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Mahtomedi eases past St. Paul Johnson into the Class 1A, Section 4 final

By Ellis Williams, SportsEngine, 03/01/17, 10:30PM CST

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Luke Posner opened the scoring with two goals in the second period for the Zephyrs, who never looked back in their 4-1 victory.


Sophomore goaltender Bailey Huber tallied 27 saves in Mahtomedi's 4-1 over St. Paul Johnson on Wednesday night. The Zephyr's will take on St. Paul Academy on Friday night in the Class 1A, Section 4 semifinal. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

After scoring 20 seconds into the third period to cut Mahtomedi’s 2-0 lead to just one during the Class 1A, Section 4 semifinal, St. Paul Johnson failed to capitalize on the momentum Chris Ranum’s score created.

Four minutes after Ranum's goal, Colin Hagstrom buried a shot right in front to push the Zephyrs’ lead back to two goals and No. 3 seeded Mahtomedi never looked back, eventually winning 4-1 and advancing to the section final.

“I actually think that we played better after they scored,” Zephyrs coach Jeff Poeschl said. “We handled their push back very well and that was really the key.”

Scoreless early in the second period, St. Paul Johnson goalie Ezra Weintzweig faced three different scoring chances during a Mahtomedi power-play, and he turned all of them away.

Joe Paradise had a chance to increase the lead to two when he forced a turnover and fired a shot from the slot but it was saved.

Four minutes later Jeff Kneale had the man advantage on the rush and tried to beat Weintzweig short side, but once again he made the save.

Weintzweig’s streak of power-play saves ended when Lucas Posner finally buried a shot far side on a pass from Sam Ayd to go up 1-0.

Posner scored again in the second, and the Zephyrs, ranked No. 5 in Class 1A in the state coaches' poll, went into the third period with a 2-0 lead, but just 20 second into the period, the No. 13-1A Governors responded with a power-play goal of their own.

Ranum took a dish from Isaac Moberg and slid the puck just under Weintzweig's pad to cut the Governors’ (18-7-2) deficit to one.

“That goal was huge and proved to be momentum swing,” Governors coach Moose Younghans said. “We thought we’d get one more of our chances in there but give credit to Mahtomedi. That was a great game.”

Failing to capitalize on its momentum proved to be St. Paul Johnson’s downfall as the Zephyrs (15-11-1) scored two unanswered goals, including an empty netter with less than two minutes to play.

With the win, Mahtomedi advances to the Class 1A, Section 4 final against St. Paul Academy at 7 p.m. Friday at Roseville Ice Arena.

“I thought we played well defensively,” Poeschl said, “and we are going to have to continue to be solid on the back end to combat (St. Paul Academy’s) speed.”

Photo Gallery



Chris Ranum (22) slips the puck under the pads of Bailey Huber for the Governors only goal of the night. Photo by Cheryl Myers, SportsEngine

First Report

Mahtomedi forward Luke Posner scored two goals and the No. 2 seeded Zephyrs defeated third-seeded St. Paul Johnson 4-1 during the Class 1A, Section 4 semifinal inside Roseville Ice Arena.

After a scoreless first period, Posner beat St. Paul Johnson goalie Ezra Weintzweig on the far side on a pass from Sam Ayd to go up 1-0 early in the second.

Later in the period, Posner pushed a shot passed Weintzweig’s left leg that just crossed the line for his second goal of the game.

20 seconds into the third, Governors (18-7-2) forward Chris Ranum scored on a power-play goal, but four minutes later Mahtomedi, ranked No. 5 in Class 1A in the state coaches' poll, responded to push the lead back to two and held on for the win

In net for the Zephyrs (15-11-1), Bailey Huber stopped 27 of 28 shots. Weintzweig finished with 32 saves for the No. 13-1A Governors.

With the win, Mahtomedi advances to the Class 1A, Section 4 final against St. Paul Academy at 7 p.m. Friday at Roseville Ice Arena.


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