Moorhead Boys Hockey Wins Class 2A State Quarterfinal

Defending champions advance to semifinals with 4-1 victory over Lakeville South

Published on Mar. 6, 2026

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The Moorhead boys hockey team, the defending Class 2A state champions, secured a trip back to the state tournament with a 4-1 quarterfinal win over Lakeville South on Thursday, March 5 at Grand Casino Arena. Junior Max Cullen scored twice, while sophomore Joey Cullen and senior Tyden Bergeson, a Minnesota Mr. Hockey finalist, also found the back of the net for the Spuds.

Why it matters

As the defending champions, Moorhead entered the tournament with a target on their backs, but they quieted any doubts about their ability to return to state with a dominant performance in the quarterfinals. The win sets up a semifinal matchup as the Spuds look to reclaim their state title.

The details

Moorhead jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first period on Max Cullen's goal, then doubled their advantage late in the second period when Cullen scored again. Lakeville South cut the deficit to 2-1 early in the third, but Joey Cullen and Bergeson added insurance goals to seal the victory for the Spuds.

  • The quarterfinal game was played on Thursday, March 5, 2026 at Grand Casino Arena.
  • Moorhead entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed after losing just three games during the regular season.

The players

Brandon Mickelson

A senior defenseman for the Moorhead Spuds.

Jon Ammerman

The head coach of the Moorhead boys hockey team.

Max Cullen

A junior forward who scored two goals for Moorhead in the quarterfinal win.

Tristan Lawrence

A player for the Lakeville South Cougars who scored their lone goal in the game.

Tyden Bergeson

A senior forward for Moorhead and a Minnesota Mr. Hockey finalist who scored the Spuds' fourth goal.

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What they’re saying

“You don't want to think about last year as much though, like we're all just doing our own thing. It obviously helps to have that experience. We kind of came in here as a normal game.”

— Brandon Mickelson, Senior Defenseman (startribune.com)

“They played hard, they had a great game plan. But our guys did a great job of sticking to it, and in the end were successful.”

— Jon Ammerman, Head Coach (startribune.com)

“We can score easier I would say than last year. We create so much on the offensive side, but yet again we can also lock it down on defense as well.”

— Tyden Bergeson (startribune.com)

What’s next

The Moorhead Spuds will advance to the Class 2A state semifinals, where they will face the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between the Edina Hornets and the Andover Huskies.

The takeaway

Moorhead's dominant performance in the quarterfinals, led by the scoring of Max Cullen and Tyden Bergeson, shows that the defending champions have the talent and experience to make another run at the state title. Their ability to excel on both offense and defense makes them a formidable opponent for any team remaining in the tournament.