getting. . . . I actually thought (Dane Shaugabay) had scored it.”

Thief River Falls ended its season at 21-5-2.

Warroad (26-2) will have a chance at its first state title since 2005 when the tournament begins in the Xcel Energy Center.

“Coach says it’s a lot more fun when you win it,” Pieper said of state. “And they’ve been there; they have that experience.”

2009 Minnesota Sectional Championships Scores From Around The State In Class "AA" & "A" .. The 16-Team Hockey Showcase Is Set

From Staff Reports Across Minnesota:

( Spotter Taylor Mychal-Richard Oshie )

Class AA Results:

Class 2A - Section 1 Rochester Century 5, Lakeville North 3 F
Class 2A - Section 2 Edina 5, Bloomington-Jefferson 0 F
Class 2A - Section 3 Cretin-Derham Hall 2, Apple Valley 1 F/OT
Class 2A - Section 4 Hill-Murray 5, Stillwater Area 4 F/2OT
Class 2A - Section 5 Blaine 7, Centennial 1 F
Class 2A - Section 6 Eden Prairie 4, Minnetonka 2 F
Class 2A - Section 7 Duluth East 4, Elk River 1 F
Class 2A - Section 8 Moorhead 5, Roseau 2 F

Class A Results:

Class 1A - Section 1 Red Wing 2, Rochester Lourdes 3 F
Class 1A - Section 2 Breck 7, Mound-Westonka 2 F
Class 1A - Section 3 Hutchinson 3, New Ulm 1 F
Class 1A - Section 4 Mahtomedi 4, St. Thomas Academy 1 F
Class 1A - Section 5 St. Cloud Cathedral 5, Hermantown 1 F
Class 1A - Section 6 Little Falls 3, Alexandria 2 F OT
Class 1A - Section 7 Virginia M-I-B 3, Hibbing 1 F
Class 1A - Section 8 Warroad 3, Thief River Falls 2 F

Warroad Edges Thief River Falls 3-2 In Section 8A Championship Thriller; Warroad Advances To MN State Class A Tourney For 7th Time This Decade

Story To Follow

A Special Feature Story On Coach Jon Bittner's Dedication To The Crookston Hockey Program; A Few Words Of Wisdom By The Publisher

For Immediate Press Release
Thursday, March 5, 2009

By: Timothy Oshie
Publisher / Oshie Sports & Media Group

I came across a story around midnight last night as part of Frank Fee's web site. I'd like to share with you a portion of his column/story on the the Crookston Pirates @ Warroad Warriors semi-final hockey game last Saturday night at The Gardens Arena in Warroad, Minn.

Just to preface the quotes from below, Crookston fell to the Warriors on this night by the score of 9-1. Through it all, Pirates head coach Jon Bittner, kept his athletes focused and primed for the pump in the event of a monumental comeback.

What's even more special is the eloquent words given to the players after the first and second periods that really hit home.

Coach Jon Bittner:

“It was good to see Brady get the goal and the work Cody did on it too,” said Bittner, “We had talked in the locker room on how you wanted to finish, do you want to go out with a sour taste in your mouth, or do you want to go out playing your hardest and being proud of your efforts? I was real proud of the way they finished in the third period.”

Warroad, who did not play their top line in the third period, would score with 15 seconds left to make it a 9-1 win and advance the Warriors to the Section 8A championship game on Thursday night against Thief River Falls.

“They are flat out a good hockey team,:” said Bittner of the Warriors, “they can skate, pass, shoot and have a lot of hockey moxie and capitalize on every mistake. They have the whole package, certainly good skilled forwards and solid defensemen. An excellent program and a great coaching staff.”

Crookston season ends at 13-13 and 11 seniors on the tournament roster and 13 overall that played their last Pirate high school game.

Coach Jon Bittner:

“It certainly is a disappointed locker room right now,” said Bittner, “but we talked about the good things too. You’ve put extra time on the weight’s, you’ve put extra time in the summers at night and during the summer and fall playing in tournaments. You had 13 wins this year and you’ve played everybody tough this year basically, except Warroad and I’m not going to discount that at all and I reminded them of the steps they have taken and how proud we are of them for setting the table now for the next group.”

Folks, I write and publish this story today on the day when Minnesota Section 8A will crown it's 16th champion since the inception of the (2) classes in the Minnesota State Boy's Hockey League. I write you today to tell you I've known Jon Bittner since my arrival in Warroad back in the summer of 2002. His life has had adversity the past few years and yet he came back to coach the Crookston Pirates in 2007-08 after an absence of a few years while replacing Jeff Perrault at the Pirates helm.

Jon Bittner is a man of dignity and honor. The words he gave to his hockey players attest to his commitment to the children of Crookston and his incredible ambassadorship to the game of hockey.

On a personal note, I've coached hockey since 1989. I started out coaching at Seattle Junior Hockey Association and did so until the spring of 2002. Upon my arrival in Warroad in 2002, I coached the Warroad Bantam A team then for the next four seasons as the Assistant Coach / JV Head Coach of the Warroad Warriors.

See my friends, you become a coach of any sport to develop great young people and to have them manifest excellence in every aspect of their lives. Not just the game of hockey, but the game of life. I've coached hockey, football, basketball, golf, baseball and volleyball in my adult life. There is no better satisfaction then to say a young man or woman attain greatness in all their aspects of life.

Don't get me wrong. We also coach sports to attain successes of our respective careers and the careers of our athletes. But, like the words of Jon Bittner last Saturday night in which he said, "You’ve put extra time on the weight’s, you’ve put extra time in the summers at night and during the summer and fall playing in tournaments. You had 13 wins this year and you’ve played everybody tough this year basically, except Warroad and I’m not going to discount that at all and I reminded them of the steps they have taken and how proud we are of them for setting the table now for the next group.”

The leave your legecy as an athlete for your small town communities of Warroad, Roseau, Baudette, Thief River Falls, Crookston, Red Lake Falls, Bagley, Hallock, Bemidji, Park Rapids, East Grand Forks and Walker, is the greatest thing you can do in your young, and elder life.

Nothing is worth attaining unless you've sacrificed through sweat and tears to the betterment of your team; to the betterment of your athletic department; to the betterment of your town. Trust me on this statement folks.

You, as an athlete, will forgot the intricacies of the games when you get older. You won't forgot the brotherhoods, the sisterhoods and the golden memories on your prep careers.

So, as you read this story today, take time to reflect on your careers as a young athlete and like the words of Mr. Jon Bittner, "we have now taken the steps now and how proud we are of them for setting the table for the next group."

I wish both the Thief River Falls Prowlers and the Warroad Warriors the best of luck in tonight's Section 8A Boy's Hockey championship tilt. But more importantly I wish them luck in the rest of their lives.

Coach Timothy Oshie