Day 1 recap: 2024 Minnesota State Girls Hockey Tournament
The 2024 Minnesota State Girls Hockey Tournament has arrived with Day 1 featuring four quarterfinal games in Class A.
If you're looking to watch the games on TV or via stream, you'll need to subscribe to NSPN (it's free) for the quarterfinal games Wednesday and Thursday before 45TV/Prep45 will have the semifinal and championship rounds Friday and Saturday.
Wednesday recaps: Class A quarterfinals
#2 Orono 4, Willmar 1
Game flow:
- Orono takes a 1-0 lead at the 8:37 mark in the first period on an unassisted goal by Maddy Kimbrel. It was the 100th career point for the sophomore winger.
- Zoe Lopez put Orono on top 2-0 with a wrist shot that found the back of the net with 24 seconds left in the first period.
- End of first period: 2-0 Orono leads
- End of second period: Orono maintains 2-0 lead
- Orono goes ahead 3-0 early in the third period on a goal by junior Anika Fortin, and it came almost immediately after Willmar had a shot hit a post on the other end of the ice.
- Willmar is on the board with 10:13 to play on a goal by junior forward Lauren Eilers. Orono leads 3-1.
- Orono adds an empty-net goal with 31 seconds to play for a 4-1 lead.
Final: Orono's 4-1 victory sends the Spartans to Friday's semifinals where they await the No. 3 Dodge County. Willmar will head to TRIA Rink in St. Paul for the consolation round.
#3 Dodge County 4, Fergus Falls 0
Game flow:
- A back-and-forth first period is in the books and they go to the first intermission tied 0-0.
- Dodge County takes a 1-0 lead 5:38 into the second period on a goal by McKenna LaFleur, which goes down as the first state tourney goal in program history.
- Freshman star Maysie Koch went over 100 career points with a wrist shot that found the top shelf with under six minutes to play in the second period for a 2-0 Dodge County lead.
- End of period two: Dodge County 2, Fergus Falls 0
- Nora Carstensen scores on a deflection for a 3-0 lead.
- Carstensen scores again for a 4-0 Dodge County lead with 6:30 to go.
Final: Dodge County scored twice in the second and third periods en route to a 4-0 in over Fergus Falls. The third-seeded Wildcats will face No. 2 Orono in Friday's semifinal round at the Xcel Energy Center.
#1 Academy of Holy Angels 6 vs. Luverne 1
Final: Isabella LaMere had a hat trick and Audrey Gartin scored twice to fuel the top-ranked Academy of Holy Angels to a 6-1 victory over the Luverne Cardinals. The Stars were dominant in the offensive zone, out-shooting the Cardinals 38-7 in the game.
Holy Angels will face Warroad in Friday's semifinals.
Academy of Holy Angels versus Luverne in the first period of the Class A quarterfinals.
#4 Warroad 2 vs. #5 Proctor/Hermantown 1 (overtime)
Final: It took overtime to settle the nightcap of the Class A quarterfinals and it was Warroad coming away with the 2-1 win over Proctor/Hermantown. After the Proctor/Hermantown tied the game late in the third period, the defending champs from Warroad won it in overtime when Kaiya Sandy found Taylor Reese for the game-winning goal.
Warroad gets a date with Holy Angels in the semifinals on Friday.
