Northern exposure
Moorhead, Warroad win boys hockey titles
Both state championship boys hockey trophies were headed for northern Minnesota Sunday morning.
The Class AA trophy is making a 238-mile trip from St. Paul to Moorhead while the Class A prize takes a 360-mile journey to Warroad.
Both championship games at Grand Casino Arena went into overtime on Saturday after rallies from the eventual winner.
In fact, the Class AA title game went to a second overtime Saturday night as second-seeded Moorhead rallied from a three-goal deficit after two periods and won 5-4 over top-seeded Minnetonka.
It’s the second straight state title for the Spuds, who are coached by former Windom Area coach Jon Ammerman.
Earlier in the day, Warroad won the Class A title over Hibbing/Chisholm 5-4. The Warriors tied the game with 46 seconds remaining in regulation and then scored the game winner at 1:00 of the extra session.
Class AA
Junior forward Evan Wanner scored at 10:36 of the second overtime to complete a stunning comeback victory for Moorhead.
The Spuds trailed by three goals at each of the first two intermissions, 3-0 after one and 4-1 after two.
Moorhead sent the game to extra time on junior forward Zac Zimmerman’s second goal game of the game with an extra skater as the Spuds had pulled their goalie at 16:24 of the third, or only 36 seconds left in regulation time.
In the second overtime period, Wanner went down the right side of the ice and fired a wrist shot that found a narrow opening on the right side of Minnetonka senior goalie Chase Jerdee.
“I got through the blue line, had a lot of room,” Wanner said at the postgame press conference. “Their gap wasn’t great. They were kind of tired. I found a way to shoot it through, and it ended up going in. It was a pretty good shot. But then, I just kind of blacked out after that. I don’t even really remember what happened. Just going down and thinking, wow, what a game.”
Finn Paulsen and Max Cullen assisted on the winning goal. Paulsen hadn’t skated a shift since the first period as Moorhead shortened its bench while trailing until he subbed in during the second overtime.
While he didn’t necessarily remember it, the celly had sort of been planned in advance.
“Me and Evan (Wanner) are roommates and we both asked each other, we were like, “What would you do if you score the overtime game-winner?” said Moorhead’s Drew Simonich.
“And I swear to God, he said, “I would just throw everything into the crowd.” I think that’s what he did and it was just, I can’t believe that that happened. It was unbelievable.”
For the record, a Moorhead fan got Wanner’s helmet was returned it to him.
Moorhead coach Jon Ammerman had high praise for Wanner.
“Zac Zimmerman and Joey (Cullen) and Brandon (Mickelson) and Max (Cullen) and all the names that are in the paper all the time,” he said. “Evan kind of gets left in the shadow, but the plays that he makes for just the casual hockey fan maybe go unnoticed. But they don’t go unnoticed in our room. And little things, just winning wall battles, winning races to pucks, just so much fun to watch him compete.”
And Jon Ammerman couldn’t say enough about the resiliency of his team, which, finished the season 27-3-1 and is the first Class AA school to repeat as state champion since Edina won consecutive crowns in 2013 and 2014.
“I’m just super proud and impressed with how they didn’t give up,” said Ammerman, a Moorhead High School graduate who played college hockey at St. Cloud State. “It would have been easy to pack it in, right? It was a tough start, no doubt about that. But there was never a moment of doubt on the bench. These are incredible hockey players.”
Moorhead’s sophomore class has built quite a reputation. It has won a state championship in each of the last five seasons, two as Pee wees, two as Bantams, and now one as high schoolers.
Runner-up Minnetonka had six players on the Class AA all-tournament. Moorhead had three, while Grand Rapids, Edina and Rosemount each had one.
Class AA all-tournament team
Herb Brooks Award: Brady Mullmann, Edina
Cade Sherman, Rosemount
Chase Bjorgaard, Edina
Seth Carlson, Grand Rapids
Chase Jerdee, Minnetonka
Danny Browning, Minnetonka
Cash Hardie, Minnetonka
Ethan Sturgis, Minnetonka
Mason Schemenauer, Minnetonka
Tate Hardacre, Minnetonka
Brandon Mickelson, Moorhead
Max Cullen, Moorhead
Tyden Bergeson, Moorhead
Class A
Senior forward Mooney Shaugabay scored at 1:00 of overtime to give Warroad the win after the Warriors had tied the game with only 46 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Warriors led 3-1 after two periods before the Bluejackets pulled with one on Isaiah Hildenbrand’s goal at 2:47 of the third.
Whitaker Rewertz scored the equalizer at 12:24 of the third and Benny Gall’s goal at 13:15 gave Hibbing/Chicholm its first lead.
Warroad’s Gavin Anderson scored to send the game to overtime.
In the extra session, Mooney Shaugabay was able to set up alone at the right post and he took a pass from Gavin Andersen and slapped it past Hibbing/Chisholm goalie Gavin Lamphere for the game-winner.
Goalie Patrick Kennedy made 43 saves in the win for the Warriors, who finish 25-5-1.
Warroad led the list of all-tournament team selections with four. Hibbing/Chisholm had three, Mahtomedi and Delano each had two and St. Cloud Cathedral one.
Class A all-tournament team
Herb Brooks Award: Griffin Sturm, St. Cloud Cathedral
Griffin Sturm, St. Cloud Cathedral
Daniel Halonen, Delano
Lance Halonen, Delano
Cody Loida, Mahtomedi
Will Seevers, Mahtomedi
Gavin Lamphere, Hibbing/Chisholm
Whit Rewertz, Hibbing/Chisholm
Tate Swanson, Hibbing/Chisholm
Patrick Kennedy, Warroad
Broden Hontvet, Warroad
Gavin Andersen, Warroad
Mooney Shaugaubay, Warroad
Championship games
Scores of championship games in the MSHSL state boys hockey tournament.
2026
A: Warroad 5, Hibbing/Chisholm 4 (OT)
AA: Moorhead 5, Minnetonka 4 (2 OT)
2025
A: East Grand Forks 2, Hermantown 1 (OT)
AA: Moorhead 7, Stillwater 6
2024
A: St. Cloud Cathedral 3, Hermantown 1
AA: Edina 2, Chanhassen 1
2023
A: Mahtomedi 6, Warroad 5 (OT)
AA: Minnetonka 2, Edina 1
2022
A: Hermantown 3, Warroad 2
AA: Andover 6, Maple Grove 5 (OT)
2021
A: Gentry Academy 8, Dodge County 1
AA: Eden Prairie 2, Lakeville South 1 (OT)
2020
A: Mahtomedi 3, Hermantown 2 (OT)
AA: Hill-Murray 4, Eden Prairie 1
2019
A: St. Cloud Cathedral 5, Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin 2
AA: Edina 3, Eden Prairie 2 (OT)
2018
A: Orono 2, Alexandria 1
AA: Minnetonka 5, Duluth East 2
2017
A: Hermantown 4, Monticello/Annandale/Maple Lake 3 (2 OT)
AA: Grand Rapids 6, Moorhead 3
2016
A: Hermantown 5, Breck 0
AA: Wayzata 5, Eden Prairie 3
2015
A: East Grand Forks 5, Hermantown 4 (OT)
AA: Lakeville North 4, Duluth East 1
2014
A: East Grand Forks 7, Hermantown 3
AA: Edina 8, Lakeville North 2
2013
A: St. Thomas Academy 5, Hermantown 4
AA: Edina 4, Hill-Murray 2
2012
A: St. Thomas Academy 5, Hermantown 1
AA: Benilde-St. Margaret’s 5, Hill-Murray 1
2011
A: St. Thomas Academy 5, Hermantown 4 (OT)
AA: Eden Prairie 3, Duluth East 2 (3 OT)
2010
A: Breck 2, Hermantown 1
AA: Edina 4, Minnetonka 2
2009
A: Breck 7, Warroad 3
AA: Eden Prairie 3, Moorhead 0
2008
A: St. Thomas Academy 5, Duluth Marshall 1
AA: Hill-Murray 3, Edina 0
2007
A: Hermantown 4, Duluth Marshall 1
AA: Roseau 5, Grand Rapids 1
2006
A: St. Thomas Academy 4, Duluth Marshall 3
AA: Cretin-Derham Hall 7, Grand Rapids 0
2005
A: Warroad 4, Totio-Grace 3 (2 OT)
AA: Academy of Holy Angels 6, Moorhead 4
2004
A: Breck 7, Orono 2
AA: Centennial 1, Moorhead 0
2003
A: Warroad 3, Simley 1
AA: Anoka 3, Roseville Area 1
2002
A: Totino-Grace 3, Red Wing 2
AA: Academy of Holy Angels 4, Hill-Murray 2
2001
A: Benilde-St. Margaret’s 2, Rochester Lourdes 1
AA: Elk River 8, Moorhead 1
2000
A: Breck 3, Warroad 2
AA: Blaine 6, Duluth East 0
1999
A: Benilde-St. Margaret’s 4, East Grand Forks 2
AA: Roseau 4, Hastings 0
1998
A: Eveleth-Gilbert 4, Hermantown 2
AA: Duluth East 3, Anoka 1
1997
A: Red Wing 4, Warroad 3
AA: Edina 1, Duluth East 0
1996
A: Warroad 10, Red Wing 3
AA: Duluth East 5, Moorhead 3
1995
A: International Falls 3, Totino-Grace 2
AA: Duluth East 5, Moorhead 3
1994
A: Warroad 5, Hbbing 3
AA: Bloomington Jefferson 3, Moorhead 1
1993
Tier I: Bloomington Jefferson 4, Hill-Murray 0
Tier II: Eveleth-Gilbert 3, Lake of the Woods 2 (2 OT)
1992
Tier I: Bloomington Jefferson 6, Moorhead 3
Tier II: Greenway/Nashwauk-Keewatin 6, Rosemount 1
1991
Hill-Murray 5, Duluth East 3
1990
Roseau 3, Grand Rapids 1
1989
Bloomington Jefferson 5, Rochester John Marshall 4 (OT)
1988
Edina 5, Hill-Murray 3
1987
Bloominngton Kennedy 4, Burnsville 1
1986
Burnsville 4, Hill-Murray 1
1985
Burnsville 4, Hill-Murray 3
1984
Edina 4, Bloomington Kennedy 2
1983
Hill-Murray 4, Burnsville 3
1982
Edina 6, White Bear Mariner 0
1981
Bloomington Jefferson 3, Irondale 2
1980
Grand Rapids 2, Hill-Murray 1
1979
Edina East 4, Rochester John Marshall 3 (OT)
1978
Edina East 5, Grand Rapids 4 (2 OT)
1977
Rochester John Marshall 4, Edina East 2
1976
Grand Rapids 4, Richfield 3
1975
Grand Rapids 6, Minneapolis Southwest 1
1974
Edina East 6, Bemidji 0
1973
Hibbing 6, Alexander Ramsey 3
1972
International Falls 3, Grand Rapids 2
1971
Edina 1, Roseau 0
1970
Minneapolis Southwest 1, Edina 0 (OT)
1969
Edina 5, Warroad 4 (OT)
1968
Greenway 6, South St. Paul 1
1967
Greenway 4, St. Paul Johnson 2
1966
International Falls 5, Roseau 0
1965
International Falls 7, Bloomington 0
1964
International Falls 7, St. Paul Johnson 3
1963
St. Paul Johnson 4, International Falls 3 (OT)
1962
International Falls 4, Roseau 0
1961
Roseau 1, South St. Paul 0
1960
Duluth East 3, St. Paul Washington 1
1959
Roseau 4, Minneapolis Washburn 2
1958
Roseau 1, St. Paul Harding 1
1957
International Falls 3, Roseau 1
1956
Thief River Falls 3, International Falls 2
1955
St. Paul Johnson 3, Minneapolis Southwest 1
1954
Thief River Falls 4, Eveleth 1
1953
St. Paul Johnson 4, Warroad 1
1952
Hibbing 4, Eveleth 3
1951
Eveleth 4, St. Paul Johnson 1
1950
Eveleth 4, Williams 3
1949
Eveleth 4, Williams 1
1948
Eveleth 8, Warroad 2
1947
Sr. Paul Johnson 2, Roseau 1
1946
Roseau 6, Rochester 0
1945
Eveleth 4, Thief River Falls 3
SOURCES: MSHSL, Youth Hockey Hub.