Girls Hockey: 2024 State Tournament Day 2 Recap

Rematches are in store on Friday, Feb. 23 when the Class AA semifinals are played in the Minnesota State High School League’s Girls Hockey State Tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Both will be the rubber matches of the season between the contending teams that advanced with victories in Thursday’s big-school quarterfinals.

In the opening semifinal, No. 2 Hill-Murray faces No. 3 Andover. It will be the third time this season they have played one another, this time, though, with much bigger stakes. Hill-Murray won the first contest, 2-0, on Dec. 22, and the Huskies rebounded with a 6-2 victory on Jan. 13. Andover is seeking a fifth consecutive trip to the Class AA championship game. In that span, the Huskies won championships in 2020 and 2022. Hill-Murray, making its ninth state tournament, won consecutive championships in 2014 and 2015, respectively.

In the other Class AA semifinal, No. 4 Edina will face No. 1 Minnetonka for the third time as well this season. On Jan. 9, Edina recorded a 1-0 victory over the Skippers during the Lake Conference schedule. Minnetonka answered with a 3-2 win two weeks later. Minnetonka is a three-time champion in five championship game appearances. The last title came in 2013. The Skippers’ last title berth was in 2022, which resulted in a runner-up finish.

Edina is certainly no stranger to a championship game berth. The Hornets, the 2021 Class AA champion, have four titles in seven championship game appearances.

Hill-Murray advanced to the semifinals with an 8-2 victory over Roseau in the opening quarterfinal. Jaycee Chatleain (two goals, one assist), Elliana Engelhardt (two goals, one assist) and Emily Pohl (one goal, two assists) powered the Pioneers with three points each.

Later, Andover posted a 6-0 shutout over Rosemount behind two goals from Cailin Mumm and Maya Engler and three assists from Hannah Christenson. The Huskies were 2 of 2 on the power play and 2 of 2 on the penalty kill.

In the opening game of the night session, Minnetonka was pushed by unseeded Maple Grove before escaping with a 2-1 victory. In the closing seconds of the second period, Minnetonka’s Kendra Distad gained control of the puck along with boards to the left of the Maple Grove net.  She quickly found teammate Lindzi Avar near the left dot, who found the back of the net on a wrist shot with 0.9 seconds left to snap a 1-all tie.

Edina capped the full day and evening of Class AA quarterfinals with a 5-0 victory over No. 5 Northfield. Whitney Horton and Hannah Halverson powered the Hornets with two goals each. Edina outshot the Raiders 39-5.

Class A consolation

Four schools continued their state tournament journeys during consolation play at the TRIA Rink in St. Paul.

• Rebecca Dawson scored with 3:16 remaining in overtime to lift Willmar to a 2-1 victory over Fergus Falls. Aubree Nelson of Fergus Falls forged a tie with a goal midway through the third period.
• In the other consolation semifinal, Proctor-Hermantown recorded a 3-2 victory over Luverne. Proctor-Hermantown used third-period goals from Addison Hieb and Hannah Graves to extend its season one more game.