Opening Night of the Boys Minnesota High School Hockey 2024-25 Season:

New Prague Sophomore Walker Andersen has an impressive Varsity hockey Debut, Rock Ridge starts off hot, Rogers and Shakopee have State Tournament aspirations and more, your minnesota boys high school hockey opening night recap:

Last night, Rock Ridge dominated from the start, ultimately coming away with a convincing 7-3 victory.

First Period The first period was explosive for Rock Ridge, starting with an early goal at 1:09 from Cal Scott, assisted by Levi Flatley and Jackson Bartovich. The momentum only grew as Grady Dimberio followed up at 6:05 with another goal, assisted by Flatley. Just 23 seconds later, Aidan Rabideaux extended the lead to 3-0, again with help from Flatley and Bartovich. Rock Ridge continued their scoring spree with Colton Bialke finding the back of the net at 12:33, assisted by Caz Carlson and Grady Dimberio.

Brainerd responded late in the first period, with Rowan Plested scoring at 15:35 to put Brainerd on the board, making it 4-1 heading into the second period.

Second Period Rock Ridge didn’t let up in the second period. At 10:29, Caz Carlson scored, assisted by Dimberio, extending their lead to 5-1. Brainerd tried to mount a comeback, with Weston Herron scoring at 13:38 to close the gap to 5-2.

Third Period In the third period, Rock Ridge continued to dominate. Zac Norberg scored at 3:00, assisted by Derik Dahl, increasing their lead to 6-2. Grady Dimberio sealed the deal with his second goal of the night at 15:16, assisted by Caz Carlson. Brainerd managed one last goal, with Zander Peterson scoring at 15:26, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Rock Ridge’s commanding lead.

The final score was Rock Ridge 7, Brainerd 3, as Rock Ridge showcased an impressive all-around performance with contributions from multiple players. Levi Flatley and Grady Dimberio were standout players, both involved in several key scoring plays.

Rock Ridge continues to prove they will be a force to be reckoned with this season.

Rogers Edges Andover in a Close Battle, 2-1

Rogers has dreams of a state tournament run and starts the season off with a 2-1 victory over Andover last night. The Royals put up an impressive performance, outlasting a tough Andover squad in a low-scoring but exciting game.

**Scoring Recap**

**1st Period**
– At 11:33, Rogers opened the scoring as #7 Mason Jenson found the back of the net with an even-strength goal, assisted by #19 Matty Hauser. The Royals took an early lead, 1-0.

**2nd Period**
– Both teams played tough defense throughout the second period, leading to no scoring. Rogers maintained their 1-0 lead going into the final period.

**3rd Period**
– Rogers struck again early in the third period at 4:52, with #15 Keaton Weis scoring an even-strength goal, assisted by #7 Mason Jenson and #11 Parker Deschene. This goal gave Rogers a 2-0 lead.
– Andover managed to close the gap at 13:36 as #10 Camden Langfeld scored with help from #7 Brody Peterson and #24 Casey Rodgers. The late goal brought Andover within one, but it wasn’t enough to take down Rogers.

With strong offensive contributions from Mason Jenson and an equally solid defense, Rogers showed they have the determination and ability to make a serious state tournament run this season.

The Blaine Bengals put on an impressive show of dominance against Mounds View, securing a 4-0 victory with an explosive second and third period. Blaine’s relentless attack overwhelmed Mounds View, leading to a shutout win.

**First Period:**
The opening period was a defensive battle with both teams struggling to break through. Despite Blaine’s offensive pressure, Mounds View managed to hold the Bengals scoreless, leaving the score tied at 0-0.

**Second Period:**
The Bengals came out with renewed intensity in the second period, and it paid off early. At 2:08, #15 Cooper Bayer found the back of the net off assists from #22 Grady Bautch and #13 Porter Bayer to make it 1-0. Just 17 seconds later, #9 Brody Lockman doubled the lead with help from #11 Nate Wallraff and #12 Ethan Burnette, pushing Blaine to a 2-0 advantage.

**Third Period:**
Blaine continued their dominant play in the third period. At 5:59, #13 Porter Bayer scored with assists from Cooper Bayer and Grady Bautch, making it 3-0. Blaine capped off the night when #12 Ethan Burnette scored at 8:21, with assists from Nate Wallraff and Brody Lockman, extending the final lead to 4-0.

**Special Teams and Shots:**
Both teams struggled on the power play, with Blaine going 0 for 2 and Mounds View failing to capitalize on their lone opportunity. Blaine’s offensive onslaught was reflected in the shot totals, with the Bengals peppering the Mounds View net for 51 total shots compared to just 8 for Mounds View.

Minneapolis and Two Rivers battled to an exciting 5-5 draw, with both sides showcasing determination in an intense matchup that extended into overtime.

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:
- Minneapolis struck first with #19 Johan Krasean finding the net at 3:07, assisted by #27 Nick Anderson.
- Two Rivers responded at 12:31 with #20 Luke Christopherson scoring, assisted by #8 Ryan Rohrer and #6 Preston Gamer.
- Minneapolis regained the lead at 16:11 with #9 Rory Kronick scoring, assisted by #19 Johan Krasean and #18 Jack Shroat.
2nd Period:
- Two Rivers started strong in the second period with #2 Eddie Auran scoring at 6:09 to tie it up.
- Just 25 seconds later, Minneapolis answered back with a goal from #9 Rory Kronick, assisted by #27 Nick Anderson and #19 Johan Krasean.
- At 13:56, Two Rivers took the lead with another goal from #2 Eddie Auran, assisted by #14 Landon Monsour and #26 Will Geddes.
- With a power play opportunity, Two Rivers‘ #6 Preston Gamer extended the lead at 16:11, assisted by #2 Eddie Auran.
3rd Period:
- Two Rivers looked to seal the game with #20 Luke Christopherson scoring at 13:53, assisted by #8 Ryan Rohrer and #11 Will Muilenberg.
- However, Minneapolis fought back with a power play goal at 16:03 by #39 Owen DeYoung, assisted by #27 Nick Anderson and #21 Eli Milinkovich.
- In a dramatic finish, Minneapolis tied it up at 16:48 with a goal from #19 Johan Krasean.
OT1:
- No goals were scored in overtime, resulting in a final score of 5-5.

Power Plays:

Two Rivers: 1 for 4 (25%)
Minneapolis: 1 for 2 (50%)

Shots on Goal:

Two Rivers: 25 shots (1st: 9, 2nd: 8, 3rd: 7, OT: 1)
Minneapolis: 37 shots (1st: 10, 2nd: 10, 3rd: 15, OT: 2)

Penalties:

Two Rivers: 9 minutes on 3 infractions
Minneapolis: 10 minutes on 5 infractions

Minneapolis showed resilience, coming back twice from deficits to force overtime, with standout performances from Johan Krasean and Rory Kronick.

Proctor 8, Greenway 0

Proctor dominated the game against Greenway, winning 8-0. Here are the goal scorers for Proctor:

1st Period:

Tanner Ross (#7) scored at 6:39, assisted by Caleb Lanthier (#16) and Cooper Annala (#11).
Austin Bryant (#14) scored at 15:25, assisted by Tanner Ross (#7).
Breckin Ross (#8) scored at 15:34, assisted by Blaine Boysen (#17) and Alvaro Ramazzini (#24).
Wynn Giswold (#13) scored at 16:47, assisted by Wesley Paulson (#27).

2nd Period:

Breckin Ross (#8) scored on the power play at 4:38, assisted by Tanner Ross (#7) and Austin Bryant (#14).
Austin Bryant (#14) scored at 7:56, assisted by Tanner Ross (#7).
Dylan Denzler (#15) scored at 9:42, assisted by Avery Lee (#6).

3rd Period:

Caleb Lanthier (#16) scored at 9:20, assisted by Wesley Paulson (#27) and Tanner Ross (#7).

Proctor controlled the pace throughout the game, shutting out Greenway while putting up 44 shots on goal compared to Greenway’s 9.

Gentry Academy 5, Roseville 2

Gentry Academy defeated Roseville 5-2 in the opening night to both teams season. Gentry’s offense and solid defense led them to victory despite Roseville’s strong efforts.

1st Period:

Roseville opened the scoring with Collin Hites (#8) netting a power-play goal at 4:52, assisted by Jacob Villella (#17) and Prentiss Maier (#9).
Gentry Academy responded with a power-play goal by Jaxon Cook (#19) at 10:52, assisted by Brock Fairbanks (#7) and Jacob Guille (#16).
Braeden Korba (#42) gave Gentry Academy the lead at 13:21, assisted by Jaxon Cook (#19) and Brody Bultinck (#20).

2nd Period:

Roseville’s Collin Hites (#8) tied the game with a power-play goal at 7:27, assisted by Jacob Villella (#17) and Ben Beal (#21).
Gentry Academy regained the lead with a goal from Brekken Zabrok (#10) at 9:41.

3rd Period:

Shay Sanchez (#34) extended Gentry’s lead at 14:03, assisted by Brody Bultinck (#20).
Brock Fairbanks (#7) sealed the game for Gentry Academy with an empty-net goal at 16:10.

Despite Roseville outshooting Gentry Academy 36-33, Gentry’s scoring power and effective penalty killing made the difference in the game.

Shakopee 6, Eagan 0

Shakopee dominated Eagan with a 6-0 shutout win, showcasing why they are considered one of the top-ranked teams in Class AA with state tournament aspirations.

1st Period:

Shakopee opened the scoring at 10:27 with a goal from Ben Box (#28), assisted by Zach Docteur (#24) and Jacob Lee (#26).

2nd Period:

Cooper Siegert (#11) scored twice early in the second period for Shakopee at 0:57 and 1:18, with assists coming from Carter Wagner (#4), Nate Pederson (#22), and Jack Kultgen (#3).
Peyton Chase (#9) scored on the power play at 9:24, assisted by Nate Pederson (#22) and Cooper Siegert (#11).
Daylin Cline (#19) added to the lead at 10:57, with assists from Jaxon Johnson (#40) and Tristin Wassengeso (#8).
Cooper Simpson (#21) scored the final goal of the game at 16:18, assisted by Daylin Cline (#19) and Jack Kultgen (#3).

3rd Period:

No goals were scored.

Shakopee outshot Eagan 39-7 and capitalized on their only power-play opportunity.

Bemidji 6, Alexandria 1

Bemidji used a strong second period to defeat Alexandria Area 6-1.

1st Period:

No goals were scored by either team.

2nd Period:

Noah Mannausau (#20) opened the scoring for Bemidji at 3:33, assisted by Eli Kringen (#17) and Dominic Arndt (#19).
Conor Stodgell (#12) scored at 9:05, with assists from Dominic Arndt (#19) and Stonewall Gessner (#18).
Noah Mannausau (#20) added his second goal of the game at 10:21, assisted by Eli Kringen (#17).
Briggs Knott (#9) made it 4-0 at 13:13, assisted by Eli Kringen (#17) and Cal Mattfield (#11).

3rd Period:

Alexandria’s Grady Olson (#3) scored at 5:35, assisted by Charlie Bassen (#9) and William Thornburg (#8).
Bemidji responded with a power-play goal by Cal Mattfield (#11) at 10:40, assisted by Briggs Knott (#9).
Griffin Dewar (#22) sealed the win at 15:20 with an even-strength goal, assisted by Taevon Welle (#6) and Nate Valley (#26).

Bemidji dominated with 38 shots on goal and went 1 for 3 on the power play, while shorthanded Alexandria struggled offensively with only one goal and went 0 for 1 on their power play

New Prague 7, Mankato East 2

Sophomore Walker Andersen had a standout performance, leading New Prague to a 7-2 victory over Mankato East.

1st Period:

Easton Bosch (#8) started the scoring for New Prague at 6:42, assisted by Connor Williams (#17).
Mankato East responded with a power-play goal by Jack Hansen (#10) at 14:54, assisted by Dylan Mees (#21) and Griffin Asher (#6).
Walker Andersen (#21) put New Prague back on top at 16:14, assisted by Easton Bosch (#8) and Connor Williams (#17).

2nd Period:

Easton Bosch (#8) scored his second goal at 6:42, assisted by Cade Borwege (#18) and Walker Andersen (#21).
Walker Andersen (#21) added his second goal at 7:45, assisted by Carson Ashley (#10) and Ben Simon (#5).

3rd Period:

August Beckius (#11) extended the lead for New Prague at 1:24, assisted by Connor Williams (#17) and Walker Andersen (#21).
Grayson Witty (#27) scored at 1:56, assisted by Owen Dorzinski (#24).
Walker Andersen (#21) completed his hat trick at 9:37, assisted by Easton Bosch (#8).
Jack Hansen (#10) scored a consolation goal for Mankato East at 14:26, assisted by Edward Engen (#22).

Walker Andersen finished the game with three goals and three assists, while Easton Bosch added two goals and two assists to help lead New Prague to victory.

Woodbury 6, Irondale 0

Woodbury dominated Irondale with a 6-0 victory, powered by an impressive performance from Tommy Dittrich and a strong special teams showing.

1st Period:

Tommy Dittrich (#19) opened the scoring at 1:23, assisted by Jack Oleson (#9) and John Eschweiler (#20).
Caden Schlattman (#6) added to the lead at 5:17.
Tommy Dittrich scored his second goal of the period at 13:10, making it 3-0.

2nd Period:

Julian Torres (#10) scored on the power play at 13:19, assisted by Easton Talbot (#14).
John Eschweiler (#20) scored a short-handed goal at 14:13, assisted by Jack Oleson (#9).

3rd Period: