| 2/17/2003 CLASS AA SECTION OUTLOOK Section 1A Rochester Lourdes (18-3-3) is the #1 seed and going after their fourth straight Section 1A title. The Eagles had only a few holdovers from last year's State Tournament team but senior forwards Nick Forliti and John Brunkhorst with junior Brandon Harrington have combined for a potent #1 line. Standout junior defenseman Josh Duncan and senior goalie Ben Alker lead an adequate defensive corp. Albert Lea (15-9-0) finished fifth in a close race in the Big Nine Conference, but they were the highest Class A team in the standings. Senior defenseman Josh Tubbs has played superbly this year. Senior forwards Adam Boelter and Egan Mattson along with sophomore forward Jon Breuer are the top scorers. Marshall (19-3-2) has had a fine season. Senior forward Jeff Jacobs and junior forward Zack Sterzinger both finished in the top 30 scorers in the state (Jacobs at #10). Marshall tied Northfield in a Holiday Tournament. Northfield (13-5-3) also has a shot at the Section 1A crown. The Raiders are led by senior goalie Riley Gill, one of the top Class A goalies in the state. Section 2A This Section looks to be a showdown between Sauk Rapids-Rice and Princeton. Sauk Rapids-Rice (13-11-1) played a tougher schedule this year, moving from the Rum River Conference to the Central Lakes Conference. The Storm tied St. Cloud Tech in their best game of the year and defeated St. Cloud Apollo three times; however, Sauk Rapids-Rice also lost the Fergus Falls once and Willmar twice, the top two seeds in Section 4A. The Storm is led by junior forward Ryan Peckskamp, one of the top Class A junior forwards in the state. Peckskamp netted 36 goals during the regular season, fourth best in the state for Class A players. Princeton (18-7-0) is going after their second consecutive Section 2A championship. The Tigers feature a potent offense that averages over five goals a game. Senior foward Joey Bacon is the leading scorer and senior Karl Larsen is a high-scoring defenseman. Both returned from last year's State Tournament team. St. Cloud Cathedral (15-7-1) is a long shot, but the Crusaders are a young team that should only get better. Section 3A Mahtomedi may battle Red Wing again for the Section 3A title. The two teams have met the past two years with Mahtomedi winning in 2001 and Red Wing winning in 2002. This year, Mahtomedi is the #1 seed and Red Wing is #2. Mahtomedi (15-10-0) beat Red Wing 3-2 in December and have defeated Simley twice this year. Senior forward Brent Borgen finished the regular season as the #3 scorer in the state with 35-36-71. Borgen is committed to play for the University of Minnesota in 2004-2005. Junior foward Ryan Gunderson is another big scorer for the Zephyrs. Red Wing (12-10-3) became an average team this year when two players went to play junior hockey. The Wingers are still tough defensively behind senior goalie Adam Hendel and senior defenseman Jeremy Doden. Simley (15-9-1) has had a very good season finishing fourth in the Classic Suburban Conference, right behind Mahtomedi. During the season, Simley lost close games with Class AA teams Hill-Murray, North St. Paul, and Grand Rapids. Simley doesn't score many goals and plays a solid defensive game. The Spartans are led by senior defenseman Dan Ohmann. Section 4A Fergus Falls (8-13-0) has had a down year but garnered the #1 seed with a victory over Willmar in the Fergus Falls Holiday Tournament. The Otters are going after their seventh straight Section 4A championship. Fergus Falls has a number of holdovers from last year's State Tournament team including senior forwards Dan Perry, Tyler Gagner, and Mike Gaustad. Willmar (15-7-1) had almost twice as many victories as Fergus Falls. Willmar finished fourth in the Central Lakes Conference and was the top Class A team in the conference. The Cardinals haven't been to the State Tournament since 1947 but have a decent shot at making it this year. Willmar is led by senior forward Brett Nelson, senior defenseman Reid Roepke, and sophomore defenseman Cass Wierschem. Senior Corey Hanson and junior Mitch Baker split time in goal. Sauk Centre/Melrose (13-7-0), the #3 seed, is a long shot. The Streeter Rats lost to Willmar 7-3 and did not play Fergus Falls. Next page |