Class 1A 2015 CLASS 1A Bracket New Ulm Quarterfinals No. 2 — Mahtomedi New Prague 11 a.m., March 4 Xcel Energy Center 1 p.m., March 4 Xcel Energy Center No. 3 — East Grand Forks Spring Lake Park 6 p.m., March 4 Xcel Energy Center No. 1 — Hermantown No. 5 — St. Cloud Apollo 8 p.m., March 4 Xcel Energy Center No. 4 — Breck Semifinals 11 a.m., March 6 Xcel Energy Center 1 p.m., March 6 Xcel Energy Center Championship 12 p.m., March 7 Xcel Energy Center Third Place 9 a.m., March 7 Xcel Energy Center Consolation 10 a.m., March 5 Mariucci Arena 10 a.m., March 7 Mariucci Arena 12 p.m., March 5 Mariucci Arena 22 2015 Minnesota state high school boys’ hockey tournament guide
New Prague When New Prague opened up its defense of a Section 1A title with seven straight victories this winter, all looked well. But the Trojans lost four of their next five games, scoring one or fewer goals in three of them. Suddenly, a repeat section title didn’t appear such a sure thing. Coach Chris Lonke had to get his veteran team back to what earned its first-ever state berth the year before — strong defense in front of goaltender Conner Wagner (19-8-0, 2.13, .912). New Prague responded with back-to-back shutouts of North St. Paul and Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato and proceeded to run roughshod through the rest of the Section 1A slate. In nine section games, the Trojans were a perfect 9-0-0, outdistancing the field and earning the top seed. Senior defensive captain Casey Busch (5-14-19) anchors the blue line. He’s a smooth-skating defenseman who plays in all situations, along with athletic shut-down defender Jake Klein (1-6-7). Of course, scoring goals in bunches didn’t hurt either. Led by junior Alex Gregor (31-24-55), a rugged and aggressive player with state tournament experience, the Trojans finished off the regular season with 23 goals in three games and added 14 more in the section playoffs. It’s a right time for the offense to get hot, with a tough quarterfinal matchup against defending Class 1A champion East Grand Forks up first at the X. Conner Wagner Beyond Gregor’s team-high 31 goals, only two other Trojans scored in double-figures, however, senior Ben Witt (13-31-44) and junior Zach Davis (16-24-40). With back-to-back state tournament appearances now in Lonke’s pocket, he’s building a powerhouse at New Prague. The next step is to improve on last year’s surprise third-place finish. — Tim Kolehmainen 20-7-0 Quick Facts Section: 1A Conference: Wright County Past State Appearances: 2014, 15 Head Coach: Chris Lonke Home Rink: New Prague Community Center Road to the X Date Opponent W-L-T Nov. 21 at St. Cloud Cathedral W 6-2 Nov. 29 NORTHFIELD W 3-2 Dec. 2 at Red Wing W 3-2 Dec. 4 MANKATO WEST W 6-0 Dec. 9 at Holy Family W 3-2 Dec. 11 ROCH. LOURDES W 2-1 Dec. 16 WACONIA W 3-1 Dec. 18 ORONO L 0-2 Dec. 20 at Hermantown L 1-6 Dec. 23 ALBERT LEA W 5-0 SSP PREMIER TOURNEY (Dec. 26-29) Dec. 26 Bloom. Jefferson L 0-3 Dec. 27 Hastings L 3-4 Dec. 29 North St. Paul W 6-0 Jan. 6 at Litchfield/DC W 10-0 Jan. 13 DELANO L 1-7 Jan. 16 MOUND-WESTONKA W 6-1 Jan. 20 at Hutchinson W 3-2 Jan. 22 at Waconia W 6-0 Jan. 27 at Orono L 1-2 Jan. 30 LITCHFIELD/DC W 3-1 Feb. 3 HOLY FAMILY L 1-8 Feb. 5 at Delano L 1-4 Feb. 7 at Rochester Lourdes W 3-2 Feb. 10 at Mound-Westonka W 7-0 Feb. 13 HUTCHINSON W 13-3 SECTION 1A PLAYOFFS Feb. 19 ROCH. LOURDES W 2-1 Feb. 21 Faribault W 8-4 Feb. 25 Northfield W 2-1 2015 Minnesota state high school boys’ hockey tournament guide Tim Kolehmainen / Breakdown.zenfolio.com LEADERS # Name Gr G-A-Pts 10 Alex Gregor 11 31-24-55 8 Ben Witt 12 13-31-44 7 Zach Davis 11 16-24-40 14 Ryan O’Rourke 12 7-15-22 5 Casey Busch 12 5-14-19 # Name Gr GAA SV% 1 Conner Wagner 12 2.13 .912 Puck Heaven trivia Q In what year was the first Minnesota state boys’ high school hockey tournament conducted and what city and building hosted the inaugural event? 23
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