Read the recap: Minnetonka, Moorhead to meet for big school state title

The Class 1A and 2A state championship matchups are set. It’ll be Warroad vs. Hibbing/Chisholm in the small-school classification, and Minnetonka vs. Moorhead in the big-school classification.

Read what happened in the Class 2A quarterfinals on Thursday and the Class 1A quarterfinals Wednesday

Follow live scoring of each game on Strib Varsity. Here is the complete bracket for 2A, and here is the bracket for 1A.

Friday’s schedule

Class 1A semifinals

11 a.m. Hibbing/Chisholm 4, Mahtomedi 2

1 p.m. Warroad 6, Delano 3

Class 2A semifinals

6 p.m. Minnetonka 4, Rosemount 3, OT

8 p.m. Moorhead 3, Edina 1

Saturday’s championship schedule

Class 1A

12 p.m. Hibbing/Chisholm vs. Warroad

Class 2A

7 p.m. Minnetonka vs. Moorhead

Final: Moorhead 3, Edina 1

For the second year in a row, Moorhead defeated Edina in a tightly-contested Class 2A semifinal. Moorhead broke open a scoreless tie with three goals in the third period.

The game was 0-0 through two periods, with neither team able to generate much offense as both defenses limited room to move and clogged the passing lanes.

Moorhead finally beat Edina goalie Chase Bjorgaard on a nice passing play deep in the Edina zone. Tyden Bergeson took a cross-ice pass and one-timed it past Bjorgaard to break the stalemate.

Moorhead bumped the lead to 2-0 when Zac Zimmerman tapped in a pass from Bergeson on a two-on-one at 8:10 of the final period. The Spuds increased their lead 80 seconds later when Bergeson, a Mr. Hockey finalist, pounced on a loose puck at center ice and broke in on a breakaway. Bjorgaard stopped the initial shot, but senior forward Michael Herman, following the play, tapped in the rebound.

Edina avoided the shutout when Alex White tipped in a shot from the point with just 1:15 remaining.

Both teams finished with 19 shots on goal. Moorhead goalie Will Arnold made 18 saves for the Spuds.

The game ended with a skirmish in the corner, with players from both teams battling on the ice, forcing the officials to intervene.

Moorhead will face Minnetonka in the Class 2A championship game Saturday at 7 p.m. The two finalists met on Dec. 20, with Minnetonka coming away with a 4-2 victory.

— Jim Paulsen

Third period: Moorhead 1, Edina 0

There it is: The game’s first goal. Tyden Bergeson smacked home a cross-ice pass from Drew Kortan just 1:05 into the period. The roar that went up from the crowd was as much catharsis as jubilation. Finally.

— Jim Paulsen

End of second period: Moorhead 0, Edina 0

Scoreless through two periods. Edina got a break when Moorhead had a goal wiped off after a review determined the Spuds were offside. Moorhead played the final 30 seconds of the period with a 4-3 advantage when Edina’s Becker Wenkus was called for hooking. Both teams had already had a man in the penalty box. Moorhead will resume the advantage to start the third period.

I was informed by the MSHSL that the rationale for having more than arena capacity for the evening session may have been in error. The MSHSL noted that Grand Casino Arena was sold out but standing many in attendance took advantage of standing room admission.

— Jim Paulsen

Rosemount players react to making it to state after 34-year dry spell

The Irish have a brief state tournament history. Unlike Roseau’s 34 visits or Edina’s 10 championship titles, Rosemount has only made it to the big stage twice: In 1992 and 2026.

That honor was still sinking in even as a 4-3 overtime loss to Minnetonka in the state 2A semifinals flooded the team with disappointment.

“It kind of felt like we had the whole state behind us,” said senior forward Peter DeGroot, who scored the game’s opening goal.

Rosemount, the No. 4 seed, had a standout 24-4-1 season and didn’t back down against No. 1 Minnetonka on Friday. Even the Irish’s competitors took notice.

“Give Rosemount some credit,” Minnetonka coach Sean Goldsworthy said. “A lot of seniors over there, they play hard.”

“I think we set the win record for our school, I believe, and it’s just a very historic season,” said top scorer Cade Sherman. “Couldn’t be more proud of what we’ve done. And obviously it sucks, but [we’re] just trying to go get the one tomorrow.”

Sherman, a senior forward, and his brother Drew, a sophomore goaltender, are a big part of this year’s state tournament run. Playing under Grand Casino Arena’s bright lights together made the season together even more special.

“It’s something that I never really thought of,” Drew Sherman said. “I’ve shot on him in the garage since we were 3-years-old, 4-years-old. … So it’s been really cool just to play with him and I just try to enjoy it as much as possible.”

“I’m proud of these kids,” coach Ricky Saintey said. “Number one, that’s the most important piece.”

Rosemount will play in the 2A consolation match on Saturday, March 7, at 4 p.m.

— Olivia Hicks

Second period: Moorhead 0, Edina 0

Max Cullen scored the game’s first goal, swiping in a feed from Tyden Bergeson with 4:42 left in the period, but it was reviewed and the goal was disallowed. Moorhead was offside.

— Jim Paulsen

Second period: Edina 0, Moorhead 0

The longer we go without a score, the more the tension in the arena builds. But neither team had much of anything in terms of good scoring chances.

Official attendance from the MSHSL:

Afternoon session: 14,442 (a record for the Class 1A afternoon semifinals)

Evening session: 20,365

The latter exceeds the capacity because of fans leaving and others arriving.

— Jim Paulsen

How Minnetonka stayed tournament-ready all season

Minnetonka defeated Rosemount 4-3 to advance to the 2A boys hockey state title final on Friday, March 6, in a tightly-matched overtime thriller, and the Skippers had been training all season for that pressure-cooker situation.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of nerves on your side, but our team is built for that,” senior forward Jordan Johnson said. “You can tell that our team is filled with depth and we’re made for that back end of the game. That’s what kind of carried us into overtime with good confidence.”

“We all got in the locker room, our kind of mindset was, ‘Refuse to lose and just give it your all,’” added senior forward Ethan Sturgis, who scored two of the Skippers’ four goals.

Minnetonka has earned a 25-2-2 record this season with a strong defense and an even stronger mentality forged during practices and a tough regular-season schedule. The Skippers haven’t skated on state tourney ice since 2023.

“The kids think I’m pretty hard on them on a normal Tuesday,” coach Sean Goldsworthy said. “I keep reminding them that emotionally and mentally, you have to stress your athletes for moments like this so they don’t get rattled. And I routinely tell these guys, ‘If I can rattle you, what’s it going to look like on Friday night at Grand Casino.’”

The Skippers entered the second period down 2-0 and, as they have done all season in high-stakes games, the team fought back as the Irish tired out. Minnetonka tied the game by the end of the third period and then won it thanks to sophomore forward Cash Hardie’s goal in overtime.

“We have high stress and high emotion during practice, so it kind of just builds us for these moments,” Johnson said. “If [Goldsworthy] didn’t coach hard, we wouldn’t be ready for these big opportunities, like tonight’s game. So I just think it’s really helpful to have that discipline to bring out when you really need it.”

Minnetonka will tap into that training in the championship game at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at Grand Casino Arena.

— Olivia Hicks

End of 1st period: Edina 0, Moorhead 0

A very evenly played, if uneventful, first period. Both teams had six shots on goal. The best play of the period was a defensive play by Edina sophomore defenseman Becker Wenkus. He blocked a pass in front of his own goal when Moorhead was cycling the puck after an Edina turnover in its own end.

— Jim Paulsen

First period: Edina 0, Moorhead 0

First penalty of the game is assessed to Edina’s forward Tucker Johnson for holding. Moorhead gets the first power play, but Edina killed the penalty without allowing a threat.

Edina then goes on the power play after Moorhead forward Evan Wanner was called for a hooking penalty.

— Jim Paulsen

Early boos for Edina

Boos rain down when Edina takes the ice before the game. People love to hate anyone that has had the kind of success the Hornets have enjoyed.

— Jim Paulsen

Pregame: Edina vs. Moorhead

Twenty minutes until the final game of the semifinals gets underway.

Edina and Moorhead played an epic semifinal in 2025, with Moorhead pulling out a 4-3 victory on a goal by Zac Zimmerman with one minute left in the third period. The stands are full waiting for this upcoming battle of hockey bluebloods.

Moorhead is the defending Class 2A state champs and oozes talent. Edina is the most successful hocket program in the state with 10 state titles and 33 previous tournament appearances (not including six as Edina East and one as Edina West).

— Jim Paulsen

Final: Minnetonka 4, Rosemount 3

Skippers sophomore forward Cash Hardie scored his 19th goal of the season to win the Class 2A semifinal game for Minnetonka with four minutes left in overtime.

Minnetonka will play in the Class 2A state title game on Saturday, March 7, at 7 p.m. against the winner of the late semifinal between Edina and Moorhead.

— Olivia Hicks

1/9

End of third period: Rosemount 3, Minnetonka 3

Stuck in a standoff, the Irish and Skippers are going to overtime in their Class 2A semifinal.

Minnetonka is outshooting Rosemount 39-23 but neither team could find the back of the net as the clock ticked down in the third period.

— Olivia Hicks

Third period: Rosemount 3, Minnetonka 3

Minnetonka opened up the third period by tying the score.

Senior forward Ethan Sturgis recorded his second goal of the game after Cameron Merrick and Cooper Rannow fed him the puck just under three minutes into the period.

Minnetonka leads 33-21 in shots on goal.

— Olivia Hicks

End of second period: Rosemount 3, Minnetonka 2

The Irish lead going into the third period after each team scored twice in the second.

Junior forward Connor Schubert put Rosemount up 2-0 at the 4:02 mark and senior forward Cade Sherman scored a third goal six minutes into the period.

But Minnetonka found a rhythm and is outshooting Rosemount 29-18 through two periods. Senior forward Ethan Sturgis scored the Skippers their first goal five minutes into the second period and sophomore defenseman Mason Schemenauer followed it up with a second at 7:49.

— Olivia Hicks

Second period: Rosemount 3, Minnetonka 2

Rosemount top-scorer Cade Sherman recorded his 21st goal of the season to put the Irish up 3-1 exactly six minutes into the second period on the power play.

The senior forward received a pass from Gavin McNeil and Connor Schubert amid a tangle of players in front of the Skippers’ net before throwing the puck in.

Minnetonka responded yet again when sophomore defenseman Mason Schemenauer tapped in a shot with nine minutes left in the period to cut the Skippers’ deficit to 3-2.

— Olivia Hicks

Second period: Rosemount 2, Minnetonka 1

The Irish made it 2-0 with junior forward Connor Schubert’s tidy shot finding the right corner of goaltender Chase Jardee’s net four minutes into the second period.

Minnetonka’s senior forward Ethan Sturgis immediately responded 5:02 into the second period with the Skippers’ first goal of the game and his 15th of the season, assisted by junior forward Brayden Haffer.

— Olivia Hicks

End of first period: Rosemount 1, Minnetonka 0

The Irish end the first period up 1-0 against No. 1 seed Minnetonka, thanks to senior forward Peter DeGroot’s goal just over two minutes into the game.

Senior forward and top scorer Cade Sherman brought No. 4 Rosemount its next best chance with two minutes left in the period, but the Irish couldn’t stretch the lead on the power play after Skippers senior forward Ethan Sturgis entered the penalty box for hooking.

Both teams have 12 shots on goal going into the second period.

— Olivia Hicks

First period: Rosemount 1, Minnetonka 0

Halfway through the first, Rosemount continues to lead on the scoreboard, but Skippers senior defensemen Danny Browning and Tate Hardacre have moved the game into Irish territory.

Rosemount led in shots on goal 5-3 at the beginning of the first period, but now Minnetonka boasts an 11-7 advantage.

— Olivia Hicks

First period: Rosemount 1, Minnetonka 0

The Irish opened the scoring 2:18 into the first period.

Senior forward Peter DeGroot slipped the puck past Minnetonka starting goaltender Chase Jardee after senior forward Quinton VeDepo’s shot flew just shy of the net and bounced onto DeGroot’s stick.

— Olivia Hicks

Pregame: Minnetonka vs. Rosemount

The Class 2A boys hockey state semifinals are about to begin here at Grand Casino Arena, where the No. 4 seed Rosemount Irish will face off against No. 1 seed Minnetonka at 6 p.m.

The Skippers may have had a season to remember, with just two losses and a trip back to state for the first time in three years, but all eyes are fixed on Rosemount. The Irish returned to the tourney for the second time in school history after a 34-year dry spell, carried by senior forwards Cade Sherman (20 goals) and Gavin McNeil (30 assists). Rosemount beat Grand Rapids 3-2 in overtime on Thursday, March 5, to get to the semis.

Minnetonka won’t make it easy for the Irish to extend their tournament visit. The Skippers have a strong set of defensemen in seniors Tate Hardacre and Danny Browning, who helped shut out Gentry Academy 5-0 in the quarterfinals.

Stay tuned for updates as the puck drops.

— Olivia Hicks

Minnetonka students excited for semifinal

Minnetonka students would do “anything” to get front-row seats for the boys Class 2A hockey semifinal — including waiting over an hour for the gates to open.

“[Getting front row] is the most important thing,” senior Jack Johnson said. “With such a big school like Tonka, there’s so many students needing tickets and it can get pretty packed sometimes. So getting ahead of this is the best.”

Johnson and about half a dozen other Minnetonka students stood behind the closed gates of Grand Casino Arena, nearly two hours ahead of the matchup between Rosemount and Minnetonka, desperate for a front-row spot in their designated student section. Their dedication carried into their attire.

They were decked out in blue-and-white striped bibs with a single shoulder strap unclipped. One wore a white shirt underneath the overalls that read “Tonka.” Another had a University of Texas basketball jersey.

The overalls serve as a high school tradition. They are sold each fall specifically for the senior class to wear at football and hockey games. But beyond the attire, Johnson said the best part of the games is the energy.

“When everybody starts chanting, and everybody gets into the game, it really helps the guys on the ice. Hockey’s all about momentum, and having that energy comes in the stands,” Johnson said.

When asked what they are most excited for, they all agreed without hesitation:

“Winning the state chip.”

— Grace Praxmarer

An observed hockey holiday

Naturally, the boys hockey state tournament is a major event in the State of Hockey — so big that schools in Delano have listed the tournament as a reason for absence.

“For attendance, they have a drop-down option that just says ‘state tournament,’” Shantae Webber, a Delano resident, said. “They knew people were going to be here instead of school, and so it’s a pretty big deal.”

The big deal, in this case, is Delano’s first state semifinal appearance — a game the Webbers made sure not to miss. The whole family wore Delano hockey gear; Shaentae even carried a black and orange pompom.

Webber’s sons and daughter are involved in Delano’s hockey program, and she said the tournament has become something their family hopes will be part of their future.

“Hopefully one day we’ll be here to watch him [son] out on the ice, and maybe even her [daughter] one day too.”

— Grace Praxmarer

1/11

Final: Warroad 6, Delano 3

Trailing by two goals, Warroad scored three times in a span of 88 seconds in the second period and added two more early in the third to defeat Delano in the Class 1A state semifinal.

With the win, No. 3-seed Warroad (24-5-1) advances to play top-seeded Hibbing/Chisholm for the state championship on Saturday at 12 p.m.

Junior Gavin Andersen led Warroad with two goals and two assists.

Warroad has an 11-game winning streak. Its last loss was 4-2 against — yep, Hibbing/Chisholm.

— Joe Christensen

Third period: Warroad 5, Delano 3

Warroad sophomore Conner Lund shot toward the net. It looked fairly harmless but somehow got through goalie Evan Guyen. The puck was just behind Guyen, in the crease, when Casey Hendrickson poked it in.

— Joe Christensen

Third period: Warroad 4, Delano 3

Delano tied it on a power-play goal from Brady Kangas, but Warroad came right back 39 seconds later. Gavin Andersen scored his second goal of the game with 14 minutes remaining in regulation off a great pass from behind the net from freshman Rodrick Jackson.

— Joe Christensen

End of second period: Warroad 3, Delano 2

Seventeen minutes to see who faces Hibbing/Chisholm for the Class 1A championship.

Warroad has outshot Delano 18-14. That 90-second sequence changed everything.

Best way to describe that second Warroad goal — the initial shot sent the puck off the back boards, and Mooney Schaugabay was there just in time to sneak it inside the post before goalie Evan Geyer could get there to block it.

Also, there was a scoring change on Warroad’s third goal. Credit that power-play goal to Broden Hontvet, with Gavin Andersen on the first assist.

— Joe Christensen

Second period: Warroad 3, Delano 2

Wow, what a 90-second sequence. Warroad just went from behind 2-0 to up 3-2.

Warroad tied it with two unorthodox goals. First Gavin Andersen scored on a shot that deflected off a Delano defender’s toe. Then, Mooney Shaugabay somehow scored on a puck that bounced behind the net. I need to look into what happened there. And Andersen added the third goal on a shot from the point.

— Joe Christensen

Fans soak in experience at Grand Casino Arena

There’s more than just hockey jerseys among the crowds here at Grand Casino Arena. People are clad in pink cowboy hats, tiger onesies and custom-painted overalls. Many have their hair dyed red or orange, even bleached to match the “hockey hair” that coincides with the state tournament.

Mankato West’s boys hockey team was among the crowd for the Mahtomedi vs. Hibbing/Chisholm semifinal. Both Jaxson Zimmerman and Mason Schreiber said the atmosphere is electric, citing the student section as one of the best parts.

The excitement of fans and players alike is what keeps many people coming back each year.

“I just love when the kids celebrate after they win, and jump over the sideboards,” said Steve Gibbons, a long-time state tournament fan. “They’re so excited you can’t even comprehend how excited they are. People don’t get that excited anymore.”

Gibbons flew in from Nevada for today and Saturday’s tournament games. He said he comes almost every year, despite not knowing any of the players on the teams. For him, it doesn’t matter who wins. He came to watch good hockey.

— Grace Praxmarer

1/14

Hibbing/Chisholm’s strong goaltending paves path to title game

Hibbing/Chisholm goaltender Gavin Lamphere sat at the postgame news conference wearing the team’s player-of-the-game, white with a blue stripe sailor hat, a “Popeye hat,” he called it. He was deemed deserving of the honor after a season-high 43 saves for his team’s 4-2 semifinal win over Mahtomedi in the first Class 1A semifinal on Friday.

“He played phenomenal,” Hibbing/Chisholm coach Aaron Jamnick said. “He’s been a rock all year for us. He’s been fantastic, and our boys really feed off him.”

But he wasn’t completely locked in and focused to start the game, Lamphere said. The Zephyrs, and his teammates in front of him, helped him settle in quickly.

“That was huge,” Lamphere said. “Nerves. Nerves shut down there. Legs stopped quivering a little bit, and it was good toward the end there.”

Lamphere stopped 19 shots in the first period alone and came up with big saves throughout the game. With just under seven minutes left in the second period, he made a big glove save on a Blake Loida shot to maintain a 2-0 lead. Less than two minutes later, Hibbing/Chisholm made it 3-0.

The Bluejackets took the lead 17 seconds into the game on Jackson Sturkel’s 10th goal of the season.

“There’s no better way to start a game than scoring on the first shift,” said Bluejackets senior forward Ben Galli.

Galli added a power-play goal early in the second period.

“We were 0-for-2 on the power play there, and third one came around and we didn’t really have many shots on the first two,” Galli said. “I was just telling the boys, ‘Hey, let’s get pucks to the net.’ And Whitaker [Rewertz] made an awesome pass, and I snuck it in five-hole.”

Despite trailing the entire game, the Zephyrs executed their game play, minus allowing a goal on the first shift of the game, Mahtomedi coach Jeff Poeschl said.

“I was really pleased with their effort today,” Poeschl said. “I thought they left everything on the ice. We had a lot of chances. We just needed a few more to find a way in. A little puck luck would’ve been nice.

“We needed that second goal about eight minutes earlier.”

Mahtomedi scored its second goal with 9.4 seconds left in regulation after Hibbing/Chisholm scored an empty-net goal. Moments before that fourth goal, Mahtomedi goalie Jackson Chesak raced back toward the goal as he was already coming off the ice and made a poke-check save to keep the deficit at two goals for a moment. Chesak had 17 saves in the game.

— Heather Rule

End of first period: Delano 2, Warroad 0

Both teams came out flat. Delano’s first goal, at 7:50 of the period, came on one of its few early shots on goal. But by period’s end, Delano showed how explosive it can be, especially with the Halonen brothers. Warroad is getting things going, too. The shots ended up 10-9 Delano for the period.

— Joe Christensen

First period: Delano 2, Warroad 0

The Halonen brothers are at it again. After scoring the game’s first goal, Daniel Halonen made it 2-0 with 3:32 remaining in the period.

Delano fans were chanting “Mr. Hock-ey!”, but the key to that play was the pass from younger brother Lance Halonen.

— Joe Christensen

First period: Delano 1, Warroad 0

Delano’s Daniel Halonen opened the scoring with 9:10 remaining in the first period. He took a pass, sped down the left side, curled while switching from his backhand to forehand and slammed it in. It was Halonen’s third goal of the tournament and 42nd of the season.

— Joe Christensen

Pregame: Delano vs. Warroad

These two teams met in the Nov. 21 season opener with Delano winning 3-1.

Now the stakes are way higher, here at Grand Casino Arena, with the winner slated to face Hibbing/Chisholm in Saturday’s Class 1A championship game.

There are difference makers all over each roster. Here’s one to note: Delano senior goaltender Evan Geyen came off the bench as an injury replacement in that season opener against Warroad and has been a mainstay. Entering the state tournament, he had a 1.76 goals against average and a .919 save percentage. He was sharp again in the 6-2 state quarterfinal win over Mankato West.

Delano will need him to be on his game today, especially against Warroad’s potent top line of senior Ryan Shaugabay, junior Gavin Andersen and freshman Rodrick Jackson.

— Joe Christensen

Final: Hibbing/Chisholm 4, Mahtomedi 2

Hibbing/Chisholm returns to the state championship game for the first time since 1994 with a victory over the Zephyrs.

Like in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, the Bluejackets got goals from four different goal scorers. Whitaker Rewertz added an empty netter in the final minute of regulation. Mahtomedi scored with 9.4 second left.

Bluejackets goaltender Gavin Lamphere made a season-high 43 saves. Mahtomedi goaltender Jackson Chesak made 37 saves.

— Heather Rule

End of second period: Hibbing/Chisholm 3, Mahtomedi 1

Hibbing/Chisholm had a couple of chances before the horn to increase the lead, but they hold a two-goal margin at intermission. In last year’s semifinal, the Bluejackets allowed a couple of late goals in the middle period but still had a one-goal lead before letting the lead slip away in the third period. They’ll look to make sure that history doesn’t repeat itself in the next 17 minutes.

Both goaltenders coming up some big saves in this one, Jackson Chesak for Mahtomedi (17 saves) and Gavin Lamphere for the Bluejackets (33).

— Heather Rule

Second period: Hibbing/Chisholm 3, Mahtomedi 1

Goals 13 seconds apart keep this a two-goal game. Hibbing/Chisholm’s Cole Swanson made it 3-0 with a slick backhand shot in front off a spin-and-pass play from brother Tate Swanson down low.

Mahtomedi had the quick answer on a Will Seevers’ goal to make it 3-1 with 4:14 left in the second period. Tommy Boe slid the bouncing puck across to Seevers for the assist.

— Heather Rule

Second period: Hibbing/Chisholm 2, Mahtomedi 0

Hibbing/Chisholm doubled its lead early in the second period with a power-play goal from Ben Galli. Whitaker Rewertz fed Galli in the slot for his 13th goal of the season.

The Zephyrs got their second power-play of the game soon after but are 0-for-2 with the man advantage so far today.

— Heather Rule

End of first period: Hibbing/Chisholm 1, Mahtomedi 0

Once things settled down after the opening goal from Hibbing/Chisholm, Mahtomedi got to work peppering the goaltender with shots. The Zephyrs lead in that category 19-10 through the first period with a clear shoot-first mentality.

The Bluejackets have 1:20 of power-play time to start the second period.

— Heather Rule

First period: Hibbing/Chisholm 1, Mahtomedi

The Bluejackets grabbed the early on Jackson Strukel’s 10th goal of the season. He took the puck into the zone and popped a high shot just 17 seconds into the game.

Mahtomedi got the first power play of the game but failed to cash in.

— Heather Rule

Pregame: No. 4 seed Mahtomedi vs. No 1 seed Hibbing/Chisholm

Welcome to Semifinal Friday, one of the best days in the high school hockey year.

The first game of the day features No. 4 seed Mahtomedi (18-9-2) vs. No. 1 seed Hibbing/Chisholm (25-2-2). In last year’s semifinals, the Bluejackets were upset 7-5 after leading eventual champion East Grand Forks 5-2. The Bluejackets will look to reach the state title game for the first time since 1994.

Mahtomedi has been to the title game more recently, winning its only two championships in 2020 and 2023. Those are also the only two years the Zephyrs won their state semifinal games, with an all-time record of 2-7 in semis in their 16 previous trips to the tournament. This is their 17th state tournament since 1992.

These two teams met on Dec. 20. The penalty-filled contest resulted in a 7-4 Hibbing/Chisholm win. Bluejackets sophomore Cole Swanson had a hat trick and a six-point game.

— Heather Rule