In a dramatic Section 3AA Championship showdown, St. Thomas Academy secured a 3-2 double overtime victory over Cretin-Derham Hall, clinching a trip to the Minnesota State Tournament.
The Cadets and Raiders battled through two overtime periods, with William Dosan playing the hero, netting the game-winner at 13:45 of 2OT off a feed from Gus Olson.
1st Period
Cretin struck first at 9:46 when Nate Chorlton capitalized on an assist from Max Anderson and Jonny Bloedow.
St. Thomas Academy responded at 13:58, tying the game with a power play goal from Michael Mikan, assisted by Nico Russ.
2nd Period
The Cadets grabbed the lead on a shorthanded goal from William Dosan at 8:08, setting the stage for a defensive battle.
3rd Period
Cretin-Derham Hall refused to go away, as Marcus Matyas tied the game with just 1:14 left in regulation.
Overtime Drama
Both teams had chances in the first OT, but neither could break through. Finally, in double overtime, Dosan buried the game-winner to send STA to the state tournament.
🔹 STA Goalie: Cody Niesen (41 saves, .953 SV%)
🔹 Cretin Goalie: Owen Nelson (41 saves, .932 SV%)
🔹 Game-Winner: William Dosan (2 goals)
🔹 Cretin Leaders: Chorlton & Matyas (1 goal each)
With the win, St. Thomas Academy is heading back to the Minnesota State Tournament, looking to add a Class AA title to its storied program.
📍 Final Score: St. Thomas Academy 3, Cretin-Derham Hall 2 (2OT)
🏆 STA Advances to State Tournament
In a thrilling Section 4AA Championship matchup, Stillwater secured a 4-3 double-overtime victory over Hill-Murray, earning a trip to the Minnesota State Tournament.
1st Period
Hill-Murray jumped ahead early, as Boden Sampair scored just 1:43 into the game off a setup from Chaz Lentz.
2nd Period
Stillwater responded with a dominant second period. Luca Jarvis got the Ponies on the board at 2:52, followed by two goals from Matthew Volkman, giving Stillwater a 3-1 lead heading into the third.
3rd Period
Hill-Murray battled back, cutting the deficit to one when Sampair netted his second goal of the game at 11:37. Then, with just over two minutes left, Graham Greeder converted on a power play to force overtime at 3-3.
Overtime Drama
Both teams had chances in the first OT but couldn’t break through. In the second overtime, Volkman completed his hat trick, scoring just 59 seconds into 2OT to send Stillwater to the state tournament.
🔹 Stillwater Goalie: Cal Conway (36 saves, .923 SV%)
🔹 Hat Trick Hero: Matthew Volkman (3 goals)
🔹 Hill-Murray Leaders: Boden Sampair (2 goals), Chaz Lentz (2 assists), Riley Zupfer (2 assists)
With the win, Stillwater advances to the Class AA State Tournament, looking to make a deep run against Minnesota’s best.
📍 Final Score: Stillwater 4, Hill-Murray 3 (2OT)
🏆 Stillwater Advances to State Tournament
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