Section 2 goalie Ben Bullis (Minnetonka) stops a scoring chance by Section 6's Henry Sweeney (Hopkins) during the first half of Saturday's semifinal at Plymouth Ice Center. Section 6 would prevail with a 4-3 overtime victory. Photo by Drew Herron
Section 1A/AA works its way past hungry 7A/AA squad to reach consolation final
Caden Smith (Lakeville) finished with a goal and an assist, and Sam Schulz (Mankato East) tallied two assists to help lead Section 1A/AA to a 2-1 victory over Section 7A/AA Saturday night in consolation semifinal action.
Stucker's hat trick fuels Section 3A/aa's shutout over 4a/AA
Ben Stucker (St. Thomas) netted a hat trick, and goaltenders Ethan Kapps (Apple Valley) and Will Tollefsen (Rosemount) combined for a shutout as Section 3A/AA blanked Section 4A/AA 4-0 Saturday afternoon in consolation round play at Plymouth Ice Center.
Stucker got the scoring started three minutes into the opening half, when he buried a wrist shot off a pass from teammate Nick Vega (St. Thomas Academy) to set the stage. Later in the frame, Stucker hit again, this time off an assist by Marco Troje (East Ridge) to give the green team a two-goal lead to take into the half.
Early in the second, Vega knocked home a shot off an odd man rush, assisted by another STA teammate Rob Christy, and the rout was on.
For good measure, Stucker recorded his third goal with 2:44 remaining to put the game out of reach of the blue-clad Section 4 squad. Assisting on the final goal was Troje and Ryan O’Neill (St. Thomas Academy).
In net, Kapps finished with seven saves, and Tollefsen stopped all 11 shots he faced.
At the other end, Wyatt Vint (Hill-Murray) made 10 saves on 12 shots, and Bailey Huber (Mahtomedi) stopped 13 of 15 shots.
Brainerd trio helps drive Section 8A/AA past Section 5A/AA and into championship game
Three different skaters from Brainerd finished with a point to help lift Section 8A/AA past Section 5A/AA via 3-1 final Saturday afternoon at Plymouth Ice Center.
Section 8 (white) needed just three minutes to seize the lead for good after Westin Andres (Brainerd) got things going when he knocked home a pass from teammate Mason Kruse (Brainerd) to push the white squad out front.
Two minutes later, Section 8 added to their lead when Jacob Braccini (Buffalo) scored to help white seize the early momentum. Single assist on the goal went to Aaron Huglen (Roseau).
Section 5 would answer late in the first half when Carsen Richels (Blaine) scored an even strength goal to help energize the sky blue team. Assisting on the goal at 20:24 were Nick Hauck (Blaine) and Creighton McMahon (Spring Lake Park).
In the second half however, Section 5 would not be able to pull even, and then saw their opportunity to advance narrow when Nick Hastings (Brainerd) added another score with 4:48 remaining to provide an insurmountable wedge. Braccini was credited with the single assist on the scoring play.
In net for the winning white team, Soren Falloon (St. Cloud) stopped all 14 shots he faced in the second half after Nathan Mueller (Buffalo) held things down in the first, making 17 saves on 18 shots.
At the other end, Brandon Benson (Blaine) made 13 saves on 15 shots in the first half before Ethan Haider (Maple Grove) stopped 15 of the 16 shots he saw.
Section 8 advances to tomorrow’s championship game, where they will face Section 6 in the final.
Nevers' OT goal drives Section 6A/AA past Section 2A/AA and into championship round
Mason Never’s (Edina) close range wrist shot from the right circle 30 seconds into overtime lifted Section 6A/AA to a 4-3 victory over Section 2A/AA Saturday morning at Plymouth Ice Center.
The win pushes Section 6 (gray) on to the championship round Sunday evening, where they will face the winner of Section 8 and Section 5.
Section 6 opened the scoring 8:05 into the opening half when Brett Chorske (Edina) struck first, assisted by Riley O’Brien (CDH) and Talon Lenten (SC Cathedral) as the gray squad would jump out early. Late in the half, Shane LaVelle (Chaska) would knot the game at 1-1 with a goal at 1:44, assisted by Teddy Lagerback (Minnetonka) and Jacob Langheinrich (Chanhassen).
The same line from the orange squad connected again midway through the second when Lagerback scored a goal of his own at 11:50, assisted by LaVelle and Tuli Eisenbais (Minneapolis), that would give Section 2 a short term lead.
With 9:45 left, Section 6 would level the score at 2-2 when Jonah Jangula (Armstrong-Cooper) netted his second goal of the weekend, assisted by Joel Matthews (Wayzata) and Mack Motzko (SC Cathedral).
Section 2 would lead again when Eisenbeis scored on the power play with 5:20 to go as momentum swung on a pendulum. Jackson Jutting (Prior Lake) and Nikoai Charchenko (Holy Family Catholic) assisted on the goal with the man advantage.
Backs against the wall, Section 6 answered with 3:09 left when Matt Gleason (Cretin-Derham Hall) stepped up big for the gray squad. Gleason bumped the puck carrier off the puck in the defensive end, then raced up ice in transition where he received a pass from Cole Cavanagh (Edina) in the high slot before firing home a wrist shot to level the score at 3-3.
It took just 30 seconds of overtime to decide things when Nevers converted for Section 6 to punch the team’s ticket to the championship game.
In net, Danny Fraga (Wayzata) and Noah Amundson (St. Cloud Cathedral) combined for the victory for Section 6. Fraga stopped 10 of 12 shots, and Admundson made 14 saves on 15 shots.
At the other end of the ice, Ben Bullis (Eden Prairie) finished with 11 saves on 12 shots, and Jon Howe (Minnetonka) stopped 11 of 14 shots.
