ST. PAUL-Grand Rapids moved on with a 3-2 win over Eden Prairie Friday night at the state Class 2A boys hockey tournament.
Grand Rapids will take on the Moorhead Spuds at 7 p.m. on Saturday.
Moorhead 3, Lakeville South 2
ST. PAUL-Moorhead is headed back to the Minnesota Class 2A boys hockey state tournament for the eighth time behind a 3-2 win over Lakeville South at Xcel Energy Center on Friday, March 10. Lakeville South handed Moorhead its first deficit of the postseason when Spud goalie Lance Leonard stopped the shot of Joe Novak, but Zachary Bauer was there to stuff home the rebound with 1 minute, 44 seconds remaining in the first. The Spuds had not trailed in a game since the third period of their season finale, going 228 minutes, 28 seconds straight without being behind in a game.
Hermantown 6, St. Cloud Cathedral 5
ADVERTISEMENT
ST. PAUL-Hermantown's Ryan Sandelin scored his fourth goal of the game at 7:38 of overtime to give the Hawks a 6-5 win over St. Cloud Cathedral (21-7-2) in the final 1A semifinal game Friday.
Sandelin had 16 shots in the game, including two goals in the second period and one goal in the third and in overtime.
The Crusaders had Hermantown down 2-0 early after Connor Beltz and Michael Spethmann scored 18 seconds apart in the first four minutes of the game.
The Crusaders led 5-2 midway through the second period until the Hawks stormed back with four unanswered goals, three of them from Sandelin.
Crusaders goalie Jake Levinski almost stole the game for Cathedral, making 60 saves. Hermantown goalie Cade McEwen stopped 22 shots.
The victory sends the defending champion Hawks (28-1-1) to the 1A state championship game to face Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake at noon Saturday at the Xcel Energy Center.
MAML 3, Northfield 2
ST. PAUL-Senior forward Nick Zwack's goal with three seconds remaining broke a 2-2 deadlock and gave Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake a 3-2 victory over Northfield Friday. Zwack's score was his third in the tournament and 30th of the season.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Moose carried play throughout the game, but found themselves trailing 2-0 after senior forward Conner Malecha scored for Northfield just 1:36 into the second period. Raiders goalie Ryan Bielenberg was a big reason Northfield held the lead. He made 37 saves, many of the spectacular type - on breakaways, odd-man rushes and crisp passing plays by the Moose.
The Moose finally beat Bielenberg with 59 seconds remaining in the second period when Ben Ward's goal made it 2-1. Casey Chiado tied the contest with a one-timer on a pass from Ward just seven seconds into a third period power play. Six plus minutes later Zwack scored the game-winner.
The win advances the Moose to the 1A state championship game at noon Saturday against Hermantown.
-- mshsl.org
