Carter Eckerline, a senior at Benilde-St. Margaret’s School in St. Louis Park, tries to pump up the crowd at the Class AA boys state hockey championship game March 10 at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul with a message about sophomore Jack Jablonski, who was injured in late December while playing for the school’s junior varsity squad and suffered a severe spinal cord injury. Jablonski watched from a private suite in his wheelchair as the Red Knights defeated Hill-Murray School from Maplewood, 5-1, and won their first Class AA championship, finishing the season with a record of 25-6. The Pioneers, playing in their second championship game in the last three years (they won in 2010), finished at 24-7.Junior forward Grant Besse of Benilde-St.?Margaret’s scores one of his five goals against Hill-Murray junior goalie John Dugas. He finished the tournament with eight goals and two assists to lead all scorers. Besse scored a total of 52 goals this season.Players from St. Thomas Academy in Mendota Heights show off the state Class A championship trophy to their fans and fellow Cadets after defeating Hermantown, 5-1, in the finals March 10 at the Xcel Energy Center. It was the second straight year the Cadets downed Hermantown in the title game. St. Thomas Academy finished the season with a record of 26-5. It was the second straight week the school won a state title. On March 3, the boys swimming team captured the Class A championship at the University of Minnesota Aquatic Center.
