Grand Rapids and Andover advance to Section 7AA Championship

The Grand Rapids Thunderhawks and the Andover Huskies both advance to the Section 7AA Championship game on Thursday, March 3. Both Section 7AA Semifinal games on Saturday turned into a shoot-out affair.

Andover will advance with their 10-2 win over the Forest Lake Rangers. The No. 1 seed got on the board early with a goal from Junior, Cooper Conway. It was his first of two goals in the game.

Forest Lake answered soon after, with a goal from Malachi McKinnon. Score is 1-1 with about 13 minutes to play in the first. Andover’s Conway scored his second goal, followed by one from Gavin Thoreson. Forest Lake would put one more score on the board with a goal from Matthew Linder with 4 minutes remaining in the first. Score is 2-3 Andover.

Andover would get three more unanswered goals, from Brooks Cogswell, Gavyn Thoreson, and Cayden Casey. The score after one period is Forest Lake 2 – Andover 6.

Andover would score three more goals in the 2nd period from Hudson Zinda, Casey, and Jacob Pierson. The Huskies would get one more goal in the 3rd, to finish the night with Forest Lake 2 – Andover 10.

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In game two of the Section 7AA Semifinals, No. 3 Blaine faced-off against the No. 2 seeded Grand Rapids. The Thunderhawks brought the power in the first period with a couple of quick goals less than six minutes into the period. Senior Hayden DeMars scored off an assist from Easton Young five minutes into the period, followed by a goal from Senior Garett Drotts on an assist from Kaden Nelson at 5:59.

Senior Justin Kerr brought the score to 0-3 with a power play goal from Drotts and Nelson. The Thunderhawks added two more quick goals with just over 2 minutes to play, from Senior Joe DelGreco and DeMars second goal of the night. The Score after one period, Blaine 0 – Grand Rapids 5.

The second period brought a number of penalties from both teams, and the period remained scoreless until Grand Rapids’ Easton Young scored a power play goal with an assist from Nelson and DelGreco.

The Blaine Bengals got on the board within the first two minutes of the 3rd period with a goal from Senior Andrew Swanson off Landon Steffen. The score is 1-6, Grand Rapids.

It was the Thunderhawks the rest of the way. DeMars brought in a hat trick with his 3rd goal, followed by a power play goal from Kerr, his second, and a goal from Senior Travis Verbick brought the final score to Blaine 1 – Grand Rapids 9.

Grand Rapids will meet Andover next Thursday, March 3 on WDIO-DT and on WDIO.com/liveplus.