Recent content from David La Vaque
Prep Athletes of the Week: St. Paul Harding multisport star helps Knights boys basketball reach state tournament
Also, Hopkins sophomore Erma Walker plays a part in girls basketball state history.
Randolph resigns from coaching Northern Lakes hockey
Mike Randolph, who owns the most career victories as a Minnesota high school boys hockey coach with 727, led the team to the Class 1A quarterfinals this season.
Moorhead's Mason Kraft named Minnesota's Mr. Hockey
White Bear Lake's Leo Gabriel wins the Frank Brimsek Award, which goes to the top senior goalie in Minnesota.
Moorhead wins its first boys hockey state championship, outracing Stillwater in Class 2A final
The Spuds' Mason Kraft equaled John Mayasich with four first-period goals, but the Ponies made it close by the end.
Presenting the boys hockey state tournament champions: Moorhead in Class 2A and East Grand Forks in 1A
Moorhead won its first title, outracing Stillwater 7-6 on four goals in the first period by Mason Kraft. East Grand Forks triumphed after bringing a .500 record to state.
Moorhead and Stillwater advance to Class 2A boys hockey championship game
The Spuds pulled off a 4-3 victory over Edina on a goal with 58.1 seconds left. The Ponies won on goaltender Cal Conway's second shutout of the tournament.
Boys hockey state tournament: Saturday's championship matchups are set
It'll be Moorhead vs. Stillwater in Class 2A and St. Cloud Cathedral vs. East Grand Forks in Class 1A.
Boys hockey state tournament: The Class 2A semifinal matchups are set
Edina, after an overtime victory over Rogers, will play Moorhead in one Friday game, and Stillwater will take on St. Thomas Academy in the other.
Boys hockey state tournament: Breaking down opening day matchups in Class 2A and 1A
Sixteen teams have a chance to win a state title. But first they must get past the quarterfinals.
State hockey predictions: One program might finally break through, while another could dethrone defending champ
Longtime Star Tribune writers David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen offer their predictions on which boys hockey teams take home the Class 2A and Class 1A titles.
Boys hockey: Ranking the best teams ahead of the state tournament
The Minnesota Top 25, a statewide ranking of the best in boys hockey, entering the state tournament.
All-Minnesota Boys Hockey Player of the Year: St. Cloud Cathedral's John Hirschfeld
This season John Hirschfeld became St. Cloud Cathedral's career assists and scoring leader. Entering the Section 5 championship game, he had scored 223 career points.
Meet the 2025 All-Minnesota boys hockey team
The boys hockey state tournament begins Wednesday in St. Paul. But first, you get to meet the top 25 players in the state, chosen by the Minnesota Star Tribune based on individual success and input from coaches.
Boys hockey state tournament's new seeding process produces intriguing matchups
Second seed Stillwater, with goalie Cal Conway off MSHSL suspension, will face Andover, a state champ not long ago but a 15-13 seventh seed this season.
Stillwater gets to Hill-Murray in overtime, reaches the boys hockey state tournament
Matthew Volkman's third goal of the game came in OT after the top-ranked Pioneers wiped out a two-goal lead.
Shakopee rolls into the boys hockey state tournament with victory over Holy Family
Goaltender Owen Lunneborg made 32 saves in the section final, propelling the Sabers to state.
St. Paul high schools to fold into one boys hockey team
Starting next season, the historic St. Paul Johnson hockey program will fold into Highland Park, giving the city one public-school co-op boys team.
Edina defeats Wayzata, seizes chance to defend its boys hockey state championship
Mason West scored two goals for the Hornets, who will return to Xcel Energy Center for the fourth straight year.
Boys hockey: As section final matchups are decided, the Minnesota Top 25 gets reordered
Upsets and win streaks catapult several previously unranked teams into this week's Star Tribune's Minnesota Top 25
Moorhead hockey stars aspire to be great like their pro-playing dads
Brooks Cullen and Mason Kraft are leading the Spuds, just like their fathers did as teammates in the '90s.
Hill-Murray topples Edina in two overtimes for the Class 2A girls hockey title
A goal at 2:04 of the second OT period by Ella Hornung gave Hill-Murray vengeance for last season's final.
Minnesota Top 25: The Star Tribune's statewide ranking of boys hockey teams
A change at the very top is traceable to Hill-Murray's victory over Moorhead on Saturday.
Girls hockey: The Minnesota Top 25, state tournament edition
Going into the state tournament, here's where the best fall in line.
Meet Layla Hemp, the Star Tribune's Player of the Year in girls hockey
Layla Hemp, who has signed with the Gophers, was 15-1 in the net for the regular season with a 95% save percentage.
Minnesota's best: Here are the Star Tribune's top 25 girls hockey players in the state
All-Minnesota team: From the Twin Cities to greater Minnesota, we've selected our best players in the state this season.
10 boys hockey players who could carry their teams to state
These players have what it takes to lead their teams to St. Paul's Xcel Energy Center, the site of the state tournament.
Boys hockey: One writer's picks for which teams advance to Xcel
These teams are likely to win their respective sections and advance to St. Paul, the site of the boys state hockey tournament.
Hill-Murray overcomes Moorhead 8-7 in overtime in a boys hockey game right off the top of the rankings
No. 1 Moorhead and No. 2 Hill-Murray piled up goals until the one by Boden Sampair settled it.
The Minnesota Top 25, the Star Tribune's statewide, class-crossing ranking of high school boys hockey teams
Moorhead and Hill-Murray retained the top two spots, and Edina moved up to No. 3.
The Minnesota Top 25, the Star Tribune's statewide, class-crossing ranking of high school girls hockey teams
The teams are in the midst of section tournaments that must be completed by Friday.
A Cloquet constant: Friends make high school hockey rink their gathering place
Donny Lamirande, Kenny Limmer and Dick Millen have been attending Lumberjacks games for decades.
The Minnesota Top 25, the Star Tribune's statewide, class-crossing ranking of high school girls hockey teams
As teams deal with early rounds of section tournaments, change is limited to the second half of the list.
The Minnesota Top 25, the Star Tribune's statewide, class-crossing ranking of high school boys hockey teams
Moorhead remained No. 1, and St. Thomas Academy slid into the No. 2 spot after No. 3 Hill-Murray and No. 4 Edina split back-to-back games.
The Minnesota Top 25, the Star Tribune's statewide, class-crossing ranking of high school girls hockey teams
The top five stood strong, the second five got shuffled, and that's where it ends as the regular season winds down and the rankings with it.
The Minnesota Top 25, the Star Tribune's statewide, class-crossing ranking of high school boys hockey teams
Moorhead, its only loss going back to the opening day of the Spuds' season, maintained the top position.
Cloquet-Esko-Carlton boys hockey team turns back Bemidji on senior night
C-E-C went with a senior-heavy starting lineup and fell behind but poured it on in the second period.
The Minnesota Top 25, the Star Tribune's statewide, class-crossing ranking of high school boys hockey teams
The last five squads are shuffled this week, with no change near the top.
The Minnesota Top 25, the Star Tribune's statewide, class-crossing ranking of high school girls hockey teams
The list is shuffled only slightly this week as programs and the season progress toward the postseason.
The most surprising girls hockey teams this season
From the Twin Cities to greater Minnesota, these teams have drawn notice from coaches and writer David La Vaque.
Hall of Fame goalie and Edina hockey coach Willard Ikola dies at 92
Ikola passed away Monday evening, according to Edina High School officials. In 33 years, he led the program to eight state championships and 19 state tournament appearances.
Boys hockey: Meet the early favorites for Mr. Hockey and Goalie of the Year
See who made reporter David La Vaque's short list for the coveted high school hockey awards.
Girls hockey: Minnetonka is new No. 1 in Star Tribune's Minnesota Top 25 following win over Edina
A victory over then-No. 1 Centennial/Spring Lake Park lifted Holy Angels into the top five.
Boys hockey: As strength of schedule dips in January, Minnesota Top 25 is only slightly adjusted
Moorhead, Hill-Murray, St. Thomas Academy and Edina remain the top four teams. Monticello dropped from the top five after a loss to St. Cloud Cathedral.
She's arguably Minnesota's best girls hockey player ... and as anti-spotlight as can be
Mercury Bischoff, a Minnesota State Mankato-bound standout, leads Minnesota in goals and is sixth in history in points. She'll likely be a Ms. Hockey Award finalist but said, "It's not like it's top of mind."
Minnetonka makes single goal stand up against Edina in high-level girls hockey serving a mission
The game was scheduled to benefit Sophie's Squad, a mental health initiative, and it drew a sellout crowd.
Boys Hockey: Moorhead new No. 1 in Star Tribune's Top 25 rankings
Meanwhile, Monticello added its name to the list of Class 1A state tournament contenders with a move into the top 10.
Girls Hockey: Despite loss to Holy Angels, Centennial/Spring Lake Park remains No. 1 in Star Tribune's Top 25
Seven teams make their Top 25 debut while Andover makes its first appearance in the top 10.
Boys Hockey: Eden Prairie rockets into top 10 in Star Tribune's Top 25 rankings
An undefeated St. Thomas Academy team remains the No. 1-ranked team in Minnesota per David La Vaque. No other teams fell or improved by more than a few spots in this week's rankings.
Girls Hockey: Centennial/Spring Lake Park remains No. 1 in Star Tribune's Top 25 rankings
Maple Grove jumps from No. 14 last week into the top-10 via a respectable one-goal loss to top-ranked Centennial/Spring Lake Park.
Boys Hockey: New coach has St. Thomas Academy at No. 1 in Star Tribune's Minnesota Top 25
Also, Rosemount enters the Top 25 rankings at No. 10 with a fast start this season at 7-0.
Girls Hockey: Centennial/Spring Lake Park takes over No. 1 spot in Star Tribune's Top 25 rankings
Dodge County, a Class 1A team loaded with returning talent, moves into the top five.
All-Minnesota Boys Cross-Country Runner of the Year: Roseville's Robert Mechura
The two-time state champion hasn't lost a Minnesota high school race in more than two years as he heads to North Carolina for college.
Forest Lake's Hushagen doubles up: She's again the Star Tribune's Girls Cross-Country Runner of the Year
Others suggested she would slow down, but she never did, repeating as the Class 3A individual champion
Watch Moorhead and Maple Grove girls hockey teams in a Twin Cities vs. greater Minnesota matchup
A stream of the game, pitting a pair of state tournament contenders, will be available at startribune.com at 7 p.m. Friday.
Meet the Dream Team: The best boys hockey players in Minnesota
The Minnesota Star Tribune's David La Vaque produced his annual list, reaching beyond the Twin Cities for the players this time and including their college plans.
Boys hockey: Champ Edina lands at the top of the first Minnesota Top 25
Star Tribune reporter David La Vaque ranks the best teams in Minnesota, finding representatives from all over the state.
Meet our Dream Team: The state's best girls hockey players
Talent runs deep in Minnesota girls hockey. The Star Tribune's David La Vaque picks the dozen best players and puts them all on the same roster for a day.
Girls hockey: Defending 2A champ Edina starts season No. 1 in Star Tribune's Minnesota Top 25
The list of the best high school teams in the state will be updated weekly by Star Tribune reporter David La Vaque.
Now Minnesota's winningest boys hockey coach, Randolph focuses on getting Northern Lakes to the 'X'
Building with tools from his past, he looks to take a co-op program involving several schools to new heights.
Meet the Star Tribune's All-Prep Bowl Team
A list of the standout players across all classifications competing in the high school football championship games at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Stewartville repeats as Class 3A state champs with win over Dassel-Cokato
The win also gave Stewartville a second consecutive perfect season, and the program's 28th consecutive victory.
Jackson County Central beats Staples-Motley, 42-26, for Class 2A state championship
Powered by quarterback Grant Freking, Jackson Country Central earned its first Prep Bowl title since 2001, when the program won the 3A championship.
Prep Bowl predictions: Our picks for the winner of each football championship at U.S. Bank Stadium
Star Tribune prep writers David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen offer their predictions for the high school football championship games this weekend.
Coach trades football spotlight at Maple Grove to join ensemble cast at Minnetonka
Matt Lombardi will lead the Skippers' defense in the Class 6A Prep Bowl against the Crimson he used to coach.
Dassel-Cokato 300-pounder lives a lineman's dream: He's a fullback now
Coaches rescued Lars Salmen from a lifetime on the offensive line. "He even caught a touchdown pass this season," his dad said. "He loves it."
Springfield, Minneota will meet again in Class 1A Prep Bowl
A 7-yard rushing touchdown by Springfield running back Gavin Vanderwerf with 1:49 left in the game sealed a win over Mahnomen/Waubun. Minneota rolled over Parkers Prairie 45-0.
Kimball Area savors a trip to state three decades in the making
"Wouldn't it be cool to get to this spot?" coach Clay Anderson had asked from the U.S. Bank Stadium stands in 2023. The 2024 answer from senior Owen Mortenson: "It was just huge for us."
Football prognosticators ponder five final semifinals
Saturday's games will set all the pairings for next week's Prep Bowl.
Elk River drops defending champ Chanhassen in Class 5A semifinal
The Elks completed a set: They ended the Storm's season with a loss and began it that way.
Minnetonka rolls past Anoka and into the Class 6A football Prep Bowl
Quarterback Caleb Francois rushed for 283 yards and scored five touchdowns, overcoming the three-touchdown passing of Anoka's Peyton Podany.
Five more semifinals present a handful of challenge for football prognosticators
The indoor portion of the prep postseason continues at U.S. Bank Stadium with games spread over four classes, closing with the Class 6A clash of Shakopee and Maple Grove.
Best vs. Best: Most intriguing individual matchups at the high school football state semis
Many of Minnesota's best high school football players will go head-to-head this week in the state semifinals.
Prognosticators make their guesses as playoffs settle into U.S. Bank Stadium
Four games from three classes open the indoor portion of the high school football postseason, closing with the Class 6A clash of Minnetonka and Anoka.
Football predictions: Three quarterfinal matchups in Class 6A and two in Class 5A challenge our pickers
See who reporters David La Vaque and Jim Paulsen pick as winners in these clashes: Edina-Maple Grove, Alexandria-Armstrong, Minnetonka-Blaine, Mounds View-Shakopee and Chanhassen-St. Thomas Academy.
Two Class 3A cross-country champions repeat their success
Forest Lake's Norah Hushagen and Roseville's Robert Mechura won again, and St. Paul Highland Park's girls team had the top two finishers in winning the Class 2A team title.
