SECTION 6 GRAY - 13, SECTION 5 SKY BLUE - 1
After both teams needed overtime in Saturday's CCM High Performance Spring Festival semifinals, Team Gray showed it had no intentions of playing a close game.
The line of Mason Nevers (Edina) , Nate Warner (St. Cloud Cathedral) and Joel Matthews (Wayzata) proved lethal, playing a role in five goals on their first five shifts en route to a 13-1 victory over Team Sky Blue in the title game.
Nevers finished the game with a goal and 4 assists. Warner had two goals and two assists while Matthews tallied two assists and a goal.
Warner broke the game open by lifting a shot over Samuel Potter (Champlin Park) on a breakaway at the six-minute mark. The play was reminiscent of Saturday's overtime game-winner, where Nevers lasered a pass through a line of defenders and found Warner free on the fast break.
After Sunday's game started similar to how Saturday's ended, Team Gray began its throttling of Team Sky Blue.
Charles Bischel (Benilde-St. Margaret's) scored 37 seconds after Warner's goal off a feed from Jonah Jangula (Robbinsdale Cooper).
Matthews capitalized on a rebound created by Warner. Matthews returned the favor, dishing a backhand pass to Nevers flying up the left side. Nevers cut to the middle, pushed the puck to his forehand and flipped the biscuit to the back of the Team Sky Blue net.
The festival's most-prized line combination got their defense involved as Nevers reversed the puck behind Team Sky Blue's net where Warner gathered it and found Andrew Revering (Alexandria) itching to rocket a shot off the right post and in.
Jett Johnson (Benilde-St. Margaret's) and Cole Cavanagh (Edina) added goals in the second half to deflate any remnants of a Team Sky Blue comeback.
Tyler Kostelecky (Maple Grove) netted Team Sky Blue's lone goal.
SECTION 3 KELLY GREEN - 6, SECTION 1 RED - 3
After a trading goals throughout the first half, Team Kelly Green pulled away in the second in a decisive victory where Section 3 56-16. Griffin Streeter (Shattuck-St. Mary's) broke the game open just 57 seconds in. Brandt Pedersen (Litchfield) countered a minute later before a tug-of-war ensued. Cole Wentzel (Albert Lea), Kyle Heffron (Rosemount) and Grayson Hight (Bloomington Jefferson) all scored in the opening four minutes of play. Culley Larson ( netted a Albert Lea) tying goal with 17 minutes remaining in the half as the scoring settled. Heffron and Pedersen found the net early in the second half . Heffron notched a hat trick on an empty-net goal. Lakeville North netminders William Johnson and Caleb Mayer both stopped 25 shots in net for Team Red.
SECTION 2 ORANGE - 3, SECTION 8 WHITE - 1
Strong goaltending kept the game scoreless through the first half. Nathan Mueller (Buffalo) stopped 16 shots, while Ben Bullis (Eden Prairie) made four saves. Cullen Gess (Moorhead) scored four minutes into the final half before Team Gray went on a three-goal run to close the game. Jackson Jutting (Prior Lake) , Carson Jones (Eden Prairie) scored midway through the period. William Magnuson (Chaska) capitalized on an empty net to put the game away for Team Orange.
SECTION 7 GOLD - 6, SECTION 4 ROYAL BLUE - 4
Carter Sullivan (Duluth Marshall) netted his second goal of the game four minutes into the final half. It proved to be the game-winner as Team Royal Blue clawed its way back into the game, courtesy of Quinn Krueger (Woodbury). Krueger brought Team Royal Blue within a goal with 39 seconds remaining, but Kobie Koenig (Grand Rapids) scored an empty-net goal to cease the comeback bid.