Red Knights gain No. 1 hockey seed
Defending state AA boys hockey champion Benilde-St. Margaret’s was targeted by opponents during the 2012-13 regular season. That targeting will continue in the Section 6AA playoffs because the Red Knights have been awarded the No. 1 seed.
The top-seeded Red Knights enter the playoffs with a 20-5 record. BSM will meet either eighth-seed Armstrong or ninth-seed Cooper in the Section 6AA quarterfinals at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, at St. Louis Park Recreation Center.
Kelly Pannek (19) of Benilde-St. Margaret’s collides with Minnetonka’s Laura Bowman (16) along the boards during the Red Knights’ 3-2 loss in the Section 6AA championship game Feb. 15 at Parade Ice Garden. (Photo by Rick Orndorf – SunThisweek)
Winner of that contest plays either fourth-seed Eden Prairie or fifth-seed Holy Family Catholic in the semifinals at Saturday, Feb. 23 at either Bloomington Ice Garden or Braemar Arena.
Championship game is 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 27, at Mariucci Arena.
Minnetonka is the second seed and Wayzata had the third seed.
BSM won two games last week to enter the playoffs on a winning note. Grant Besse recorded his 20th career hat trick as the Red Knight defeated Totino-Grace 7-4 Feb. 12.
Dan Labosky contributed four points and set a school record for most assists in a single season. He has a school-record 49 assists.
Other BSM scorers were Spencer Naas (2), Johnny Austin and Labosky. Red Knight goalie Paul Lundberg made 24 saves.
Benilde-St. Margaret’s concluded regular-season play with a 6-2 win over Stillwater Feb. 16. Besse scored twice for the winners. Andrew Sprang tended goal for the Red Knights and finished with 23 saves.
