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Two third-period goals keep Central boys unbeaten

Forum News Service Grand Forks Central's Hunter Moreland takes the puck from Minot's Hunter Cope Friday during the North Dakota state boys hockey tournament semifinals at Scheels Arena in Fargo.

FARGO — With one game left in the season, the Grand Forks Central boys hockey team’s undefeated season is still alive.

The Knights can thank Judd Caulfield for that.

Caulfield, a sophomore forward on Central’s dominant top line, scored two third-period goals to lead the Knights to a 4-1 win over Minot on Friday night in the semifinals of the North Dakota state boys hockey tournament at Scheels Arena.

Central (26-0) advances to Saturday’s state championship game against the winner of Grand Forks Red River and Bismarck. The state championship will begin at approximately 7:30 p.m.

The Knights will be playing in their third state championship in the past four years, but the Knights haven’t won a state title since 2010.

“I thought we controlled most of the game,” Central coach Grant Paranica said. “I think we used up most of our goals last night. We could’ve used a few more tonight. Their goaltender played a good game. We threw the kitchen sink at him and they were still in it.”

A day after pumping in 10 goals against Dickinson — the program’s most in a tournament game in 20 years — goals were much tougher to come by against Minot, despite Central heavily outshooting Minot (40-17).

The Knights led 2-0 after two periods on goals from Grant Johnson and Boe Bjorge but the Magicians were able to pull within one goal early in the third.

Minot’s Kyler Stenberg scored a power-play goal at 5:38 of the third period to make it 2-1.

“It kind of played out exactly how we wanted,” Minot coach John Grubb said. “We wanted to keep it close to the end and then go for it a little more. But in the end, they made a good play. They made the plays they needed to.”

Just 43 seconds after the Magicians cut Central’s lead to one goal, Caulfield, as he was falling to the ice, scored his first when he swatted in a loose puck just under the glove of Minot goalie Odin Nelson at the top of the crease.

“It was a scrum out front, and we were all battling for it,” Caulfield said. “I got lucky and it bounced in.”

Caulfield scored again midway through the third period off a draw. Johnson won the draw back to Caulfield, who picked a corner and beat Nelson to make it 4-1.

All four of Central’s goals were scored by the top line.

“They compete extremely hard,” Grubb said. “They’re not just an up and down the ice line. You have to defend them in their own end. None of them are selfish with the puck. They’re a very good line.”

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