One Big Nine Girls Hockey Team Ranked in State

The Mankato East/Loyola Cougars are the only Big Nine Conference girls hockey team to be ranked by Let's Play Hockey.  The Cougars are #20 in Class A in the latest rankings released Wednesday.  Northfield was the Big Nine Conference girls hockey champions.  The Faribault Falcons split during the regular season with Mankato East/Loyola.

The Cougars did participate in the State Tournament which went according to seed Wednesday.  They did not get a top 5 seed and fell to #3 seed Mound-Westonka/Watertown-Mayer/Southwest Christian (23-0-5) 4-2 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.  #2 seed Breck School (19-8) defeated Fergus Falls (21-6) 2-0.

Top seed Warroad (27-0-1) blanked St. Paul United (12-14-2)  4-0.  Proctor/Hermantown (19-7-3) got by Rochester Lourdes/Dover-Eyota (15-10-1)              3-2 in overtime the final game of the day.

That means the Lourdes Eagles play St. Paul United at Tria Rink at Treasure Island Center Thursday.  The first game of the day Fergus Falls will play Mankato East/Loyola at 10:00 a.m. at Tria Rink.  The Minnesota Wild practice facility.

On the other side of the bracket Warroad faces Proctor/Hermantown (19-7-3).  The Breck game is at 11:00 a.m. Friday and the Warroad contest at 1:30 p.m.

Class AA gets underway Thursday at the Xcel Energy Center when Section One representative Farmington (15-11-2) faces #2 seed Andover (23-4) at 11:00 a.m.  The next game at 1:00 p.m.  Brainerd (23-4-1) skates against  White Bear Lake Area (23-5-1).

At 6:00 p.m. top seed Edina (24-4) will face East Ridge (19-8-1).  The final game of the day in Class 2A will have the #4 seed Maple Grove (19-7-1) play #5 Minnetonka (14-13-1).

The semifinals are 6:00 and 8:30 Friday with a State Champion crowned following a 7:00 p.m. game Saturday.  The Class A state title game is scheduled to begin at 4:00 p.m. Saturday.