The Minnesota State High School League girls hockey state tournament began Wednesday, Feb. 18, with the Class 1A quarterfinals.

Find boxscores of each game on Strib Varsity. Here is the bracket for 2A, and here is the bracket for 1A.

All games were streamed on NSPN.

Wednesday’s 1A quarterfinal schedule

11 a.m. [1] Warroad 5, [8] Luverne 1

1 p.m. [4] Dodge County 3, [5] Proctor/Hermantown 2, OT

6 p.m. [2] Breck 8, [7] St. Cloud 2

8 p.m. [3] Blake 2, [6] Mankato East 1

Blake goalie leads the way in quarterfinals victory

There was really no other way to frame it.

Despite riddling the Blake goal with 49 shots — 22 alone in the third period — Mankato East just couldn’t find the one goal it needed, falling to Blake 2-1.

“We were frustrated, for sure,” Mankato East coach Amber Prange said. “As coaches, we can only say so much. We try to make adjustments and keep their spirits up. I mean, we had six breakaways and hit three pipes. Coming up short doesn’t feel good, but I’m super proud of our effort.”

The biggest reason that the Cougars were held to just one goal despite 49 shots on net was one name: senior goalie Janie McGawn, who did her best impression of a wall, standing firm despite facing near-constant pressure from Mankato East in the final period.

McGawn said the relentless attack by Mankato East worked in her favor.

“When you get a lot of shots like that, it’s almost easier to get in a groove,” she said. “You don’t have time to think. You just have a good time stopping pucks.”

Blake coach Kristi King admitted that the Bears “got lucky.”

“Janie was unbelievable. She held us in the game,” King said. “We learned a lot of lessons tonight. We’ve got a second chance on Friday to pull it together.”

Blake will meet rival Breck in Friday’s semifinals. Breck has won three previous meetings this season.

— Jim Paulsen

Final: Blake 2, Mankato East 1

No. 6-seeded Mankato East did everything to advance past No. 3-seeded Blake.

Except score.

Blake scored two second-period goals, then leaned on an amazing effort from senior goalie Janie McGawn, who stopped 48 of 49 shots for a 2-1 victory.

— Jim Paulsen

3rd period: Blake 2, Mankato East 1

It was just a matter of time. Mankato East sophomore Laina Peterson fed senior Ava Tibodeau in front. Finally, the Cougars beat Blake goalie Janie McGawn, who has been stellar all night. Mankato East has held Blake to just one shot on goal through the first seven minutes of the third period while peppering the Blake goal with 13 shots of its own. Mankato East is clearly feeding on the momentum, but still has just the one goal.

— Jim Paulsen

End of 2nd period: Blake 2, Mankato East 0

If you didn’t know the score and you simply watched the game, you might never know Blake had the lead. Mankato East outshot Blake 20-11 in the second period and has a 29-19 advantage on shots on goal for the game.

Blake goalie Janie McGawn was terrific in the period, stopping numerous Cougars scoring opportunities.

— Jim Paulsen

2nd period: Blake 2, Mankato East 0

Mankato East has been controlling play and owns a 25-18 shot advantage, but Blake was the team that actually put the puck in the net at 10:31. Bryn Heinmiller found herself with the puck on her stick in front of the Mankato East goal, and she converted. East has to feel frustrated, taking the play right at Blake but with nothing to show for it.

— Jim Paulsen

2nd period: Blake 1, Mankato East 0

Blake is the first team to score. Sophomore Ella Anderson finished off a two-on-one, scoring on a beautiful cross-ice feed from junior Lou Dalum.

Mankato East has responded strongly, however, putting pressure on Blake goalie Janie McGawn.

— Jim Paulsen

End of 1st period: Blake 0, Mankato East 0

A very even first period. Blake owned the time of possession, but Mankato East matched the Bears’ skating and seemed to gain confidence as the game went on.

The Cougars outshot the Bears 9-8 and had the two best chances to score in the first period, including a breakaway by Ava Tibodeau that clanged off the crossbar at 3:06 of the period.

Mankato East will be on the power play to start the second period, as Blake’s Addie Wethington was called for holding with less than 10 seconds left in the first period.

— Jim Paulsen

Breck’s six-year bounce back

Breck’s standout sophomore class would have been just starting middle school when head coach Tricia Luoma took over the Mustangs program. The three-time U.S. Olympian inherited a Breck team that had won three straight Class 1A titles from 2018 to 2020, then entered a rebuild with a midseason coaching change. The Mustangs were 3-20-1 in her first full year, 2021-22.

Now, we’re at “26 wins?” Luoma asked after an 8-2 victory over St. Cloud in the Class 1A quarterfinals. She looked to her players to double-check her math as she reflected on the team’s growth since that initial season. Yep, 26-1-1, and the No. 2 seed in Class 1A.

“We’re happy to be here, but we want to get as far as we can,” Luoma said. “[That three-win season] seems so long ago, but it’s not that long ago. It’s a part of our story. … It’s just a testament to how hard these players have worked and how much they believe in themselves and want to push themselves as players, but also to make this team a better team.”

Breck’s seven sophomores aren’t the entire reason for the deep squad’s success, but they do make up a big part of it. They’re five of the team’s top six scorers and would have been joining the Mustangs early in the program’s re-emergence, buying into Luoma’s mantra of “one game better than last year.”

Safe to say, things moved a little faster than that for the Mustangs, who lost in the Section 3 semifinals last season. Now, they’re one game away from returning to a state championship.

“I feel like over the summer, we really took [past years’ losses] to heart,” sophomore forward Taylor Hall said. “Going to the state tournament, it’s everyone’s dream. … Everyone did morning skates. Everyone put in the extra work over the summer to get to where we are as a team.”

Of that sophomore crew, three sat next to Luoma after the game, fielding questions: Hall, who had a hat trick and an assist against St. Cloud; defender Aleah La Fleur, who finished with a goal and a pair of assists, and Mackenna Schlieman, who tallied one of each.

Putting up eight goals was especially impressive, considering how consistent St. Cloud junior goaltender Jordan Bovy has been in net as the Crush reached state for the first time.

“She’s a big reason — I don’t want to say the entire reason because I don’t want to give her an inflated ego, but she’s a big reason why we’re here,” St. Cloud head coach Mike Petroske said of Bovy’s 46-save night.

But Breck skated fast, moved the puck well and, Luoma pointed out, stayed composed, responding in 19 seconds or less with a goal of its own each time St. Cloud scored.

To work through pretournament jitters, Schlieman thought back to her recent watch of this year’s “Miracle on Ice” Netflix documentary, “Miracle: The Boys of ’80.”

“Something I’ve been saying to a lot of players is just ‘playing your game,’” Schlieman said. “Herb Brooks would always say, ‘play your game.’”

And Breck’s game, turns out, is pretty tough to beat.

Pregame: Mankato East vs. Blake

Just under 10 minutes to go until No. 3-seeded Blake (21-6) takes on No. 6 Mankato East (24-2-1) in the nightcap of the Class 1A quarterfinals.

It’s the first meeting of the season between these two. Blake begins the chase for its eighth state title, including four in five years from 2013 to 2017. As high a bar as the Bears set for excellence during their run, this is their first time back at the state tournament since their 2017 championship.

The Bears aren’t the high-scoring bunch they were in their prime, preferring to play a 200-foot game, focusing on defense and keeping the sightlines for goalie Janie McGawn clear. It’s paid off; McGawn has posted a 1.28 goals-against average and has a .949 save percentage.

Mankato East is making its fourth state tournament appearance, marked by back-to-back trips in 2022 and 2023. The Cougars thrive on offense, having scored 10 or more goals in a game on four different occasions, and lead Class 1A in scoring, averaging 6.4 goals per game.

Keep an eye on electric sophomores Laina Peterson and Ella Fugazzi, who have combined for 63 goals this season.

Blake is certainly the favorite — they did earn the No. 3 seed, after all — but Mankato East should give the Bears a test.

— Jim Paulsen

Final: Breck 8, St. Cloud 2

Mustangs junior defender Molly Larson adds the final goal, unassisted, and that’s all for our third quarterfinal of the day. Sophomore Taylor Hall finishes with a hat trick, Breck’s defenders get into the scoring fun aplenty, and St. Cloud’s first-ever trip to the state tournament will continue in the consolation bracket at the nearby Tria Rink. Breck, which outshot St. Cloud 58-9, will face the winner of No. 3 Blake vs. No. 6 Mankato East, our final game of the day.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3rd period: Breck 7, St. Cloud 2

That’s a hat trick for Breck sophomore forward Taylor Hall, and perhaps her most highlight-worthy goal of the night. She cut through the left faceoff circle, feinted Jordan Bovy in the crease and tucked the puck inside the right post with under eight minutes to play.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3rd period: Breck 6, St. Cloud 2

Like last period, St. Cloud scored first, with Reeghan Stevens deflecting a shot from Liz Bell to get the Crush a bit of momentum on the power play. And then, again, it’s Breck responding, somehow beating their 19 seconds in the second period with a 14-second response between a Crush goal and another of their own. This time, it’s Mustangs sophomore forward Mackenna Schlieman getting her 22nd goal of the season.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

End of 2nd period: Breck 5, St. Cloud 1

If Breck’s young skaters had any pregame jitters before this quarterfinal, they’d long been worked out on the ice midway through the second period. The Mustangs are one period from booking their ticket to the Class 1A semis, where they would face the winner of the day’s final quarterfinal, No. 3 Blake vs. No. 6 Mankato East, which should begin at 8 p.m.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2nd period: Breck 5, St. Cloud 1

Between Jordan Bovy’s pads and some clutch defending from St. Cloud freshman defender Erynn O’Hara, the Crush held off Breck again until Mustangs freshman forward Stella Strothman made the extra pass at the edge of the crease, popping the puck over to senior forward Madison Dovenberg for a tap-in. Breck is outshooting the Crush 33-6. It’s tough to hold off this many fast skaters.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2nd period: Breck 4, St. Cloud 1

A great response from St. Cloud to start the second period. Breck with three quick shots, but it’s the Crush finding the back of the net first. Whose else but senior defender Reese Ruska, carrying the puck up the left boards from the blue line? Her long-range chance took a strange bounce off the pads of Breck goalie Clara Milinkovich and in for Ruska’s 25th goal of the year.

But Breck responded quickly: first, 19 seconds later, with freshman forward Stella Strothman tidying up a rebound, then, sophomore forward Taylor Hall getting her second of the game moments later. Just when it seemed like the Crush could close in on the Mustangs’ lead, Breck doubled down.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

End of 1st period: Breck 2, St. Cloud 0

Man, what a first period from Breck sophomore defender Aleah La Fleur. Again, she’s all over the ice, this time on a late power play, carrying the puck into the zone and through the right faceoff circle before delivering a drop pass to sophomore forward Taylor Hall, who puts it away with 48 seconds to go in the period. La Fleur and All-Minnesota sophomore defender Alexis Ulrich have looked dangerous early, adding attacking depth to a crew of already-formidable Mustangs forwards.

St. Cloud nearly entered the first intermission only trailing one, despite a 15-2 Breck advantage in shots. St. Cloud junior goalie Jordan Bovy has come up with a few big saves — perhaps the toughest sliding across the crease for a back-door stop on Hall, then a pad save on a Breck power play late in the period.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

1st period: Breck 1, St. Cloud 0

Mustangs sophomore defender Aleah La Fleur picked up a loose puck and carried it into the offensive zone and then the left faceoff circle before lifting a shot top shelf past St. Cloud junior goaltender Jordan Bovy for her 13th goal of the year. Breck has shots 5-0 in its favor just under halfway through the first period.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

1st period: St. Cloud 0, Breck 0

The puck has dropped on our third Class 1A quarterfinal of the day! Major kudos to the fans, especially those in blue and orange making the trek down from St. Cloud, who pushed through the wintry weather to make it to Grand Casino Arena today.

One more player to keep an eye on is the Crush’s second-leading scorer, eighth-grader Reeghan Stevens. Like St. Cloud leading scorer Reese Ruska, Stevens is listed as a defender, but that hasn’t stopped Stevens from getting involved offensively, scoring 17 goals and recording 15 assists.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

Pregame: St. Cloud vs. Breck

You’d be hard pressed to find a girls hockey team in Minnesota that’s had both as high highs and as low lows as Breck in the past decade.

The Mustangs won three Class 1A titles from 2018-2020, then had a coaching change in the middle of the following season. Three-time U.S. Olympian Tricia Luoma was, at that point, coaching youth hockey with Breck alum Anna Zumwinkle, whose younger sister Emily was still on the team. (You might recognize that last name — sister Grace, also a Breck alum, is currently a Frost forward playing for the formidable U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team. Emily skates for the PWHL’s new Seattle team.)

Luoma got connected to the Mustangs, who needed a coach. Anna is one of her assistants now, too. Luoma took over midway through the season and oversaw a rebuild that started with a 3-20-1 record in 2021-22.

That rebuilding era spawned an especially strong sophomore class, which includes five of its six leading scorers. Breck is backstopped in net by standout freshman goaltender Clara Milinkovich and has beaten or tied everyone on its schedule besides Warroad, the top seed in Class 1A.

The Mustangs take on No. 7 St. Cloud Crush (18-9-0), which is a newcomer to the state tournament stage. The Crush, just two years removed from a seven-win season, hadn’t won a playoff game in eight years ahead of their Section 6 tournament. But the co-operative team of St. Cloud Apollo, Tech and Cathedral made history by knocking off Fergus Falls, 5-2, in their section championship.

Senior Reese Ruska, in her second season on the team, may skate on the blue line, but that doesn’t stop her from leading the Crush in both goals (24) and assists (19). Junior goaltender Jordan Bovy, with a .944 save percentage, will be needed against the high-scoring Mustangs.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

Dodge County skates closer to defending 1A title

Dodge County is accustomed to the bright lights of Grand Casino Arena, formerly called Xcel Energy Center. The team won the 2025 1A title and came in second place the year prior.

For first-year starting goalie Faith Humphrey, the task of catching flying pucks inside the arena to save her team being eliminated from this year’s tournament could have been daunting. Instead, the junior’s excitement outweighed any nerves — even after Proctor/Hermantown shot 26 pucks toward her during Dodge County’s 3-2 overtime win in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.

“I’ve been playing hockey all my life,” Humphrey said after the game. “It’s my first state tournament. Obviously I’m always going to be a little nervous about this, but I’m just super excited. I did need a few shots just to get into it, but I think I found the rhythm.”

The Wildcats started the game with an advantage: up 2-0 in the second period. But that lead soon fell away as Proctor/Hermantown evened the score with eight seconds left in the period. Humphrey anticipated a shot into the right side of the net while Mirage senior forward Grace Nichols passed it low and slow into the wide-open left space.

But the stand-off didn’t deter the Wildcats, especially with Humphrey, boasting a .908 save percentage, in net.

“We just told her, it’s her time to shine and take over. And she did,” head coach Jeremy Gunderson said. “She’s ready to lead us to a championship.”

In a constant back-and-forth in the third period leading to a similar overtime, Humphrey was able to hold off any advances.

“Faith saved our butts,” captain Kylie Meyer said. “It was very stressful, but we figured it out.”

Dodge County will take on Warroad in the semifinals on Friday, Feb. 20 at 11 a.m.

— Olivia Hicks

Final: Dodge County 3, Proctor/Hermantown 2

With just over a minute left in overtime, sophomore forward Daisy Harens completed a nifty backhanded pass in front of the Mirage net where junior forward Taryn Wernecke dumped it into the net.

The Wildcats will face Warroad in the semifinals.

— Olivia Hicks

End of 3rd period: Dodge County 2, Proctor/Hermantown 2

With neither the Mirage or Wildcats able to change the score to 3-2, we’re into overtime.

Both teams traded shots as the third period ticked down. Mirage junior defender Elise Eckstrom’s shot with six minutes on the clock was immediately mirrored by Wildcat freshman forward Maren Hodgman’s attempt at changing the scoreboard.

The Mirage swarmed the Wildcat net but senior forward Mya Gunderson wasn’t able to get past goalie Faith Humphrey’s fast hands.

— Olivia Hicks

3rd period: Dodge County 2, Proctor/Hermantown 2

Tensions are high here at Grand Casino Arena as the Mirage and Wildcats remain locked in a 2-2 standoff. Grace Nichols and Maysie Koch, both goal scorers in this quarterfinal game, faced off with Nichols winning the puck for Proctor/Hermantown as the third period began.

Dodge County tried to reclaim its advantage when senior defender Alexa Van Straaten fired a shot towards the Mirage net. Taylee Manion’s attempt to bring Proctor/Hermantown an advantage fell short.

The game continues to be a low-shot back-and-forth event with 15-14 shots on goal favoring Dodge County with eight minutes to go.

— Olivia Hicks

End of 2nd period: Dodge County 2, Proctor/Hermantown 2

With eight seconds left in the period, the Mirage tied the game. Grace Nichols completed her 11th goal of the season after fellow senior forward Mya Gunderson passed her the puck on the faceoff. As Wildcat goaltender Faith Humphrey dove to the right side of the net, Nichols tapped a low shot into an empty bottom left pocket of space.

Proctor/Hermantown continues to outshoot Dodge County 13-11. It’s anyone’s game going into the 3rd period.

— Olivia Hicks

2nd period: Dodge County 2, Proctor/Hermantown 1

The Mirage showed up when it mattered most with 6:33 left on the clock. Senior forward and assistant captain Peighton Paulson wrapped the puck around the right side of the Wildcat’s net after sophomore defender Taylee Manion’s shot went just wide.

The shot marked Paulson’s sixth goal of the season and gave Proctor/Hermantown a 12-8 edge for shots on goal.

— Olivia Hicks

2nd period: Dodge County 2, Proctor/Hermantown 0

It’s 2-0 for the Wildcats. Sophomore forward Daisy Harens found the back of the Mirage net with freshman forward Maren Hodgman and junior forward Taryn Wernecke recording one assist each. The goal marked Harens’ 14th goal of the season and “Free Bird” blared through the arena speakers.

It remains a low-shot quarterfinal game. Proctor/Hermantown is outshooting Dodge County 8-7 so far this period (at the midpoint).

The Dodge County student section sure is enjoying a Wildcat scoreboard advantage as the neon construction and cowboy costume-clad supporters jump to their feet to catch a stray puck. Proctor-Hermantown may boast six consecutive trips to state, but 2026 only marks Dodge County’s third trip to state in school history.

— Olivia Hicks

End of 1st period: Dodge County 1, Proctor/Hermantown 0

Both the Mirage and the Wildcats had their chances but failed to find an advantage on the penalty kill. Proctor/Hermantown senior forward Grace Nichols was hit with a roughing call and Dodge County senior defender Alexa Van Straaten sat in the box for high sticking.

Despite the Wildcats leading the game 1-0, both teams have only racked up four shots on goal. The Mirage’s best chance came when junior forward Avery Milbridge delivered an even-strength right-hander.

— Olivia Hicks

Tourney experience wises up and fires up Warriors

Warroad and Luverne had something in common entering Wednesday’s first quarterfinal: a history of recent state tournament appearances.

Wednesday marked 11 in a row for Warroad while Luverne recorded its sixth trip in the past decade.

Both teams’ players had some advice for state newcomers — take notes.

After Warroad eighth-grade defender Elle Hardwick scored her first varsity goal in the quarterfinal, and freshman forward Olivia Anthony pushed her season’s goal haul to 23-goal, senior forward Taylor Reese and junior forward Jaylie French thought about what sort of advice they told the Warriors’ younger crew, and what they wanted to know ahead of their first state tournament.

“I think ‘the X’ has some bouncy boards,” said Reese. (That doesn’t change, seemingly, even with the arena’s name switch from ‘the X’ to ‘Grand Casino Arena.’)

The ice is different, noted French. In Warroad, they play on an Olympic-size sheet. Is it better, up there? “I like it better,” she laughed.

Said Reese: “The bright lights, it’s a big stage, [it’s about] not getting too nervous and just keeping the game simple.”

Luverne senior goaltender Emma Saarloos ended her 39-save performance with the advice of, “Just take it all in. You get to do it, how many times in your career?”

State tournament experience doesn’t just give the Warriors wisdom. It also gives them some extra motivation, based on how last year played out: a championship game 4-3 overtime loss to Dodge County, who Warroad could face in the semifinals.

“I want to play Dodge County,” Reese said. “I think we owe it to them. Last year … bad memories. So I want to give it to give it to them a little bit, make them feel it like how we felt it last year.”

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

1st period: Dodge County 1, Proctor/Hermantown 0

The Wildcats opened up scoring with 13:55 left in the first period. Senior defender Kylie Meyer fed a pass to junior forward and top scorer Maysie Koch. The St. Thomas commit slipped the puck past Proctor/Hermantown goalie Suri Langley.

The Mirage had their best shot earlier in the period when sophomore forward Ella Kaups skated right in front of the Dodge County net and attempted to slip it in to no avail.

— Olivia Hicks

Pregame: Proctor/Hermantown vs. Dodge County

With the first 1A quarterfinal game wrapped up, where Warroad recorded a 5-1 win over Luverne, we’re onto the second quarterfinal of the day.

No. 4 seed Dodge County (20-6-1) is about to face off against No. 5 seed Proctor/Hermantown (18-6-2). The Wildcats will be tough to hold off, being the defending Class 1A state champs with leading scorer and St. Thomas commit Maysie Koch attempting a repeat. But the Mirage are sure to put up a fight with six consecutive state tourney trips and under-18 U.S. National Team player Taylee Manion in their arsenal.

Stay tuned for puck drop just after 1 p.m.

— Olivia Hicks

Final: Warroad 5, Luverne 1

Warroad moved one step closer to their fifth consecutive state championship game and will face the winner of No. 4 Dodge County vs No. 5 Proctor/Hermantown in Friday’s semifinals.

The Warriors finished with three power play goals, and a goal and assist each for junior Dartmouth-bound forward Jaylie French and freshman forward Olivia Anthony. Senior forward Taylor Reese was another difference maker, keeping the Cardinals from getting out of their d-zone and getting on the scoresheet herself.

Luverne sophomore forward Elle Van Batavia ended an impressive season by netting her 43rd goal, while senior goaltender Emma Saarloos finished with 39 saves as the Warriors outshot the Cardinals 44-15.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

3rd period: Warroad 5, Luverne 1

Some nice forecheck pressure from senior forward Taylor Reese gave the Warriors the puck in their offensive zone, resulting in a goal from junior forward and Dartmouth commit Jaylie French popping through, her 19th of the season. The Warriors have just under 14 minutes to see this one out to the semis.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

End of 2nd period: Warroad 4, Luverne 1

The Cardinals got a much-needed boost of momentum with 42 seconds to play in the second period, with sophomore forward Elle Van Batavia netting her team-high 43rd goal of the year on a long-range chance that snuck through netfront traffic.

Warroad senior defender Vivienne Marcowka, an Assumption commit, answered before the end of the period with a goal of her own, in 4-on-4 play after a late Cardinals penalty.

Warroad is outshooting Luverne 32-9.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2nd period: Warroad 3, Luverne 0

It seems like once the Warriors get rolling, they get rolling. They scored again, with Olivia Anthony feeding eighth-grade defender Elle Hardwick for a nice shot tucked in from a near angle. Good timing for Hardwick’s first goal of the season.

Warroad battled East Grand Forks 1-0 in its section championship until four third-period goals put the Warriors ahead 5-0. Do the floodgates open for the Warriors now?

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

2nd period: Warroad 2, Luverne 0

Not even two minutes into the second period and five seconds into a power play, an offensive zone faceoff win teed up junior forward Jaylie French for a shot from deep, which senior forward Taylor Reese deflected into the Luverne net for her 19th goal of the season.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

End of 1st period: Warroad 1, Luverne 0

Olivia Anthony’s goal stands at the difference for now. Each team killed one penalty, and Luverne was halfway through killing another penalty as the first period came to an end. While the Warriors are outshooting the Cardinals 14-3, Luverne had a couple of close chances on its late power play, finding junior defender Macie Edstrom at the edge of the crease, forcing Warroad senior goaltender Payton Rolli into her first big save of the morning.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

1st period: Warroad 1, Luverne 0

The Cardinals had just killed off a Warriors penalty when Warroad junior forward Karlee Kalbrener and freshman forward Olivia Anthony sprung a rush into the offensive zone. Kalbrener, cutting in from the boards to the top of the right faceoff circle, dished a pass across net to Anthony who wouldn’t miss from close-range with just under nine minutes to play in the first period.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

1st period: Luverne 0, Warroad 0

Puck drop: We’re underway! Some of this week’s most dedicated fans have settled into the lower bowl of Grand Casino Arena. These two teams had the furthest to travel of any in the Class 1A tournament: three-and-a-half hours for Luverne, nearly six hours for Warroad.

Warroad has a deep forward group, and in it, there’s one player to keep an eye on who you might not have noticed in the Warriors’ title game last year — and you definitely wouldn’t have noticed in the three before that, since she’s only a freshman now. That’s forward Olivia Anthony. As an eighth grader, Anthony tallied four goals and 11 assists. This season, she’s become one of the Warriors most impactful forwards, with 22 goals and 24 assists, good for second on the team with 46 points.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer

Pregame: No. 8 Luverne vs. No. 1 Warroad

If the Olympics aren’t giving you enough tournament hockey, you’ve come to the right place. Today at Grand Casino Arena in St. Paul, we’ve got the Class 1A girls hockey state quarterfinals, with the first of four puck drops at 11 a.m. between No. 1 seed Warroad and No. 8 Luverne.

Warroad (21-5-1) is looking to win its fourth state title in five years after losing in overtime to Dodge County in last year’s championship game. The Warriors return plenty of talent from that team, including senior All-Minnesota goaltender and Gophers commit Payton Rolli and their leading scorer, junior Dartmouth commit Jaylie French, among others. Warroad hasn’t lost to a Class 1A opponent all season, and with the program’s 17th trip to state, they tie the all-time record set by South St. Paul.

In order to clinch the program’s seventh trip to state, No. 8 Luverne (19-9-0) shocked Marshall, the top seed in their Section 3 playoff bracket, after losing to the Tigers three times in the regular season. Senior forward Ella Apel scored the section title game-winner, while sophomore forward Ella Van Batavia has put up a staggering 42 goals for the Cardinals. They’ll have a tough foe in battle-test Warroad.

Five of the teams in this year’s Class 1A tournament field (Dodge County, Warroad, Proctor/Hermantown, Breck and Blake) account for all but one of the Class 1A titles won since 2009. Thief River Falls is the only exception, having won the 2016 small-school title.

— Cassidy Hettesheimer