Adapted Floor Hockey State Tournament Day 1 Recap

After a two-year hiatus because of health concerns amidst a global pandemic, the Minnesota State High School League’s Adapted Floor Hockey State Tournament resumed in earnest on Friday, March 18, 2022, at Bloomington Jefferson High School. Member schools in two divisions began quarterfinal play on Day 1 with hopes of continuing on a championship path.

Here is a look at what happened on Day 1:

CI Division

Maple Grove, Dakota United, Robbinsdale/Hopkins/Mound Westonka, New Prague/TCU/LSH/Belle Plaine/Jordan and North Suburban advanced to the semifinals.

• The Maple Grove Crimson, who entered the tournament as the top seed in the north, earned a 19-6 win over the South Suburban Jets in the first quarterfinal game. Junior Gaetano Sanders and sophomore Emilio Hernandez led the scoring efforts for the Crimson, finishing with five goals each. Teammate Jesse Cardoso-Ramirez was not far behind, adding four goals for Maple Grove. Senior Gabe Imafidon carried the offensive load for the Jets, scoring all six of the team’s goals.
• The Burnsville/Farmington/Lakeville Blazing Cats also had a strong offensive showing in their opening round, defeating the Owatonna Huskies 15-1. Seven players scored for the Blazing Cats, with teammates Caden Roseth and Aaron Blood tallying four goals apiece. Senior Javelle Higgs scored for the Huskies.
• The New Prague/TCU/LSH/Belle Plaine/Jordan Trojans defeated the South Washington Thunderbolts 12-1 to head to the semifinals. Senior Dylan Raaen paved the way for the win scoring four goals throughout the contest for the Trojans. The Thunderbolts’ Elliot Miller had their lone goal of the game.
• The final quarterfinal needed overtime to decide, as the North Suburban Cougars and the Dakota United Hawks were all tied at two at the end of regulation. It was the Cougars who would score in overtime, with freshman TJ Lichtenberg scoring in the extra frame to secure the win. Junior Thomas Christopherson and sophomore Mark Manwarren each had a goal for the Hawks.

PI Division

Brainerd, Burnsville/Farmington/Lakeville, Robbinsdale/Hopkins/Mound Westonka, and Anoka-Hennepin advanced to the semifinals.

• Top-seeded Brainerd Warriors started off the tournament with a 12-1 win over the St. Paul Humboldt Hawks. The Warriors had a well-rounded game, with six different players contributing to the scoring. Junior Hunter Zilka led the way with four goals in the contest. Senior Liban Farah got the Hawks on the board, scoring in the third period.
• The Robbinsdale/Hopkins/Mound Westonka Robins and the Rochester Raiders had a back-and-forth thriller, with the Robins coming away with the 4-2 win to advance to the semifinals. The Raiders scored first in the game, but the Robins scored the next two to take a 2-1 lead into the second period. It was still 2-1 in the third when freshman Andrew Westerman tied the game up for Rochester. Sophomore Jose Leon Estrada answered for the Robins, scoring what would be the game-winning goal with less than three minutes to play. Sophomore Jayda Johnson scored thirty seconds later for the Robins, to cement the win.
• The Dakota United Hawks, the No. 1 seed from the south, moved on to the semifinals after topping the Maple Grove Crimson 16-0. Nine players scored for the Hawks in the win, being led by a four-goal performance from senior Sam Gerten. Junior Fiona Sitzmann was also heavily involved in the offense, logging a goal and six assists.
• The Anoka-Hennepin Mustangs advanced to the semifinals following a forfeit victory over Minneapolis South.