2023 MINNESOTA STATE CLASS AA BOYS HOCKEY TOURNAMENT QUARTERFINAL SCHEDULE
(Games played Thursday, March 9 at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul)
11:00: Cretin-Derham Hall vs. Maple Grove (Seed 2)
1:00: Moorhead vs. Edina (Seed 3)
6:00: Hill-Murray vs. Minnetonka (Seed 1)
8:00: Lakeville South (Seed 5) vs. Andover (Seed 4)
EXAMINING THE FIELD
Get ready for a packed house as the Class AA teams take their turn in the X spotlight. First up is the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders facing the second seeded Maple Grove Crimson. CDH is in their fifth state tournament and second straight as they beat the top seeded St. Thomas Academy Cadets in the Section 3 final. They will face last year's Class AA runner up, the second seeded Maple Grove Crimson, playing in their sixth state tournament. The Crimson, seeded second in Section 5, routed the Rogers Royals 7-3 in the Section 5 final. Is another Championship Saturday in the works for Maple Grove?
Wrapping up the afternoon session will be the Moorhead Spuds, playing in their 20th and fifth consecutive state tournament. They have never taken home the championship trophy and if they can still be in the race for the title they will have to get past the third seeded Edina Hornets, in their 35th state tournament. The Hornets earned the trip to St. Paul with a victory over the top seeded Wayzata Trojans in the Section 6 final. You can bet it will look like St. Patrick's Day with many green clad fans in the green seats.
Opening the evening session will be another team with the wearing of the green as the Hill-Murray Pioneers, playing in their 33rd state tournament and fourth straight face the top seeded Minnetonka Skippers, in their seventh trip to state. Bill Lechner's bunch battled illnesses and injuries as well as a three game losing streak to close out the regular season. The Skippers, the second Lake Conference team in the Class AA field ended the Chanhassen Storm's hopes of their first trip to state with a double overtime win in the Section 2 final. Minnetonka shutout Edina twice in the regular season. Could there be a third meeting in the section final?
Quarterfinal Thursday closes as the fifth seeded Lakeville South Cougars, in their eighth state tournament battle the fourth seeded and defending state Class AA champion Andover Huskies. Lakeville South has won nine of their last 10 games. The Huskies are playing in their fourth consecutive state tournament and have gone 17-2 since the calendar changed from 2022 to 2023.
A caveat: If you don't have tickets for the Class AA tournament, it's sold out. To quote Ed Norton in the classic sitcom The Honeymooners, tickets "are scarcer than hen's teeth." The entire tournament, except for consolation and third place games will air on 45TV and at kstp.com
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