Andrew Zerban (9) of the Elks got his stick on the puck that was blasted from Wyatt Ege and redirected it into the net for a 4-3 Elk lead in the third period. (Photo by Bob Burley)

by Bruce Strand, Sports editor

Elk River will take on the best hockey team in the state Saturday after grinding out a 4-3 win over Cloquet-Esko-Carlton in their Section 7AAA opener on Tuesday evening.

Two goals by Andrew Zerban helped the No. 4 seeded Elks prevail in their final home game.  Ryan Heid and Peter Jones also scored.

The Elks (15-8-2) advanced to the semifinals against  Duluth East (24-1) on Saturday, 10 a.m., at Armsoil Arena in Duluth.

Peter Jones (15) knocks the puck past C-E-C goalie John Scheuer just before tumbling over him into the net. Trailing was James Newgren (15). (Photo by Bob Burley)

“It’s going to be pretty exciting,” said Zerban, a slender sophomore who leads the Elks with 25 goals.  “We are going to have to come out flying.”

The Elks were in no way looking past the Lumberjacks, though.

“No, Cloquet is a very good team,” said Zerban. “All the teams up there are big and tough.”

Weston Michaud had two goals and an assist for the No. 5 seeded Lumberjacks, who finished 17-8.

Michaud gave C-E-C the first lead at 8:33 of the first period, but the Elks killed two power plays in the period.

“Our power play was horrendous. We could have been up 3-0,” said Lumberjacks coach David Esse.  “But, give Elk River credit. With all the situational stuff they’ve got going on down here, they worked really hard and they deserved to win.”

He referred to the Elks recent coaching change.

Zerban knotted the score at 1:31 of the second on a play started by Jake Jaremko’s outlet pass. Zerban took a bounce off the boards and fired it to the goalie’s right. Wyatt Ege also assisted.

Elk freshman Peter Jones barreled into the net while scoring at the end of a power play at 9:49 for a 2-1 lead, Jared McLaughlin assisting.

Ryan Heid of the Elks sneaked from behind the net to steer the puck past the C-E-C goalie and two defenders, giving the Elks a 3-2 lead in the third period. (Photo by Bob Burley)

Beau Michaud retaliated for the Lumberjacks just 39 seconds later, slipping a rebound shot into the net after Franke had to lunge for a stop.

The Elk led 4-3 after a flurry of goals early in the third. Ryan Heid swooped from behind the net to score at 1:55, Garrett Aldrich assisting. Weston Michaud penetrated for a C-E-C goal just 32 seconds later at 2:27.

The decisive goal at 3:19 was a pinball shot launched by Ege from the right circle, with both Mitchell Kierstad and Zerban redirecting the puck.

The Elks celebrated a 4-3 win in their final home game. Next: top-ranked Duluth East on Saturday morning. (Photo by Bob Burley)

“I try get in front of the net and maybe chip a shot,” said Zerban. “I think it hit someone else first, then went off my stick and it went in.”

The last 13:41 were a stalemate with no further penalties (each team had four in the game). The Lumberjacks pulled the goalie with a minute left and managed just one hard slap shot the blue line with 10 seconds left.

Elk goalie Anders Franke stopped 26 of 29 shots, and CEC’s John Schauer halted 30 of 34.

“I thought out goalie played pretty well,” said Esse. “On a couple of their goals he had no chance whatsoever.”

The stands were full and a couple hundred more were standing along the rail. C-E-C hadt a big crowd making the 3 1/2 hour trip so each side had plenty of support.

Esse said C-E-C home games typically draw 1500 to 2000 fans.

He added, “We are small schools, and we could play Class A, but we opt for Class AA, because we want to play the best, like Elk River.”

Clay Elrod (left) of Elk River races Andover's David Johnson for a loose ball, with Ryan Ness moving in at right. (Photo by Bruce Strand)

by Bruce Strand, Sports editor

Five straight losses, three of them in overtime and another by one point, is Elk River’s  ledger for the last two weeks after the Ellks fell to last-place Andover 79-76 at home on Tuesday evening.

Despite Andover’s extremely judicious shooting — 23-for-36 from the field, 28-for-37 at the line — the Elks had good chances at the end of both regulation and overtime.

Bryan Edwards got set to muscle up for two points against Andover's Devon Fellerman. Edwards had 16 points and Fellerman 25. (Photo by Bruce Strand)

The Elks, 12-6 when this skid started, are now 12-11 overall and  10-7 in the Northwest Suburban Conference.

“Our first time through the conference was real similar to the second time through. Every game has been tight to the end,” said coach Randy Klasen.

“But in the first half of the season we were winning all those close ones, and now we’ve had four conference games in a row where we lost on the last possession.”

The Elks have lost to Blaine, Park Center and Andover in overtimes and to Anoka 68-67 after winning their first six conference games that went down to the wire.

One difference Klasen could pinpoint was “we are not making the big stop late in the game like we did before.”

Devon Fellerman, 6-4 senior forward, led Andover with 25 points and 8 rebounds. Connor Wilkie added 15 for the Huskies (3-14 conference, 6-17 overall).

Elk senior guard Tucker Morrell poured in 22 points, sinking 6 of 13 from 3-point range. Junior post Bryan Edwards had  his best game with 16 points and 8 rebounds off the bench, shooting 8-for-11. Guards Ryan Ness and Porter Morrell scored 12 each.

Ness tied the game 72-72 with a 3-pointer with 3.6 seconds left in regulation, and Elks then had a chance to win after Andover tried a long downcourt pass that went out of bounds. But when the Elks inbounded to Clay Elrod,  the 6-5 soph stepped on the baseline before shooting.

The lead changed hands repeatedly in overtime. The Elks, down 77-76, had a chance for the last shot but a pass went through Elrod’s hands and out of bounds. Andover then got two free shots for the final margin.

Elrod, leading the Elks with 17.8 points per game, had a tough night with 6 points and 6 turnovers.

The Elks, wary of their section ranking, had stuck at No. 3 even after four straight losses, but will likely drop one or two notches now. Remaining on the schedule are Maple Grove there Friday, and Champlin Park and Armstrong next week.

“I am more concerned with just trying to play better,” said Klasen.

Andover 79, Elk River 76

Andover …………. 30  42  –  79
Elk River ………….. 20  52  –  76

Andover – Brady Johnson 2, Davis Johnson 10, Jake McNallan 14, Devon Felleran 25 (8 reb), Connor Wilkie 15, Kyle Kettler 12 … Team: 23-36 FG (5-8 3FG), 28-37 FT, 30 rebounds, 15 fouls

Elk River – Tucker Morrell 22, Ryan Ness 12 (6 ast), Clay Elrod 6,Terry Hadden 2, Landon Werner 2, Max Person 4, Bryan Edwards 16 (8 reb) … Team: 30-66 FG (9-28 3FG), 7-12 FT, 24 rebounds, 26 fouls

Zimmerman's Brooke Borchardt hits a short jumper over the defense of Brooklyn Center's Faith Harmon. (Photo by Erik Jacobson)

Brookyn Center pulled out a 61-59 win over Zimmerman in a back-and-forth game Tuesday evening, led by Taneisha Brooks with 22 points.

Tenesha Brooks scored 22 for Brooklyn Center. (Photo by Erik Jacobson)

Zimmerman (7-12) led by 12 in the first half, and the Centaurs (5-19) led by 12 in the second half. The Thunder rallied within a basket and missed a shot in the closing seconds in a bid to tie the score.

Brooke Borchardt tallied 17 points for Zimmerman. Kaitlyn Mason added 9, and Nikki Jurik and Heather McCormick 7 each.

Faith Harmon chipped in 17 and LaTesha Frazier 14 for Brooklyn Park.

Zimmerman will play at Foley on Friday.

Zimmerman's Lexi Weimeri draws a foul on this drive. (Photo by Erik Jacobson)

Haley Guetter with 14 for the Sabres (17-8).

Emily Riechert scored 16 points, Taylor Anderson 11, and Jordyn Motter and Lindsay Dorr 10 each for Rogers (10-14).

The Royals will close the regular season at STMA on Friday evening.

Jock Martinek scored 22 points for Irondale (11-12), sinking 7 of 8 free shots. Nolan Johnson scored 17, and Mark Stasson 14, including 6-for-6 at the line. The Knights were 18-for-20 and Rogers was 9-for-11.

Michael Schreiber netted 16 points and Garrett Hol, Nate Roehl and Austin Barbel 10 each for Rogers (15-7). The Royals had eight 3-pointers to Irondale’s four.

Rogers trailed by 17 early, got back within 12 at 38-26 by halftime, and pulled within a field goal on two occasions in the second half.

Rogers will play at Big Lake on Thursday.

Five JV competitors (one injured) from the Elk River-Rogers-Zimmerman team comprised the lineup for this first-ever instance of a Zimmerman team competing separately. They had one  girl from Spectrum.

Zimmerman had to compete by itself this year because its enrollment moved up to the point where they are Class AA adminstratively rather than Class A as in the past.

Big Lake was champion with 145.85 and Becker was next with 142.85.

Zimmerman/Spectrum scored a little better than the approximately 115 which head coach Jenn Bartlett anticipated.

Joleen Winkleman, Elk assistant coach, headed the Thunder group.

Stephanie DeLong scored 31.2 all-around, Anna Staricka 29.95,  Molly McChesney 29.15, and Lexi Stepan 27.725. Maddie Roisum  was unable to compete due to a wrist injury.

Among the victims were 19-year-old Jordan Playle, of Otsego and 18-year-old Megan Sample, of Rogers. Playle and Sample were 2011 graduates for Rogers High School.

“Jordan and Megan epitomized the best, not only as students, but more importantly as citizens of our community,” Rogers High School Principal Roman Pierskalla said in a statement issued this morning. “Their loss will be felt well beyond our school community, and our memories of Jordan and Megan will last a lifetime.”

The crash happened in the eastbound lanes near mile marker 97 just after 3 p.m. Monday.

Authorities say the four college students were in a car heading west when they crossed the median and collided head-on with an SUV traveling in the eastbound lane. That SUV was then hit from behind by a third vehicle.

In addition to Playle and Sample, the State Patrol also identified Lauren Peterson, 18, of Prior Lake and Danielle Renninger, of Excelsior.

All four victims were reportedly students at North Dakota State University, and were headed back to the school when the crash happened.

State Patrol Sergeant Sergeant Jesse Grabow said three other people were injured in the crash, which involved three vehicles, but they have since been released from local hospitals.

Radio station KFGO in Fargo says snow was reducing visibility on the interstate, and that the roadway was slippery at the time of the crash.

Grabow said weather will be a factor in the investigation, but they have yet to determine the exact cause of the crash.

The Minnesota State Patrol kept very busy throughout much of the state yesterday as snow and slush accumulated on the highways yesterday (Feb. 20) and through this morning.

State Troopers responded to a total of approximately 191 crashes.  Of those crashes, 44 resulted in injuries and two fatal crashes.

The two fatals claimed the lives of five people altogether.

The fatal that claimed a single life occurred at approximately 3:32 pm on Hwy 28 approximately two miles west of Glenwood.  One person was killed when they spun out on the highway and struck a semi.

There was one consolation after Elk River-Zimmerman’s crushing four-overtime loss to Grand Rapids-Greenway, 2-1, on Thursday evening in the Section 7AA finals.

“I told the girls, you played in a four-overtime game.That doesn’t happen very often, and everyone will remember that game,” said Elk coach Joe Heasley.

Elk senior star Jonna Curtis, denied a fourth state trip in her five-year career, admitted the loss was a “heartbreaker.”

But she added, “It was better to lose in four overtimes than just a regular loss.”

The marathon at Grand Rapids brought to mind another four-OT game by the Elk River boys a few years back, also a section finals loss.

“We were very tired. We were just trying to push through,” said Curtis. “I think both sides were equally tired.”

Said Heasley: “Both teams were so dead tired, I didn’t know if anyone wold have enough energy left to score to end it.”

Molly Illikainen apparently had just enough. The Lightning senior forward gained control of a loose puck and skated down the left side wing, created some space and sent a laser over the glove of Elk goalie Tori Herrmann at 2:36 of the fourth OT, her 32nd goal of the year and third against the Elks in two games.

“In the middle of the first, I was just like, get that break so I could re-do my legs,” Illikainen told the Grand Rapids Herald Review. “Four overtimes, are you kidding me?

“It was good. We worked hard and said we had to play to win and refuse to lose. We couldn’t play to lose and had to go for it. We wanted it so bad from losing to them so many times.”

The Lightning had lost to the Elks twice last year, 5-1 and 4-1, the latter in the section finals, and again 3-2 this year in the regular season.

“Wow. It wasn’t just an overtime game, it wasn’t just a good section final, it was one of those rare games,” GRG co-head coach Brad Hyduke said to his local paper. “Seventh period, fourth overtime, and not surprising, it was the key people that we thought. Our team defense was phenomenal. Syd stood on her head, played amazing and our captain and leader finished it.”

The Elks had a 24-7 shot edge after two periods, and controlled the flow of the game up to then. But they only got one shot past GRG goalie Sydney Helmbrecht, that by sophomore Emily Heid from the point in the second period. The GRG goalie would finish with 46 saves.

Heid was also credited by Heasley for doing a great job filling in a defenseman for Kaylee Forster, who was ineligible due to a boarding penalty in the semifinals. Normally a forward, Heid was an emergency choice at defenseman and “looked like she’d been playing there all season.”

GRG, stymied for two periods, seized the upper hand in the third period.

“We had three penalties in the third period, and that completely changed the momentum,” said Heasley. “They  peppered us pretty good. Tori made some  big saves.”

Herrmann wound up with 36 saves.

“Their goalie was outstanding, and so was Tori,” said Curtis. “She’s the one who kept us in the game.”

The Elks 1-0 lead stood until 51 seconds remained. With the goalie pulled, and GRG skating 6-on-5, Kaya Baker, a junior forward who’d been threatening all night, scored on the Lightning’s 15th shot of the period. A shot by Aspen Anderson had been stopped by Herrmann’s shin pad, but the rebound came free to Baker who slid it past Herrmann.

“My backhand was right there and I just shoved it right over and it trickled in. It was awesome and very relieving,” Baker told the Herald Review.

In the overtimes, the play reverted to being more even. The Elks had a big chance in the first OT when Illikainen spent two minutes in the box and the favor was returned in the third period when Curtis sat two minutes.. Both times, the beleaguered defense hunkered down and survived. In the third period things heated up a bit as each goalie had to make eight saves.

The Elks missed one chance when Jordan McLaughlin, on a rebound, had part of the net open but hit the post. The puck came straight back but the Lightning defenders beat the Elks to it.

Curtis,  Elks all-time scoring leader with 150 goals (36 this year) and 125 assists for 275 points, was blanked in her final game. She had two in the earlier win over GRG but they did a good job keeping her to the outside in the rematch. Incidentally, Jessica Pullar, class of 2004, whose points record Curtis broke, hung on to the Elk goals record of 156, with Curtis career ending Thursday.

The Elks’ ledger this year is a 20-4-3  record, a share of the NWSC title with Anoka, and a section runner-up trophy, but no trip to the Xcel Center.

“It’s definitely hurts to not be going back, but we had a great season, that’s all we can ask,” said Curtis.

Also playing their final game were Herrmann, Josie Brown, Abby Kratzke, Jordyn Denne, Cassey Petrich, Kayla Mills, and Madison Ellis.

Rogers freshman Alyssa Walton dismounted on beam, where she placed third and qualified for state. (Photo by Bruce Strand)

by Bruce Strand, Sports editor

The Rogers and Elk River gymnasts overcame the weirdness of competing against each other as both teams performed as well as they could have hoped at Section 8AA on Saturday.

Rogers was team runner-up and the Elks, with just four competitors, placed fifth among eight, and combined they had three state individual qualifiers in Rogers senior Leah Perreault for the third time, and two first-timers, Elk senior Alana Embury and Rogers freshman Alyssa Walton.

Rogers scored 139.775, with St. Cloud Tech the runaway winner at 147.45, and the Elks scored 135.475, at St. Cloud Apollo.

Leah Perrault placed sixth on vault, above, on the way to third place all-around. Charlie Aydt, assistant coach, watches. (Photo by Bruce Strand)

“Rogers scored really amazing, for being separate, today, and Elk River did well, for only having four people,” said Embury, co-captain with Perreault  of the team that goes by Elk River-Rogers-Zimmerman until they break up for sectionals.

“We were proud to get second. That was a big accomplishment for us,” said Perreault. Her team won Section 5AA the last two years but had big graduation losses.

A junior-varsity level roster competed for Zimmerman in another section, 7A, at Chisago Lakes.

The Elks and Royals had “some awesome routines today,” said Jenn Bartlett, coach of both teams.

“A couple girls felt bad about a couple of little errors but overall we had one of our best meets of the year. All the girls stepped up. It was very hard, when we been work so hard together as one team all year, go have to split up here, and not be able to sit together at the meet. But these girls, you can’t break them.”

Said Walton: “It felt weird, because we used to being one team together.”

Yet both teams scored at the high end of their potential.

“Everyone tried their hardest and a lot of people got personal bests,” said Walton.

Perreault placed third all-around with 36.85 points behind two Tech girls. She was second on uneven bars with 9.10, and third on floor exercise with 9.40, advancing to state in all three (top four qualify). She also placed sixth in vault with 9.3 and sixth on beam with 9.05.

Last year she was all-around runner-up in another section, 5AA,  behind her state champion teammate Sabrina Hoover, now graduated. She has twice previously qualified for state in beam, and placed eighth last year, but that’s where she made her only mistake Saturday, a slip on a simple jump for  a .5 penalty that cost her the all-around title.

Elk River senior Alana Embury struck a pose on floor exercise. She placed fourth and qualified for state. (Photo by Bruce Strand)

“Leah consistently hits that jump, and if she had nailed it, she would have been all-around champion,” said Barlettt, “but we can’t complain about that,  because she had an awesome meet.”

Perreault called it “a good day” and was elated to qualify in two events and all-around.

“I made my vault (a yurchenko tuck). I had been getting it all week in practice,” she said. “On bars, I made everything, and connected it.”

Embury qualified for state with fourth place on floor exercise, matching Perreault’s 9.40 score, and placing one notch behind her (superior judge tiebreaker). Embury also placed sixth all-around with 35.80 and 10th on balance beam with 8.975.

“My floor was definitely the best I have ever done, and I’m very excited to be going to state,” said Embury.

Jess Sadlowski broke nine for the first time in her varsity career and placed 10th on floor ex. (Photo by Bruce Strand)

“The big thing I aded this year was front handspring-front layout-front layout. And my strug, the split at the beginning. Those helped my score a lot ….Actually I had a little trouble in warmups, so I’m glad I got over that.”

Walton placed third on balance beam with 9.275, where her highlight is a back handspring, full twist dismount. She placed ninth all-around with 35.525, sixth on floor with 9.325, and 10th on  bars with 8.525.

Jessica Sadlowski, Elk junior, had a career highlight, placing 10th on floor exercise with 9.075. The top ten get introduced in the post-game awards, a first for Sadlowski.

“I’ve never gotten a nine in anything before, so that was awesome,” said Sadlowski, who scored well with fly spring front tuck combo that she added this year.

All-around champion and runner-up were Tech’s Paige Buening with 37.375 and Moriah Miller with 36.95. Event champions were Buening in vault (9.475) and beam (9.60), and Miller on bars (9.15) and floor (9.60).

Other Elk and Royal highlights, Bartlett said, were Katie Fleck of Rogers hitting her tuck tsukahara vault for 9.025 (11th place), the floor performances by both teams, the way everyone “swung the bars” with authority, and generally solid beam routines with minimal falls.

Katie Fleck, Rogers sophomore, nailed her tuck suke vault. (Photo by Bruce Strand)

Also competing for Rogers were Katie Hartneck, Corryn Stelflug, Coutney Bursch, Kendra Hambleton, Sydney Fay and Ashley Stewart. The other Elks were Lindsey Koosman and Krista Kovar, who toughed it out with painfully bruised ribs from a fall on bars, her second event.

The three state qualifiers will compete next Saturday, 6 p.m., at the Sports Pavilion at the University of Minnesota.

Team scoring

1. St. Cloud Tech 147.45
2. Rogers 139.775
3. Brainerd 138.575
4. St. Cloud Apollo 138.250
5. Elk River 135.465
6. Moorhead 135.275
7. Buffalo 131.925
8. St. Michael-Albertville 118.925

Rogers scores

All-around – (3) Leah Perrault 36.85 (9) Alyssa Walton 35.525 (13) Katie Fleck 34.325

Vault – (6) Perrault 9.3 (11) Fleck 9.025 (19) Kendra Hambleton 8.65 (21) Courtney Bursch 8.6 (26) Walton 8.4

Bars – (2) Perrault 9.1 (10) Walton 8.45 (12) Fleck 8.375 (26) Corryn Stelflug 7.425 (27) Bursch 7.35

Beam – (3) Walton 9.275 (6) Perrault 9.05 (27) Fleck 8.025 (31) Stelflug 7.825 (32) Bursch 7.8

Floor – (3) Perrault 9.4 (6) Walton 9.325 (13) Stelflug 8.975 (15) Fleck 8.9 (18) Hambleton 8.775

Elk River scores

All-around – (6) Alana Embury 35.8 (16) Jess Sadlowsky 33.75 (17) Krista Kovar 33.425 (18) Lindsey Koosman 32.5

Vault – (14) Embury 8.975 (16) Sadlowsky 8.75 (27) Kovar 8.375 (29) Koosman 8.3

Bars –  (11) Embury 8.45 (17) Kovar 8.0 (22) Koosman 7.625 (24) Sadlowsky 7.575

Beam – (10) Embury 8.975 (18) Koosman 8.55 (21) Kovar  8.4 (23) Sadlowsky 8.35

Floor – (4) Embury 9.4 (10) Sadlowsky 9.075 (21) Kovar 8.65 (34) Koosman 8.025

The Rogers team posed with runner-up plaque. They finished behind St. Cloud Tech and beat six other teams. (Photo by Bruce Strand)The state qualifiers -- Alyssa Walton, Leah Perreault, Alana Embury. (Photo by Bruce Strand)

“To be honest, we wrestled well today,” said coach Chris Donnay. “The score may not reflect it but the boys should be proud of how far they came this year. ”

Owens, Eicher, and Lemcke were all a move or two away from winning. Another year of experience and they win those matches. Clay and Phil kept up their solid wrestling.”

Next for the Royals is section individuals on Saturday at Maple Grove.

Maple Grove 51, Rogers 15

106 – Brad Osatiu, MG, forfeit
113 – Logan Dick, MG, forfeit
120 – Joey Neumann, MG, pin kyle Ysteboe 2:57
126 – Phillip Anderson, Rog pin Tim Cramer 5:25
132 – Jonny Dill, MG, dec Tim Beach 8-2
138 – Jesse Hawthornde,   MG,  dec Kyler Swanson 11-5
145 – Zach Gawboy MG, pin Steffen Paige 3:48
152 – Marshal Swenson, MG, dec Tyler Eichten 6-5
160 – Jebah Doe, MG, dec Jordan Lemcke 6-4
170 – Aaron Grant, MG, dec Jacob Owens 8-2
182 – Jerry Borchardt, MG, forfeit
195 – Clay LeVasseur, Rog, dec Alex Gray 7-1
220 – Ryan Lien, Rog, pin EnTrie Chim  4:36
285 – Jesse Higgins, MG, pin Peder Oakland :53