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Line up and play: Friday semifinals match up a little bit of everything

By LOREN NELSON, Special to the Star Tribune, 04/01/21, 9:00PM CDT

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A preview of all of the games in Class 2A and 1A on Friday at Xcel Energy Center.


Dodge County players lined up with their playoff hair on display Tuesday during team introductions. They play Little Falls in the second Class 1A semifinal on Friday. Photo: JEFF WHEELER • jeff.wheeler@startribune.com

The boys’ hockey state tournament will set its championship game pairings with four games on Friday at Xcel Energy Center. Here’s a look at the Class 1A and 2A semifinals, broken down by hockey journalist Loren Nelson, on special assignment for the Star Tribune.

Class 1A -- Gentry speed vs. East Grand Forks' physical play

NO. 3 SEED EAST GRAND FORKS (14-8) vs. NO. 2 GENTRY ACADEMY (17-0), 11 a.m.

Why East Grand Forks will win: Some coaches believe Gentry Academy’s kryptonite could be its inability to handle an overly physical opponent. The board-rattling Green Wave, as part of their DNA, brings a relentless physical approach. No need to alter any game plans here.

Why Gentry Academy will win: Speed, speed and more speed. You can’t hit what you can’t catch, and the Stars don’t have just one or two turbo-powered players, they’ve got a dozen of ’em. The last team to have such across-the-board speed might have been Holy Angels in 2002.

Key to the game: It will take an-out-of-this-world goaltending performance to defuse the Stars’ explosive, fast-break offense. Does East Grand Forks senior Cole Quirk have one in him?

One thing to know: Gentry Academy has defeated all but three of its opponents by running-time (six-goal lead or more in the third period) margins.

1A -- The scorer vs. the stopper

DODGE COUNTY (18-3-1) vs. NO. 4 LITTLE FALLS (14-4-1), 1 P.M.

Why Dodge County will win: Brody Lamb. The state’s leading scorer scored six goals against Hermantown in the quarterfinals. The Gophers recruit scored on rebounds, breakaways and all varieties in between. Lamb has 48 goals in 22 games this season, including 14 in four playoff games.

Why Little Falls will win: Dane Couture. The Flyers’ senior is in one of those pucks-as-big-as-beachballs zones that make goaltenders all but unbeatable. The son of Little Falls coach Tony Couture, himself a former star goaltender, has stopped 119 of the 122 shots he’s faced in the playoffs.

Key to the game: The Flyers’ hit-or-miss offense. Little Falls has been goal-challenged at times this season when facing top-caliber teams.

One thing to know: Dodge County is trying to become the first Class 1A team to win a state title in its first tournament appearance since Benilde-St. Margaret’s in 1999.

Class 2A -- Neutral ice cloggers battle no-loss confident crew

WAYZATA (14-5-2) vs. NO. 3 LAKEVILLE SOUTH (19-0-2), 6 p.m.

Why Wayzata will win: If any team can throttle Lakeville South’s offense, it is the grind-heavy Trojans. Wayzata prides itself on clogging neutral ice and creating traffic jams in the scoring areas. The Trojans seem to block nine out of every 10 shots directed at their net.

Why Lakeville South will win: Confidence. The Cougars traveled March 9 to then-undefeated and No. 1-ranked Maple Grove and won 4-3, handing the Crimson their only loss. Discounting its two ties, Lakeville South has to feel like it can beat any team, any time, anywhere.

Key to the game: Whether the Cougars get scoring from sources other than their top line, as was the case in the quarterfinals against Moorhead.

One thing to know: Lakeville South is trying to become the first undefeated Class 2A champion since crosstown rival Lakeville North went 31-0 in 2015.

2A nightcap -- Do Crimson and Special K find a way against Eagles' weapons?

NO. 4 MAPLE GROVE (21-1) vs. NO. 1 EDEN PRAIRIE (19-1-2), 8 p.m.

Why Maple Grove will win: The Kukkonen Factor. Crimson senior Kyle Kukkonen, injured for most of last season, has that look you might see in a prize fighter who refuses to go down. As Kukkonen — who ranks second in the state with 73 points — goes, so go the Crimson.

Why Eden Prairie will win: Top-end talent, namely an NHL draft pick, two Mr. Hockey finalists and four players committed to Division I programs. The top five of Carter Batchelder, Drew Holt, Jackson Blake, Luke Mittelstadt and Mason Langenbrunner are as good as it gets in high school hockey.

Key to the game: Eden Prairie goaltender Zach Hayes’ right leg-pad save on a solo rush by St. Thomas Academy superstar Jackson Hallum in Wednesday’s quarterfinal was a game-changer. He’ll need to be just as sharp against the Crimson.

One thing to know: Maple Grove has never previously reached a state tournament semifinal. Eden Prairie has played in five championship games, winning two of them.

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