Adapted Floor Hockey State Tournament -Day 2 Recap

The Minnesota State High School League’s Adapted Floor Hockey State Tournament completed its two-day event on Saturday, March 19, 2022, at Bloomington Jefferson High School. Traditional power Dakota United captured another championship in the PI Division and New Prague/TCU/LSH/Belle Plaine/Jordan captured the state title in the CI Division.

 Here is a look at Championship Saturday from the Adapted Floor Hockey State Tournament:

PI Division

Championship --- It was a battle between the two top-seeded teams with Brainerd representing the north and Dakota United representing the south. The matchup lived up to expectations, featuring a back-and-forth game with plenty of shots and strong defense. In the end, Dakota United posted a 5-2 victory for the Hawks’ first championship since 2016 and fifth overall.  

Brainerd scored first in the game with senior Tre’Von Otey finishing a pass from eighth-grader Owen Olson. Dakota United answered just seconds later with a goal from freshman Cayden Needham, assisted by junior Jordan Johnson. The first period ended with it knotted at one apiece.

The Warriors were the only ones to score in the second as senior Kadyn Robinson finished off a loose puck in front of the net to make it 2-1.

Senior Indigo Jaworski provided an offensive spark for the Hawks in the third period, scoring three times (including scoring the game-winner) throughout the 15 minutes to propel Dakota United to victory. Junior Fiona Sitzmann also got in on the scoring, with the team’s fourth goal of the game, providing some extra breathing room for the Hawks.

Both goalies - sophomore Sam Holland for Dakota United and eighth grader Andrew Kargel for Brainerd - were kept busy throughout the game, making some big stops for their teams.

Third place --- After falling to Dakota United in the semifinals, the Robbinsdale/Hopkins/Mound Westonka Robins bounced back in the third-place game, defeating the Anoka-Hennepin Mustangs 12-1. Seven players scored for the Robins throughout the game, being led by hat tricks from senior Marcus Brady and sophomore Jose Leon Estrada. Senior Ava Hetteen also had multiple goals, scoring twice and adding three assists.

The Robins set the tone in the first period, taking a 6-1 lead into the second. They would steadily augment their lead through the next two periods, which on top of a stifling defense, led to the victory.

Senior Austin Swanson scored for the Mustangs in the game.

Consolation final --- The Rochester Raiders and the St. Paul Humboldt Hawks met in the Consolation Finals, where the Raiders prevailed by a score of 6-3. Rochester had four players score in the win, with junior Calvin Rowland and freshman Andrew Westerman scoring two goals each. Junior Donte Willis led the Hawks, with a pair of goals.

The Raiders got off to a hot start, holding a 3-1 lead after the first period. Each team would add a score in the second, making it 4-2 heading into the final frame. Rochester was able to hold on for the win, outscoring the Hawks 2-1 in the third period to win 6-3.

CI Division  

Championship --- The top two seeds in the south squared off with the state title on the line and No. 1 New Prague/TCU/LSH/Belle Plaine/Jordan Trojans raced past No. 2  Burnsville/Farmington/Lakeville Blazing Cats, 12-3. It is the first championship for the Trojans since 2014.

The trio of senior Dylan Raaen, junior Ray Parker, and junior Aaron Adamson led the way for the Trojans, combining for 11 of the team’s 12 goals. Raaen and Parker had four goals each and Adamson had three. Eighth-grader Carter Tupy had the final goal.

Sophomore center Caden Roseth, who has been an offensive force for the Blazing Cats all tournament, scored two goals in the Championship, with the final goal being scored by teammate Conner Wilson.

The Trojans started their offensive efforts right away in the contest, scoring four goals within the first five minutes. After that, the Blazing Cats got going, as Roseth scored twice to cut the lead in half. But the Trojans kept up the offensive pressure, scoring twice more before the period was over, leading 6-2 after the first.

The second period belonged to New Prague/TCU/LSH/Belle Plaine/Jordan, as they scored four unanswered goals to take an eight-goal lead into the final frame. Three goals would be scored in the third, two for the Trojans and one for the Blazing Cats, leaving the final at 12-2.

Third place --- Maple Grove put together a solid second and third periods to overcome a first-period deficit to defeat the North Suburban Cougars 9-3.

 The Crimson scored first in the contest, but the Cougars would retaliate with two goals before the period was over to lead 2-1. Maple Grove bounced back in the second period, outscoring North Suburban 5-1 to take a 6-3 lead. They would score three more times in the third to secure the 9-3 win and the third-place trophy.

Sophomore Emilio Hernandez led the way for the Crimson, recording a hat trick along with two assists. Sophomore Jake Dettman and junior Gaetano Sanders both chipped in with two goals each.

The Cougars had three different players score, getting a goal from freshman TJ Lichtenberg, sophomore Jack Carlson, and freshman Tate Morris.

Consolation final --- Dakota United ended the season on a winning note with a 12-2 victory over South Suburban. The Hawks started the game strong, holding a 6-1 lead after the first period. They did not look back from there, scoring six more goals in the second and holding the Jets’ offense to only one more goal.

Dakota United presented a balanced offensive attack with six different players scoring in the game. Sophomore Kyle Jacobson led all scorers with four goals and teammate Mark Manwarren chipped in with three.

Senior Gabe Imafidon scored both goals for the Jets, finishing the tournament with an impressive 17 goals.