RECAP: EGF Boy’s Hockey Punches Ticket to State; Receives No. 4 Seed

EAST GRAND FORKS, Minn. (KVRR) –The Section 8A Championship game in Minnesota high school boy’s hockey lived up to the hype. East Grand Forks and Warroad met for the third consecutive season with a trip to state on the line.

The Warriors won the last two Section Finals over EGF and the two regular season meetings this season, but that did not matter Thursday night as the Green Wave are heading back to State for the first time since 2021.

It was a back and forth game throughout. Tucker Lovejoy netted the games first goal, but Warroad tied it up in the second. Before the end of the second, Hunter Varnson put EGF back in front, but again Warroad had a response to tie. For the second straight year this section final required overtime, and it was Jace Panzer becoming the hero with the game-winning goal to send the Green Wave to the X.

As you could imagine, with the stakes of this game, the energy was high afterwards.

“I got a good pass from Nolan Meulebroeck and it just bounced in,” said Jace Panzer on his game-winning goal. “I took it wide and it just bounced in…we are going to State, baby… WOO! The boys battled hard all game and we knew in the locker room we were coming out with that.”

Senior forward Hunter Varson shared the same excitement.

“I mean it’s just great,” said Varnson. “Me and the boys have been practicing all year. I mean last year wasn’t our year, obviously, but this year it is.” Varnson said on the game-winner from Panzer, “I mean he had a little move…dangled him…. top bins, buried it. We’re going to State!”

Indeed they are. Now the focus quickly shifts to the State Tournament and an opportunity at winning a State Title, something EGF did back-to-back times in 2014 and 2015.

Head Coach Tyler Pakmiscno coached the Green Wave to those back-to-back titles and played at the X as a player too.

“I’m so happy for these kids that now they get to experience the state tournament from the inside rather than a fan,” said Palmiscno. “At this point, I’m not even worried about hanging another banner. We’re worried about winning game one on Wednesday. That’s it.

It will be the first time playing at the Xcel Energy Center in the State Tournament for the entire Green Wave roster.

“It means so much,” said Panzer. “It means absolutely everything. It’s going to be unbelievable. We’re going to love it. We’re going to enjoy every second of it.”

What is it going to take to have success at the X?

“We got to come back to work tomorrow, Saturday, Sunday, all until we get to the tourney,” said Varnson.

EGF received the No. 4 seed for the tournament on Saturday morning. They will battle 5th-seed Northern Lakes. The game is set for 8 P.M. on Wednesday, March 5.

A reminder that KVRR’s sister station Antenna TV will be broadcasting the Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championship games.

KVRR will also have LIVE coverage from the tournament.

CLASS A Bracket: https://www.mnhockeyhub.com/class-1a