2017 STATE CLASS AA GIRLS HOCKEY QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE
GAMES PLAYED AT XCEL ENERGY CENTER IN ST. PAUL
11:00: Roseau vs. Blaine (Seed 2)
1:00: Eastview vs. Hill-Murray (Seed 3)
6:00: Farmington vs. Edina (Seed 1)
8:00: Forest Lake (Seed 5) vs. Eden Prairie (Seed 4)
Examining the Field: Following the first day of Class A quarterfinal play, it's the Class AA teams turn to take the Xcel Energy Center spotlight. Opening up the Class AA quarterfinals is the Roseau Rams, who come off a dramatic Section 8 championship victory from sophomore Ella Helgeson's game winning goal with 1:20 left in the fourth overtime to beat Brainerd/Little Falls. They will go up against the second seeded Blaine Bengals who shut out the Maple Grove Crimson and their goalie duo of Breanna Blesi and Coco Francis 3-0. Both Roseau and Blaine are playing in their fifth state tournament. Can the Rams pull off another dramatic win against the Bengals?
Concluding the afternoon session is the Eastview Lightning and the third seeded Hill-Murray Pioneers. If you haven't seen the Lightning's Natalie Snodgrass in action, it may be your last chance to do so since she will be playing next season at UConn but not for Geno Auriemma's outstanding basketball team that's won 101 straight games. Instead, she will play for head women's hockey coach Chris McKenzie. It's the third straight trip for the Apple Valley based school that has only had one win in its last two trips to state. They will face the powerhouse Pioneers who have won two Class AA titles in the last three years. Last season, Hill-Murray beat Maple Grove in the Class AA third place game. Should they go up against Blaine in the semifinals, it will be a rematch of the January 26 meeting between the two schools that ended in a 4-4 tie. If the match up does come to fruition, who will earn a championship berth?
Now to the evening session as the Farmington Tigers ended the City of Lakeville's nine year monopoly in the Section 1 final to earn their first trip to the X in nine years and their first as a Class AA school since they moved up from Class A. The Tigers will have a tough task ahead in the top seeded and top ranked Edina Hornets. Head coach Sami Reber, who took over from Laura Slominski has led the Hornets into their seventh trip to St. Paul. They have been the number one Class AA team for most of the season, losing only to the Blake Bears and they are led by Grace Bowlby and goalie Anna Goldstein. Can they lead Edina into their first Class AA title game since 2011? They have the talent to win the state title.
Ending the Class AA quarterfinals will be the Forest Lake Rangers and the third seeded and the defending Class AA champion Eden Prairie Eagles. The Rangers beat Elk River/Zimmerman in the Section 7 title game 5-2 and head down I-35 for their fourth trip to state. Forest Lake has gone 0-6 in state tournament play and they go against the Eagles who come off a double overtime win in the Section 2 final against the Minnetonka Skippers 2-1. Eden Prairie is led by Naomi Rogge, Sammie Morton and in the nets Alexa Dobchuk. Going into the state tournament, she has a goals against average of 1.34. It could be an Edina-Eden Prairie semifinal match up for the second straight year that was won by the Eagles 1-0. Who will emerge from a potential All Lake Conference battle?
That's the quarterfinal previews for both classes. There should be some outstanding girls hockey over the next four days in St. Paul.
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