Seeded team win first three quarterfinals in Class 2A

Noah Cates gets another big goal

A two-goal lead after two periods sat uneasy in the minds of Stillwater's players. Farmington created better scoring chances in the second period and seemed poised to rally.

Jesse Bjugstad and Noah Cates had other plans. His stick cocked to shoot, Bjugstad instead fired a pass across the zone for Cates to put away just 26 seconds into the third period. No. 2 seed Stillwater never trailed in a 4-1 Class 2A boys' hockey state tournament quarterfinal victory.

"We practice plays like that, finding seams," said Cates, who got the Ponies to state and himself on SportsCenter with a spinning goal in a section final. "He found me with a great pass and I had an open net."

The goal deflated Farmington (18-9-1), making its first Class 2A tournament appearance.

"We had a good chance going into the third if we just popped one in, but first shift we had a defensive breakdown," said senior defenseman Erik Holmstrom, who scored with nine seconds left in the third.

But it wasn't enough to match the Ponies, who boast four players with 20 or more goals. While TJ Sagissor missed much of the game, the remaining trio of big scorers went to work.

Sagissor got hit with a puck and suffered a lower-body injury in the first period. Stillwater coach Matt Doman said an X-ray of Sagissor was negative and he will play Friday.