Seeds are set for girls hockey state tournament, and Minnetonka leads the list

What many girls hockey observers considered inevitable, Minnetonka's return to the Class 2A state tournament, was treated internally as a reward rather than a birthright.

Tracy Cassano, who coached the Skippers to a runner-up finish last season, knew her team returned an embarrassment of riches. And she knew what her players were thinking.

"My words have been, 'We've got to slow our roll, live in the now and just enjoy it,' " Cassano said after Friday night's victory against Holy Family in the Section 2 championship game. "The whole season is not about one game. Yes, everybody wants to win and nobody likes to lose. But it's about all the hard work along the way and the memories."

Minnetonka (23-7) received the No. 1 seed for the Class 2A state tournament. The Skippers play at 6 p.m. Thursday in the third of four quarterfinals at Xcel Energy Center. The Class 1A quarterfinals take place Wednesday. Both championship games will be played Saturday evening, with the Class 1A game first at 4 p.m.

To get there, Minnetonka must avoid another upset bid by Centennial/Spring Lake Park, which stunned Maple Grove in the Section 5 final. The Skippers would face No. 4 Gentry Academy or No. 5 Moorhead in the semifinals.

On the other side of the bracket, No. 2 Andover and No. 3 Edina appear headed for a semifinal showdown. The Huskies are the defending state tournament champions and split two games against Minnetonka this season.

Class 1A features top seed and defending state tournament champion Warroad, No. 2 Proctor/Hermantown, No. 3 Orono, No. 4 South St. Paul and No. 5 Fergus Falls.

On Saturday morning, each head coach cast electronic votes for the other seven qualifying teams in their class. The highest and lowest votes for each team were excluded and the top five teams were awarded seeds. The remaining three teams were placed by blind draw.

Minnetonka, boasting nine players committed to Division I college programs, placed third at the state tournament in 2020 and 2021. Taking second last season means there is only one place left to go. The last Skippers state title came in 2013.

"Our girls know; it's in the back of their heads," Cassano said. "The coaching staff has really stressed the need to enjoy every moment. You can't fast-forward. You have to build and learn throughout the whole season."