State Tournament Set

One of the state's greatest traditions takes stage next week as the state tournament for high school hockey gets underway. The 16 team field became set after Saturday's results rolled in and as always there should be plenty of intrigue surrounding the four day event. 2007 saw Roseau recapture its old glory, beating Grand Rapids 5-1 in the AA Championship to take home their 9th state title. In Single-A competition, Hermantown capped off an undefeated season by downing Duluth Marshall 4-1 in the title tilt. Roseau makes a return trip to St. Paul, bringing a 28-0 record with it. Hermantown was knocked off in the section tournament meaning a new Class A champion will be crowned in 2008. The tourney is always good for some upsets, but heavy favorites exist in both classes and it would be a shock if an unseeded school rose up and captured the title. The tourney kicks off Wednesday, and the brackets are set up as follows:

CLASS A

#2 Duluth Marshall (23-5) vs. Mankato West (25-2)
#3 Warroad (22-6) vs. Litchfield (12-14-2)
#1 Saint Thomas Academy (22-5-1) vs. Little Falls (25-3)
#4 Saint Cloud Cathedral (22-5-1) vs. Blake (19-8-1)

CLASS AA

#2 Edina (26-2) vs. Cloquet (15-11-2)
#3 Benilde St. Margaret's (25-3) vs. Woodbury (22-6)
#1 Roseau (28-0) vs. Blaine (20-8)
#4 Hill-Murray (24-3-1) vs. Lakeville South (14-11-3)


Class A is heavy at the top, with St. Thomas Academy and Duluth Marshall being the deepest and most talented teams. It is very possible that we see a repeat of the 2006 State Championship when the Cadets from St. Thomas topped the Hilltoppers from Marshall by a 4-3 score in a thriller. Warroad, Little Falls, and Saint Cloud Cathedral all have some top-end talent that could cause other teams problems. Little Falls is led by St. Cloud recruit Ben Hanowski, one of the state's most prolific scorer over the past two seasons. Saint Cloud Cathedral is led by defenseman Nate Schmidt who committed to the Gophers this past January. Those two are going to have to deliver big performances if they want to make noise in the tourney. If they are merely average by their standards, St. Thomas and Duluth Marshall stand as the big dogs.

Duluth Marshall

-Marshall may be one of the more motivated teams in Class A, having lost in the title game the past two seasons to St. Thomas and Hermantown. They will make their 4th straight tourney appearance and have an experienced lineup that should not be intimidated by the bright lights of the XCEL Energy Center. The Hilltoppers bring a balanced attack which includes four forwards who are over the 30 point plateau. They're led by Senior forward David Hafferty (22-23-45) who is tied for the team lead in goals while leading the Toppers in assists. A duo of junior forwards, Zach Mausolf (22-16-38) and Pat Mahoney (13-22-35) give Marshall scoring depth that makes them one of the most dangerous teams in the tourney. Duluth Marshall has beaten some good teams during the year, including fellow tournament participants St. Cloud Cathedral and St. Thomas. They shutout Cathedral 2-0 and destroyed STA in an 8-2 blowout. Even though they're the #2 seed they enter as possibly the consensus favorite.


St. Thomas Academy

-The Cadets have some of the best top-end talent in the tournament. Seniors James Saintey (23-38-61) and Conor Rooney (29-25-54) are high scoring forwards who create problems for opponents whenever they are on the ice. Sophomores Ryan Walters (30-36-66) and Christian Isackson (19-29-48) are two of the best in the state at their age level. Walters, a Gopher recruit, leads the team in scoring and is a player who does everything well. This will likely be his last taste of high school hockey, as his rights are owned by Des Moines and spending two years there before heading off to Dinkytown would be best for his development. St. Thomas has several notable victories, including wins over Blaine (7-2) and Benilde St. Margaret's (6-4), both of whom are in the AA field. There is some controversy surrounding the Cadets being awarded the #1 seed, especially considering their lopsided loss to Duluth Marshall, but they stand as a good bet to take home their 2nd title in 3 years.


In AA, Roseau and Edina stand as the two teams to beat. Both teams have elite talent and fantastic depth as evidenced by their dominating regular seasons. Despite their status, Benilde and Hill-Murray loom as teams that could make an upset bid. Assuming all teams win their opening round matchups, which is far from a certainty, BSM would face off against Edina while Roseau would take on Hill-Murray in the semifinals.

Roseau

-The Rams have not lost a hockey game since 2006. They have provided a fantastic encore to their 2007 state title by posting an undefeated regular season and then coasting to a section title. Roseau is led by defenseman and Mr. Hockey favorite Aaron Ness (23-37-60). Ness is the state's most electrifying player, using fantastic agility and excellent hands to score 60 points, great numbers for any player, let alone a defenseman. Often compared to former Gopher defenseman Mike Crowley, Ness will himself head off to the U of M next fall to continue his hockey career. Despite a small frame (5'9, 165) the senior defenseman is held in high regard by NHL scouts, a testament to his outstanding ability. The Rams are as good as they come in net as well. Junior Mike Lee (a St. Cloud State recruit) has never lost a game in his varsity career. His 2007-2008 season has seen him allow only 20 goals in 23 starts, posting a 0.87 goals against average along with a .950 save percentage. Balanced scoring is the key up front, as the Rams have five forwards with over 30 points, led by senior Ben Nelson (16-38-54). The combination of top-end talent along with terrific depth make Roseau a good bet to repeat as state champions.

Edina

-The Hornets paved their way to state by winning a tough section, 2AA, which included other heavyweights such as Burnsville, Bloomington Jefferson, and the Academy of Holy Angels. Edina is led by a phenomenal junior class. Forwards Zach Budish (24-34-58), Marshall Everson (41-23-64), and Anders Lee (32-21-53) are the keys to Edina's attack. Budish (a future Gopher) is the playmaker on the top line while Everson (a Harvard recruit) is the finisher. Lee provides mismatch problems as a 2nd-line center. Those three are able to physically dominate a game as all stand over 6 feet and close to or over 200 pounds. On defense they are anchored by senior blue-liner Joe Gleason. Gleason is a small defenseman who is a great skater with good vision and passing abilities and it was those attributes that prompted North Dakota to give him a hockey scholarship. Edina's weakness rests in goal, where Derrick Caschetta is prone to giving up soft goals that could haunt Edina in any single game. Despite their vulnerability in net, Edina is a serious contender, although not many people will be rooting for them.

Benilde St. Margaret's

-The Red Knights enter the tourney on the heals of an emotional 3-2, come from behind OT win against state power Minnetonka. It was another notable victory for a team that has made a habit of taking down top notch opposition. With wins over Class-A power Duluth Marshall, Edina, Minnetonka, Eden Prairie, and hockey academy Shattuck-St. Mary's, Benilde has proven they can play with and beat the best the state has to offer. Armed with 12 seniors, the Red Knights are one of the tournament's most veteran squads. Forward Steve Zierke (23-42-65) leads the attack while fellow forward Matt Bergland (34-29-63) and defenseman Chris Student (9-49-58) are also offensive forces. BSM has already played the role of giant-killer this season, and if they bring their A game to St. Paul they are more than capable of hoisting hardware on Saturday night.

Hill-Murray

-The Pioneers bring a cast of good if not great players to St. Paul. They have a host of smallish, speedy forwards whose wheels create nightmares for opposing defenseman. Led by Dan Cecka (31-35-66), Ryan Furne (25-29-54), Isaac Kohls (19-29-48), and Tyler Zepeda (14-31-45), the Pioneers have more than enough firepower to compete. In goal, Joe Phillipi has been a steady presence and played well enough to earn the Frank Brimsek Award, given annually to the state's top senior netminder. Hill-Murray has already beaten Benilde St. Margaret's along with St. Thomas Academy (twice) and has proven that they can play with anyone. This private school power has enough talent to make some noise in St. Paul.

No matter how things shake out during the next week it is sure to be an exciting event, adding another chapter to the great history of high school hockey in Minnesota.