So after a ton of hype yesterday, the two games at Mariucci didn't exactly live up to their billing. I blame myself for not being able to go. Edina blew out Bloomington Jefferson 5-0 in the first game, and it sounds like it maybe wasn't even that close. I was a little worried about the potential for that happening because Jefferson didn't have the big game experience Edina did, and I think Jefferson maybe needed their goaltending to hold them in the game, and Idon't think that happened.
The second game was better, but Eden Prairie ended up beating Minnetonka 4-2. The game of the night was in St. Cloud where Little Falls kept their undefeated season alive with a 3-2 overtime victory over Alexandria.
Here's the state tournament field looks like so far:
Class AA
Section 1: Rochester Century/Lakeville North
Section 2: Edina
Section 3: Cretin-Derham Hall
Section 4: Hill-Murray/Stillwater
Section 5: Blaine/Centennial
Section 6: Eden Prairie
Section 7: Duluth East
Section 8: Moorhead
Seedings should be fairly clear-cut. I think Edina is #1, Eden Prairie #2, the winner of Blaine/Centennial #3, and Duluth East #4. Edina and EP may get flipped, but after last night, Edina will go to St. Paul as the favorite. I'm hearing a lot of people say Edina looks unstoppable after last night, but I still think if they run into a hot goaltender, anything can happen.
In Class A
Section 1: Rochester Lourdes
Section 2: Breck
Section 3: Hutchinson/New Ulm
Section 4: St. Thomas Academy/Mahtomedi
Section 5: St. Cloud Cathedral
Section 6: Little Falls
Section 7: Virginia
Section 8: Warroad
All the favorites have made it through so far, which should make for a very competitive tournament. Seedings should be fairly simple since the top four teams have made it, or are likely to make it through. Little Falls should be #1, St. Thomas Academy #2, Breck #3, and St. Cloud Cathedral #4.
That's a huge break for Little Falls because it means they'd avoid either Breck of St. Thomas until the final. They beat St. Cloud Cathedral once this year, though it was a very close OT game. The really interesting thing is that one of these teams will draw #5 Warroad in the first round, which would be a very tough match-up. Cathedral was the only Class A state tourney team to play the Warriors this year, and Cathedral won a close game, but that's a very, very tough first round game.