Minnesota Class 1A girls hockey state tournament: Warroad crushes Albert Lea

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ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The No. 1-seed Warroad Warriors defeated the Albert Lea 15-1 in the Class 1A quarterfinal at Xcel Energy Center.

Warroad scored a record-setting 15 goals as they dismantled the Albert Lea Tigers.

Warroad got the scoring started early and often in the first period as the states leading goal scorer Rylee Bartz led off the scoring spree to put the Warriors up 1-0 on a cross-ice pass from senior Kate Johnson. 

Just two minutes later, the Bartz and Johnson combo connected again as Bartz put a shot through the five hole through the Albert Lea goaltender. 

Once again, senior Kate Johnson picking up the assist finding Bartz near the post to get the warriors an early two goal lead. 

“These girls have a tendency to set the tone in the early shifts," Warroad head coach David Marvin said. 

Warroad was not done scoring in the first period as Maggie Skogman got on the board to make the score 3-0 as w\Warroad continued to own the slot. 

Bartz added one more in the first to give herself a first period hat trick as Warroad went into the locker room up 4-0. 

“This was a fun game to play, especially with my awesome teammates, they made it great,” Bartz said.

It was more of the same in the second as Warroad did not take its foot off the gas with seniors Talya Hendrickson and Johnson each getting in the scoring column to make it 6-0 with 12 minutes to go in the second. 

“[Hendrickson] a is a competitor and has been a tremendous leader, and our team is in good hands with her,” Marvin said. 

Albert-Lea got on the board though shortly after as senior Shelby Evans put away a rebound on a shot from the point to give the Tigers a little bit of confidence as they cut into the six-goal Warroad lead. 

“Warroad's a good hockey team," Albert Lea head coach Mark Goskeson said. “It's tough to compete with them and their speed.” 

The momentum Albert-Lea got was short lived as Warroad would come right back down and immediately score three goals in quick succession as Skogman, Johnson, and Abby Chammernick all found the back of the net to make it 9-1 through two periods.

In the third it was Johnson and Skogman each hitting the three goal mark to earn themselves

The second and third Warroad hat tricks on the night. The Warriors would score six goals in the third to make it 15 goals, a state high school hockey record, winning by a final score of 15-1.

Warroad will play the winner of Fergus Falls and South St Paul in the semifinal on February 24 at 1 p.m.