2021 Class AA State Boys Hockey Tournament Preview

 2021 CLASS AA STATE BOYS HOCKEY TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE

                  (Games played Wednesday, March 31 at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul)

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

 1:00:   Moorhead vs. Lakeville South (Seed 3)

 6:00:   St. Thomas Academy vs. Eden Prairie (Seed 1)

 8:00:   Andover (Seed 5) vs. Maple Grove (Seed 4)

Examining the field:  Even though there won't be 19,000 fans populating the Xcel Energy Center's green seats due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there will be plenty of exciting action for the small throng attending.  When you total the records of the top five Class AA seeds, you get a combined record of 74-4-5.  First up, the Wayzata Trojans battles the defending Class AA state champion Hill-Murray Pioneers.  The Trojans make their sixth trip to state and first since 2017.  They are on a seven game unbeaten streak and navigated their way through a tough Section 6AA with a win over the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights.  Wayzata faces the Pioneers, in their 31st trip to the X.  Their only losses were to St. Thomas Academy and Grand Rapids.  Hill-Murray has won 13 straight games and recorded nine shutouts.  Can the green and white from Maplewood bring home the gold again.  

The afternoon session concludes with the Moorhead Spuds making their 18th trip down I-94 to St. Paul.  The neighbor city to Fargo has gone 0-7 in state title games and enters quarterfinal play on a six game winning streak.  As for the third seeded and unbeaten Lakeville South Cougars, they are in their third straight tournament and sixth overall.  The Cougars beat their city rival the Lakeville North Panthers in the Section 1AA title game and recorded four shutouts in their first five games.  

Going to the evening session, the St. Thomas Academy Cadets make their 14th trip to the X.  St. Thomas Academy has won five Class A championship before moving up to Class AA.  They have not taken home any Class AA hardware and it will be a tough task against a team they have lost twice to in the regular season, the top seeded Eden Prairie Eagles.  The Eagles are in their 13th straight tournament and advance to state with a 4-3 overtime win against the Minnetonka Skippers in the Section 2AA final.  Last time Eden Prairie won a state Class AA title was ten years ago in 2011.  Since then, they are 1-3 in championship games.  Can they make it a second?  

A Northwest Suburban Conference battle concludes the day's quarterfinal action with the fifth seeded Andover Huskies returning to St. Paul to face the fourth seeded Maple Grove Crimson.  This should be an interesting matchup as the Huskies two regular season losses were to who else, the Maple Grove Crimson.  The Crimson, in their fourth trip to state were the top ranked team most of the season until they got beat by the Lakeville South Cougars 4-3 on March 9.  Maple Grove has two Mr. Hockey finalists, Kyle Kukkonen and Henry Nelson.  If you're watching the game on 45TV, which is carrying the entire tournament, you might want to pour a cup of coffee.  This game could run late if it goes into overtime.  It could be the best of the quarterfinal games in the two classes.