Three Big Takeaways from Day Two of the State Tournament
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Chanhassen is the team to beat. Simply put, the Storm are barreling through everything in their path, and have had the most electrifying postseason of any team remaining thus far. After defeating Minnetonka in what was arguably the biggest upset…
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Continue ReadingChanhassen is the team to beat. Simply put, the Storm are barreling through everything in their path, and have had the most electrifying postseason of any team remaining thus far. After defeating Minnetonka in what was arguably the biggest upset in Minnetonka high school history, Chanhassen was flying high entering the state tournament, and after its most recent first round game against Rochester Century, it is evident this team is firing on all cylinders. Kam Hendrickson Kam Hendrickson 6'2" | Goalie Chanhassen | 2024 State MN is usually the star of the show, but the Chanhassen defense was excellent, allowing only 12 shots all game. As for the offense, Chanhassen scored a whopping seven goals across three periods, an onslaught that allowed everyone to get in on the attack. Caden Lee, Ryan McPartland and Jake Risch all finished with three points a piece, and by the time the final horn sounded, the Storm had a decisive victory and a trip to the state semifinals. The Storm aren’t going anywhere, and their game tonight against Cretin Derhman-Hall should prove to be an excellent bout.
Carter Casey is fresh off the biggest game of his career. The sophomore goalie out of Grand Rapids was nothing short of brilliant in his last game versus White Bear Lake. Entering the game as the underdog, the Thunderhawks needed to play their absolute A-game against a stacked White Bear Lake roster. The Bears are a team that has thrived on excellent defense, headlined by Leo Gabriel, a goalie who boasted an 18-7-1 record and eight shutouts entering the state tournament. Knowing this, Grand Rapids needed stout defensive play and a great game in the net from its young goalie, and Casey delivered. For the first two periods of play, the underclassman allowed no goals on a handful of shots, stonewalling a White Bear attack led by St. Cloud State commit Nolan Roed Nolan Roed 5'11" | Forward White Bear Lake | 2024 State MN . Aside from one goal allowed in the third period, Casey stopped 25 other shots from the Bears, a clutch performance that was much needed considering the defensive battle that was raging on the ice. With only three minutes left in the game, both teams were gridlocked at one goal a piece, but it was Nathan Garski who cemented the game for Grand Rapids. He buried a goal late in the third period, and just like that, Grand Rapids was the 2-1 victor. Casey was a star in his first state tournament, and the sophomore should be a player to watch heading forward.
Cretin Derham-Hall holds the most electrifying win thus far. The Raiders advanced to the state semifinals in dramatic fashion, a double overtime win that was capped off by a game-winning goal by Max Anderson. On the other side of the ice was a red-hot Centennial team, one that had won its first three playoff games by a combined score of 22-3. In other words, this was going to be a dogfight from the start. Initially, the game was all Centennial. The Cougars scored three goals in the first period alone, one by Harper Searles and two more from Andy Earl. Down 3-0 in the first period is about the worst spot a team can start out in, and the Raiders had to make up ground if they wanted to comeback. Fortunately, the Raiders were able to notch a goal at the end of the first period to mitigate the damage. From then on, the Raiders slowly clawed their way back into the game. After one goal in the second period and another in the third, the end of regulation found these two teams tied at 3-3. For the first time all game, the first period of overtime saw neither team score, but in the second period of overtime, Cretin was relentless. The Raiders out shot Centennial 12-2, and after five periods of play, it was Max Anderson who scored his second goal of the game, the game winner that sent Cretin to the state semifinals.