THE TOURNEY 2022

Andover wins Class AA in thrilling fashion, Hermantown edges Warroad in Class A crown

Steve Wagner — Sun, 13 Mar 2022 04:39:56 GMT

ST. PAUL — Logan Gravink scored a double overtime goal to lift the Andover Huskies to the Minnesota Class AA hockey title.

Gravink slipped in a rebound at 8:59 of the second overtime for a 6-5 win over the Maple Grove Crimson in a Class AA title game that will be remembered for years.

The 18,950 fans witnessed an evenly matched pair of Northwest Suburban conference foes, with Andover (25-5-1) and Maple Grove (23-7-1) providing a high-octane track meet that featured disallowed goals, missed rebounds, bone-crunching hits, dramatic saves and a shot that rang off the crossbar and goalpost.

And that was just in regulation.

Cheyton Fisher’s goal with just more than 6 minutes remaining in the third period gave the Crimson a 5-4 edge, but Gavyn Thoresen — the hero for the Huskies in their double-overtime quarterfinal win — deflected a shot to tie the game with 1:50 left in the third.

The game started fast, with Finn Brink scoring just 12 seconds into the game for a 1-0 Maple Grove lead. The first period featured five goals, including two from Joshua Giuliani, as the Crimson headed into the locker room with a 3-2 advantage.

Andover picked up the only goal of the second period to even the game.

In the third period Cayden Casey split two Crimson players and fired a wrister shortside to give the Huskies a 4-3 lead at 5:24, but Giuliani tied it 43 seconds later with a rocket past Austin Brauns.

It was the third goal of the game for Giuliani, who netted a hat trick for the second time in the tournament.

Wth just more than 6 minutes left in regulation, Giuliani slid a pass in front of the Huskies net to teammate Fisher, who buried the puck for a 5-4 lead.

Thoresen saved Andover’s title hopes with the goal.

In the first overtime, both teams continued their torrid pace, forcing both goalies to make sprawling saves. After the extra frame, Maple Grove had 43 shots on goal, compared to Andover's 39.

In February, Andover won the Class AA girls title.

Hermantown captures Class A title

After allowing an early goal, Hermantown’s defense bottled up the Warroad attackers and Zam Plante scored two second-period goals to give the Hawks a 3-2 win in the Minnesota Class A state championship game.

Defensemen Ty Hanson and Beau Janzig spent almost the entire third period on the ice and for the first time in the state tournament, kept Warroad’s Division I recruits Daimon Gardner and Jayson Shaugabay off the scoresheet.

Hermantown coach Pat Andrews had nothing but praise for his top defensemen, who also helped hold the Warriors to just one goal in the Hawks 2-1 win on Jan. 15.

“These two came off the rink like one time in the third period — they’re unbelievable studs,” Andrews said. “The work that these two kids did on their top line — two games in a row — it’s phenomenal.”

The first period was an up-and-down game, with Warroad’s Garrett Hennum scoring just over 6 minutes into the game to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead, much like the early goal Alexandria scored Friday in the semifinals.

Less than 30 seconds later, the Hawks’ Dominic Thomas wrapped his stick around the back of the goal and slipped a shot past Warriors goalie Hampton Slukynsky to tie the game.

Shaugabay, a Minnesota Duluth recruit, tried to respond with his own wraparound goal late in the third period for Warroad, but Hermantown's Ty Hanson — another UMD commit — slid in front of the puck to keep the score tied.

“He’s a really good buddy of mine, I’ve played with him a lot and that’s his move,” Hanson said. “He just tries to wrap it, his stick is so long he can basically reach it around to the other side of the net. I saw it coming and I just went to the back post.”

Instead of exploding offensively after the goal, Hermantown’s attackers were held largely in check until Zam Plante scored on a backhand shot 55 seconds into the second period.

He’s a really good buddy of mine, I’ve played with him a lot and that’s his move. He just tries to wrap it, his stick is so long he can basically reach it around to the other side of the net. I saw it coming and I just went to the back post.

Warroad answered quickly when a puck ricocheted off the skate of Griffin Marvin to tie the score, but throughout the second period, Hermantown attackers forced Slukynsky to make some impressive saves.

Plante took a pass from Kade Kohanski at the 3:02 mark of the second period and fired it into the back of the net for his second of the period and what proved to be the game-winner.

In the third period, Warroad coach Jay Hardwick split up Gardner and Shuagabay to try throw the Hermantown defenders off — something Andrews said was a “good move.”

“We thought maybe if we split them it would give us a different look,” Hardwick said. “We’ve done that at different times — sometimes you split them up and get them away from some people and have some success. We just couldn’t find that one in the third period.”

“They’re very good,” Hardwick said. “There’s a reason why Ty is committed to UMD. He’s in your face and he skates very well and Janzig — he’s a steady defenseman back there that makes it hard on people and he made it hard on our top line and our top guys today. I said I thought we needed to get more pucks on the net, but part of that is they made it hard on us to do that.”

Slukynsky made some terrific saves to keep the Hawks out of the net the rest of the game, but Plante’s second-period goals were all the Hawks needed for the win. He finished with 33 saves for Warroad.

Callaway made 19 saves, but needed to make just nine over the final two periods to preserve the win for Hermantown.

After the disappointing end to Hermantown’s 2021 season, Andrews was happy to snag his first title as the Hawks’ head coach, but he didn’t like the way the word “redemption” has been thrown around.

“I don’t like that word, I just think we were on a mission and it’s been, unfortunately, a 48-month mission instead of a 24-month mission,” Andrews said. “I’m just so proud of these guys, they put in an unbelievable amount of work and we’re unbelievably talented. But what no one sees is the amount of work these guys put in. I don’t know of anybody that skates as much as them.”

Warroad 1-1-0—2 Hermantown 1-2-0—3 First period — 1. W, Garrett Hennum (Carson Pilgrim), 10:45; 2. H, Dominic Thomas (Ty Hanson), 12:14. Second period — 3. H, Zam Plante (Beau Janzig), 0:55; 4. W, Griffin Marvin (Pilgrim, Eric Comstock), 1:41; 5. H, Z. Plante (Kade Kohanski, Max Plante), 3:02. Third period — No scoring. Saves — Hampton Slukynsky, W, 33; Dane Callaway, H, 19. PHOTO GALLERY (swipe/click to view)

Hermantown vs Warroad, 2022 Class A Final

Hermantown goaltender Dane Callaway (32) blocks a shot by Warroad forward Jayson Shaugabay (17) during the first period Saturday, March 12, 2022, in the State Boys Hockey Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Warroad goaltender Hampton Slukynsky (1) blocks a shot by Hermantown forward Zam Plante (27) during the first period Saturday, March 12, 2022, in the State Boys Hockey Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Warroad defenseman Todd Powassin (24) and Hermantown forward Kade Kohanski (11) battle for the puck during the first period Saturday, March 12, 2022, in the State Boys Hockey Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Warroad goaltender Landon Haggan (32) shuts down Hermantown forward Matthew Kauppinen (17) on an attempt during the first period Saturday, March 12, 2022, in the State Boys Hockey Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Warroad goaltender Hampton Slukynsky (1) stops a shot by Hermantown forward Dallas Vieau (24) during the first period Saturday, March 12, 2022, in the State Boys Hockey Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Warroad forward Matthew Hard (9) and Hermantown forward Zam Plante (27) battle for the puck during the first period Saturday, March 12, 2022, in the State Boys Hockey Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Warroad forward Matthew Hard (9) and Hermantown forward Zam Plante (27) collide chasing the puck during the first period Saturday, March 12, 2022, in the State Boys Hockey Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Warroad forward Daimon Gardner (13) passes the puck between Hermantown forward Zam Plante (27) and Hermantown defenseman Ty Hanson (2) during the first period Saturday, March 12, 2022, in the State Boys Hockey Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Hermantown forward Dominic Thomas (21) puts the puck past Warroad goaltender Hampton Slukynsky (1) to score during the first period Saturday, March 12, 2022, in the State Boys Hockey Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

Hermantown forward Dominic Thomas (21) celebrates his goal against Warroad during the first period Saturday, March 12, 2022, in the State Boys Hockey Tournament at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

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Teams, players to watch for in the 2022 Minnesota boys state hockey tournament

Eli Swanson — Tue, 08 Mar 2022 17:45:20 GMT

ST. PAUL — After a full season of action all around the state, the race for a boys hockey championship comes down to the final 16 teams set to meet this week in St. Paul.

Only three wins separate the best teams in Minnesota from a spot in the record books, and this year's tourney includes both traditional powerhouses vying for more banners and first-time qualifiers looking to make their mark in inaugural trips to the Xcel Energy Center.

Both classes are guaranteed different champions this season with defending Class A winner Gentry Academy's move to Class AA in the offseason and Class AA defending champion Eden Prairie's loss in the Section 2AA semifinals.

Two teams, Minneapolis in A and Prior Lake in AA, will make their state tournament debuts this season. Minneapolis, a mascotless co-op of seven public schools, is the first public school team from the city to make the Tourney since Minneapolis Edison in 1994. It should be noted, however, that Minneapolis has a storied history at the state tournament that includes more than 40 appearances split between eight schools — stretching back to Minneapolis Washburn's first appearance in 1948 — and a state championship for Minneapolis Southwest in 1970.

https://twitter.com/Kovar_HJsports/status/1499216106736783369?s=20&t=fp-iMtaNRcIUGzJ5Ck_4zw

Prior Lake comes to St. Paul after Mr. Hockey favorite Alex Bump exploded for 4 goals and an assist in the Lakers' 7-4 Section 2AA final win against Chaska. Bump, a senior forward and Vermont commit, leads the team with 75 points on the season and is joined by fellow senior forwards Will Schumacher and Sam Rice to form a dynamic offensive top line. Prior Lake was 0-4 against state tournament qualifiers in the regular season, but does bring in a signature win after knocking off defending state champion Eden Prairie in the Section 2AA semifinals.

Hermantown is the favorite in Class A and undoubtedly hungry for a return to form after being forced to play mostly junior varsity players due to COVID-19 issues in its quarterfinal loss to Dodge County last season.

The Hawks (26-2-0) breezed through Section 7A tournament play without surrendering a goal and have only lost twice on the season — to Class AA state tournament qualifiers Cretin-Derham Hall and Maple Grove. Hermantown, led by the offensive firepower of Max and Zam Plante and their 121 combined points, beat both No. 2 Warroad (2-1 OT on Jan. 15 in Hermantown) and No. 3 Mahtomedi (3-0 on Dec. 18 in Mahtomedi) during the regular season.

Hermantown won't be without competitors, with Warroad (24-3-1) the other most likely contender for the Class A title. The Warriors make their 23rd appearance at the state tournament and will look to bring their fourth title back to Hockeytown. Senior forward Daimon Gardner, a Clarkson commit, junior forward Jayson Shaugabay and junior goalie Hampton Slukynsky have led Warroad to an eight-game winning streak coming into St. Paul. Warroad's only loss against a Class A team this season was its overtime defeat to Hermantown in January.

Mahtomedi (16-11-1) won't be an easy out, either. Senior goalie Ben Dardis has a .942 save percentage coming into the tournament, and the Frank Brimsek Award finalist has not allowed a goal in his last 203:36 of game action.

The Class AA tournament is, at least on paper, one of the most wide-open brackets in years. In a season where the rankings shifted rapidly and consistently throughout the winter months, Hill-Murray (23-4-1) emerged to claim the No. 1 seed in the Tourney after finishing the year on a seven-game winning streak that included wins over top-10 Maple Grove and Moorhead. However, the Pioneers lost to state qualifiers Andover and split with Edina during the regular season.

Despite making the tournament in 2021, Hill-Murray will play its first game back at the X since winning the 2020 state championship after being ruled out of last season's quarterfinal against Wayzata due to COVID-19 quarantine requirements.

Cretin-Derham Hall makes its return to the Xcel Energy Center for the first time since 2009 and the No. 2 seed will look to continue an 18-game winning streak that stretches back to Dec. 29. The Raiders are paced by senior forward Drew Fisher — the Mr. Hockey finalist leads the team in goals (28) and assists (31) — and senior goalie Marko Belak, a Frank Brimsek Award finalist with a .938 save percentage and 23-3-0 record in 26 appearances this season.

Of the eight teams in the Class AA bracket, only Prior Lake has not defeated at least one other member of the field. And if the parity in this year's field wasn't evident enough already: two of the teams that enter the tourney as unseeded squads, Edina and Lakeville South, were once ranked as the top team in the state during the season and the top seven teams in Let's Play Hockey's preseason rankings from Nov. 24, which were conducted via a poll of high school coaches, all advanced to St. Paul.

Follow along on The Rink Live for game recaps, news and photos when the action gets underway on Wednesday. See the bracket below for game information and times — streaming information, and printable brackets can be found online. For an idea of the path each team took to the Tourney, section tournament brackets for all eight sections in both classes are available here.

MR. = Mr. Hockey Finalist

FB = Frank Brimsek Award Finalist

Class A

Section 1 - New Prague Trojans (11-15-2)

3rd appearance - 0 championships

Last Appearance: 2017

Players to Watch: Jr. F John Schmidt (10 goals, 16 assists), Sr. F Will Andersen (9 goals, 16 assists), Sr. G Carter Puente (10-11-1, .911 SV%, 3.14 GAA)

Section 2 - Minneapolis (21-6-1)

1st appearance*

*Current team is a co-op of seven Minneapolis public schools. Last appearance by a Minneapolis public school was in 1994 (Minneapolis Edison).

Players to Watch: Sr. F Jack Hanson (24 goals, 28 assists), Sr. F Zander Zoia (11 goals, 29 assists)

Section 3 - Mankato East/Loyola Cougars (17-10-1)

4th appearance - 0 championships

Last appearance: 2020

Players to Watch: Jr. D Shae Gavin (16 goals, 13 assists), Sr. D Aiden Prochaska (8 goals, 20 assists), Sr. F Quintin Steindl (8 goals, 19 assists), Sr. G Caelin Brueske (16-90-1, .910 SV%, 2.22 GAA)

Section 4 - Mahtomedi Zephyrs (16-11-1)

13th appearance - 1 championship

Last appearance: 2020

Last championship: 2020

Players to Watch: Sr. G Ben Dardis

(14-11-1, .942 SV%, 1.97 GAA), Jr. F David Wolsfeld (22 goals, 24 assists)

Section 5 - Monticello Moose (13-14-1)

4th appearance* - 0 championships

Last appearance: 2020

*Monticello has made two trips to St. Paul as Monticello/Maple Lake and one trip as Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake

Players to Watch: Sr. F Wilson Dahlheimer (23 goals, 24 assists), Jr. D Gavin Simon (7 goals, 18 assists)

Section 6 - Alexandria Cardinals (19-6-2)

6th appearance - 0 championships

Last appearance: 2018

Players to Watch: Sr. F Josiah Gronholz (25 goals, 34 assists), Jr. F Tyler Kludt (13 goals, 35 assists), Sr. F Brycen Berg (27 goals, 16 assists)

Section 7 - Hermantown Hawks (26-2-0)

18th appearance - 3 championships

Last appearance: 2021

Last championship: 2017

Players to Watch: Jr. F Zam Plante (Minnesota Duluth) (20 goals, 35 assists), So. F Max Plante (16 goals, 50 assists), Jr F. Kade Kohanski (20 goals, 33 assists), So. G Dane Callaway (17-2-0, .921 SV%, 1.48 GAA)

Section 8 - Warroad Warriors (24-3-1)

23rd appearance - 4 championships

Last appearance: 2020

Last championship: 2005

Players to Watch: Sr. F Daimon Gardner

MR.

(Clarkson) (39 goals, 37 assists), Jr. F Jayson Shaugabay (Minnesota Duluth) (25 goals, 49 assists), Jr. G Hampton Slukynsky (24-3-1, .928 SV%, 1.48 GAA)

Class AA

Section 1 - Lakeville South Cougars (25-3-0)

7th appearance - 0 championships

Last appearance: 2021

Players to Watch: Jr. G Jack Hochsprung (21-3-0, .931 SV%, 1.35 GAA), Jr. F Tanner Ludtke (Nebraska Omaha) (22 goals, 38 assists)

Section 2 - Prior Lake Lakers (18-10-0)

1st appearance

Players To Watch: Sr. F Alex Bump

MR.

(Vermont) (41 goals, 34 assists), Sr. F Will Schumacher (23 goals, 29 assists), Sr. F Sam Rice (11 goals, 29 assists)

Section 3 - Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders (24-3-0)

4th appearance - 1 championship

Last appearance: 2009

Last championship: 2006

Players to Watch: Sr. F Drew Fisher

MR.

(28 goals, 31 assists), Jr. F Jake Fisher (Northern Michigan) (23 goals, 29 assists), Sr. G Marko Belak

(23-3-0, .938 SV%, 1.57 GAA)

Section 4 - Hill-Murray Pioneers (23-4-1)

32nd appearance - 4 championships

Last appearance: 2021

Last championship: 2020

Players to Watch: Sr. F Dylan Godbout

MR.

(Wisconsin) (29 goals, 24 assists), Sr. D Axel Begley (5 goals, 28 assists), Sr. D Leo Gruba

MR.

(11 goals, 21 assists), Jr. G Jack Erickson (16-1-1, .930 SV%, 1.39 GAA)

Section 5 - Maple Grove Crimson (21-6-1)

5th appearance - 0 championships

Last appearance: 2021

Players to Watch: Jr. F Landen Gunderson (19 goals, 53 assists), Jr. F Finn Brink (26 goals, 26 assists), Sr. F Joshua Giuliani (23 goals, 26 assists)

Section 6 - Edina Hornets (20-8-0)

29th appearance - 10 championships

Last appearance: 2019

Last championship: 2019

Players to Watch: Sr. F Trey Fechko (Arizona State) (20 goals, 20 assists), Jr. F Jimmy Clark (Minnesota) (15 goals, 21 assists), Jr. G Robbie Clarkowski (19-8-0, .928 SV%, 1.74 GAA)

Section 7 - Andover Huskies (22-5-1)

3rd appearance - 0 championships

Last appearance: 2021

Players to Watch: Jr. F Cayden Casey (21 goals, 46 assists), Jr. F Gavyn Thoreson (25 goals, 41 assists), Sr. G Austin Brauns

(19-5-1, .927 SV%, 1.72 GAA)

Section 8 - Moorhead Spuds (21-6-1)

19th appearance - 0 championships

Last appearance: 2021

Players to Watch: Sr. F Gavin Lindberg

MR.

(21 goals, 43 assists), Jr. F Harper Bentz (37 goals, 27 assists, 9 GWG), Sr. F Carson Triggs (23 goals, 31 assists)

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