Minnesota Peewee & Bantam AA State Tourney Fields Set After Weekend of Regional Championship Play
Youth hockey teams across the State of Hockey competed in Region Tournaments the weekend of Feb. 27 - March 1. There were 37 tournaments played at 32 locations throughout Minnesota, but we zeroed on on the Peewee and Bantam AA levels we have been covering throughout the year.
As with other age groups and levels, Peewee and Bantam AA teams competed at various venues for spots in the Minnesota State Tournament March 13-15. The Bantam Minnesota AA Tournament is being held at Scheels Athletic Complex in Sartell. All Season Arena in Mankato is hosting the Peewee AA State Tournament.
CLICK HERE for Minnesota State Tournament information for all age groups.
CLICK HERE for Minnesota District Tournament information for all age groups.
Bantam and Peewee AA Region Tournaments are separated into three divisions (regions) – Olympic, American and National. Bantam AA tournaments were being held in Silver Bay (Olympic), Stillwater (American) and Anoka (National). The Peewee tourneys were in East Grand Forks (Olympic), Prior Lake (American) and Princeton (National).
Region Tournament play began Friday, Feb. 27, and concluded with championship and consolation games Sunday morning and afternoon. Eight teams competed in each region for the right to advance to the State Tournament. Two teams from the Olympic Region advanced as did three from the National Region and three from the American Region.
All Minesota Bantam and Peewee AA Region Tournament games can be viewed on-demand via LiveBarn.
Minnesota Bantam AA Region Tournaments
There were 24 total teams competing across the three regional tournaments for eight spots in the Minnesota State AA Tournament.
There were two top 10 teams, according to the MHR Week 23 Minn-Kota Rankings, competing in the Bantam AA Olympic Division. Four teams were ranked among the top 17 and five were in the top 26. Two teams advamced to the State Tournament and met for the region championship.
Predictably, No. 2 Moorhead and fourth-ranked East Grand Forks advanced to Sunday’s championship game. Moorhead knocked off No. 37 Rochester and No. 34 Blaine to reach the finals, while East Grand Forks handled No. 26 Cottage Grove and No. 14 Duluth East.
The title tilt was played Sunday morning at Rukavina Arena in Silver Bay.
The Bantam AA Olympic Region included the following teams:
Week 23 Minn-Kota Rankings
#2 Moorhead Spuds
#4 East Grand Forks
#14 Duluth East Greyhounds
#17 Grand Rapids
#26 Cottage Grove Wolfpack
#33 Brainerd Warriors
#34 Blaine Bengals
#37 Rochester Mustangs
Olympic Region Bantam AA Championship Game
Moorhead 7, East Grand Forks 0
Moorhead opened the game with two first-period goals before scoring four more times in the middle frame to cruise to victory. Brody Elliot and Cameron Coulter each tallied twice, while Andrew Frisch dished out three assists and Owen Kraft contributed a pair of helpers. Goalie Tarq Anderson stopped all 30 shots he faced to record the shutout win.
CLICK HERE for the Bantam AA Olympic Bracket
CLICK HERE for access to Bantam AA Olympic scores, stats and standings
It was a challenging road in the Bantam AA National Region as four teams in the Week 23 Minn-Kota top 11 were among the eight fighting to earn a trip to the State Tournament. The group also featured the Nos. 22 and 23 teams.
In the championship bracket, surprising 23rd-ranked St. Michael-Albertville advanced all the way to Sunday morning’s title clash at Anoka Arena against No. 1 Minnetonka. Both teams secured spots in the State Tournament.
STMA knocked off No. 11 Chaska-Chanhassen and No. 29 Eagan to get to the finals. Minnetonka took care of No. 15 Centennial and beat sixth-ranked Andover, 4-3, in overtime.
On the consolation side, Andover faced No. 9 Stillwater, with the winner advancing to the State Tournament.
The Bantam AA National Region included the following teams:
Week 23 Minn-Kota Rankings
#1 Minnetonka Skippers
#6 Andover Huskies
#9 Stillwater Ponies
#11 Chaska-Chanhassen Stormhawks
#15 Centennial Cougars
#22 White Bear Lake Bears
#23 St. Michael-Albertville Knights
#29 Eagan Wildcats
National Region Bantam AA Championship Game
Minnetonka 4, St. Michael-Albertville 1
Minnetonka exploded for four second-period goals in this one and cruised through the third period to earn the Natioal Region title. The Skippers piled up a 30-17 shots advantage to end STMA's Cinderella run. Four different players scored for Minnetonka: Dean Stevens, Colton Nash, Hayden Rose and Leyton Dewing. Stevens added a pair of assists, with Jack Breen also dishing out two helpers and Dewing adding an assist to go along with his goal. Winning goalie Leo Johnson made 16 saves.
National Region Bantam AA Consolation Game
Andover 6, Stillwater 5
In most tournaments the consolation or third-place game doesn't carry much meaning, but that wasn't the case Sunday in Minnesota as State Tournament berths were at stake in two regions at each age level. Andover earned the third National Region Bantam AA State Tournament berth by scoring three straight goals in an eight-minute span of the second period to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead. Two more third-period markers sealed the deal after Luka Vanek scored to cut the margin to one entering the final frame. Chase Berlin led the offensive charge for the winners with a goal and three assists, while Blake Nelson tallied twice and Wyatt Hargadine added a goal and two helpers. Winning goalie Logan Durkop made 32 saves. Jackson Dorff scored twice for Stillwater, with Brody Peterson, Luka Vanek and Kade Vanek adding two points apiece.
CLICK HERE for the Bantam AA National Bracket
CLICK HERE for access to Bantam AA National scores, stats and standings
Fortunately given the level of competition, three State Tournament berths were up for grabs in the Bantam AA American Region. The American included four top eight teams, according to the Week 23 MHR Minn-Kota Rankings, and five that were ranked among the top 20.
Seventh-ranked Spring Lake-Coon Rapids opened play with a minor upset of No. 3 Woodbury by a 3-2 margin before beating fifth-ranked Osseo-Maple Grove, 3-1, to advance to Sunday morning’s championship game at St. Croix Valley Recreation Center against No. 8 Prior Lake-Savage. PLS beat No. 32 Rosemount and No. 20 Mahtomedi to earn the trip to the title game.
Woodbury took on Osseo-Maple Grove in the consolation final Sunday with the third state tourney bid on the line.
The Bantam AA American Region included the following teams:
Week 23 Minn-Kota Rankings
#5 Osseo-Maple Grove
#3 Woodbury Predators
#8 Prior Lake-Savage Lakers
#7 Spring Lake-Coon Rapids
#20 Mahtomedi Zephyrs
#28 Sartell Sabres
#32 Rosemount Irish
#36 Farmington Tigers
American Region Bantam AA Championship Game
Spring Lake-Coon Rapids 4, Prior-Lake Savage 2
SLCR led for most of the game after Nathan Cummings opened the scoring int the first period, but PLS surged to the lead with 8:47 left in the game on goals by Jakob Brodin and Joseph Volp in the final frame. That's when SLCR found something within that only champions have, scoring three times in the final 7:26 to steal the American Region title. Cy Larson scored twice during the deciding run, with Carsen Vik adding the game-winning goal with 2:08 left. Ivan Cruitt was the big hero, turning aside 35 shots to carry SLCR to victory.
Woodbury 5, Osseo-Maple Grove 2
Woodbury scored the game's first three goals overlapping the first and second periods and held off a third-period surge for the 5-2 victory to secure the American Region's final State Tournament bid. Charles Pohl was the offensive star for the Predators, recording a hat trick, while James Miller also contributed multiple points with a goal and an assist. Tyeson Salscheider notched the other Woodbury goal, while winning netminder Jacob Sebahar stopped 27 shots. Blake Schneider and William Sivongsay scored for OMGHA.
CLICK HERE for the Bantam AA American Bracket
CLICK HERE for access to Bantam AA American scores, stats and standings
Minnesota Peewee AA Region Tournaments
Just like at the Bantam AA level, there were 24 total teams competing in three regional tournaments around the state for eight spots in the Minnesota State Peewee AA Tournament.
Two Week 23 top 10 teams battled it out in the Peewee AA Olympic Region, which also featured a total of five teams ranked among the MHR Minn-Kota top 19. Second-ranked Moorhead and No. 14 East Grand Forks weathered the storm to advance to Sunday morning’s championship game at East Grand Forks Civic Center.
Both teams earned trips to the Minnesota Peewee AA State Tournament for their efforts. Moorhead outscored No. 23 Grand Rapids and No. 13 Bloomington-Jefferson by a combined 14-5 margin to advance to the title showdown. East Grand Forks beat No. 10 Prior Lake-Savage, 5-4, in overtime to survive and advance to the semifinals, a 3-0 victory against No. 19 Duluth East.
The Peewee AA Olympic Region included the following teams:
Week 23 Minn-Kota Rankings
#6 Moorhead Spuds
#10 Prior Lake-Savage Lakers
#13 Bloomington-Jefferson Jaguars
#14 East Grand Forks
#19 Duluth East Greyhounds
#23 Grand Rapids Thunderhawks
#38 Brainerd Warriors
#40 Lakeville North
Olympic Region Peewee AA Championship Game
East Grand Forks 2, Moorhead 1 (OT)
East Grand Forks pulled off the upset and captured the Olympic Peewee AA title when Henrik Mack scored with 7:26 left in overtime. Hudson Johnson and McCoy Stauss assisted on the game-winning goal after the teams traded scores in the opening two periods and played a scorless third. Ezra Riskey opened the scoring for East Grand Forks in the opening frame, and Reminigton Olson tied the it in the middle stanza. Willing goalie Elliott Foster stopped 21 shots to outduel Levin Vandevelde (16 saves).
CLICK HERE for the Peewee AA Olympic Bracket
CLICK HERE for access to Peewee AA Olympic scores, stats and standings
Five teams in the MHR Week 23 Minn-Kota top 16 competed in the Peewee AA National Region for three State Tournament berths. After most of the dust had settled, fifth-ranked Woodbury was facing third-ranked Minnetonka in Sunday morning’s championship game.
Woodbury handled No. 11 White Bear Lake, 5-3, in the semifinals, while Minnetonka beat No. 29 Mahtomedi, 5-1. It took a 3-2 overtime victory against No. 7 Andover on the first day for Minnetonka to get to the semis. Woodbury took care of No. 22 Elk River, 9-2, in its opener.
Both of those teams advanced to the State Tournament. Meanwhile, Elk River and Andover faced off Sunday afternoon in the consolation round for the third National Region spot at States.
The Peewee AA National Region includes the following teams:
Week 23 Minn-Kota Rankings
#3 Minnetonka Skippers
#5 Woodbury Predators
#7 Andover Huskies
#11 White Bear Lake Bears
#16 Rosemount Irish
#22 Elk River Elks
#29 Mahtomedi Zephyrs
#41 Buffalo Bison
National Region Peewee AA Championship Game
Woodbury 4, Minnetonka 0
Four different Woodbury players scored while goalie Tobias Wojciak stopped all 29 shots he faced as the Predators captured the Peewee National Region championship. Braden Boomer, Asher Van Liere, Porter Engelhardt and Bjorn Newman scored for the winners.
National Region Peewee AA Consolation Game
Andover 8, Elk River 3
Andover scored four times overlapping the first and second periods to take a 4-0 lead and added three third-period markers after Elk River had cut the margin to 5-3 to earn a trip to the State Tournament. Luke Talbot (three goals, two assists) and Christian French (four goals, one assist) led the offensive onlslaught with five points apiece. Raymond Gerlach scored the other goal and added an assist, while winning goalie Logan McCann stopped 42 shots. Owen Plude had two goals and an assist for the Elks.
CLICK HERE for the Peewee AA National Bracket
CLICK HERE for access to Peewee AA National scores, stats and standings
If we were to select a Group of Death from the Minnesota Peewee Region Tournaments, it would have to be the American Region. The American Region included three of the top four teams in the Week 23 MHR Minn-Kota Rankings, four of the top 10 and six of the top 17. The group did prove to be deadly for top-ranked Osseo-Maple Grove, which fell to No. 4 Chaska-Chanhassen, 7-3, in the semifinals.
Meanwhile, second-ranked Edina beat 17th-ranked Centennial, 5-2, in the other semi after knocking off 12th-ranked Cottage Grove, 8-2, in the opening round. Chaska-Chanhassen hammered No. 9 Hastings, 9-3, in its first game and faced Edina in Sunday morning’s championship game at Dakotah Ice Center. Both teams earned spots in the State Tournament.
Osseo-Maple Grove and Centennial played in the consolation game, with the winner also advancing to the State Tournament.
The Peewee AA American Region includes the following teams:
Week 23 Minn-Kota Rankings
#1 Osseo-Maple Grove
#2 Edina Hornets
#4 Chaska-Chanhassen Stormhawks
#9 Hastings Raiders
#12 Cottage Grove
#17 Centennial Cougars
#24 Stillwater Ponies
#39 St. Cloud
American Region Peewee AA Championship Game
Edina 7, Chaska-Chanhassen 4
The American Region Peewee title game appeared destined for an epic finish with one goal separating the two teams entering the final period, but the conclusion was only epic for one side. Edina scored four times in the third period to break open a tight game and steal the American Region crown. Jack Allgood scored twice during the decisive spree to record a hat trick while also assisting on Henrick Morrell's marker. Chase Williamson had a goal and an two assists, with Charles Hansen adding a goal and an assist for Edina. Connor Kemp and Bennett Travis eached dished out a pair of helpers for the winners, while winning goalie Savannah Young stopped 24 shots. Enzo Giannetti notched a hat trick of his own for Chaska-Chanhassen, with Colton Clark contributing three assists.
American Region Peewee AA Consolation Game
Osseo-Maple Grove 8, Centennial 4
Offense was the name of the game in the American Region on Sunday as the championship and consolation winners combined for 15 goals. After the teams played to a 1-1 draw through the first period in the consolation game, OMGHA exploded for five-second period goals to break it open. Centennial wouldn't go down withouth a fight, however, as the Cougars. scored twice in the thrid period to cut the margin to 6-4 before OMGHA sealed the trip to the State Tournament with a pair of goals in the final 2:38. The winners were led by Vinny DeFazio, who recorded a hat trick and an assist, and Easton Hanson, who finished with 2-2-4. Lincoln Kolin and McCoy O'Leary each contributed a goal and an assist, and Finn Carrithers stopped 22 shots to earn the win in goal.
CLICK HERE for the Peewee AA American Bracket
CLICK HERE for access to Peewee AA American scores, stats and standings
