Class 2A boys' hockey quarterfinal preview: Farmington vs. Stillwater

Scouting the Tigers: Coach Greg May would not let players forget a 7-0 loss to Lake- ville South. The Tigers had shown state tournament potential earlier in the season by sweeping defending state champion Lakeville North. Laying an egg against South simply would not be tolerated. "I put 7-0 on the scoreboard at practice the next day," May said. Message received. The Tigers went 6-1 from there to earn their first Class 2A state trip. John Siebenaler leads the team in goals (18) and points (44). Defensemen Tyler Jette is a Mr. Hockey finalist while fellow blueliner Erik Holmstrom was an All-Metro second-team selection. Tireless workers Grady Hauswirth and Wyatt Jensen provide energy. Jensen is tied for second on the team with 43 points.

Scouting the Ponies: Stung by a No. 2 tournament seed despite a one-loss record, coach Matt Doman sounded the "no respect" alarm. The Ponies are no underdogs, however. They are deep and talented. Four players have tallied 20 or more goals: brothers Jackson (24) and Noah Cates (23), Luke Manning (21) and TJ Sagissor (20). Noah Cates produced the highlight reel goal to clinch the section championship game in overtime. Senior defenseman Andrew Hoy said players expected to defeat Hill-Murray and are far from finished. "We're going to keep doing what we do and try our best to win a state championship," he said.

Worth knowing: Red is an appropriate color for Stillwater. Doman played at Wisconsin. Fellow Badgers alum Tom Sagissor has two sons, Simon and TJ, on the team.