The semi-finals are set for the Class 1A, Section 8 playoffs in a set of Monday night showdowns that will determine who will play for a state tournament berth.
The action starts with No. 1 seed Warroad taking on No. 4 East Grand Forks at 6 p.m. Following the Warroad-East Grand Forks match-up, No. 2 Crookston and No. 3 Thief River Falls will square off at 8:15 p.m.
Here's a look at the four teams vying for the Class 1A, Section 8 championship:
East Grand Forks (4) vs. Warroad (1)
Warroad (1)
The perennial No. 1-ranked and defending Class 1A state champion Warriors look prime for another shot at the state tourney.
Loaded with a handful of division I recruits and scoring leaders in the top 10 for overall state numbers, Warroad will be a handful for No. 4 seed East Grand Forks.
If the Green Wave can shut down the Warriors offense, they'll still have to get around goalie Shelby Amsley-Benzie, who is No. 2 in the state for save percentage with .954.
Regular Season Stats
Last Game
Regular Season team leaders
East Grand Forks (4)
The Green Wave rolled over Park Rapids 4-1 in the first round of the Section 8 playoffs, but will face an uphill battle against No. 1 seed Warroad.
East Grand Forks' Leah Jensen could be the linchpin for the Green Wave. Jensen led the Greater Minnesota Conference with 49 goals and trailed only the Warrior's Lisa Marvin for total points in the regular season.
Regular Season Stats
Last Game
Regular Season team leaders
Thief River Falls (3) vs. Crookston (2)
Crookston (2)
The Pirates finished the regular season third in the Greater Minnesota Conference, but some impressive numbers helped earn Crookston the No. 2 seed in the Class 1A, Section 8 playoffs.
Shannon Kaiser and Brianna Breiland finished the regular season second and third, respectively, in goals scored for the conference. Teammate Shannon Kaiser led the conference with 10 power play goals.
The Pirates also led the conference in overall power plays and penalty kills, denying oppenents goals more than 86 percent of the time.
Regular Season team leaders
Last Game
Regular Season team leaders
Thief River Falls (3)
After cruising past Lake of the Woods in the first round of the section playoffs, the Prowlers must now face a team it lost twice to in the regular season.
Goalie Kaylee Koop has been tough to beat this season, averaging 1.7 goals against per game and compiling a save percentage of .926 – second only to Warroad's Shelby Amsley-Benzie.
