The way the winter sports postseason schedule works out, fans of girls' state tournaments are advised to take advantage of this week because it will be a while before the girls take center stage again.
Last week, Alpine and Nordic skiing and dance teams determined state champions. The upcoming week ahead features the girls' hockey state tournament and gymnastics state meet, meaning that, come Sunday, the lone girls' sport still competing will be basketball. And that state tournament doesn't begin until March 18.
With that in mind, here's a look at the week ahead:
Girls' hockey
The four-day tournament at Xcel Energy Center starts Wednesday with four Class 1A quarterfinals. The upper-bracket teams are all returnees from 2013 — Alexandria plays defending champion and No. 2-seeded Blake at 11 a.m., followed No. 3 seed Red Wing, featuring high-scoring forward Nicole Schammel, taking on New Ulm. Those four teams have 23 state tournament appearances among them.
The teams in the bottom bracket, while talented, have scant state tournament experience. Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato, the only team with a sub-.500 record (10-17-1), takes on top-seeded East Grand Forks at 6 p.m., and No. 5 seed St. Paul United, which advanced when Achiever Academy withdrew from postseason play before its section final, takes on No. 4 seed Proctor/ Hermantown at 8 p.m. There is only one previous tournament appearance among the group: Proctor/Hermantown in 2010.
The semifinals are 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Friday. The championship is noon Saturday.
There will be a new champion in Class 2A. Minnetonka, which won three consecutive titles from 2011 through 2013, lost a chance for a fourth when it lost to Benilde-St. Margaret's in the Section 6 semifinals.
The Class 2A quarterfinals take place Thursday. Burnsville will play No. 2 seed Hill-Murray at 11 a.m., followed by Andover playing No. 3 Eden Prairie at 1 p.m. Benilde, the No. 1 seed, plays Roseau at 6 p.m., and No. 5 Mounds View vs. No. 4 Lakeville North rounds out the day at 8 p.m.
