Moorhead Skates by Brainerd 7-0 in 8AA Quarterfinal Action
Neutral Zone watched the Section 8AA Quarterfinal matchup between the host Moorhead Spuds and visitor Brainerd Warriors. Moorhead entered as the #1 seed in 8AA, while Brainerd, who won a round 1 game against St. Cloud in overtime was the #9 seed. The game started with good intensity as both teams were getting pucks deep and getting in hard on the forecheck. Moorhead soon started to control a majority of the play and began putting shot after shot on Jed Klang #35 (G, L, 6’2″, 190, Brainerd HS, 05/14/2004). He was up to the task and kept his team in the game early. Brainerd was able to manufacture some chances off the rush and in transition. The game looked to be heading to the first intermission scoreless, when Brainerd received a two-many-men penalty. On the ensuing Power Play, Gavin Lindberg #3 (F, R, 6’0″, 175, Moorhead HS, 04/20/2004) dished the puck to Joe Gramer #23 (D, L, 6’0″, 194, Moorhead HS, 05/12/2005, Nebraska Omaha) who snapped the puck on net. Harper Bentz #19 (F, R, 5’10”, 165, Moorhead HS, 11/29/2004) tipped the shot past the goalie to give the home team the 1-0 lead with just 20 seconds left in the frame. The shots for the period were 19-3 for Moorhead.
The second period was more of the same with Moorhead controlling most of the play and Brainerd playing a bend but don’t break defense. There were a few penalties on each side in the frame, so the game opened up a bit more through the middle of the ice. Moorhead generated several high quality chances, but Klang was up to the task. The home team would double their lead with just over six minutes left in the period. Carson Triggs #16 (F, L, 5’9″, 148, Moorhead HS, 01/09/2004) scooped up a loose puck just inside the offensive blueline. He cut around a defender and then across the goalmouth before tucking the puck by the goalie. There was no more scoring in the period and Moorhead would take a 2-0 lead into the locker room with 17 minutes to play. Shots after two periods were Moorhead 38-4.
Moorhead continued to pressure in the third, and really broke the game open. They scored five more goals in the frame. First, Bentz stole a puck on the penalty kill and quickly snapped a pass through the neutral zone to Gavin Lindberg who cut in on a breakaway and calmly tucked the puck through the goalies five-hole. Then Thomas Schroeder #18 (RW, R, 5’11”, 181, Moorhead HS, 01/07/2004) fed a puck down low to Ian Ness #27 (F, R, 5’6″, 126, Moorhead HS, 11/10/2004) who flipped the puck from a bad angle off the goalies shoulder and up under the bar for a 4-0 lead. The home team would again stretch the lead a few minutes later when Bentz took a slap/pass from Lindberg in the crease, stopped it and tucked it around the goalie. Justin Stalboerger #27 (F, L, 6’1″, 170, Moorhead HS, 08/01/2003) would score two goals to finish the scoring for Moorhead and give the #1 seed a convincing 7-0 victory. The game was closer than the score indicated thanks to the play of Jed Klang in net. He stopped 58 of 65 shots he faced on the night and was under constant attack.
Moorhead advances to play STMA on February 26th.
Three Stars
- Harper Bentz, Moorhead
- Gavin Lindberg, Moorhead
- Jed Klang, Brainerd
Photo Credit: Dan Hickling/Hickling Images