Prep Hockey’s End of Season Report Card (Part 1)
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Edina (26-4-1): A+ Sitting on top of the prep hockey world, Edina clinched its 14th state title thanks to a dominant run in the tourney led by Jackson Nevers Jackson Nevers 6'0" | Forward Edina | 2024 State MN ,…
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Continue ReadingEdina (26-4-1): A+
Sitting on top of the prep hockey world, Edina clinched its 14th state title thanks to a dominant run in the tourney led by Jackson Nevers Jackson Nevers 6'0" | Forward Edina | 2024 State MN , Bobby Cowan Bobby Cowan 5'11" | Forward Edina | 2024 State MN and one unlikely hero. Anchored by Joe Bertram, Edina was at its best when the attack could rifle off some shots, score early, then kill time, a play style that is hard to beat when it’s firing on all cylinders. A five goal second period headlined by a Casey Vandertop hat trick pushed the Hornets out to a 5-2 lead in the first round against Elk River Zimmerman, and from there, it was smooth sailing to the semifinals. Against Grand Rapids, it was a similar story, just a period earlier. Edina scored four goals in 15 minutes, roaring out to a 4-0 lead and, once again, maintaining that lead until the end of the game. The state finals saw them facing Chanhassen, a team that was finally able to stonewall this rapid fire play. Fortunately, junior Robby Hoch was able to rip just his third goal of the season into the back of the net, giving Edina the spark it needed to ignite its attack and eventually hold the state championship trophy high. The Hornets relied on stout defense, excellent play in the net and a relentless attack to win their 14th state title, the culmination of a season of hard work.
St. Cloud Cathedral (26-4-1): A+
The only other team that will earn an ‘A+’ rating to end the season, St. Cloud Cathedral was a force to be reckoned with in Class A that saw only four losses across 31 games, three of which came down to the wire. Aside from these few hiccups though, there was no stopping the Crusaders. Simply put, this team was deep at every position. Forwards John Hirschfeld, Andrew Dwinnell and Joey Gillespie combined for a whopping 220 points on the season. The defense, highlighted by Griffin Strum, was also excellent, allowing just over two goals per game to keep opposing teams constantly playing from behind. In the net, Nick Hansen was arguably the brightest star this team had to offer. He finished the season with a 19-0-1 record, 1.47 Goals Against Average and .936 save percentage, all incredible numbers. Evidently, the Crusaders were stacked on all fronts this season, which was likely a big reason why they had only one game in the tournament come down to one score. Aside from that, it was smooth sailing for St. Cloud Cathedral, who clinched its second state title in school history.
Chanhassen (25-6): A
The titanslayers of Class 2A this year, Chanhassen had a chance to be the first team in Minnesota high school hockey history to win the state tournament in its first ever appearance, and with the way the Storm earned its bid, destiny seemed to be on their side. Facing a undefeated Minnetonka team led by Mr. Hockey himself Hagen Burrows Hagen Burrows 6'1" | Forward Minnetonka | 2024 State MN , Chanhassen was outstanding, clinching a 2-1 win thanks to timely goals by Andy Earl and an excellent performance by one of the most consistent goalies in the game, Kam Hendrickson Kam Hendrickson 6'2" | Goalie Chanhassen | 2024 State MN . Entering the state tournament, the Storm were on many fans’ cards to win it all, and through the first few games, it appeared they might just do it. The first round saw Chanhassen thrash Rochester Century/John Marshall 7-0, and the next round was yet another dominant victory over Cretin Derham-Hall, the eventual third place finisher. Alas, despite an excellent game from Hendrickson and a lone goal from Tyler Smith, Chanhassen was unable to stave off Edina, who won the state title by a score of 2-1. Nonetheless, the Storm had an absolute historic season, and will be celebrated for years to come.
Minnetonka (25-1-2): A
Although Minnetonka could not finish its dream season this year, the Skippers’ season is not one any Minnesota hockey fan will forget anytime soon. Entering the season, the Skippers were the favorite to win state, as evident by the nine division one recruits they had, on top of depth on every end of the ice. To this team’s credit, its top guys did more than enough throughout the season to live up to the hype. With an average margin of victory of about six to one, it was clear the Skippers outclassed just about every team that opposed them on the ice. Minnetonka went undefeated in the regular season, three skaters ended their seasons with over 50 points and Hagen Burrows Hagen Burrows 6'1" | Forward Minnetonka | 2024 State MN finished the season as Mr. Hockey recipient. It was a memorable season to say the least for the Skippers, and considering just how dominant they were throughout the entire year, the ‘A’ grade they receive is more than deserved.
Hermantown (20-9-2): A
Although Hermantown’s regular season was far from dominant, the postseason is what really matters at the end of the day, and this team was one of the closest in the state to clinching a state title. After going 15-8-2 in the regular season, a down year by the Hawks’ lofty standards, it was clear something needed to change in the postseason. Hermantown needed to get back on track, and after dominating International Falls 14-0, it seemed like the Hawks were back in business. The state tournament was thrilling, which included a 7-6 overtime thriller over Mahtomedi, but at the end of the day, Hermantown was dispatched by an excellent St. Cloud Cathedral team. However, plenty of skaters still left their marks on the program. Junior River Freeman led the scoring with 49 points on 22 goals and 27 assists, while Dane Callaway Dane Callaway 5'9" | Goalie Hermantown | 2024 State MN rounded out an excellent prep career with a .933 save percentage and six shutouts on the year. The Hawks may not have been the flashiest of teams on this list, but at the end of the day, they made a state championship, a feat only four teams in the state could say they achieved.