MOORHEAD — The moment the Moorhead Spuds boys hockey team has been waiting for all season has arrived.
The No. 1-seeded Spuds begin the Minnesota Class AA State Tournament with a quarterfinal matchup against No. 8 Lakeville South at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.
The Spuds will make their 21st tournament appearance.
Excitement surrounding the team leading up to the tournament can be felt all around Moorhead, said Spuds junior forward Tyden Bergeson.
“It’s been awesome,” Bergeson said. “The buzz around the locker room and everyone in the town is just unbelievable. You go out to the grocery store even and everyone’s congratulating you.”
Moorhead heads into the weekend at 25-2-1, which includes a 22-game winning streak during the regular season. The Spuds enter the tournament with a full head of steam after a head-turning 8-1 win over Bemidji in the Section 8-2A championship last Wednesday in Thief River Falls.
“It’s kind of an expectation for us to go to state,” said senior forward Carver Hasbargen.
The Spuds last made the state tournament in 2023, when the team suffered a 7-6 double-overtime loss to Edina in the quarterfinals. Five Spuds of the current senior class played in the tournament as sophomores.
Moorhead last won a quarterfinal game in 2017. The Spuds defeated Hill-Murray 4-2 to advance to the semifinals, then defeated Lakeville South 3-2. Moorhead fell to Grand Rapids 6-3 in the title game.
Moorhead’s Mason Kraft moves with the puck against Bemidji’s Nicholas Johnson during the Minnesota Section 8-2A boys hockey championship game on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls, MN.
Senior standout Mason Kraft stands as the third-leading scorer in Minnesota with 84 points. Kraft has tallied 37 goals and 47 assists this season. Junior Zac Zimmerman has 70 points, including 28 goals.
Goaltender Charlie Stenehjem leads the state with 25 wins in net. Stenehjem holds a 1.83 goals-against average, a 91.3 save percentage and four shutouts in 28 games.
Moorhead is averaging 5.68 goals per game, while giving up an average of 1.86 goals per game. The team has outscored opponents 159-52 on the season.
“We’re really fortunate in Moorhead to get down (to the state tournament), but the goal isn’t done yet,” said Spuds head coach Jon Ammerman. “This team has had a heckuva year and we’re really excited for the opportunity.”
Lakeville South begins the tournament 18-9 overall. The Cougars topped rival Lakeville North 5-1 in the Section 1-2A championship game in Rochester.
Brothers Carter and Jackson Ernst lead Lakeville South in scoring. Carter Ernst has 25 goals and 33 assists, and Jackson Ernst has 23 goals and 33 assists. The pair account for one-third of the Cougars’ points.
Netminder Carson Hauger has a 3.28 GAA and an .872 save percentage for Lakeville South. The Cougars have scored 123 goals in 27 games with 52 coming in the second period.
Ammerman said the team has to focus on winning on the first shift and first night.
“Focus on our start (and) that first five minutes, and not look ahead” Ammerman said. “Stay where our feet are and not get caught up in a lot of the distractions.”
“We just got to keep moving, keep our momentum going and just keep playing hard,” Bergeson added.
For more information on the Minnesota Boys Hockey State Tournaments visit this page .
Moorhead celebrates a point against Bemidji in their Minnesota Section 8-2A boys hockey championship game on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls, MN.
