Moorhead Girls Hockey Eyes Second Consecutive Section Championship

MOORHEAD WILL PLAY ROSEAU WEDNESDAY; A REMATCH OF THE 2023 SECTION TITLE GAME.

MOORHEAD, Minn. (KVRR)–The Moorhead Spuds are in the midst of a dominant season on the ice. Sitting at 24-2-1 on the season, the Spuds have the opportunity to make it two consecutive section championships Wednesday taking on a familiar team in Roseau– the same team they defeated in last season’s Section Title game.

“It’s Moorhead Vs. Roseau, let’s go,” said Head Coach Ryan Kraft. “It is going to be a battle, it is going to be a war. That is what we are expecting, so, they need to prepare well mentally prior to make sure they are ready to play a full 51-minute game. If things go well for us, I like our chances.”

Having made the State Tournament last season and taking home Consolation, the team believes that experience can help them finish this season on top.

“I think we all have pretty good experience as seniors and juniors leading the way for the underclassman,” said senior forward Ella Holm. “It overall leads to our success on the ice. Being a leader when we can, making sure those younger girls have experience for when we are gone.”

“The goal is to do better than last year,” said senior forward Taylor Brueske. “We came out for that first game [last season in the State Tournament] and I think it was kind of a shock to us all that we were actually there. But I definitely think there is going to be a different vibe this year knowing that we have been there before. We kind of have that experience to go off of and I think we are just going to play it like any other game.”

For Head Coach Ryan Kraft, he took over this program in 2019 in the midst of a 39-84-14 5-year span. As he brings the Spuds to a third straight section title game, he says the key to bringing the program renewed success comes from everyone involved.

“I just think the overall attitude from everyone involved to make a change really,” said Kraft. “At the end of the day, you have to have girls that want to compete at a high level, you have to have assistant coaches and parents willing to buy into certain ideas and concepts and make it competitive and it has worked out pretty well.”

The Spuds and Rams will faceoff at 7 P.M. Wednesday night at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls, Minnesota.

The winner will head to the MSHSL State Tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. beginning next Thursday.