Predictions for the 2023 Minnesota Class 1A and 2A girls hockey state tournament

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Orono girls hockey defeats Holy Angels to reach state tournament

Class 1A Quarterfinals

No. 2 Proctor/Hermantown vs. Mankato East – 2/22 at 11 a.m.

Proctor/Hermantown had a difficult schedule this season, playing multiple Class 2A teams and having relative success against higher class teams. The Mirage defeated a solid Duluth Marshall team last week, 5-4, to get to this point. 

The Mirage have defeated teams such as Gentry Academy and Lakeville North, and they hung with Warroad earlier in the season. All those teams are still alive in the Class 1A and Class 2A playoffs.

Mankato East is on a six-game winning streak coming into the tournament, and it defeated Waconia and Hutchinson in its last two games to get to the playoffs. The Cougars have had a much easier schedule this season, but they also hung with Duluth Marshall earlier in the season.

Proctor/Hermantown is much more battle tested than Mankato East due to its difficult schedule, and that experience should help propel it to the next round of the playoffs.

Prediction: Proctor/Hermantown 4, Mankato East 2

No. 3 Orono vs. Luverne – 2/22 at 1 p.m.

Orono and Luverne match up in the matinee game in the Class 1A quarterfinals.

Orono comes into this one with a 20-3-4 record and are averaging 4.89 goals per game and have only allowed 1.30 goals per game. The Spartans are on a ten-game winning streak coming into the playoffs and defeated two solid teams in Mound Westonka/Southwest Christian and Holy Angels the last two weeks leading up to the tournament.

Luverne is 10-1 in its last eleven games and defeated Windom and New Ulm leading up to the tournament. Luverne is led by senior Minnesota State-Mankato commit Kamryn Van Batavia, who has an impressive 59 goals on the season for the Cardinals.

Orono seems to be primed for a possible run in the tournament, but it will have to fend off a pesky Luverne squad with an elite player to start that run.

Prediction: Orono 5, Luverne 4

No. 1 Warroad vs. Albert Lea – 2/22 at 6 p.m.

Warroad and Albert Lea face off at 6 p.m. opening night of the Class A Quarterfinals.

Warroad comes in ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 1A and have dominated opponents this season. The Warriors sit at 23-3-1 on the season and are averaging nearly seven goals per game. The Warriors also only give up an average of 1.70 goals per game.

Albert Lea comes into this game on a six-game winning streak and upset Dodge County in overtime for the right to play Warroad. The Tigers have averaged a solid 4.81 goals per game and have given up only 1.58 per game on the season.

The Tigers have yet to play a team of Warroad's caliber, and the Warriors should run away with this one without any issues.

Prediction: Warroad 7, Albert Lea 1

No. 4 South St. Paul vs. No. 5 Fergus Falls – 2/22 at 8 p.m.

South St. Paul has won ten out of it past eleven games and are one of the hottest teams in Class 1A. The Bulls defeated the No. 2 overall team in Class 1A, Simley, 4-1 last week to get to the tournament. 

Sophomore defenseman Lily Pachl leads the Bulls in points on the season averaging nearly a full two points per game, and she also leads the team in shots on goal, a rarity coming from the defense position.

Fergus Falls has not lost a game since mid December and another hot Class A team. The Otters had a relatively easy path to the playoffs having defeated Breckenridge-Wahpeton 9-0 and River Lakes 2-1.

Fergus Falls' schedule has been much more forgiving than South St. Paul, and the Bulls seem to be hitting their stride at the most important time of the year.

Prediction: South St. Paul 4, Fergus Falls 1

Class 1A Semifinals

No. 2 Proctor/Hermantown vs. No. 3 Orono -- 2/24 at 11 a.m.

This matchup may be one of the hardest games to predict in the entire tournament. Proctor/Hermantown tied Orono back on December 10 at Orono and had one of the toughest Class 1A schedules out of any team.

Orono is on an undeniable hot streak and have defeated some quality teams this season to earn its spot in the playoffs. Orono pulls the minor upset in this one and heads to the title game.

Prediction: Orono 3, Proctor/Hermantown 2

No. 1 Warroad vs. No. 4 South St. Paul -- 2/24 at 1 p.m.

Warroad and South St. Paul face off in the Class 1A semifinals as a result of their victories over Albert Lea and Fergus Falls.

Warroad is on a path to the state title game, and South St. Paul has not yet played a team of its caliber on the season. South St. Paul struggled in a loss to Hill-Murray earlier in the season and lost to Simley twice before pulling the upset to get to the tournament.

Prediction: Warroad 6, South St. Paul 2

Class 1A Championship

No. 1 Warroad vs. No. 3 Orono -- 2/25 at 4 p.m.

Warroad seems destined for the championship round, and Orono has a great opportunity to run through its side of the bracket to get to the title game. 

Warroad, traditionally the most important team in the state of Minnesota, adds to their championship totals and defeats Orono in the Class A title game.

Prediction: Warroad 5, Orono 2

Class 2A Quarterfinals

No. 2 Andover vs. Rosemount – 2/23 at 11 a.m.

Andover an impressive resume this season and looks to be an easy contender for the state title. The Huskies have won twelve straight games and have had a relatively easy path to the tournament in its last three.

The Huskies have three players averaging more than two points per game on their roster, and they are only giving up a little over one goal per game on the season.

Rosemount had an even easier path than Andover to the tournament, defeating Eagan, Eastview and Cretin-Derham Hall in its last three games. Rosemount has struggled against top teams on its schedule having lost to Centennial/Spring Lake Park 7-2 and Northfield 6-3.

The Irish have yet to face a team of the Huskies caliber on the season, and Andover should win this one easily.

Prediction: Andover 7, Rosemount 1

No. 3 Edina vs. Lakeville North – 2/23 at 1 p.m.

No. 3 Edina is 21-4-2 on the season and has not lost since January 17. The Hornets defeated a solid Benilde-St. Margaret’s team and Blake, the team they last lost to, to get to the quarterfinals. The Hornets goaltending is the key to their success, only giving up 0.85 goals per game. They face a hot Lakeville North team that has won five straight.

Lakeville North has struggled with top teams on its schedule this season, and Edina is likely its toughest test to date. The Panthers give up nearly two goals a game, and it should have issues with the elite goaltending of Edina in this one.

Prediction: Edina 4, Lakeville North 1

No. 1 Minnetonka vs. Centennial/Spring Lake Park – 2/23 at 6 p.m.

Minnetonka and Centennial/Spring Lake Park may be one of the more intriguing first round matchups in the Class 2A tournament.

Minnetonka has only two losses on the season, and the Skippers are averaging 4.89 goals a game and, more impressively, only allowing 0.89 goals per game. 

Ashlyn Hazlett or Layla Hemp could start in goal for Minnetonka, giving them the most impressive goalie tandem in the state. Both goalies combined for thirteen shutouts and a nearly 94 percent save percentage on the year, both ridiculous numbers.

Centennial/Spring Lake Park also has a goalie on a hot streak that will need to step up in order to pull off the massive upset against Minnetonka. Junior goalie Kaitlin Groess played well for the Cougars last week in a 2-1 victory over favored Maple Grove. She saved 29-of-30 shot attempts and nearly single handedly propelled them to victory.

The Skippers may just be on another level in comparison to the Cougars offensively, and their Cinderella run comes to an end in round one of the tournament.

Prediction: Minnetonka 4, Centennial/Spring Lake Park 1

No. 4 Gentry Academy vs. No. 5 Moorhead – 2/23 at 8 p.m.

Gentry Academy ran into some controversy earlier this week as the Star Tribune reported other schools are refusing to schedule the charter school due to concerns with recruiting. The Stars still have had one of the more impressive seasons in the state and sit at 24-2-0 on the season. 

The Stars are 19-1 in their last twenty games and are coming off an impressive victory over a quality Hill-Murray team, 4-1, to get to the tournament.

Moorhead sits at 20-8-0 on the season and defeated a down Roseau team en route to the quarterfinals. The Spuds have struggled with the top teams on their schedule, and at this point in the season, Gentry Academy fits the bill as one of the elite teams in the state. 

Moorhead should be able to hang with Gentry Academy for a while, but the Stars should pull away in this one.

Prediction: Gentry Academy 5, Moorhead 2

Class 2A Semifinals

No. 2 Andover vs. No. 3 Edina -- 2/24 at 6 p.m.

This could easily be the best game of the entire tournament. #2 Andover is one of the more balanced teams in the state and they have an impressive resume with victories over elite teams. The Huskies defeated the Hornets back on December 28th by a score of 2-1. This game should match that level of intensity.

Edina is nearly equally unblemished on the season, but they have struggled in games against lesser teams. They are coming off a recent tie against an average North Wright County team and they were shut out 1-0 against Blake in mid January.

Andover’s consistency and their three headed monster of production will lead them to victory in this one.

Prediction: Andover-3, Edina-2

No. 1 Minnetonka vs. No. 4 Gentry Academy -- 2/24 at 8  p.m.

These teams will face off in the state tournament semifinals, and it should be a fantastic matchup.

Minnetonka has the goaltending to match up with any team in the state, and Gentry Academy has been the hottest team in the state by winning nearly all of its last twenty games. 

The experience and elite goaltending options for the Skippers should push them to the title game.

Prediction: Minnetonka 4, Gentry Academy 2

Class 2A Finals

No. 1 Minnetonka vs. No. 2 Andover -- 2/25 at 7 p.m.

The state championship will feature the Minnetonka Skippers and the Andover Huskies.

Minnetonka has been at the top of the rankings all season in Class 2A, and it has a relatively easy path to the title game. The Skippers will undoubtedly face their toughest test of the season against the hot Huskies and will need their goaltending in this one to win the title.

Andover has the feel of a team of destiny. The Huskies have shut down all their opponents down the stretch and have played some of the best hockey in the entire state this season. 

Minnetonka is not without their issues, but Andover seemingly can exploit the Skippers great defense and goaltending by sharing the puck and continuing to shut down opponents with its own elite goaltending.

The Huskies pull off the upset and win the Class 2A title.

Prediction: Andover 2, Minnetonka 1