In play-in game, Duluth Marshall dominated Northern Edge with a convincing 9-1 victory. The game unfolded with Duluth Marshall setting the pace early on, scoring a goal in the first period through Pacey Adduono on a power play, assisted by Bennett Scissons and Layton Anderson. The momentum continued in their favor with three more goals in the second period by Ethan Lindgren, Kyler Black, and another by Adduono, increasing their lead to 4-0. Northern Edge managed to get on the scoreboard with a goal from Zach Monson, but that would be their only goal.
The third period saw Duluth Marshall’s offensive onslaught continue unabated, with Kyler Black, Rienat Sukhonos, Adduono (completing his hat-trick with another power play goal), Landon Hernesman, and Mason Musel all finding the back of the net. Duluth Marshall’s power play was particularly effective, converting 2 out of 3 opportunities. In contrast, Northern Edge failed to capitalize on their two power play chances.
The disparity in shots was also stark, with Duluth Marshall firing a total of 60 shots towards Northern Edge’s goalie, compared to the 20 shots from Northern Edge. Penalties were relatively few, with Northern Edge incurring three infractions for six minutes and Duluth Marshall two infractions for four minutes.
Duluth Marshall moves on to play Andover, this will be a huge test for freshman goalie Kaenan Smith, who has been sensational this season.
The Section 1A play-in game it was Moose Lake Area vs International Falls, and International Falls secured a decisive 8-4 victory. The game began with a strong first period for International Falls, who quickly established a 4-0 lead with goals from Cooper Crandall, Zach Youso, Aiden McFarland (on a power play), and Jackson Reiners.
Moose Lake Area attempted a comeback in the second period with Tynan Oswald scoring a power play goal. However, International Falls responded aggressively, adding three more goals to their tally, two of which were scored by Cooper Crandall (completing his hat trick), including a short-handed goal, and another by Zach Youso.
In the third period, Moose Lake Area showed resilience by scoring three goals, with Payton Nordstrom, Dalton Slama (who scored twice, including a power play goal), attempting to narrow the gap. Nonetheless, International Falls managed to find the net once more with a short-handed goal by Jake Olson, securing their 8-4 victory.
Moose Lake Area was effective on the power play, converting 2 of their 4 opportunities, while International Falls capitalized on 1 of their 5 power play chances. Shot-wise, International Falls dominated with 50 shots on goal compared to Moose Lake Area’s 32. Penalties were a significant aspect of the game, with Moose Lake Area incurring 15 minutes on 6 infractions and International Falls 10 minutes on 5 infractions.
International Falls advances to play #1 seed Hermantown on 2/20/2024 at 7:00 in Hermantown.
In a competitive section 8AA playoff game, Brainerd emerged victorious over St. Michael-Albertville with a 5-2 score. The game started off closely contested, with St. Michael-Albertville taking an early lead thanks to Braeden Waller’s goal. However, Brainerd quickly responded with two goals in the first period from Chad King and Kale Koop, taking a 2-1 lead.
The second period saw Brainerd extending their lead with Braedon Manecke finding the net, making it 3-1 in favor of Brainerd. St. Michael-Albertville struggled to find a response, failing to score in the second period despite several attempts.
The third period added drama and excitement, with Reme Lobitz scoring a short-handed goal for St. Michael-Albertville to narrow the gap. However, Brainerd’s power play paid off with Martin Timmons scoring, restoring their two-goal lead. Brady Johnson sealed the victory for Brainerd with an empty net goal, concluding the game at 5-2.
Power plays saw Brainerd capitalizing on their opportunities, scoring once out of two chances, while St. Michael-Albertville failed to convert any of their three power play opportunities. Brainerd also led in shots with 32 against St. Michael-Albertville’s 25, showcasing their offensive pressure throughout the game.
Brainerd moves on to play top Seed Moorhead Tuesday 2-20-2024 at 7:00 in Moorhead. STMA sees their season come to an end.
In the section 7AA play-in game, Cambridge-Isanti secured a 3-1 victory over Anoka. Cambridge-Isanti took an early lead in the first period thanks to a goal from Josh Sauro, assisted by Peyton Dombek and Colton Alcock. This early advantage set the tone for Cambridge-Isanti’s performance throughout the game.
The momentum continued into the second period, where Cambridge-Isanti expanded their lead with two additional goals. Seth Terhell, assisted by Wyatt Garvey, found the net, followed by Sean Brown, who scored with assists from Caleb Wisen and Seth Terhell. This extended their lead to 3-0, showcasing Cambridge-Isanti’s offensive capabilities and teamwork.
Anoka, striving to make a comeback, managed to score in the third period with Kadden Soukup capitalizing on a power play, assisted by Will Cedestrand and Luke Folstrom. Despite this effort, Anoka was unable to overcome the deficit established by Cambridge-Isanti’s earlier goals.
Cambridge will head up to Yanmar Arena on Tuesday 2-20-2024 at 7:00 to play top seeded Grand Rapids in a win or go home scenario.
In an action-packed section 5A playoff game, Becker/Big Lake emerged with their first playoff win in 16 years over Mora/Milaca with a final score of 6-4. The game kicked off with Becker/Big Lake establishing an early lead in the first period with goals from Tate Spilde and Gunnar Hanson, setting a challenging pace for Mora/Milaca.
Despite being down early, Mora/Milaca mounted a comeback in the second period with goals from Dylan Prokosch and Carson Donaghue, the latter on a power play, signaling their resilience and fighting spirit. However, Becker/Big Lake maintained their lead with goals from Brayden Graning and William Johnson, ending the second period ahead 4-2.
The third period saw a determined effort from Mora/Milaca with Austin Neyssen and Trenton Fore scoring, including a power play goal, to tie the game at 4-4. But Becker/Big Lake’s Brayden Graning stepped up, scoring twice, including an empty net goal, to secure the win for his team.
Becker/Big Lake will try to keep the momentum going against #1 seed St. Cloud Cathedral on Tuesday 2-20-2024 at 7:00 in ST Cloud.
