The Blue Ox used an aggressive forecheck and relentless pressure to upend the top-seeded Green Giants for a 4-2 victory in semifinal action Saturday afternoon at Plymouth Ice Center.

Scoreless after the first, the Blue Ox strung together a pair of goals midway through the second period to build a lead that would last. Sam Sterle (Grand Rapids) opened up the scoring with 7:08 left in the middle period, and it was followed a short time later by a goal from Maxwell Roby (Brainerd) to push the Blue Ox out front for good. 

In the third, the Green Giants, who had been struggling to move the puck up consistently and maintain puck possession and zone time, began putting it together for brief stretches and rev up its offensive production. 

Down three goals after a third Blue Ox goal by Thomas Schroeder (Moorhead), the Green Giants broke the shutout on a goal Dalton Wille (Princeton) with just over six minutes to play. The Green Giants added another with 1:06 let when Jack Kritzeck (Mora) scored on a close-range shot from the slot, but the Ox had added another score between the two goals by the Giants, and two goals would be as close as the defending champs would get.

In net, Austin Deitrich (Rogers) would finish would 36 saves in defeat for the Green Giants. His counterpart, Brett Holmer (Thief River Falls) earned the win by stopping 13 shots.

The Blue Ox (12-7) will advance to tomorrow’s championship and shot to advance to the national tournament in Plymouth, MI next April 1-6. The Green Giants wrap up the fall season with a 12-5 mark.   - Drew Herron

Box Score: Green Giants vs. Blue Ox

Shattuck-St. Mary's skated its way to a 5-1 victory over the Walleye Saturday afternoon at Plymouth Ice Center to secure its spot in Sunday's Tier 1 championship game.

James Duerr (Chicago) scored twice and added an assist to help lead the way for the Sabres, and Anthony Yu (Baldwin Park, CA) added a goal and three points.

Yu opened the scoring with 11:52 left in the second period, and Shattuck-St. Mary's played with a lead the rest of the way.  SSM led 2-0 after the second, and poured in three goals in the third to pull away.

Walleye's lone goal came with 12:34 in the third on a wrist shot by Mason Moree (Wayzata).

SSM outshot the Walleye 30-18.

Michael D'Orazio (Montreal, QB) earned the win between the pipes for Shattuck-St. Mary's with 17 saves. His counterpart, Toby Hopp (Maple Grove) from the Walleye stopped 26 shots.

Shattuck-St. Mary's advances to face the Blue Ox in Sunday's Tier 1 championship game. Puck drop is set for 10:15 a.m.   - Drew Herron

Box Score: SSM vs Walleye