Class A State Tournament Preview

Class A tournament gives a north vs. metro vibe as

tourney is seemingly up for grabs

by Rob Brent

The last time neither Warroad nor Hermantown was in the Class A State Tournament was in 2019. That year, St. Cloud Cathedral beat Mahtomedi for their first state title in program history. This year, Cathedral is back, and so is Mahtomedi. They have won four of the last six Class A state championships. Mahtomedi won in 2020 and 2023, and Cathedral in 2019 and last year. The other winners were Gentry Academy (now AA) in 2021 and Hermantown, who defeated Warroad in 2022.

But it’s less about the teams who aren’t in St. Paul this weekend. It’s about the ones who are.

Four teams return from last year’s field, and four newcomers are amongst a wide-open field that is up for the taking. Returning are St. Cloud Cathedral, Mahtomedi, Orono and Northfield. New this year are top-seeded Hibbing/Chisholm, Orono, Northern Lakes and Luverne. The great thing about Class A is it is a strong representation of different regions of the state. This year we have a good mix of northern, western, central, metro and southern squads. 

Who will be the one to take it home?

Here is a look at each team:

No. 1 Hibbing/Chisholm (7A) (19-9-0)

The Bluejackets have become a fan favorite from around the state and become somewhat of the northern darlings that are always a part of state tournament allure. They are the little engine that could, defeating perennial power Hermantown and then taking down Cloquet/Esko/Carlton in the section final in overtime. Hibbing has a strong hockey tradition. Their first trip to state was 73 years ago, in 1952, in a tournament they won. Since then, they have returned 13 times, winning another title in 1973 and being a mainstay at the tourney in the mid-80s. They have produced 11 NHL players, including Pat Micheletti, Mike Polich, Gary Gambucci, Scott Sandelin, and current NHLer Scott Perunovich.

But they haven’t been back since 2011 and were able to come out of perhaps the most competitive section in either class. At year’s end, Hermantown, C/E/C and Hibbing/Chisholm were all ranked in the top 5 in the state. That’s why the Bluejackets were the No. 3 seed in their section and also why they are the No. 1 seed at state. That’s how good that section has become.

They are led by the Swanson Brothers – Tate and Cole. Tate, a junior, is the team’s leading scorer with 59 points on the season (28-19-40-59). Cole is just a freshman and, in 25 games, has 18 goals and 30 assists. He had the tying goal in the section final win over Cloquet and set up the game-winner for fellow freshman Whitaker Rewertz.

Junior forward Isaiah Hildebrand has 40 points (28-13-27-40), and junior defenseman Ethan Sundvall is a dynamic two-way blueliner who can score and dish, as evidenced by his 12 goals and 28 assists.

The Bluejacket power play is strong, averaging more than a goal a game and succeeding at a 31 percent clip. They have speed and depth and move the puck efficiently well. They are young, with only five seniors on the squad, and rely heavily on some freshmen to not just carry a regular shift but produce on both ends of the ice.

Goaltender Rex Walli is a senior and made some key saves for the Bluejackets in tight spots in close games in the playoffs. He enters tournament play with a 13-5-0 record, a 2.28 goals-against average, and a .897 save percentage.

Being the No. 1 seed makes them the favorite in the first round as they take on No. 8 seed Luverne. But seedings can get tossed out the window come Friday. As we have seen, anything can happen. Will a youthful and exuberant roster continue to outshine their older counterparts? It seems like Hibbing is not only a favorite to get to Saturday afternoon but a fan favorite as this year’s team from the North in Class A the state of hockey is pulling for.

No. 2 St. Cloud Cathedral (5A) (18-8-2)

What can you say about the Crusaders, who return two top scorers from last year, a slick-skating, smooth-passing defenseman, and a roster full of capable role players who can light the lamp on any given night? The defending state champion skates into this year’s tournament with another chance to make a strong showing. 

The Crusaders may have the best line not just in Class A but in both classes with Mr. Hockey Finalist John Hirschfeld, Joey Gillespie, and Jaeger Wood. Hirschfeld and Gillespie return as seniors after leading the Crusaders to the state title a year ago. Hirschfeld is a Vermont recruit who plays much bigger than his size. A tiger on the ice, Hirschfeld plays angles as well as anyone and has a knack for taking on double teams, which leaves the likes of Gillespie and Wood open for a slick dish from Hirschfeld, who led the state in assists as a junior last season. This season, he is second in the state with 51 assists and leads the Crusaders with 76 points. Joey Gillespie has also become a talented playmaker, with 45 helpers to go with his 20 goals. Jaeger Wood jumped to the top line and fit in nicely with 21 goals, seven in the section playoffs alone. Hirschfeld is the lone Mr. Hockey nominee in the Class A tournament.

However, one of the more underrated players on the team is blueliner Griffin Sturm. Sturm is just a junior and has netted 19 goals and added 27 assists. He runs the point on the power play and anchors the blue line in the defensive zone. An effortless skater with soft hands, he is exceptionally adept at moving the puck up ice and jumping into the play when needed.

Junior netminder Keaton LeGrande will play a key role in the Crusaders’ crusade to a repeat and has been solid with 17 wins and a .894 save percentage. LeGrande, an 11th-grader, did some of his best work of the season in the Crusaders’ sectional tournament, logging two shutouts to send St. Cloud Cathedral to state. 

Cathedral will enter the tournament as one of the more battle-tested teams in the tournament. They’ve played five of the seven other teams in this tournament field including their first-round matchup Mahtomedi. The Crusaders defeated Mahtomedi on February 15th on a powerplay goal from Griffin Sturm in overtime. The rematch between the two teams will feature as one of the most exciting of Class A’s opening round.

St. Cloud Cathedral will be hunting for its third state title after winning it in 2019 and 2024. The two wins are just part of a rich recent history for the Crusaders, who finished third in 2017 and 2020 and won the consolation bracket in 2016 and 2023. 

No. 3 Northfield (1A) (22-4-2)

The Northfield Raiders enter the tournament as one of the most lethal offenses in the country. The Raiders average five goals a game and scored five or more in 16 of their 28 games. Their dominance was entirely on display in their sectional tournament as well when they outscored opponents by a combined score of 17-0 in wins over La Crescent-Hokah (7-0), Albert Lea (5-0) and Rochester Lourdes (2-0). 

While Northfield played what some may consider a slightly easier schedule, they played just two games against other teams in the tournament. The Raiders deserve the third seed in this tournament and have the potential to outscore anyone. 

The Raiders’ high-power attack is led by 18-year-old Will Cashin, who scored 30 goals this season on the way to a team-leading 59 points. Cashin is one of six Raiders who scored more than a point per game. Northfield’s talented attackers contribute to one of the team’s most significant advantages: a lethal powerplay that scores on 39.5% of their chances. Opposing teams will want to stay out of the box against Northfield, which could be one of their keys to victory in St. Paul.

Two of the vital cogs for the Raiders are a pair of defenders who are among the top scorers in the state. Ben Geiger (55 points) and Bridger Riley (46 points) comprise a double threat on the Raider blueline that combined for 101 points this season. Geiger is an all-around scoring threat, just as adept at making plays as he is putting pucks in the net. He scored 20 goals and tallied 35 assists. Bridger Riley, on the other hand, is the team’s primary facilitator, leading the team with 42 assists. Riley and Geiger could be two of Northfield’s keys to victory, as no other team in the field boasts two dominant blueliners in the same way as the Raiders.

The Raiders’ attack is so good that it’s the quintessential case of “the best defense is a good offense.” Northfield averages just 1.79 goals against per game, and one of the main reasons is that the other team rarely ever has the puck. In 28 games this season, Northfield outshot opponents 1051 to 534. The benefactor of this shot discrepancy is goaltender Max Frank, who didn’t give up a goal in any of the team’s sectional tournament games. The Raiders allowed only 34 shots in those three games. 

If Northfield can continue to oppress opponents that way, it’s difficult to consider them anything but a major contender to take home the crown as a state champion. 

No. 4 East Grand Forks (8A) (13-13-2)

East Grand Forks earned their way into the tournament in an instant classic of a game where they took down perennial power Warroad in overtime to capture the Section 8A title. The matchup was the Green Wave’s third crack at Warroad this season after they lost their first two matchups with the no.1-ranked Warriors by a combined score of 7-1.

 East Grand Forks finally overcame their adversaries with a 3-2 overtime victory, where 10th-grade Jace Panzer sent the Green Wave to the tournament. Panzer cut down the right wing and made a highlight-reel move to the net while flipping the puck over the Warriors’ goaltender to end the game. The goal was Panzer’s eighth of the season and third in the sectional tournament.

At first glance, East Grand Forks may seem out of place as a top-four seed. They’re the only team in the top four not to eclipse 15 wins. They, along with no. 7-seed Mahtomedi, are one of only two teams to average less goals for per-game (2.86) than against (3.07). 

One of the main reasons for East Grand Forks’ ranking is that they had one of the most challenging schedules in the state. They played #1 Warroad three times this season, along with matchups against top-ranked teams like Hermantown, Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, and St. Cloud Cathedral. They even played games against some of class 2AA’s top teams when they matched up with Moorhead, St. Thomas Academy and Bemidji (on two occasions). If any team in this bracket is coming into the tournament battle-tested, it’s East Grand Forks. 

The Green Wave is returning to the tournament for the first time since 2021 and is looking for their first title since 2015, the second half of a back-to-back title reign, with their first win as a program coming in 2014. 

East Grand Forks’ attack is an experienced group led by senior leading-scorer Hunter Varnson. Varnson, a playmaking forward, scored 30 points this season with eight goals and 22 assists. Another senior, Cooper Hill, is tied for second on the team with junior Tucker Lovejoy with 26 points. Like Varnson, Hill is more a playmaker than a scoring threat, with six goals and 20 assists, while Lovejoy finishes most of the team’s plays, leading the Green Wave with 17 goals.

The Green Wave’s defensive unit is anchored by 10th-grade goaltender Noah Schindele. Schindele logged a .882 save percentage with a 12-10-2 record over the season. The young netminder proved how solid he could be in their sectional championship against Warroad, stopping 28 out of 30 shots. 

We’ll see if East Grand Forks can keep beating the best teams in the state when they start their tournament run against Northern Lakes at the Xcel Energy Center. On paper, it could be an uphill climb, but they’re experienced and battle-tested already. 

No. 5 Northern Lakes (6A) (19-8-1)

The Northern Lakes Lightning are returning to the state tournament for the first time since 2021. They’ll make that appearance this season with a new face behind the bench: Legendary coach Mike Randolph. Randolph is Minnesota’s all-time wins leader as a coach after achieving that feat in November. The 1976 Olympian famously coached Duluth East for 32 years, making 18 tournament appearances and winning two titles. After spending the last few seasons with St. Thomas Academy, Coach Randolph moved to Northern Lakes and finds himself in the state tournament again. 

The Lightning are led on the ice by senior forward Drew Paulbeck, the team’s leading scorer with 61 points in 27 games. This campaign was Paulbeck’s second impressive season in a row after he tallied 59 points in 28 games. The most remarkable improvement for the forward this year came in the form of him becoming one of the state’s most dangerous goal-scorers. Paulbeck scored 28 goals last year but upped his total to 38 this season. His 38 goals are the third-most in all of Class A and the highest mark for players in the state tournament. 

Paulbeck is the team’s leading scorer, but he’s just one piece of the Lightning’s impressive offensive arsenal. Wyatt Balmer leads the team in assists with 30 helpers, while defender Grant Vershey leads the blueline with 14 points in 28 games. The team features 13 double-digit scorers and averages an impressive 4.54 goals per game. They’re adept at creating scoring chances on their efficient powerplay, a unit that scored 31.8% of their extra-man opportunities.

While Northern Lakes is known for a high-powered offense, they can also keep the puck out of the net. Tenth-grade goaltender Sam Suja backstopped the Lightning with an impressive .919 save percentage and eight shutouts. Suja also stepped up for Northern Lakes in the sectional playoffs, with a .922 save percentage in their three wins over Wadena-Deer Creek, Breckenridge/Wahpeton and Alexandria Area. Suja’s best performance came in the section final, where Alexandria Area outshot Northern Lakes 45-29. The Lightning goaltender made 42 saves, including 18 in the final period, to hold onto the win and earn a trip to the state tournament. 

Northern Lakes will open their tournament against East Grand Forks, a team they’ve ranked ahead of in the Let’s Play Hockey season-ending rankings. Northern Lakes finished at no. 8 in Class A, while East Grand Forks earned the no. 11 spot. The teams are well-matched and should make for a great first game.

No. 6 Orono (2A) (15-10-3)

Orono is back in the state tournament after winning the consolation bracket last year. They may be returning to the field, but their path to the X was anything but easy, going through sectionals. Orono was the no. 3 seed in the section 2A tournament and defeated Hutchinson in the opening round. After that, they were the lower seed in their sectional matchups. 

In round two, they faced off against Delano, a team they had lost to 1-5 at Hockey Day Minnesota in Shakopee. The Orono Spartans reversed their fortunes when senior forward Ethan Pagel scored his 18th goal of the season in overtime. The game set up a matchup with top-seeded Minneapolis, a team they played to a 3-3 tie earlier in the season. The Spartans battled back from a first-period deficit to win another one-goal game with a 4-3 victory.

Orono proved then, and throughout the season, that even if they’re a lower-seeded team in this tournament, they can beat any team on any given day. They hold a convincing 6-2 win over top-seeded Hibbing/Chisholm and played competitive matchups with Mahtomedi and St. Cloud Cathedral despite losses in both games.

The team is led by a two-headed monster of 11th-grade forward Jackson Knight and 12th-grader Trey Landa. Knight is the team’s primary goal-scorer, logging 33 goals in 28 games (for a total of 62 points). Knight and Landa are also talented playmakers, tying for the team lead in assists with 29 each. Knight proved to be a clutch performer in the sectional tournament, scoring five goals and six points in their section championship run. If the Spartans make a deep run in this tournament, Trey Landa and Jackson Knight will likely play a significant role in their success. 

Senior goaltender Evan Schmidt backstops Orono. Schmidt produced solid results for the Spartans this season, logging a .907 save percentage on the way to an 11-10-3 record. Despite his good numbers, Schmidt only tallied one shutout. Goaltending and defense won’t be a weakness for the Spartans, but it is an area that probably won’t be why they win games if they make a deep tournament run. 

Orono has some recent tournament experience, but a win would be a rarity for the program. They captured the state crown in 2018 and won the consolation bracket in 2024, but other than that, they haven’t produced any other top-four finishes in the tournament since their consolation bracket win in 2007. Their campaign will start against no. 3-seeded Northfield, a team they’ve already played this season. Northfield won the first meeting between the two teams 2-4 after Orono scored the game’s first two goals. They’ll need to play like they did early in that game to advance past the Raiders this time around.

No. 7 Mahtomedi (4A) (11-15–2)

Mahtomedi is entering this year’s tournament in an unfamiliar position: as one of the class’s underdogs. The Zephyrs have been a mainstay in the state tournament for several years, taking home the Class A championship in 2020 and 2023 and picking up third-place honors in 2019 and 2022. Mahtomedi has appeared in several tournaments, but this might be their most challenging path to the championship yet. 

The Zephyrs are the lone team in the tournament that finished the season with a losing record and are one of just two teams with a negative goal differential. Mahtomedi may have had the roughest year of any of the teams in this tournament; they, like East Grand Forks, had a demanding schedule. They played games against top teams like Warroad, St. Cloud Cathedral, Hill-Murray, St. Thomas Academy, Hermantown and Hibbing/Chisholm. Several matchups were close affairs as they lost to Hibbing/Chisholm in overtime and defeated Warroad and fellow tournament competitor Orono. 

Their most relevant matchup this season came in a game with their first-round opponents, St. Paul Cathedral. On February 12th, the Zephyrs and St. Paul Cathedral battled to a 4-3 overtime loss for Mahtomedi. The game was a showcase for Wes Strub, the Zephyrs’ goaltender, who stopped 36 of 40 shots. While Mahtomedi ultimately fell in overtime, the game proved they could compete with the Crusaders. If a similar game happens, one bounce could have the Zephyrs coming out on top in their first-round tournament matchup. 

Mahtomedi may have difficulty scoring, with only one player reaching the point-per-game plateau. Their leading scorer, Devin O’Donnell, a 10th-grade forward, scored 12 goals on the way to 28 points in 28 games. The team also has an issue executing on special teams, converting just 8% of their extra-man opportunities while only killing 78.9% of their penalties. 

The Zephyrs are one of the only teams in the tournament this season that doesn’t have an established starting goaltender. Senior goalie Wes Strub has the inside track to start games in the tournament, with him starting the Zephyrs’ last two games in their sectional tournament. Strub went 7-9-1 with a .907 save percentage. The team is also backstopped by Jackson Chesak, an 11th-grade goaltender who started the Zephyrs’ first sectional game against South St. Paul. Chesak went 4-6-1 this season with a .922 save percentage. The experience of Strub will likely make him the teams’ first choice, but Chesak could always see time, too. 

No. 8 Luverne (3A) (22-4-2)

Luverne is the biggest wildcard of the Class A tournament, with the section 3A champions being a bit of a mystery. On paper, they’re one of the best teams in the tournament. They find themselves the lowest-seeded team due to a relatively weak schedule with no genuine signature wins. They didn’t play any games against another team that made the tournament and only faced five teams ranked in the LPH top 20 (Waseca, Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, Little Falls, Sauk Rapids/Rice, Northern Lakes.)

The Cardinals will have a tough test in their first-round matchup with no. 1 seed and fan favorite Hibbing-Chisholm, but Luverne also has plenty of weapons. Luverne has the most potent offense in the tournament, scoring 6.07 goals per game. Their attack is led by Maddux Domagala who scored 34 goals and 39 assists for 73 points. That 73 point marker is second in all of Class A, only behind St. Cloud Cathedrals John Hirschfeld. Domagala is an 11th-grade forward who built off a strong sophomore campaign, scoring 52 points in 27 games. 

Another junior forward is similarly impressive for Luverne with left-shooting forward Landyn Lais scoring 65 points in 28 games. The dangerous proposition about Luverne’s two-headed monster of Domagala and Lais is that both are great goal-scorers and playmakers. In many pairs, one player has a defined role, making it easier to shut one or the other down. Lais (28 goals) and Domagala (34 goals) are potent in many ways on offense. Any team that plays them will have to deal with both. 

Another weapon the Cardinals possess is fantastic special teams. They have the best power play in the tournament, scoring on 42.5% of their opportunities while also killing 87.7% of their penalties. Their first-round matchup with Hibbing/Chisholm will undoubtedly be difficult for the Cardinals, but a team that scores a lot and makes the most of their opportunities is the perfect candidate for an upset. 

One thing the Cardinals won’t have on their side is experience. The Cardinals have never won a state tournament, finished as runner-up, third-place, or even won a consolation bracket. They’ve made just one tournament appearance since 2020, which came in 2022-23. That run ended in a loss to Alexandria in the consolation semifinals, a game Luverne lost 7-3. 

If the Cardinals make noise in St. Paul, it will be their first time. They have a lot of intriguing pieces in place, but not much of a track record this season of beating or even facing top teams. They’re certainly a wild card, but facing top-seeded Hibbing/Chisholm is a difficult draw.

No matter which team takes home the crown, the Class A tournament will be a thrilling event that is sure to produce classic moments. Will a new team take home the title for the first time? Will one of the more established teams have the opportunity to add another trophy to their case?

 Find out in person at the Xcel Energy Center. Tickets can be purchased here, or you can find out how to watch the games here.