HOPKINS - Fierce rivals in most every sport, private schools Breck and Blake had some extra juice in their boys' hockey series as Blake outlasted Breck 5-4 on Joe Erickson's power-play goal on Saturday at Blake Ice Arena.

Blake has returned to playing in Class 1A this season after a stint in Class 2A that included a 2020 trip to the state tournament. Breck has added Joe Dziedzic as its new head coach after he revived Minneapolis' once-moribund program, leading it to a state Class 1A tournament appearance in 2022.

Blake also has a new coach in alum JT Wyman. Both Wyman and Dziedzic played in the NHL. 

Both teams are expected to be serious contenders for the Section 2A title this season.

Erickson, a senior forward, had a goal and two assists to lead the No. 6-1A Bears (3-1-0).

Freshman defenseman Harrison Hudson had a goal and two assists and senior forward Garrett Trench four assists for the Mustangs (3-1-0). Trench and teammate Eli Milinkovich are tied for the state lead with 13 points each.

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MENDOTA HEIGHTS - Senior Gavin Bajda turned in one of the best goaltending performances of the young season, stopping 36 shots in a 2-0 victory over high-powered St. Thomas Academy at St. Thomas Ice Arena.

The victory was the third of the season for Bajda, who is 3-0-0 after going 3-1-0 a year ago in a backup role. He made 14 of his saves in the third period against the No. 4-2A Cadets (3-1-0) and withstood a St. Thomas Academy power play in the closing minute.

St. Thomas Academy had won its opening three games by a combined score of 31-0. Freshman Owen Ryan, who had shutouts in two of those games, made 26 stops on 27 shots.

Stilwater's Michael Belde scored in the second period and the Ponies' final goal was an empty-netter with 1:36 left.

The game was a rematch of a state Class 2A semifinal last March, won 4-0 by Stillwater.

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CIRCLE PINES - Krewz Harper completed a nifty give-and-go passing play with Sam Coleman on a high-speed rush to lift Blaine to a 3-2 overtime victory over Mahtomedi in the second round of the Centennial Holiday Tournament at Centennial Sports Arena.

Harper's goal came with 1:03 left in the extra period and boosted Blaine's record to 4-0-0, and the Bengals join Moorhead and Maple Grove, also 4-0-0, at the top of the statewide standings.

Mahtomedi's Henry Sampair scored a shorthanded goal early in the the third period to tie the score at 2-2. Cody Loida also scored for the No. 8-2A Zephyrs (1-1-0). 

Tanner Ferdig and Porter Bayer also scored for Blaine.

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RIVER FALLS, Wis. - Junior defenseman Anthony Olejar slammed home the rebound of his initial shot to lift Osseo to a 3-2 overtime triumph against St. Paul at the Wildcat Center in the second round of the River Falls Thanksgiving Invitational.

Olejar's goal came 53 seconds into the extra period and gave the Orioles (1-4-0) their first victory of the season.

St. Paul (1-1-0), newly rebranded this season after the merger of St. Paul Johnson and St. Paul Highland Park/St. Paul Central, got goals from Max Karvonen and Soren Kreuziger.

Connor Albers made 27 saves for the Orioles, who are no longer playing in the Northwest Suburban Conference and playing as an independent. Emory Batt had 14 saves for St. Paul.

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MAPLEWOOD - Hill-Murray's Ryland DeMars scored midway through the third period to tie the game as state powers Hermantown and Hill-Murray battled to a 2-2 tie at Aldrich Arena. Both teams are 1-0-1.

No. 3-1A Hermantown, which has won four state Class 1A titles, led 2-1 after the first period on goals by Kole Lendzyk and Bode Madill.

No. 2-2A Hill-Murray, which also has won four state championships (in Class 2A), saw Grayson Hanggi stop 35 shots.

The Hawks' Bryce Francisco made 40 saves. Both Hanggi and Francisco are top candidates for the Frank Brimsek Award that goes to the state's top senior goaltender.

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MINNETONKA - Andover and Chanhassen alternated goals as the teams skated to a 2-2 overtime tie in the second round of the Tonka Thanksgiving Preview at the Pagel Activity Center.

No. 10-2A Andover (0-3-1) opened the scoring when Brody Peterson gave the Huskies a 1-0 lead eight minutes into the game. Chanhassen's Nolan Warner tied it by scoring with 2 minutes left in the first.

Will Thackeray gave the Huskies the lead in the second period but Warner scored midway in the third period to the game again.

Tyler Jackson made 34 saves for Chanhassen (0-2-1) while Andover's Wyatt Reimer made 23 saves.

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MARSHALL - Anton Haataja scored twice in the third period to lead Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato to a 3-1 win over Marshall in the championship game of the Marshall Thanksgiving Classic at the Red Baron Arena and Expo.

Haataja's go-ahead goal came with 10:30 left in the third. He added a second goal in the final seconds.

The Dragons (2-0-0) outshot Marshall 42-9.

McCoy Guenther made 39 saves for Marshall (1-2-0).

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ST. PAUL - Bodie Inselman's goal with 34 seconds left in the second period held up as the game winner as Irondale defeated Cambridge-Isanti in the second round for the TRIA Classic at TRIA Rink.

Inselman's goal pushed Irondale's lead to 3-1. He was also credited with two assists.

Wes Terhell brought Cambridge-Isanti (0-4-0) within one, 3-2, with a power-play goal 3:02 into the third. However, Gunnar Christy scored twice in three minutes to give the Knights (2-0-0)   the 5-2 win.

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