SB Nation Minnesota - Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament: Champions Crownedhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48959/mn-fave.png2012-03-10T23:08:43-06:00http://minnesota.sbnation.com/rss/stream/26176222012-03-10T23:08:43-06:002012-03-10T23:08:43-06:00Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament: Champions Crowned
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<p>The Tourney is over, but the history will live on forever. As was promised when we started this journey, the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament offered excitement, upsets, story lines, rivalries… everything a great hockey tournament should have. In the end, two champions were crowned, and the crowds dispersed.</p>
<p>This version of The Tourney will go down in the annals of lore to be relived for decades to come.</p>
<p>The Class A bracket played out much the way it was supposed to. There were no upsets, and in the end, Saint Thomas Academy defended their state title, defeating Hermantown 5-1. Hermantown was the #1 seed, but <span class="caps">STA</span> just happened to be the #2. This was the first loss Hermantown experienced across the entire season.</p>
<p>Not to take away from the accomplishments of the Cadets of <span class="caps">STA</span>, but the story of the night, perhaps of the year, was about to finish its fairy tale ending at the Xcel Energy Center.</p>
<p>The Class AA championship featured two schools with a history of success in the state tournament in Hill Murray and Benilde-St. Margaret’s. One team, however, had fate on their side. With injured player Jack Jablonski in the building, the Red Knights capped their campaign for “Jabs” and brought home the championship in honor of their teammate.</p>
<p>If that wasn’t enough of a story, there’s more.</p>
<p>The final score of the Class AA championship was 5-1. All five, <em>yes all five</em>, goals were scored by the same player for <span class="caps">BSM</span>. Junior (yes, junior) Grant Besse scored every goal for the Red Knights. A performance for the ages, to be sure. Five goals in a championship game is pretty impressive. Scoring all five for the team adds to the thrill.</p>
<p>The fact that three of them came while <em>shorthanded</em>? That’s just ridiculous.</p>
<p>Yes, Besse scored five goals, including the shorthanded hat trick, to lead his team to a state championship in honor of a fallen teammate. If Disney doesn’t have this movie made by June, someone needs to be fired. Someone needs to call the folks in Brainerd and let them know that Paul Bunyan is getting a new neighbor.</p>
<p>The only downer on the whole scene? Jablonski was not allowed on the ice to celebrate with his teammates due to high school league rules. He received a championship medal, as he was a part of the team, but was not on the ice for the perfect ending to a perfect story.</p>
<p>The Red Knights finished on their own terms, however, forgoing tradition, and taking the championship team photo in the locker room so they could include all of their teammates.</p>
<p>Time for the State of Hockey to take a collective breath. The Tourney is an event by itself. With the stories that were written this year, the 2012 tournament will be relived by children not even born yet.</p>
<p>Congratulations to each and every player who participated in the tournament, and especially to the Saint Thomas Academy Cadets and Benilde-St. Margaret’s Red Knights.</p>
<p>SB Nation’s Hockey Wilderness is covered each sessions individually, <a href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/">so be sure to check there early and often</a> for all of your tournament needs. We also posted updates here at SB Nation Minnesota in our <a href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/7/2853581/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-results-schedule">StoryStream for the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament.</a></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/10/2861441/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-champions-crownedBryan Reynolds2012-03-10T08:00:46-06:002012-03-10T08:00:46-06:00Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament: Scores And Schedule For Championship Games
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<p>The 2012 Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament will come to a close on Saturday, bringing a conclusion to four days of some of the purest hockey in the world. Saturday's schedule will include both the Class A and AA championships along with third place and consolation winners from each bracket.</p>
<p>Just in case anyone hasn't been paying attention, <a href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/7/2853581/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-results-schedule" target="_blank">scores and recaps from all of this week's action are all included here</a>. Obviously Saturday's scores are the ones that matter, however, as they will determine the best hockey teams in the state of Minnesota.</p>
<p>The Class AA championship game's puck will drop at 7 p.m. in the Xcel Energy Center when Benilde-St. Margaret's takes on fellow unseeded team Hill-Murray. The third place game, featuring Lakeville South and Moorhead, is scheduled for 4 p.m. while the consolation game between Eagan and Duluth East will happen noon in the Mariucci Arena.</p>
<p>The Class A Championship, featuring top-seeded Hermantown High School taking on the team from Saint Thomas Academy, will begin at noon in the Xcel Energy Center. The third place game, between Thief River Falls and The Breck School, will precede the championship game at 9 a.m. The Class A consolation game is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the Mariucci Arena between Little Falls and Rochester Lourdes.</p>
<p><i>SB Nation's Hockey Wilderness is covering each session individually, so </i><a target="_blank" href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/">be sure to check there early and often</a> for all of your tournament needs<i>. We'll continue to post updates here at SB Nation Minnesota in our<a target="_blank" href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/7/2853581/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-results-schedule">StoryStream for the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament</a>.</i></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/10/2859377/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-scores-scheduleScott Schroeder2012-03-10T00:40:48-06:002012-03-10T00:40:48-06:00Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament: Class AA Championship Game Set
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<p>The 2012 Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament championships are set following Friday evening's action at the Xcel Energy Center. Things didn't go exactly as planned in the semifinals of the Class AA tournament, but they did set up the championship game for Saturday night.</p>
<p>The Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knight will play the Hill-Murray Pioneers on Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the Xcel Energy Center. Benilde-St. Margaret's defeated Lakeville South by a score of 10-1, a surprising result considering Lakeville South upset top seed Duluth East in the first round.</p>
<p>The better game to watch on Friday would have been Hill-Murray's 2-1 win over Moorhead, however, considering it went to overtime. The good fellas at Hockey Wilderness posted a <a href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/2012/3/9/2857403/session-6-recap-moorhead-hill-murray-and-lakeville-souths-benilde-st" target="_blank">summary of the overtime period</a>:</p>
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<p>Hill-Murray continued their onslaught in the extra time. Moorhead couldn't find the answer. The Spuds mustered one total shot in the 3rd period and the overtime combined. They were never in the game when the 3rd period started. It ended early in OT when Conrad Sampair made a power move to the front of the net and tucked it right under Michael Bitzer. Conrad Sampair scored both goals for Hill-Murray, as they move on to play for the Class AA Championship on Saturday.</p>
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<p><i>SB Nation's Hockey Wilderness is covering each session individually, so </i><a href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/" target="_blank">be sure to check there early and often</a> for all of your tournament needs<i>. We'll continue to post updates here at SB Nation Minnesota in our<a href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/7/2853581/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-results-schedule" target="_blank">StoryStream for the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament</a>.</i></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/10/2859230/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-class-aa-championshipScott Schroeder2012-03-09T16:38:56-06:002012-03-09T16:38:56-06:00Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament: Scores From Class A Semifinals
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<p>The 2012 Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament entered its third day on Friday with a pair of games in the Class A bracket during the fifth session played at the Xcel Energy Center. The first round of the Class A Tournament didn't offer much in the way of close games, but the semifinals changed that quite a bit.</p>
<p>The St. Thomas Academy Cadets defeated The Breck School, 1-0, in Friday's first game while the Hermantown Hawks were able to upend the Thief Rivers Falls Prowlers 3-2 in the afternoon capper before Friday night's sixth session begins. Our friends at Hockey Wilderness offers a <a href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/2012/3/9/2857382/session-5-recap-breck-school-st-thomas-academy-and-thief-river-falls" target="_blank">quick summary of what to expect in Saturday's Class A Championship match</a>:</p>
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<p>Hermantown will move on to Championship Saturday to faceoff against the St. Thomas Academy Cadets, a rematch of last year's State Championship. The Hawks will have revenge on their minds, but have a tall hill to climb. While they will come in as the higher ranked team, the favorites in the minds of viewers has to be St. Thomas Academy.</p>
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<p>It'll be interesting to see whether Hockey Wilderness is right and St. Thomas is indeed to win the rematch as the lower seed.</p>
<p><i>SB Nation's Hockey Wilderness is covering each session individually, so </i><a href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/" target="_blank">be sure to check there early and often</a><i>. We'll continue to post updates here at SB Nation Minnesota in our <a href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/7/2853581/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-results-schedule" target="_blank">StoryStream for the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament</a>.</i></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/9/2858288/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-scores-class-a-semifinalsScott Schroeder2012-03-09T15:38:45-06:002012-03-09T15:38:45-06:00NHL Scouts In Attendance At Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament
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<p>The 2012 Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament has been outstanding over the first couple of days of action, as was obviously expected. It remains to be seen how, however, just how impressive the players participating have been in the eyes of those observing them for the next level.</p>
<p>There are aparently 15 NHL scouts in attendance at the tournament, <a href="http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_20139783/shooter-now-nhl-scouts-check-out-state-hockey" target="_blank">according to Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press</a>, but they didn't travel to Minnesota with a slew of expectations as Walters reports no Minnesotan is expected to be drafted in the first round of the 2012 NHL Draft.</p>
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<p>The highest-projected Minnesota prep for the draft is Lakeville South senior center Justin Kloos, whose team upset Duluth East on Thursday evening. Kloos, who has committed to the University of Minnesota, could be picked in the third round.</p>
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<p>There's always the chance that players will be able to catch the eye of talent evaluators as the tournament continues, of course, so that report shouldn't be read into with too much disappointment.</p>
<p><i>SB Nation's Hockey Wilderness is covering each session individually, so </i><a target="_blank" href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/">be sure to check there early and often</a><i>. We'll continue to post updates here at SB Nation Minnesota in our <a target="_blank" href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/7/2853581/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-results-schedule">StoryStream for the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament</a>.</i></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/9/2858171/minnesota-state-high-school-hockey-nhl-scoutsScott Schroeder2012-03-09T07:40:34-06:002012-03-09T07:40:34-06:00Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament: Scores And Schedule For Friday
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<p>The 2012 Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament finished up first round action on Thursday and, unlike Wednesday, there were quite a few upsets in the Class AA bracket. The tournament continues with Day 3 on Friday, but a quick look back at Day 2's second session should be worth it.</p>
<p>The final session in the quarterfinals featured the top-seeded team in he state, one-loss Duluth East, taking on Lakeville South for the right to advance to the next round. That didn't happen, however, and our friends at <a href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/2012/3/8/2855588/session-4-recap-lakeville-south-duluth-east-and-benilde-st-margarets" target="_blank">Hockey Wilderness considered it a "monumental" upset</a>.</p>
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<p>Still hanging around, Lakeville tooke the ice in the 3rd period with a purpose. It didn't take the Cougars long to strike, as a nice pass found John Wiitala all alone, who made no mistake and gave South their fist lead of the game. The goal definitely energized the Cougars, as they started skating with more confidence. East pulled Parker to try to get the equalizer, but turned the puck over to Kloos, who had a gaping net. A late 3-1 lead gave Lakeville some breathing room, which they need. East scored a very late goal, about 10 seconds left, but they came up just short in their comeback.</p>
<p>In a day of upsets, this one was monumental. Pundits had East tagged as the team to beat this year, considering their showing last year. Maybe East let it go to their heads, because they did not bring the effort needed to win a Quarterfinal matchup, let alone a State Title. Hounds went 0 for 2 with the state of Minnesota watching this season.</p>
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<b>Related:</b> <a href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/9/2858288/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-scores-class-a-semifinals/in/2617622">Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament: Scores From Class A Semifinals</a>
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<p>Benilde-St. Margratet's upset No. 4 Edina in the final game of the day on Thursday, too, while the rest of Day 3's results <a href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/7/2853581/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-results-schedule#minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-results-from-third-session" target="_blank">can be found here</a>.</p>
<p>Friday's schedule will begin with the Class A bracket. Saint Thomas Academy and The Breck School will begin the action at the Xcel Energy Center at 11 a.m. and be followed by a game between Hermantown and Thief River Falls as the two games set the championship matchup.</p>
<p>If Friday's second session, Hill-Murray will take on Moorhead at 6 p.m. followed by a game between Benilde-St. Margaret's and Lakeville South at 8 p.m. for the right to go to the Class AA Championship. in the AA consolation bracket, Maple Grove will play Eagan and Duluth East will play Edina, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Mariucci Arena.</p>
<p><i>SB Nation's Hockey Wilderness is covering each session individually, so </i><a href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/" target="_blank">be sure to check there early and often</a><i>. We'll continue to post updates here at SB Nation Minnesota in our<a href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/7/2853581/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-results-schedule" target="_blank">StoryStream for the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament</a>.</i></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/9/2856823/minnesota-state-high-school-hockey-tournament-scores-scheduleScott Schroeder2012-03-08T16:35:05-06:002012-03-08T16:35:05-06:00Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament: Results From Third Session
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<p>The Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament continued into its second day on Thursday morning as the Class AA teams got underway. The first upset happened during the third session of the tournament, too, during the first game of the day.</p>
<p>The No. 2 seeded Maple Grove Crimson suffered a 5-2 loss to the Hill-Murray Pioneers to open the action on Thursday morning at the Xcel Energy Center. Our friends at Hockey Wilderness say that there <a href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/2012/3/8/2854626/session-3-recap-hill-murray-maple-grove-and-moorhead-eagan" target="_blank">wasn't a certain moment that caused the upset</a>, but the second period ended with Hill-Murray having a 4-1 lead.</p>
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<p>The second period was a pretty balanced frame. The Crimson seemed to have the better scoring chances early, but John Dugas was a man possessed, somehow robbing a pair of prime scoring chances. A goofy goal for Hill-Murray came when Zach LaValle poke-checked the puck off of a Crimson defender's stick and in. The Pioneers stretched their lead to 3 when a Crimson penalty put a very good offensive powerplay to work. The physical play also picked up in the 2nd, as both teams laid some massive hits on each other. Maple Grove would have to start the 3rd period in a 4-1 hole.</p>
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<p>There would be an upset in the second game, too, as Moorhead High School shutout fourth-seeded Eagan High School 4-0. Hill-Murray and Moorhead will meet in the semifinals at 6 p.m. on Friday.</p>
<p><i>SB Nation's Hockey Wilderness is covering each session individually, so </i><a target="_blank" href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/">be sure to check there early and often</a><i>. We'll continue to post updates here at SB Nation Minnesota in our <a target="_blank" href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/7/2853581/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-results-schedule">StoryStream for the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament</a>.</i></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/8/2855504/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-results-session-3Scott Schroeder2012-03-08T07:01:24-06:002012-03-08T07:01:24-06:00Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament: Results From Day 1 And Day 2 Schedule
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<p>The 2012 Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament got underway Wednesday afternoon with a pair of games that weren't all that evenly matched. The Class A bracket began play on the first day of the tournament at XCel Energy Center with the top seeds all picking up victories.</p>
<p>All four of the top seeds picked up victories, which shouldn't have been a surprise, but our friends over at Hockey Wilderness note that The Breck School Mustangs <a href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/2012/3/7/2851754/session-1-recap-little-falls-st-thomas-academy-duluth-marshall-breck" target="_blank">may have posted the most dominating victory</a>.</p>
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<p>Breck is a dominant offensive team, and Duluth Marshall found out the hard way. The powerplay of Breck is just loaded with way too much offense to continue to put on the ice. Add in that Breck did a very good job of keeping Judd Peterson out of the danger areas, and Marshall was battling uphill all day. Breck will meet St. Thomas Academy in the 1st Class A Semifinal.</p>
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<p>The No. 2 St. Thomas Academy Cadets defeated the Little Falls Flyers 7-0 in their game while the top-ranked Hermantown Hawks also posted a win, beating Rochester Lourdes 7-2. No. 4 Thief River Falls looked like it might struggle with the New Ulm Eagles, but they were eventually able to pull out a victory in the end.</p>
<p>Thursday's schedule begins with the Class AA Tournament bracket, beginning at 11 a.m. with Maple Grove playing Hill Murray. Other first round match-ups include Eagan vs. Moorhead, Duluth East vs. Lakeville South and Benilde-St. Margaret's vs. Edina.</p>
<p><i>SB Nation's Hockey Wilderness is covering each session individually, so </i><a href="http://www.hockeywilderness.com/" target="_blank">be sure to check there early and often</a><i>. We'll continue to post updates here at SB Nation Minnesota in our <a href="http://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/7/2853581/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-results-schedule" target="_blank">StoryStream for the Minnesota State High School Hockey Tournament</a>.</i></p>
https://minnesota.sbnation.com/2012/3/8/2853589/minnesota-high-school-hockey-tournament-resultsScott Schroeder