Vintage Minnesota Hockey - History

HORNET DOMINANCE CONTINUES FOR 14TH CHAMPIONSHIP - SWEET LOU ON 60th TOURNEY CALL

Chanhassen entered the 2024 Minnesota State High School League’s Boys Hockey State Tournament as a fan favorite of many. The No. 2-seeded Storm were easy to like with a storybook-type run with their first state tournament berth, and following two important victories - including undefeated, and defending 2023 State Champions Minnetonka Skippers - were on the threshold of completing an incredible journey.

Playing with rookie-type enthusiasm, Chanhassen scored the first goal of the Class AA championship game on Saturday, March 9 at the Xcel Energy Center, but later, learned an important lesson.

Edina, a state tournament mainstay with 37 appearances in its rich tradition that also includes Edina West and Edina East, knows all about the veteran traits of winning a championship. The Hornets remained poised in the anxious moments and seized the slivers of opportunity when they arose. It’s a pathway taken to record more than a dozen boys hockey state championships over the past seven decades.

The top-seeded Hornets weathered the Storm, both literally and figuratively, and added to their legacy with a 2-1 victory at the Xcel Energy Center in front of a record crowd of 20,346. Junior defender Robby Hoch and senior wing Bobby Cowan scored goals in the third period to lead the Hornets (26-4-1) to their first state championship since 2019 and 14th overall.

Despite being outshot by a spirited Chanhassen (25-6-1) attack, the Hornets remained stout with a defense anchored by senior Joe Bertram, who finished with 33 saves.   

Edina sealed its latest championship when Cowan scored on a power play with 6:55 remaining regulation time. Cowan, scoring on Edina’s 21st shot, gathered the puck just below the blue line and surveyed the zone. He waited patiently and didn’t rush the initiation of a scoring play. After skating in a few strides, he let go with a wicked wrist shot that beat Chanhassen senior goalie Kam Hendrickson to the right side. It was the 24th goal of the season for the University of St. Thomas recruit and third of the tournament.

Just more than three minutes into the third period, Hoch found the equalizing goal on a shot from the point.

Chanhassen scored the game’s coveted first goal with 6:50 remaining in a second period that the Storm dominated. Senior wing Tyler Smith, who has signed with Minnesota-Duluth to play football, ended a long wacky sequence when Edina wasn’t able to clear the puck from its zone. Chanhassen was tireless in keeping scoring opportunities alive, be it with just a poke of the puck or a clearing to the corner to restart.

During one of the mini-surges, senior defenseman Ben Curtis gathered the puck just inside the blue line and let go with a shot. Camped just to the left of Bertram was Smith. As the puck sailed his way, Smith gave just a slight re-direction of the puck and it skittered past Bertram, just inside the far post.

ST. CLOUD CATHEDRAL MISSION WINNING CHAMPIONSHIP - WIN DEDICATED TO ALUMNI MACK MOTZKO

A foundation for a championship was poured a year ago when the St. Cloud Cathedral boys hockey team finished its 2022-2023 season by winning the consolation final of the Minnesota State High School League’s Boys Hockey State Tournament. Winning the final game of the season felt good to the Crusaders, but they dared to dream for more.

To accomplish the task this season, would mean doing so from the No. 3 seed in the Class A field. That’s doable, of course, but it takes grit, determination, and high-level skill because you likely have to beat the two teams seeded above you to make the dream a reality.

Mission accomplished. Dream realized.

St. Cloud Cathedral completed its championship journey with a 3-1 victory over top-seeded Hermantown on Saturday, March 9 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The Crusaders’ first line shined behind senior wing Andrew Dwinnell, who scored two goals and assisted on another while junior wing Joey Gillespie had a goal and two assists. First-line center John Hirschfeld had two assists in bringing the second title to the school since 2019. The Crusaders have made 12 state tournament appearances.

“They have worked toward this all year long after winning the consolation final last year,” longtime St. Cloud Cathedral Activities Director Emmett Keenan said. “They set a goal, worked tirelessly as a team, and reaped the reward today. Our school and community are proud of them for their relentless pursuit of a dream.”

St. Cloud Cathedral (26-4-1), which finished the season on a 15-game winning streak, earned a berth in the Class A championship game with a dramatic overtime victory over No. 2 Warroad in Friday’s semifinals. In the quarterfinals, St. Cloud Cathedral cruised past Northfield for a 5-1 victory.

“I had a strong feeling that they were going to win the whole thing,” said Northfield senior Jake Geiger, who watched the awards ceremony on Saturday as the Class A recipient of the Herb Brooks Award. “It was the way they played against us and then Warroad, you just got that sense they were on a mission.”

St. Cloud Cathedral struck first with nearly four minutes elapsed in the first period. After a Hermantown turnover at center ice, the Crusaders took advantage of a sudden 3-on-2 rush. On a weaving pattern, junior center Hirschfeld slid a pass cross ice to Dwinnell, who cranked up with a one-time slapper that beat Hermantown senior goalie Dane Callaway. It was Dwinnell’s 28th goal of the season.

That lead stood the test of time and Hermantown’s surges until the Crusaders added two goals late in the third period for a stunning three-goal cushion. Dwinnell added his second and Gillespie had an even-strength goal with less than five minutes remaining in regulation.

• Edina Senior Goaltender Joey Bertram, father Matt Bertram was the winning Edina Goaltender from 1988 State Tournament who made 14 saves in 5-3 defeat over Hill-Murray.
• Lou Nanne's six decades of play-by-play at the Tourney called his 60th, and last Tournament TV Broadcast. A chorus of cheers & Loooouuuu erupted throughout Xcel Energy Center when shown on scoreboard.  20,000+ fans in attendance gave a standing ovation as Nanne was celebrated on-ice prior to Class AA Championship with Frank Sinatra 'I did it my way' song serenading Lou and his wife Maxine.
• Tournament attendance 116,174