A Quick Preview To The 2008 Minnesota Section 8A Hockey Tournament

By: Timothy Oshie
Publisher / Section 8A Boy's Hockey Web Site

A season of fourteen grueling weeks of Section 8A hockey has once
again passed and now we enter the state of Minnesota's second hockey
season. As most of the hundreds of thousands of high school hockey
fans set their sights on Minnesota's most coveted crowns, the 2008
Minnesota Class A & AA Hockey Championships.

The Pioneer Sports Department presents the 3rd Annual, 2008 Section
8A Preview and Predictions. If memory serves me correct, last year we
predicted 8 of the 9 total games in the tournament only to miss the
semi-final game where we had East Grand Forks defeating Thief River
Falls to advance to the championship game.

TRF eventually won the contest but fell to the Warroad Warriors, 2-1,
in another very memorable Section 8A championship game at the East
Grand Forks Civic Center.

Move forward 12 months.

Here are the seedings for this years Section 8A Tournament being
hosted by the Thief River Falls at the Ralph Engelstad Arena. The
ranking order, team, (2008 season record), players to watch:

#1 Warroad Warriors, (19-6-0), Players To Watch: (F) Bryce Ravndalen,
(F) Jeremy Hahn, (F) Dane Shaugabay, (D) Mark McDonald, (D) Michael
Pieper and (G) Jared Paquin

#2 Park Rapids Panthers, (23-2-0), Players To Watch: (F) Zach Lehrke,
(F) Zach Knapp, (F) Landon Kohlrush, (D) Curtis Tolle, (D) Kevin
McMorrow and (G) Mark Smith

#3 EGF Green Wave, (11-13-1), Players To Watch: (F) John Grabanski,
(F) Joey Wikoff, (F) Jake Useldinger, (D) Kody Vizenor, (D) Nick
Ohman and (G) Alex Christiansen

#4 TRF Prowlers, (12-13-0), Players To Watch: (F) Lucas Dillon, (F)
Aaron Langen, (F) Brady Johnson, (D) Spencer Johnson, (D) Matt
Audett, (G) Zane Gothberg

#5 Bemidji Lumberjacks, (10-15-0), Players To Watch: (F) Dylan
Wiznor, (F) JesseNemgar, (F) Mike Rees, (D) Casey Reierson, (D) Ryan
Sullivan, (G) Derek Dudgeon

#6 Kittson Central Wolfpack, (17-8-0), Players To Watch: (F) Lukas
Dahl,(F) Craig Lindegard, (F) Kellen Albrecht, (G) Scott Lindegard

#7 LOW Bears, (6-18-1), Players To Watch: (F) Danny Usiski, (F) Jon
Carlo Westerlund, (D) Cody Hasbargen, (D) Kyle Hontvedt, (G) Mark
Clifford

#8 Crookston Pirates, (4-20-0), Players To Watch: (F) Morgan
Terpstra, (F) Jarret Buttenhoff, (F) Josh Prudhomme, (D) Luke
Biermeier, (G) Matt Grove

#9 Red Lake Falls Eagles, (6-16-1) Players To Watch: (F) Pat
Johanneck, (F) Tyler Cota, (F) Casey Cardinal, (D) Nolan Knott, (D)
John Murphy, (G) Zach Page

#10 Bagley-Fosston Flyers, (2-19-0), Players To Watch: (F) Mike
Thorson, (F) Charlie Newland, (F) Dillon Spray, (D) Bryant Bolduc,
(D) Anders Johnson, (G) Shawn Clark

#11 Walker-Hackensack-Akeley, (1-21-0), Players To Watch: (F) Daniel
Nelson, (F) Jake Karst, (F) Channing Alto, (D) Andrew Duchesneau, (D)
TJ Knowles, (G) Devon Weberg

The Pioneer Sports Department Predictions:

Game #1: Crookston Defeats Red Lake Falls ( 4-1 ) Play-In
Game #2: LOW Defeats Bagley ( 5-1 ) Play-In
Game #3: Kittson Central Defeats Walker-H-A (7-1) Play-In
Game #4: Warroad Defeats Crookston ( 4-1 ) Quarter-Final
Game #5: TRF Defeats Bemidji ( 4-2 ) Quarter-Final
Game #6: Park Rapids Defeats LOW ( 5-3 ) Quarter-Final
Game #7: EGF Defeats Kittson Central ( 4-3 ) Quarter-Final
Game #8: Warroad Defeats TRF ( 3-1 ) Semi-Finals
Game #9: EGF Defeats Park Rapids ( 4-3 ) Semi-Finals
Game #10: Warroad Defeats EGF ( 3-1 ) Championship Game

The Warroad Warriors, the most prolific team in the history of
Section 8A, will capture their 19th Section 8 title with victories
over Crookston, Thief River Falls and an old fashioned, barn-burner
against the East Grand Forks Green Wave in the title tilt.

Here is a list of selections for the Section 8A (Regular Season)
All-Section Teams if it was announced prior to the Section 8A Tourney:

The list would include Warroad's (F) Bryce Ravndalen, (F) Dane
Shaugabay, (F) Jeremy Hahn, (D) Mark McDonald; Park Rapids' (F) Zach
Lehrke, (D) Kevin McMorrow and (G) Mark Smith; East Grand Forks' (F)
John Grabanski, (F) Joey Wikoff, (F) Jake Useldinger and (G) Alex
Christiansen; Crookston's (G) Matt Grove and (D) Luke Biermeier;
Thief River Falls (D) Spencer Johnson and (F) Aaron Langen; Kittson
Central's (F) Lukas Dahl, (F) Craig Lindegard, (F) Kellen Albrecht
and (G) Scott Lindegard; Bagley-Fosston's (F) Mike Thorson; Bemidji's
(F) Dylan Wiznor, (F) Jesse Nemgar; LOW's (F) Danny Usiski and (D)
Cody Hasbargen; Walker-H-A (G) (G) Devon Weberg; Red Lake Fall's (D)
Nolan Knott and (F) Casey Cardinal.

IN THE NEWS: 1/16/08: Thief River Falls vs. Moorhead

Courtesy of In-Forum.com

Thief River shocks Spuds

By Kerry Collins

Periods in Minnesota prep hockey are only 17 minutes long. The third period on Tuesday seemed a lot longer than that to Zane Gothberg.

The Thief River Falls sophomore weathered an offensive onslaught by Moorhead to help the Prowlers to a 3-1 win over the Spuds at Moorhead Sports Center.

Read the rest of the story here.

IN THE NEWS: Section 8A's McMorrow, Paquin Named Defensive POTW; Ravndalen, Lehrke Named Offensive POTW

EAST GRAND FORKS, MN: Oshie Sports & Entertainment is pleased to
announce the Section 8A Offensive and Defensive Players-of-the-Week
for the week ending December 15, 2007:

C0-DEFENSIVE PLAYERS-0F-THE-WEEK

Kevin McMorrow (D) Park Rapids Panthers

McMorrow was instrumental in Park Rapids two victories last week
versus the Detroit Lakes Lakers and the East Grand Forks Green Wave.

Kevin tallied (2) assists against Detroit Lakes and was pivotal in
the 5-4 OT win last Friday night against the Green Wave at the EGF
Civic Center.

McMorrow's overtime heroics included scoring the game-winning goal in
overtime to notch the Section 8A victory for Park. He scored twice on
the night and played stellar defensive hockey for the undefeated Park
Rapids Panthers.

Jared Paquin (G) Warroad Warriors

Warroad senior netminder, Jared Paquin, was stellar in three games
last week as he helped engineer victories over Bemidji (5-0), Hibbing
(6-2) and Greenway (Coleraine) 6-0.

On the week, Paquin steered aside 40 of 42 shots (.950 save
percentage), had a 0.066 goals against average and went 3-0 for the
Section 8A league leading, Warroad Warriors.

Congratulations to Kevin McMorrow and Jared Paquin!

CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYERS-OF-THE-WEEK

Bryce Ravndalen (C) Warroad Warriors

Ravndalen had a huge week for the surging Warriors of Warroad. The
senior center notched a career high, 4 goals (in natural style all in
a row) against the Hibbing Bluejackets last Friday night and added
one goal each against Bemidji and Greenway (Coleraine).

The St. Cloud State Huskies recruit tallied (6) goals, (3) assists
for (9) points on the week and had (2) game-winning goals against
both Iron Range teams.

Zach Lehrke (C) Park Rapids Panthers

Lehrke, coming off the previous week where he lit the lamp (5) times
in two games, kept his scoring streak alive. He notched a 4-point
night versus Detroit Lakes picking up (2) goals and (2) assists then
kept peppering the pipes against East Grand Forks last Friday night.

He tallied (2) goals and (1) assist in the overtime thriller against
the Green Wave.

Congratulations to Bryce Ravndalen and Zach Lehrke!

Other nominations:

Defensive POTW - Spencer Johnson (Thief River Falls), Mark McDonald
(Warroad Warriors), Derek Dudgeon (Bemidji Lumberjacks), Shawn Clark
(Bagley/Fosston Flyers).

Offensive POTW - Mike Rees (Bemidji Lumberjacks), Bryant Bolduc
(Bagley/Fosston Flyers)

FOR ALL DETAILS LOG ON: http://section8ahockeyblog.blogspot.com/

IN THE NEWS: Section 8A

Bemidji:

12/14: Jacks blank Prowlers
12/13: BHS boys hockey looks to rebound at Thief River
12/12: Warroad shuts out Jacks

Crookston:

12/14: Pirates fall to Fargo North
12/10: Pirates drop weekend games

Park Rapids Area:

12/14: Panthers skate past Lakers
12/11: Lehrke's 5 goals spark Panthers' sweep in St. Paul
12/07: Hat trick by Knapp keys win at Walker

Thief River Falls:

12/11: Blake, Johnson clubs hand TRF pair of losses

Walker-Hackensack-Akeley:

12/12: Wolves hockey falls at Ely 5-2

In The News: #9A East Grand Forks vs. #1AA Roseau

Courtesy of the Grand Forks Herald

By Tom Miller

Late flurry sinks Green Wave

When Roseau called a timeout in the third period, the East Grand Forks Senior High boys hockey team was on the verge of a major upset. The Green Wave trailed defending Minnesota Class AA state champion Roseau by one goal.

It turned out to be a timeout well spent. Less than 30 seconds later, Roseau was on its way to another victory.

Tyler Landman scored three goals including two in a span of 11 seconds after the timeout to lead Roseau to a 4-1 win over Senior High on Saturday in the Civic Center.

Read the rest of the story here.

IN THE NEWS: Section 8A

Bemidji: Jacks bury Baudette in season opener

Bemidji & East Grand Forks: EGF beats Bemidji

Park Rapids Area: Panthers skate past Silver Bay in debut

Park Rapids Area: Boys hockey team has potential to challenge elite teams in section