Class 2A, Section 4

Hill Murray 5, Woodbury 1

Watching Hill-Murray put away last year’s Minnesota Girls Hockey Class 2A state title game in double overtime on the ice at Xcel Energy Center, there was a sense of preemptive déjà vu — that, if the Pioneers played their cards right, they could be back in the same place next year, and even the year after that.

A flurry of fleet underclassmen led them in scoring, then-freshman Piper Tam anchored them in net and bright young defenders filled the ranks of the blue line.

The name of the rink might have changed to Grand Casino Arena since the last time the defending champs made the trip to St. Paul, but after Thursday’s 5-1 section championship win over Woodbury, the goal for the Pioneers next week will be the same.

Repeat the feat of back-to-back titles, which they accomplished in 2014 and 2015.

The No. 2-seeded Royals (26-0-1) entered Thursday’s Class 2A, Section 4 title game undefeated but having not been tested against top-seeded Hill-Murray (22-3-1) since last year’s Class 2A, Section 4 title game, a 4-1 Pioneers win.

Despite a 36-save performance from Woodbury’s standout junior goaltender Alyssa Polaski, Hill-Murray showed just how many options it has when in need of a postseason hero.

The Pioneers pulled ahead just under four minutes in, thanks to a no-look drop-back pass from junior forward Elliana Engelhardt (a Minnesota State Mankato commit) to set up junior forward Jaycee Chatleain (Minnesota).

“Playing a team like this, it’s going to be hard,” Chatleain said. As defending champs, “everyone’s going to give you their best game. ... You have to lay out for pucks. Every rebound, every chance you get, you’ve got to take advantage.”

Freshman Hannah Rychley doubled the Pioneers’ early lead before Woodbury junior defender Bonnie Zhao carried the puck into the Pioneer’s defensive zone and put the Royals on the board with four minutes to play in the first period.

Zhao also had the much-needed goal that sent Woodbury’s 3-2 section semifinal win over Stillwater into overtime.

Game action paused with less than 20 seconds remaining in the first period as a Woodbury senior forward Sadie Roth took a big hit mid-ice, which did not draw a penalty. Roth remained on the ice for over ten minutes, and coaches, trainers and, eventually, EMS took to the ice to help stretcher her off to a standing ovation at Aldrich Arena.

Woodbury coach Scott Waldo said that Roth was able to move and was getting imaging done on her back and neck. Her twin sister and teammate Caitlin accepted her section runner-up medal after the game.

The Royals returned from the delay with a smattering of close chances, but sophomore forward Gwynn Skoogman got another for Hill-Murray in a second-period netfront scrum, and sophomore defender Jahnica Holtzleicer and Rychley added goals in the third period.

“They don’t stop moving,“ Waldo said of the Pioneers, ”top to bottom.”

Hill-Murray outshot Woodbury, 41-13.

The seedings for the girls hockey state tournament will be revealed Sunday. Ending the regular-season as the No. 1-ranked team in Class 2A, Hill-Murray is a favorite for the top seed.

“I think everybody, every Minnesotan’s dream is to get to state,” junior forward and Wisconsin commit Emily Pohl said. “We obviously feel very grateful and lucky that we get to do that. But at the end of the day, we have unfinished business.”

Class 2A, Section 7

Andover 1, Grand Rapids-Greenway 0

An unusually warm Thursday in mid-February launched another trip to state for Andover.

Taylor Schreifels scored the game’s only goal with 24 seconds left to lift the Huskies to a 1-0 victory over Grand Rapids-Greenway in the Section 7 title game Fogerty Arena.

“One of our coaches says, ‘It doesn’t take one hit to cut down the tree,’” said Andrews, out of breath after the postgame celebration. “Every practice, we just gave it our all, because it comes down to this moment.”

It’s the Huskies’ ninth consecutive trip to the state tournament.

Andover goalie Clairebella Hills had 13 saves to post the shutout while GRG goalie Claire Tobeck stopped 28 shots.

The game-winning goal was assisted by Pyper Andrews and Julia Gerdes.

Huskies scoring leader Gerdes (16 goals, 20 assists) was an offensive force, but both teams figured the game would be a defensive battle.

“We need to take care of our end and win the game on our end with our defensive structure,” said GRG coach Brad Hyduke said ahead of the game.

The power of GRG’s defensive brick wall built on the Iron Range was on full display when freshman defender Rohrey Hyduke blocked the Huskies’ best shot in the third period before the winning goal.

“Their goalie, she played amazing,” Schreifels said. “They should be proud.”

But the Huskies wouldn’t be deterred. With each saved shot, the “STAY OFF GLASS” signs did little to cease the pounding from fans pressed against the rink’s plexiglass.

“I’m just so grateful to have the opportunity to go back to the X for my fourth year in a row,” Hills said. “This team is really special.”

Other results from around the state:

Class 1A, Section 1

Despite a two-goal effort from junior forward Morgan Goskeson that put Albert Lea up 2-0 late in the second period, top-seeded Dodge County rallied, 3-2, and earned its chance to defending last year’s Class 1A title. Junior forward and St. Thomas commit Maysie Koch scored the game winner with just over three minutes to play.

The Wildcats return to state for the third time, all consecutive trips, having finished runner-up in 2024 before, last year, becoming the first team south of the Twin Cities metro to win a girls hockey state title.

Class 1A, Section 4

The last time the Blake Bears were at state, they were lifting the 2017 Class 1A trophy. Now, they’re back after a 3-2 win over Academy of Holy Angels.

Class 1A, Section 6

Sophomore defender Reese Ruska scored twice as St. Cloud beat Fergus Falls 5-2, giving the Crush its first-ever trip to the Class 1A state tournament.

Class 1A, Section 8

Winners of three of the last four Class 1A state titles, Warroad gets the chance to try and climb back on top of its class after a 5-0 defeat of East Grand Forks.

Class 2A, Section 1

Farmington pulled off a come-from-behind victory to defeat Northfield 3-2 and book back-to-back spots at state. Sophomore forward Norah Kratz scored the third-period game winner.

View the full lineup of full lineup of state qualifiers and section championship matchups here.