East Grand Forks tops Hibbing in Minnesota high school boys hockey state tournament semifinal: Live score recap

Get real-time score updates from the 2025 MSHSL boys hockey state tournament Class 1A semifinal between the Bluejackets and the Green Wave

Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul for the 2025 MSHSL boys hockey state tournament / Reid Glenn / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The No. 4 East Grand Forks Green Wave (15-13-2) defeated the No. 1 Hibbing-Chisholm Bluejackets (20-10) 7-5 in the 2025 Minnesota (MSHSL) high school boys hockey state tournament Class 1A semifinals on Friday at the Xcel Energy Center.

Two minutes, 44 seconds was the time it took to make and break dreams. Two minutes, 44 seconds was the length of game time it took for East Grand Forks to turn a 5-2 deficit into a 6-5 lead. 

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Hibbing/Chisholm built a 5-2 lead with an opening goal and two separate bursts of two goals within two minutes of each other. 

Entering the final two minutes of the second period, East Grand Forks’ Hunter Varnson scored to make the score 5-3. Teammate Tucker Lovejoy was called for elbowing, so he went to the penalty box, but Hibbing/Chisholm’s Cole Swanson was called for holding 54 seconds later. 

During the 4-on-4 opportunity, East Grand Forks’ Judd Pesch scored with 0.6 seconds remaining in the second period. 

“When someone scores in the final minute, they steal any momentum that you have,” Hibbing/Chisholm junior forward Tate Swanson said. 

Hibbing/Chisholm still had the lead entering the final period, but it didn’t feel like it in the Bluejacket’s locker room. 

“We were kind of down,” senior captain Jace Kampsula said. “We were kind of hanging our heads a bit. We still had a lead. We should’ve been more up and ready to go than we were. I think that’s a big reason why we came out in the third flat.” 

Varnson won the face-off to open the third period, and senior defenseman Cole Bies carried the puck from inside his blue line to inside the Hibbing/East Grand Forks blue line. He shot and scored—all within 11 seconds. 

The Bluejackets hurt themselves again when Jace Kampsula went to the penalty box for tripping 12 seconds after the goal. Bies scored again on the advantage—27 seconds later to take the lead. 

“We tried to stay calm during both intermissions,” Bies said. “We knew we would get back to our game.”

Two minutes, 44 seconds flipped the game, but the Green Wave still had 16 minutes left to win the game. The Green Wave kept a potent Hibbing/Chisholm team off the scoreboard. They held the Bluejackets to only five shots-on-goal in the third period. 

“We didn’t waiver,” East Grand Forks coach Tyler Palmiscno said. “We just kept finding a way to make the next play. It’s a credit to our guys. That first shift of the third period was a credit to our guys.”

East Grand Forks’ dream of a state championship continues. The Green Wave will play No. 2-seed St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders in the Class 1A championship on Saturday at 12 p.m. at the Xcel Energy Center. The Crusaders defeated the Green Wave 11-7 one month ago. 

“It’s a huge challenge for us,” Palmiscno said. “I don’t think our 20 is going to back down.”

For Hibbing/Chisholm, the dream of a 2025 state championship is over, but the Bluejackets only have four seniors on the team, which gives them a dream of the 2026 title.

“Just more fuel to the fire to get back here next year,” Tate Swanson said.

East Grand Forks tops Hibbing in Minnesota high school boys hockey state tournament semifinal: Live score recap

FIRST PERIOD UPDATES

The first period is underway.

Four minutes into the period and Hibbing with more puck time and pressure than East Grand Forks.

Hibbing goalie Rex Walli with five saves so far — 9:20 remains in the first period.

GOAL HIBBING! Tate Swanson puts the puck under the pad of the East Grand Forks goalie. Cole Swanson with the assist — Hibbing leads 1-0 with 6:55 remaining in the first period.

GOAL EAST GRAND FORKS! Jace Van Eps scores from the middle of the Hibbing zone. Cooper Hills and Judd Pesch with the assist. The game is tied 1-1 with 1:11 remaining in the first period.

GOAL HIBBING! Seven seconds later, Benny Galli scores on a rebound. Joey Gabardi and Whitaker Rewertz with the assist. Hibbing leads 2-1 with 1:04 remaining.

GOAL HIBBING! Galli gets his second goal on a shot that popped out of EGF goalie Noah Schindele's glove and across the goal line. Isaiah Hildenbrand and Tate Swanson with the assist. Hibbing leads 3-1 with 15 seconds remaining.

END OF FIRST PERIOD: Hibbing/Chisholm 3, East Grand Forks 1

SECOND PERIOD UPDATES

The second period is underway.

GOAL EAST GRAND FORKS! Tucker Lovejoy scores with a backhand in front of the net. Assist from Nolan Meulebroeck and Judd Pesch — Hibbing/Chisholm leads 3-2 with 11:09 remaining in the second period.

GOAL HIBBING! Whitaker Rewertz with a great move around an EGF defender, and he cleans up his own rebound. Jace Kampsula and Galli with the assist. Hibbing leads 4-2 with 8:36 remaining.

GOAL HIBBING! Hildenbrand cleans up a loose puck in the crease for a goal. Cole Swanson with the assist. Hibbing leads 5-2 with 7:18 remaining in the second period.

GOAL EAST GRAND FORKS! Hunter Varnson slides one under the pad of the Hibbing goalie. Hibbing leads 5-3 with 1:55 remaining in the second period.

POWER PLAY FOR HIBBING! Tucker Lovejoy gets a 2-minute penalty for elbowing — 1:23 remains in the period.

PENALTY ON HIBBING! Cole Swanson gets two minutes for holding — 23 seconds remain in the period.

GOAL EAST GRAND FORKS! Pesch scores for the Green Wave with two seconds remaining in the period. He scores on the 4-on-4. Hibbing leads 5-4.

END OF SECOND PERIOD: Hibbing 5, East Grand Forks 4

East Grand Forks with a 24-21 shots-on-goal advantage.

THIRD PERIOD UPDATES

The third period is underway.

GOAL EAST GRAND FORKS! The Green Wave tie the game 11 seconds into the third period. Cole Bies takes the puck all the way from his own zone and scores. The game is tied at five with 16:59 remaining in the period.

PENALTY ON HIBBING! Jace Kampsula gets two minutes for tripping.

East Grand Forks returns to full strength, and they will have a 5-on-3.

GOAL EAST GRAND FORKS! Beis scores on the power play with a shot from the top of the zone. East Grand Forks now leads 6-5 with 16:10 remaining. The Green Wave still have 1:34 on the power play, now 5-on-4.

Hibbing returns to full strength.

Six minutes remain in the period and East Grand Forks leads 6-5.

Two minutes remain.

Hibbing pulls its goalie with 1:50 remaining.

Hibbing takes a timeout with 1:32 remaining.

GOAL EAST GRAND FORKS! Jace Panzer scores an empty-net goal when he clears the puck. EGF leads 7-5 with 25 seconds remaining.

FINAL: East Grand Forks 7, Hibbing 5

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