SLP Orioles Sting Edina Hornets

 The defending Section 6AAAA Champion Edina Hornets came to Derrick Keller Field Monday night and they ran into the outstanding pitching of Miles Jungroth who recorded 11 strikeouts to help lead the St. Louis Park Orioles to a 4-1 win.  

The Orioles would take the lead in the bottom of the second inning when Edina shortstop Peter Sullivan bobbled a ground ball, allowing Danny Montanez to reach first base. Montanez would advance on a single from Cole Denton and cross the plate on Geiber Silva-Gonzalez's single.  

Jungroth would be in control, striking out the side in the second and third innings after beginning the respective innings with base hits.  St. Louis Park would increase their lead in the bottom of the fifth as Josh Middleton led off with a single and Graham Sullivan's RBI triple off the left field fence would score Middleton.  Sullivan headed home as Alex Hokenson reached base on a throwing error by Hornet second baseman Charlie Carlson.  Montanez would drive Hokenson home on an RBI single.  

It looked like Edina would make a comeback in the top of the sixth.  Charlie Strodl's RBI single brought home Mike Simonson to cut the lead to three.  Marty Hirte, pitching in relief of Jungroth, walked Ben Molitor, son of former Twin Paul Molitor to load the bases but pinch hitter Reid Lafrenz grounded out to Montanez at second to end the rally.  

Things would get interesting for the Hornets in the top of the seventh with two outs.  Jack McCoy and Simonson reached base on singles, putting the tying run at the plate as George McIntyre came up.  There would be no tie game as McIntyre flied out to Sullivan in right field to end the game.  

St. Louis Park improved their record to 2-2 and will head to Benilde-St. Margaret's on Tuesday, April 23 at 4:30 PM.  Edina fell to 1-4 and will also return to action on the 23rd as they host the Minnetonka Skippers at 6 PM at Braemar Park.  

The Passing of John Bartz

 He was involved with high school sports for many years as a coach, referee, athletic director and tournament director.  

On April 9, John Bartz passed away at the age of 89.  

Bartz was the athletic director at North St. Paul High School for 16 years before moving within the district to Tartan High School, serving as an assistant principal. 

In 1985, Bartz became an associate director at the Minnesota State High School League.  He served as tournament director for boys and girls hockey, the Prep Bowl and Alpine Skiing.  Bartz was also instrumental in creating adapted athletic opportunities for students with disabilities.  He oversaw adapted athletic tournaments in soccer, floor hockey and softball.  

In addition to his work with the MSHSL, Bartz was a long time hockey official.  He worked 11 state tournaments and was on the ice for seven state championship games.  

Bartz was a pivotal figure in one of the most prestigious high school events in the nation as well as opening the doors for handicapped athletes.  May he rest in peace.

60 Years Ago, Jeopardy Debuts

 Sixty years ago, on March 30, 1964, the first quiz show since the scandals debuted on daytime TV.  It would be the original version of what would be a game show classic Jeopardy. 

The idea came from Merv Griffin's then wife Julann as they were conversing about the absence of quiz shows on TV.  She came up with the idea of giving the contestants the answers.  Merv liked the idea and when they returned to New York after a trip to Michigan, he went to NBC and developed the show.  Network executives felt the show would be too tough but one executive convinced him to but the show.  The man would later become president of NBC, Grant Tinker.  

The show was originally titled What's the Question?  But another NBC executive convinced him that the game needed mor jeopardies.  So it was good bye What's the Question?  Hello Jeopardy.  

As for who would host the show, it would be actor and newscaster Art Fleming.  Fleming also did TV commercials.  The show's announcer would be a familiar voice to game show fans, Don Pardo.  Pardo, an NBC staff announcer was heard on the original version of The Price is Right from 1956 to 1963.  

When Jeopardy debuted on March 30, the show replaced one of the few failures from Mark Goodson and Bill Todman Missing Links, which moved to ABC and got a new host Dick Clark.  As the show became more popular, in September, 1965 Jeopardy moved to the noon timeslot and it would become extremely popular with college students and people on their lunch break.  Even more popular was the Jeopardy home game, which went through 11 editions.  

Though Jeopardy was still popular in the 1970s, it's popularity began to wane when NBC's vice president of daytime programming Lin Bolen moved the show out of it's familiar time period in order to bring more flashier shows to the network.  She moved the show from noon to 10:30 AM in January of 1974 and in July to 1:30 PM.  It was evident that Bolen didn't like Jeopardy because of its older demographics and dated set.  The final blow came on January 3, 1975, when Jeopardy aired it's final show.  There was also a nighttime syndicated version of the show but it only lasted one season.  This version was not shown in the Twin Cities area.  

Jeopardy would return to NBC in October 1978 with Fleming returning as host.  But the game was totally overhauled.  Money amounts increased from $25to $125 in the Jeopardy round and $50 to $250 in Double Jeopardy.  Also, the lowest scoring player after the Jeopardy round was eliminated and the two remaining contestants played Double Jeopardy with the highest scoring contestant playing Super Jeopardy where they could win a minimum of $5000 by getting five correct questions in a row.  This version ran until March 2, 1979 and was replaced by Password Plus.  

Five years later, Jeopardy came back in syndication with Alex Trebek replacing Fleming at the podium.  The show returned to its original format with increased dollar amounts.  After a slow start, the show's ratings skyrocketed when many stations in the Eastern and Pacific time zone aired the show in access time periods, usually paired with Wheel of Fortune.  The show is still going strong to this day with Ken Jennings, the all time leading money winner taking over after Trebek passed away in November 2020.  

Happy 60th anniversary Jeopardy!  

2024 State Girls Basketball Tournament Preview

 Bloggers Note:  This year there will be a new format for state basketball tournament previews.  Instead of writing about the four classes separately, all four classes will be previewed in the same post.  

The 2024 edition of the state high school girls basketball tournament gets underway Wednesday with quarterfinal games at Williams Arena and the Maturi Pavilion on the University of Minnesota campus.  

Leading off will be the Class AAAA quarterfinals and the top three seeds all come from the Lake Conference.  The top seed is the Hopkins Royals, the second seed is the Minnetonka Skippers and the third seed is the defending Class AAAA champion St. Michael-Albertville Knights.  The two non Lake conference team among the top five seeds are the fourth seeded Maple Grove Crimson and the fifth seeded Lakeville North Panthers.  Will it be an All Lake final or will Maple Grove or Lakeville North pull off an upset?  

The good news for the defending Class AAA champion Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights is that they are the top seed.  BSM has not lost a game since Olivia Olson returned from an injury and enters the state tournament on a 21 game winning streak.  They face the Minneapolis Roosevelt Teddies, playing in their first state tournament.  The fifth seeded Stewartville Trojans battle the fourth seeded St. Peters Saints in the second upper bracket game.  In the lower bracket, the second seeded DeLaSalle Islanders are in their 12th tournament and in the hunt for their fifth state title, the first since 2019.  The Rock Ridge Wolverines are playing in their first state tournament but have a tough matchup against the third seeded Alexandria Cardinals.  Cardinal head coach Wendy Kohler joined the 700 win club in the Section 8 Tournament and looks to add three more toward the program's first state title since 1997.

The last two games at each venue are Class AA games.  At The Barn, the Perham Yellowjackets, entering tournament play on a nine game winning streak, face the top seeded Providence Academy Lions, on a quest for a Class AA threepeat.  But stick around for the nightcap as the fifth seeded Crosby-Ironton Rangers, led by sophomore sensation Tori Oehrlein, battle the perennial power under the veteran leadership of Mike Dreier, the New London-Spicer Wildcats.  Over at the Maturi Pavilion, two perennial powers battle as the Rochester Lourdes Eagles face the second seeded Albany Huskies and the Waterville-Elysian-Morristown Buccaneers face the second seeded Minnehaha Academy Redhawks, led by junior guard Addy Mack.  Could there be an All IMAC Class AA final.  

The next day is the Class A quarterfinals at Maturi Pavilion.  The top seeded Goodhue Wildcats head up Highway 52 for the 10th time and face the Mayer Lutheran Crusaders.  Then the SW MN Christian Eagles, who ended Minneota's Section 3 title reign battle the fourth seeded Underwood Rockets.  The Rockets punched their ticket to Minneapolis with a win over the Hancock Owls in the Section 6 final.  Once again, Jeff Buffetta leads the defending Class A champion Mountain Iron-Buhl Rangers to their 14th state tournament and they face the Walker-Hackensack-Akeley Wolves, playing in their first state tournament.  Five towns.  Two teams.  One winner.  Finally, they're celebrating in the towns of Buffalo Lake, Hector and Stewart as the Mustangs make their first appearance in a state tournament since 1977.  Their opponent is the Fosston Greyhounds, returning to the Twin Cities for their first time since 2006.  

There's plenty of outstanding giels high school basketball coming up this weekend.  

St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders Claim Second Class A Title

Let the celebration begin in The Granite City as Andrew Dwinnell scored two goals to lead the St. Loud Cathedral Crusaders to a 3-1 win over the top seeded Hermantown Hawks in the Class A boys hockey championship game Saturday afternoon at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.  

It was the second state title for the Crusaders and first since 2019 in 12 trips to state.  

St. Cloud Cathedral scored the lone first period goal when John Hirschfeld fed Dwinnell at the left point and he fired it into the net.  

Neither team would tally in the second period as St. Cloud Cathedral played solid defense.  The Crusaders would solidify the championship, sending two goals past the goal line.  The first came when Dwinnell received a drop pass from Joey Gillespie and he would score his second goal.  It would be Gillespie who found the net for St. Cloud Cathedral's final goal when he got a centering pass from Hirschfeld and he tapped it in.  There would be no shutout for St. Cloud Cathedral as Hawks head coach Pat Andrews pulled goalie Dane Callaway for a sixth attacker and it would pay dividends as AJ Francisco scored off a pass from Drew Nelson.  But that was all the Twin Ports power could do as the Crusaders held on to claim the Class A title trophy.  

St. Cloud Cathedral concluded the season with a record of 26-4-1 and Hermantown ended their season at 20-9-2.  

Defense was a part of the Crusaders success as they blocked 17 Hawks shots.  

Jake Geiger of Northfield was the recipient of the Herb Brooks Award, which is given to the player who best exemplifies the characteristics of the late coach.  

2024 Class AA State Boys Hockey Tournament Preview

 2024 MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS AA BOYS HOCKEY TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE

                                       (Games played Thursday, March 7 at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul)

11:00:  Rochester Century/JM vs. Chanhassen (Seed 2)

  1:00:  Cretin-Derham Hall vs. Centennial (Seed 3)

  6:00:  Elk River/Zimmerman vs. Edina (Seed 1)

  8:00:  Grand Rapids (Seed 5) vs. White Bear Lake (Seed 4)

Examining the field:  Get ready for a packed house at the X as the Class AA teams head into quarterfinal action.  First up is the Rochester Century/JM Panthers facing the second seeded Chanhassen Storm.  Oh how the mighty have fallen.  In 1977, Rochester John Marshall became the first team from southern Minnesota to win a state title.  But due to low numbers, they merged with Century, in their first state tournament since 2009.  The Panthers enter the state tournament on a six game winning streak that includes a 4-1 win over the Lakeville South Cougars in the Section 1 final.  The Storm make their state tournament debut after stunning the unbeaten Minnetonka Skippers 2-1 in the Section 2 final.  Could Carver County sports fans celebrate a possible state title.  

Closing the afternoon session is the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders facing the third seeded Centennial Cougars.  The Raiders make their third straight and sixth overall trip to the X by beating the St. Thomas Academy Cadets in the Section 3 final.  The Cougars are playing in their fifth state tournament and make their first appearance since 2018.  They have a shot to win their first state championship since 2004.  Can Centennial end their title drought?  

The evening session gets underway as Elk River/Zimmerman, in their first state tournament since 2005 have a tough battle ahead as they face the top seeded Edina Hornets, as green. gold and white clad fans will cheer on the Hornets for the 32nd time.  Elk River/Zimmerman was the fourth seed in Section 8, defeating Moorhead and Buffalo to capture the section title trophy.  Edina is back in the field after they were defeated by Lake Conference rival Minnetonka in last year's state Class AA final.  Is Elk River/Zimmerman for real or will the Hornets begin their quest toward a return trip to Saturday's title game?  

Ending Quarterfinal Thursday is the fifth seeded Grand Rapids Thunderhawks and the fourth seeded White Bear Lake Bears.  The Thunderhawks make their 17th trip down Highway 169 and first since bringing the 2017 Class AA championship trophy up north.  The Bears are back after beating the Hill-Murray Pioneers in the Section 4 final and are in their 19th trip to state and first since 2019.  Get ready for a true orange and black battle to close out a sold out Class AA session.  

2024 Class A State Boys Hockey Tournament Preview

 2024 MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS A BOYS HOCKEY TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE

                             (Games played Wednesday, March 6 at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul)  

11:00:  New Ulm vs. Warroad (Seed 2)

  1:00:  Northfield vs. St. Cloud Cathedral (Seed 3)

  6:00:  Alexandria vs. Hermantown (Seed 1)

  8:00:  Orono (Seed 5) vs. Mahtomedi (Seed 4)

Examining the field:  Opening up the 80th edition of the Minnesota State High School Boys Hockey Tournament as the New Ulm Eagles battle the second seeded Warroad Warriors.  The Eagles beat Marshall in the Section 3 final to advance to their first state tournament since 2019.  They will have their hands full as the Warroad Warriors, last year's Class A runner up are playing in their 25th state tournament. Warroad needed double overtime to beat East Grand Forks in the Section 8 final.  The Warriors are 3-8 in state title games.  Can they advance to number 12?  

Ending the afternoon session is the Northfield Raiders and the third seeded St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders.  Unlike the girls team that advance to the state tournament in Class AA, the boys are in Section 1 and make their second consecutive trip up Highway 3.  The Raiders won five of their last seven regular season games before beating the Dodge County Wildcats in the section final.  There's good news in The Granite City as the St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders head to the X for the 12th time and enter the tournament on a 12 game winning streak.  They have not lost a game since they were defeated by the Hermantown Hawks on January 11.  Could a rematch be possible is they advance to Saturday's title 

The evening session begins with the Alexandria Cardinals making their third straight trip and eighth overall down I-94 to St. Paul.  The Cardinals are 14-2 since they began 2024 on a three game losing streak.  They will have a tough task ahead the top seeded Hermantown Hawks, playing in their 20th state tournament.  Seven of the Hawks eight losses were to Class AA teams.  They are the favorites to take home the Class A title trophy.

Wrapping up the day's festivities is the fifth seeded Orono Spartans and the fourth seeded and defending Class A champion Mahtomedi Zephyrs.  The Spartans are playing in their second straight and 11th overall state tournament.  They will face the fourth seeded and defending champion Mahtomedi Zephyrs, playing in their 15th state tournament.  Following two straight shutouts in Section 4, the Zephyrs beat Southwest Christian/Richfield 3-2 in overtime to keep their title defense alive.  Can the blue and gold add more gold medals?  

Next:  The Class AA preview

2024 Class AAA Girls Basketball Section Preview

 Some really competitive sections comprise the eight Class AAA sections.  Here's how they look.  

Starting with Section 1, there are a couple of red hot teams that are the top two seeds.  They are the top seeded Byron Bears, who bring an eight game winning streak into section play and the second seeded Winona Winhawks, winners of seven straight.  But don't count out the third seeded Stewartville Trojans.  Looks like a three team race.  

It could be a four team race in Section 2 as the top seeded St. Peter Saints rebound from a regular season ending loss to the Byron Bears.  Looking to prevent Saints fans from heading up Highway 169 are the second Marshall Tigers and the third seeded Mankato East Cougars.  Looking to pull the upset is the fourth seeded New Ulm Eagles, on a nine game winning streak.  Can they avenge their two regular season losses to St. Peter and make the section race even more complex?  

In Section 3, the top seeded Minneapolis Roosevelt Teddies are three wins away from becoming the fourth City Conference school to advance to the state tournament.  But standing in their way are the second seeded Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders and the third seeded St. Paul Como Park Cougars.  

The top ranked team in Class AAA is also the top seed in Section 4, the DeLaSalle Islanders.  They enter section play on a 12 game winning streak.  Can they get past the second seeded Mahtomedi Zephyrs and the third seeded Hill-Murray Pioneers?  

Over in Section 5, the top seeded Becker Bulldogs could see their long state tournament run come to an end in the second seeded Monticello Magic.  The Bulldogs swept the regular season series with the Magic.  Could they meet a third time in St. Michael-Albertville on March 7?  

Good news for Benilde-St. Margaret's fans, your Red Knights have overcome an injury to outstanding senior Olivia Olson and clinched the top seed in Section 6.  But the defending Class AAA champions have to get past the second seeded Delano Tigers, whose only loss was in overtime to St. Peter.  Which one of these two teams will head to The Barn?  

Up in the Iron Range, the Rock Ridge Wolverines are the top seed and will need to contend with the second seeded Cloquet Lumberjacks and third seeded Grand Rapids Thunderhawks en route to the school's first tournament berth.  

The Section 8 pairings have not yet been released but it's very likely the top seed will be the Alexandria Cardinals, who look to face possibly the Fergus Falls Otters for the third time this season.  

2024 Class AAAA Girls Basketball Section Preview

 As February heads into March and boys hockey settles their state tournament berths, here is a preview of the eight Class AAAA sections.  

If there's any guarantee in Section 1, The Road to The Barn will go through Lakeville and Rochester.  The top seed is the Lakeville North Panthers, followed by the second seeded Rochester Mayo Spartans and the third seeded Lakeville South Cougars.  Could there be a Battle of Lakeville in the section finals?  

Get those fan buses ready Minnetonka bus drivers, the Skippers have the top seed in Section 2.  Minnetonka, anchored by future Gopher Tori McKinney and Aaliyah Crump have been one of the state's top teams this season.  They have not lost a game since they were beaten by Wayzata February 1.  Can second seeded Eden Prairie and third seeded Chaska keep the Skippers ship from sailing down Highway 7?  

The red hot Rosemount Irish are the top seed in Section 3, entering section play on a five game winning streak.  But can they get by the second seeded Eastview Lightning and the third seeded Eagan Wildcats, also winners of five straight?  

The pairings have not yet been posted in Section 4, but it's likely the top three seeds will be the White Bear Lake Bears, the Stillwater Ponies and the East Ridge Raptors.  

So far, it's been an outstanding year for girls athletics in Maple Grove,.  First the girls hockey team took home the Class AA consolation trophy and now the girls basketball has the number one seed in Section 5.  Three of their four defeats were to St. Michael-Albertville, Hopkins and Minnetonka.  Can the Crimson set up a third showdown with the second seeded Park Center Pirates?  

The top seed in Section 6 is the Hopkins Royals, who ended the regular season falling to their Lake Conference rival the Minnetonka Skippers.  Looking to derail the Royals path is the second seeded Wayzata Trojans.  A memo to Hopkins head coach Tara Starks, you have a potential roadblock in your path as the third seeded Minneapolis Southwest Lakers who enter section play winning their last eight games.  Can they unseat the perennial power Royals?  

Heading to Section 7, the top seeded Andover Huskies have beaten their Northwest Suburban Conference rivals the second seeded Centennial Cougars and the third seeded Anoka Tornadoes in regular season play.  Which one of them will the Huskies face in the section finals?  

The defending Class AAAA champion St. Michael-Albertville Knights are the top seed in Section 8.  But as the Ringo Starr song would tell them, it don't come easy to return to The Barn.  The section is loaded with outstanding teams in the second seeded Elk River Elks, the third seeded Brainerd Warriors and the fourth seeded Sartell Sabers.  Who will come out of this section?  

Next:  The eight Class AAA sections.  

2024 Class AA Boys Hockey Section Preview

 After previewing the eight Class A sections, it time to look at the eight Class AA sections.  

'Starting with Section 1, the top seeded Lakeville South Cougars look to return to St. Paul since they lost to Eden Prairie in the 2021 Class AA final.  But look out for second seeded Rochester Century/John Marshall and the third seeded New Prague Trojans.  Also in the hunt is the fourth seeded Owatonna Huskies.  

So far, it's been an outstanding winter sports season in Minnetonka.  First the girls team is in the state tournament, now their male counterparts are the top seed.  The Skippers are unbeaten in 25 games and will have to get past the second seeded Chanhassen Storm, the third seeded Shakopee Sabers and the fourth seeded Eden Prairie Eagles.  

The top seed in Section 3 is the Eastview Lightning, entering section play on a six game winning streak.  Can they get past the second seeded Rosemount Irish and the third seeded St. Thomas Academy Academy Cadets?  

Section 4's top seed is the perennial power Hill-Hurray Pioneers.  Looking to keep the green and white clad fans from heading to the X are the second seeded White Bear Lake Bears and the third seeded Stillwater Ponies.  Don't count out the fourth seeded Gentry Academy Stars.  

Heading to Section 5, it looks like a six team race for the title trophy.  The top seed is the Maple Grove Crimson, followed by the second seeded Centennial Cougars, the third seeded Rogers Royals, the fourth seeded Champlin Park Rebels, who battle the fifth seeded Totino-Grace Eagles and the sixth seeded Coon Rapids Cardinals.  Which one of these teams will head to the X?  No definitive answer.  

Even tougher is Section 6, with the top three seeds, the Wayzata Trojans, the second seeded Edina Hornets, the third seeded Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights and the fourth seeded Holy Angels Stars who open with the fifth seeded St. Louis Park Orioles.  Who will come out of this section?  Another tough one to answer.  

Up north to Section 7 where the top seeded Grand Rapids Thunderhawks have to battle the second seeded Andover Huskies and the third seeded Duluth East Greyhounds.  But looking for their first state berth as a Class AA school is the fourth seeded Rock Ridge Wolverines.  Some interesting action in the Iron Range and Twin Ports.  

Finally, in Section 8, it could boil down to four teams that could head down I-94 to St. Paul.  They are the top seeded Moorhead Spuds, the second seeded Roseau Rams, the third seeded Sartell Sabres and fourth seeded Elk River/Zimmerman.  Who will capture the title trophy?  

Lots of exciting action coming up in section tournament play.  

2024 Class A Boys Hockey Section Preview

 While the state girls hockey tournament takes place in downtown St. Paul, it's their male counterparts turn to begin the road to the X.  Here's a preview of the eight Class A sections.  

The top seed in Section 1 is the Northfield Raiders, who have lost two of their last four games in overtime.  Looking to make their first trip to state are the second seeded Dodge County Wildcats and the third seeded La Crescent-Hokah Lancers.  It could be a three team race for the title trophy.  

A pair of Wright County Conference teams occupy the top two seeds in Section 2, the Orono Spartans and the Delano Tigers.  The two teams met January 6 with Orono emerging as a 3-2 winner.  Could a rematch be possible in the Section final or will third seeded Minneapolis or fourth seeded Providence Academy pull an upset?  

In Section 3, the top seeded Luverne Cardinals enter section play on an eight game winning streak.  But look out for the second seeded New Ulm Eagles and third seeded Mankato East/Loyola.  Will busloads of fans from the confluence of Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota make another trip to St. Paul if the Cardinals take home the section title trophy?  

'The top seed in Section 4 is the perennial power and defending Class A champion Mahtomedi Zephyrs.  Looking to zap the Zephyrs is second seeded Southwest Christian/Richfield and the third seeded Chisago Lakes Wildcats.  

There could be joy in The Granite City since the St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders are the top seed and look to extend a nine game winning streak into double figures.  They will contend with the second seeded Monticello Moose and the third seeded Little Falls Flyers.  

In Section 6, the top seeded Alexandria Cardinals take a four game winning streak into section play. m Looking to earn their first state tournament berth is the second seeded Northern Lakes Lightning who lost twice to the Cardinals in regular season play. Could the third time be the charm?  

A familiar ring in Section 7 is that the top seed is the Hermantown Hawks.  Looking to keep the Hawks fan buses from heading down I-35 are the second seeded Cloquet-Esko-Carlton Lumberjacks and the third seeded Hibbing/Chisholm Bluejackets.  

There could be a changing of the guard in Section 8 as the top seeded East Grand Forks Green Wave is three games away from pursuing their first state title sine 2015.  Looking for a return trip to the X is the second seeded Warroad Warriors who split their season series with the Green Wave?  Who will win the rubber game if they meet in the section finals?  

Next the eight Class AA sections

2024 State Class AA Girls Hockey Tournament Quarterfinal Preview

 2024 MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS HOCKEY TOURNAMENT CLASS AA QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE

                                 (Games played Thursday, February 22 at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul)

11:00:  Roseau vs. Hill-Murray (Seed 2)

  1:00:  Rosemount vs. Andover (Seed 3)

  6:00:  Maple Grove vs. Minnetonka (Seed 1)

  8:00:  Northfield (Seed 5) vs. Edina (Seed 4)

Examining the field:  While the Class A teams take a breather, except for consolation action, it's the Class AA teams that populate the Xcel Energy Center.  First up is the Roseau Rams, in their seventh state tournament.  They used a strong third period comeback to beat the top seeded Moorhead Spuds in the Section 8 final.  They will face the second seeded Pioneers, in their 10th trip to state and looking for their fourth championship game berth after coming out of a rugged Section 4.  Can the Pioneers climb back to the top of the hill?  

The afternoon session wraps up with the Rosemount Irish facing the third seeded Andover Huskies.  It could be a long day for the Irish as they face the Huskies, playing in their fifth consecutive tournament and eight overall.  Last year, Andover fell to Gentry Academy in the Class AA final.  Could they upgrade their medals from silver to gold? 

Opening the evening session will be the Maple Grove Crimson and the top seeded Minnetonka Skippers.  The Crimson are headed down I-94 to the X for the fifth time and have won nine of their last ten games, their only loss coming against Hill-Murray in the regular season finale.  The top seeded Skippers are back in St. Paul for the sixth straight year and ninth overall.  Their only losses were to Hill-Murray and Edina.  Could a third meeting with Edina occur in the semifinals?  

Wrapping up the quarterfinals is the fifth seeded Northfield Raiders and the fourth seeded Edina Hornets.  The Raiders, in their fourth state tournament have lost only one game in regular season play to the Dodge County Wildcats.  Their toughest challenge is coming in the fourth seeded Edina Hornets, who haven't missed a state tournament since 2015.  Edina beat the top seeded Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights 5-4 in the Section 6 final to earn their 14th state tournament berth.  Are the Raiders for real and could send Edina to the consolation bracket?  

Enjoy the action this week.  

2024 State Girls Hockey Tournament Class A Preview

 2024 MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS HOCKEYvs. Holy Angels TOURNAMENT CLASS A QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE

                                    (Games played Wednesday, February 22 at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul)

11:00:  Willmar vs. Orono (Seed 2)

1:00:    Fergus Falls vs. Dodge County Wildcats (Seed 3)

6:00:    Luverne vs. Holy Angels (Seed 1)

8:00:    Proctor/Hermantown (Seed 5) v. Warroad (Seed 4)

Examining the Field:  The 2024 State Girls Hockey Tournament gets underway as the Willmar Cardinals make their fourth trip to state by beating the top seeded River Lakes Stars in the Section 2 final after losing twice to the m in regular season play.  It will be a difficult task for the Cardinals as they face the second seeded Orono Spartans, last year's Class A runner up.  The Spartans punched their third straight tournament ticket with a win over Wright County Conference rival Mound-Westonka-Southwest Christian in the Section 5 title game.  Orono is 5-3 against state tournament teams, including a 5-4 defeat to Holy Angels on January 13.  Could a rematch be possible in the Class A final?  

Wrapping up the afternoon session is the Fergus Falls Otters and the third seeded Dodge County Wildcats.  The Otters, in their fourth state tournament come out of a weak Section 6 and will have their hands full with the third seeded Dodge County Wildcats, who are making their first trip up Highway 52 to St. Paul.  The Wildcats enter the state winning six of their last seven games.  Their loss to Orono 5-4 on January 20 was the only game they gave up more than three goals.  Don't count out the Wildcats.  They could derail the Spartans chances if they play in the semifinals.  

Opening the evening session is the Luverne Cardinals facing the top seeded Holy Angels Stars.  The Cardinals are playing in their sixth state tournament and fourth consecutive but they will face the Stars who are in their first tournament since 2006.  They are in the hunt for their first state title since 2005.  Holy Angels comes to the X on a five game winning streak.  Can they end a 19 year title drought?  

Closing out Quarterfinal Wednesday is the fifth seeded Proctor/Hermantown Mirage and the defending Class A champion and fourth seeded Warroad Warriors.  It's no mirage that Proctor/Hermantown is playing in their fourth straight state tournament and eighth overall after they knocked the top seeded Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers from the top of the Section 7 hill.  The Warriors are back in St. Paul for the ninth straight year and 15th overall.  The two teams met in their season opener November 10 with Warroad a 2-1 winner.  If you have the chance to attend only one game in the quarterfinals, head to the X for this one.  It should be a great climax to the day's proceedings.  

Next:  The Class AA quarterfinal preview

Trojan Trouncing

 The St. Louis Park Orioles first home game in two weeks was to the max as Max Rider scored a goal and assisted on two others to lead them to a 4-0 shutout of the New Prague Trojans Thursday night at The Rec Center.  

Rider would assist on the lone first period goal when he passed to Henry Schrader in the left slot and he fired it into the net.  

The Orioles would strike twice in the second period.  Goalie Josh Middleton sent the puck to Rider and he went down the ice and put St. Louis Park ahead by two.  The Orioles quickly put another puck past the goal line when Griffin Krone tallied :12 later.  

St. Louis Park would increase the lead to four in the third period as Ryan Moran's shot from the left corner entered the net.  

The Orioles improved their record to 13-10 and wrap up their regular season on Saturday, February 17 at 7 PM as they host the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars at The Rec Center.  It will also be Senior Night as 13 Oriole hockey players will be honored prior to the start of the game.  

The Trojans will also conclude the regular season on the 17th as they face the Chanhassen Storm at 3 PM at the Victoria Ice Arena.  

2024 Class AA Girls Hockey Tournament Section Preview

 After examining the eight Class A sections, it's time to preview the Eight Class AA sections.  

The top seed in Section 1 is the Northfield Raiders.  The Raiders only loss this season was to the Dodge County Wildcats.  Can they get past the second seeded Lakeville South Cougars and the third seeded Farmington Tigers to head up Highway 3 to St. Paul?

This could be the start of a big tournament season for Minnetonka fans as the top seeded Skippers enter Section 2 play on an eight game winning streak.  Looking to keep the Minnetonka fan buses in the garage are the second seeded Eden Prairie Eagles and the third seeded Holy Family Catholic Fire.  

In Section 3, the top seed is the Lakeville North Panthers.  But looking to end their 16 year state tournament drought is the second seeded Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders.  The two teams met in the third place game of the Eden Prairie tournament December 29 with the Panthers winning 3-1.  Is a rematch possible in the section final?  

To Section 4, where the top seeded Hill-Murray Pioneers have been a dominant team this season in Class AA.  But getting to the X won't be an easy task with second seeded Stillwater, third seeded Woodbury and fourth seeded White Bear Lake.  Don't count out the fifth seeded and defending Class AA champion Gentry Academy Stars.  It's a tough section but who will emerge with the championship trophy?  

The pairings have not been released for Section 5 but co-op teams could dominate the top four seeds, starting with Centennial/Spring Lake Park.  Roseville/Mahtomedi and Champlin Park/Coon Rapids are also in the hunt along with nonhyphenated Maple Grove.  

Over in Section 6, the top seeded Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights have a shot at ending the second seeded Edina Hornets run of nine straight trips to St. Paul.  They're the only two teams in the section with a winning record and look toward a rematch of the December 5 game which was won by BSM 5-2.  Can the Red Knights return to the X after a 10 year absence?  

The Andover Huskies are the top seed in Section 7 and lost in last year's Class AA final to Gentry Academy.  In order to get a return trip to state for the seventh straight year, they have to get past second seeded Grand Rapids/Greenway and the third seeded Blaine Bengals.  

Finally, in Section 8, the top seeded Moorhead Spuds are on a roll, ending the regular season on a 12 game winning streak.  They have not lost a game since they came up short against the Minnetonka Skippers on December 26 2-1.  They could face the second seeded Roseau Rams, a team they beat twice in the regular season.  

Let The Road to St. Paul begin.  

2024 Class A Girls Hockey Section Preview

 The Road to St. Paul gets underway with section play in Minnesota girls high school hockey.  First up, a preview of the eight Class A sections.  

In the leadoff spot is Section 1, where the top seeded Dodge County Wildcats have won 11 of their first 12 games.  Can they get by the second seeded Albert Lea Tigers?

Heading into Section 2, it could be a two team race between the top seeded River Lakes Stars and the second seeded Willmar Cardinals.  The Stars shut out the Cardinals twice in regular season play and are three wins away from their first trip to the X since 2022.  

Going south to Section 3, it's a three team race between the top seeded Marshall Tigers, the second seeded Luverne Cardinals and the third seeded New Ulm Eagles.  Can the Tigers end their 16 year state tournament drought? 

There are only two teams with a winning record in Section 4, the top seeded Holy Angels Stars and the second seeded South St. Paul Packers.  The two teams played each other to open their regular season with the Stars emerging victorious 4-1.  Could a rematch take place in the section final?  

In Section 5, the top seeded Orono Spartans could wind up battling their Wright County Conference rivals, second seeded Mound-Westonka/Southwest Christian.  But look out for the third seeded Breck Mustangs, fourth seeded Delano/Rockford and the fifth seeded Pine City Area Dragons.  Who will come out of this section?  

There's only one team with a winning record in Section 6 and it's the top seeded Fergus Falls Otters.  It's a four team section and the Otters could earn another trip down I-94 to St. Paul.  

Up north in Section 7, the top seeded Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers can end the three years section dominance of the second seeded Proctor/Hermantown Mirage.  The two teams played each other January 23 with the Mirage a 4-3 winner.  Can Marshall climb to the top of the section hill or will Proctor/Hermantown head to St. Paul for the fourth consecutive year?  

Wrapping up the Class A preview is Section 8, where the top seeded and defending state champion Warroad Warriors have to get by the Crookston Pirates to earn their 14th state tournament berth.  

Next:  The eight Class AA sections

It's St. Louis Park in Battle of Orioles

 There was plenty of orange and black in The Rec Center's West Rink bleachers Tuesday night in The Battle of the Orioles as they saw Ryan Moran score two goals to lead St. Louis Park to a 5-3 win over Osseo.  

St. Louis Park would score three straight goals in the first period.  The first came when Griffin Krone passed to Owen Anklam near the right corner boards and he fired the puck into the net.  Then it was Moran who scored on a rebound goal to give St. Louis Park a two goal lead.  The lead would increase to three on a power play goal from Trey Janssen.  There would be no shutout for St. Louis Park when Bennett Prokop would tally with 2:03 left in the period.  

Moran would account for St. Louis Park's only second period goal when he scored from the center slot.  

If you were in line at the concession stand and missed the start of the third period, you missed two goals in the first minute.  The first cam from Osseo's Jake Sawicky :34 into the period.  St. Louis Park responded :24 later on Marty Hirte's goal that went top shelf.  Osseo would wrap up the scoring on a power play goal from Ty Prokop.  Osseo goalie Charlie Bergstrom was pulled heading into the game's final minute for a sixth attacker but St. Louis Park didn't find the empty net.  

St. Louis Park won their sixth straight game and improved their record to 11-9.  They will begin a three game road trip on Thursday, February 1 against the Chanhassen Storm at 7 PM at the Victoria Community Center.  Osseo fell to 4-15-1 and will head down Highway 169 to Mankato to face the Mankato West Scarlets at 2 PM at All Seasons Arena.  

Krone Leads SLP Orioles to Shutout of Chaska Hawks

 Tuesday night was a big night for Griffin Krone as he scored a hat trick and entered the 100 Career Point Club to lead the St. Louis Park Orioles to a 7-0 shutout of the Chaska Hawks at The Rec Center.  

The Orioles would score two first period goals, starting with Brennan Hogan receiving a pass from Ryan Moran and he scored a right side goal.  Drew Hoenie would put St. Louis Park ahead by two as he scored on a shot from the left side.  

It was Krone's turn to shine in the second period as he would score both goals.  His first came while Tony Kruse was serving a delay of game penalty.  He drove down the ice like traffic down Excelsior Blvd., cut to the right slot and scored the short handed goal.  His second put him in the record book when he scored on the power play to achieve the 100 career point plateau.  

The Orioles were not done in the third period as they added three goals to their ledger.  The first would come on a shot from the left corner from Krone to give him the hat trick.  Then Ryan Moran would send the game into running time and Oli Culp, who came up from the junior varsity team would tally :23 later.  

St. Louis Park improved their record to 9-9 and will return to action on Thursday, January 25 as they face the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars at 7 PM at the Bloomington Ice Garden.  Chaska fell to 2-14 and will also be back in action on the 25th, hosting the Delano Tiges at 7 PM at the Chaska Community Center.  

SLP Orioles Wallop Waconia Wildcats

 Coming off an upset of the Class A ranked Orono Spartans Saturday, the St. Louis Park Orioles didn't miss a beat as Ryan Moran scored two goals to lead them to a 5-0 shutout of the Waconia Wildcats Thursday night at The Rec Center.  

Moran would score two of the Orioles three first period goals.  The first would come from the right side and the second would come on the power play after he received a pass from Brennan Hogan.  The middle goal for St. Louis Park would come on Jack Betzer's shot from the left corner boards.  

Hogan would score the lone second period goal for the Orioles as he got a pass from Marty Hirte and he cut into the left slot and sent the puck over the goal line.  

St. Louis Park wasn't finished in the third period when Max Rider's goal put the Orioles up by five.  There would be no running time on this chilly Thursday night as the scoring came to a close.  

The Orioles improved their record to 7-9 and will travel to New Prague on Saturday, January 20 for a 3 PM game with the Trojans at the New Prague Community Center.  The Wildcats fell to 5-11-1 and will return to the Rec Center on Thursday, January 25 to face the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights at 7 PM.  

A Night of Deuces for Minneapolis and Hopkins/Park

 Hopkins/Park was one second away from winning their final Rec Center home game Thursday night until Brielle Anderson scored the tying goal to help Minneapolis skate to a 2-2 tie Thursday night.  

Neither team would score in the first period.  Both teams would tally in the second period when Minneapolis took the lead on Caitlyn DeYoung's goal that barely entered the net.  H/P would tie the game :22 later on Adrienne DeGiulio's rebound goal as she followed up Avery Shaw's shot.  

The third period would be identical to the second since both teams sent the puck past the goal line.  H/P would regain the lead on a short-handed goal from Lucy Johnson.  It would almost be the game winner but after Minneapolis head coach Claire Goldsmith pulled goalie Ali Fider with :15 left, Anderson headed down the ice and fired a shot past H/P goalie Evelyn Oslund to tie the game with :01 to go.  Overtime would commence but the score did not change.  

Minneapolis improved their record to 3-13-1 and returns to action on Saturday, January 13 at 4 PM against the Waconia Wildcats at the Waconia Ice Arena. H/P improved their record to 5-14-1 and will be back in action on Thursday, January 18 against Armstrong/Cooper at 7 PM at the Minnetonka Ice Arena.  

The Battle of SLP Goes to BSM Red Knights

 It was "The Battle of St. Louis Park" Tuesday night at The Rec Center and it was Junior Podein's two goals that led the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights to a 4-1 win over the St. Louis Park Orioles.  

The Orioles would get the early lead in the first period when Drew Hoenie rebounded Henry Schultz's shot and it crossed the goal line.  

Heading into the second period, it was the Red Knights, ranked fourth in Class AA boys hockey who would vault into the lead with Podein's two goals. Podein, the son of former St. Louis Park head coach Shjon Podein, got his first goal from the left side of St. Louis Park goalie Brett Middleton.  The second came as he rebounded Cameron Kirschner's shot and went top shelf with :07.9 left in the period.  

BSM was not finished in the third period.  With 1:42 left in the game, Oriole head coach Tyler Brodersen pulled Middleton for a sixth attacker and the Red Knights would cash in with a couple of empty net goals.  The first came from Caleb Koskie uncontested and the from Mason Stenger with :10 to go.  

BSM improved their record to 9-2-1 and will return to action on Thursday, January 11 at 7 PM against the Eden Prairie Eagles at the Eden Prairie Community Center.  St. Louis Park fell to 5-8, ending a three game winning streak.  They will host the Orono Spartans on Thursday, January 13 at 7 PM at The Rec Center.  

Fifty Years Ago NBC Hits Jackpot

 January 7, 1974.  After Hollywood Squares ended, game show fans would hear the voice of Don Pardo intoning "You'll never know when someone in the game will stand up and yell "JACKPOT!!!"

It would be the opening to the new NBC daytime game show Jackpot, which debuted 50 years ago on January 7.  Produced by Bob Stewart, the show featured 16 contestants who competed for an entire week as they solved riddles to earn cash.  One player was designated "The Expert" and chose one of the 15 players, all but one had a money amount.  The contestant read a riddle and if the expert answered correctly, they would continue.  If the expert was stumped, the contestants would trade places.  One player had a Jackpot Riddle.  If it was found early in the game, the expert could continue or wait until all the riddles were used.  

Another way a player could win is via the Super Jackpot.  Before the game, a target number was established, followed by a multiplier of 5 to 50.  That would constitute the amount for the Super Jackpot.  If the target number was matched in the game, a more difficult riddle would be asked and if it was solved, the Super Jackpot was won, with a maximum of $50,000.  

Jackpot was commissioned by then NBC Vice President of Daytime Programming Lin Bolen, who canceled the long running shows Concentration and Sale of the Century to air shows had more flashier sets and younger hosts.  But in order to get Jackpot on the air, she made some lineup changes.  First, she canceled The Who, What or Where game with Art James and moved Baffle into the 12:30 ET period.  Second, she relocated Jeopardy, a show she didn't like because it was too staid and attracted an older audience to Baffle's timeslot of 10:30 and put Jackpot in the noon slot.  

Second, she got a young host to preside over the show, Los Angeles disc jockey Geoff Edwards.  Edwards was also hosting the syndicated game show The New Treasure Hunt in California so he would commute to New York for each Jackpot taping.  Bolen would also dictate his look on the show, ordering him to get his hair permed and dressed him in leisure suits.  

Though Jackpot did nicely in the ratings but wasn't highly rated as the Art Fleming hosted quiz show, it held up against the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless and ABC's aging revival of Password.  

But things would begin to unravel for Jackpot in 1975 when Bolen would be one of the first daytime executives to utilize a focus group.  The results showed the group didn't like the riddles and encouraged Stewart to change to straight questions.  That would be the first of several changes that summer.  The other changes would be the elimination of the target number and at the start of the game, the amount of the Super Jackpot would be set.  Also, NBC moved Jackpot to the 12:30 slot and shortened its airtime due to a network newscast at :55 past 12.  

Those changes would result in Jackpot's cancellation in October of 1975.  CBS attempted a revival in 1984 with Nipsey Russell hosting but it was not picked up.  The show returned in 1986 on the USA Network with a new host, Mike Darrow and a new production base in Toronto to save money.  This version would run for three years.  Edwards would then host another revival in the fall of 1989 but due to the syndicator Palladium going bust, the show was canceled in March 1990.  

An interesting footnote, the theme to the original version of Jackpot was used for years as the theme for the syndicated show This Week in Baseball, hosted by former Yankee broadcaster Mel Allen.  I'll wrap this up just like each episode in the original run where everybody stood up and shouted "JACKPOT!!!"