The boys hockey state tournament party gets started Wednesday with the Class A quarterfinals kicking off the festivities in downtown St. Paul.
The entire tournament can be watched on KSTC, Channel 45.
The field
Defending champion East Grand Forks isn’t in this week’s field, and Hibbing/Chisholm is the top seed after emerging from a daunting Section 7A tournament that also featured the likes of Hermantown and Cloquet/Esko/Carlton.
St. Cloud Cathedral, who was last year’s runner up after falling to the Green Wave in overtime, is seeded fifth.
Northern Lakes, St. Cloud Cathedral, Mahtomedi and Hibbing/Chisholm are the four entries in this year’s field returning from last season.
Can Mahtomedi do it again?
The Zephyrs enter the tournament in their usual position – not as a favorite, but a dark horse.
It’s a typical Jeff Poeschl-coached team, one that has balanced scoring – seven Zephyrs have 20-plus points this season, while 14 have cracked double digits – and ever improving.
Mahtomedi again tackled one of the state’s premier schedules, going 1-4 in five games against northern schools, while also playing Minnetonka, the top-seeded team in Class 2A.
Mahtomedi had a tie and a loss each in two battles against conference rivals St. Thomas Academy and Hill-Murray.
In the past two months, the Zephyrs have wins over the tournament’s No. 2 seed, Delano, and fifth-seeded St. Cloud Cathedral, who just happens to be their opponent in Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
The Zephyrs are capable of anything and, in this same time and location each year, tend to deliver some of their best performances.
Best player, best team
Hibbing/Chisholm is the top seed, and it possesses the top player. Forward Tate Swanson is a Mr. Hockey finalist and a points factory.
Last year, Swanson tallied 22 goals and 42 assists. This season, he has 27 goals and 41 assists with at least two games still to play.
Swanson assisted on all three goals in Hibbing/Chisholm’s 3-2 overtime victory over Cloquet/Esko/Carlton in last week’s section final.
Hibbing/Chisholm’s No. 2 leading scorer? Tate’s younger brother, sophomore forward Cole Swanson (28 goals, 32 assists).
Class A schedule
Wednesday’s quarterfinals
No. 1 Hibbing/Chisholm (24-2-2) vs. No. 8 Dodge County (19-8-1), 11 a.m.
No. 4 Mahtomedi (17-9-2) vs. No. 5 St. Cloud Cathedral (17-11), 1 p.m.
No. 2 Delano (22-4-2) vs. No. 7 Mankato West (19-7-2), 6 p.m.
No. 3 Warroad (22-5-1) vs. No. 6 Northern Lakes (17-10-1), 8 p.m.
Friday’s semifinals
Wednesday afternoon semifinal winners, 11 a.m.
Wednesday evening semifinal winners, 1 p.m.
Saturday’s final
Friday afternoon semifinal winners, Noon
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