Minot United senior captain Brynn Hanson led the team in scoring this season with 28 points, netting 17 goals and registering 11 assists. Minot United is the No. 8 seed and will play top-seeded Fargo North/South in the quarterfinal round at the state tournament on Thursday, Feb. 26, in Fargo. Mike Kraft/MDN

Minot United girls hockey co-head coach Chris Stokke was at a 2-year-old’s birthday party when he learned his team’s postseason fate.

Stokke had one eye on the party and another eye on the Grand Forks-Jamestown contest going on 175 miles away at John L. Wilson Arena in Jamestown. A Blue Jays loss would send Minot United to Fargo for the state tournament and a Blue Jays win would send Minot United into the offseason, ending their postseason hopes.

The Minot United co-head coach ended up receiving the best gift at the party courtesy of Grand Forks’ Reese Meagher, who scored the game-winning goal 1:59 into overtime for a 5-4 victory over Jamestown, giving Minot United the eighth and final spot at the state tournament by a single point over the Blue Jays.

“You’re happy for the girls,” Stokke said. “It’s a long season and they put in so much work. It’s nice to see that pay off for the long practices and the long bus rides and everything they did in the regular season coming together and getting an opportunity to showcase what you have at the state tournament.”

Minot United (6-15-2-0 overall, 5-15-2-0 state) plays top-seed Fargo North/South in the quarterfinal round on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 11 a.m. at the Farmers Union Insurance Center in Fargo. The Spruins won both meetings against Minot United this season, 4-0 and 9-1.

Minot United has struggled to score goals at times throughout the season. They averaged 1.57 goals per game and scored just 36 goals, second-lowest in front of only Devils Lake (22). Minot United was shutout six times and held to one goal on eight other occasions.

Brynn Hanson has shouldered a big piece of the offense as a senior captain. Hanson registered 28 points on 17 goals and 11 assists. Hanson had nearly half of her team’s goals.

“It’s been unbelievable watching her on and off the ice,” Stokke said. “Not only does she lead on the ice, but she’s almost like having another coach on this team. She’s a really knowledgeable hockey player with a lot of drive to get a lot of things done, whether it’s in hockey or in life. She’s got big goals, big aspirations and it’s been fun to watch her in a Majettes and United uniform the last four years. It’s been an honor, but she’d tell you she couldn’t do it without her teammates. She’s very humble and I’m really excited that she gets one more crack at this.”

Julia Stoner was second on the team in scoring with 11 goals and four assists. Hanson and Stoner accounted for 77.8 percent of Minot United’s goals this season.

The offense was inconsistent, but the goaltender was solid throughout the year. Faith Seekings played 1,108 minutes between the pipes, sporting a 3.59 goals against average and a .910 save percentage with one shutout against Fargo Davies in which she made 44 saves.

“She’s been stellar,” Stokke said. “When we’ve needed her the most, she’s been there to step up. She’s battled through a lot of different things. We’ve had a little bit of an up-and-down season and it’s been a heck of a season for her. She’s set numerous records for us statistically. It’s something she can really hold her head high about. She gives us an opportunity every night she’s between the pipes.”

It’s uncharted waters for Minot United, as they haven’t been the No. 8 seed at the state tournament dating back to the 2007-08 season. Minot United has been the seventh seed three times, the sixth and fifth seeds six times each, and the fourth and third seed once each.

The No. 8 seed doesn’t automatically equate to a first-round exit. Bismarck Century advanced to the championship game as the No. 8 seed in 2024.

“We haven’t gone in as the eight seed since I’ve coached and so it has a different feel,” Stokke said. “There’s no pressure and it’s definitely something we’ve talked about with the girls, but there are still expectations. Not necessarily looser, but we have nothing to lose.”

Fargo North/South (21-1-1-0, 21-0-1-0) dominated the state from the start of the regular season to the end, going undefeated against teams from the Peace Garden State. The Spruins’ lone loss came to Marshall (Minn.) on Dec. 30. They have won 16 straight since.

The Spruins led in many statistical categories. They scored a state-best 119 goals, averaging 5.17 per game. They also sported the best defense, leading the league with 0.96 goals allowed per game. Their power play operated at a state-best 34.4 percent and their penalty kill was second at 91.8 percent. Legacy was the top penalty-killing squad, successfully killing off 95.9 percent of penalties.

Individually, the Spruins have the top point scorer in Kenleigh Fischer, who compiled 56 points with a state-best 36 goals as well as 20 assists. Marin Nelson had 33 points on 14 goals and 19 assists and Jada Purdy registered seven goals and 22 assists.

Olivia Rotar is Fargo North/South No. 1 goaltender, playing 881 minutes. She allowed just 0.75 goals per game and stopped 94.6 percent of shots she faced and shutout eight opponents.

“They’re obviously the No. 1 seed for a reason,” Stokke said. “They skate well. They pass well. They capitalize on opportunities. They have good depth, good goaltending, good forwards, good defensemen. The game plan is physicality. We have to be really physical. We have to move our feet and do the little things the right way to be able to compete with a team like that. They’re a very skilled team and we know we can’t get caught puck watching and I think if we can hold ourselves from that, we’re going to find ourselves in a good spot.”

The two teams met at the state tournament last season, with Fargo North/South defeating Minot United, 5-0, in the third-place game.

The Spruins have won five straight quarterfinal round games. Minot United is the last team to knock them out in the first round, performing the feat in 2020.

In one form or another, Fargo North/South have plenty of championship pedigree. As the current co-op, the Spruins won titles in 2023 and 2024. They won in 2022 as Fargo North/South/ Shanley. Fargo South won twice in 2003 and 2012 and Fargo North won titles in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2011. In total, Fargo North and Fargo South have been involved in 10 of the 23 titles.

While they may be heavy underdogs, Minot United isn’t treating the trip to Fargo as a three-day vacation. It’s a business trip.

“We want to go out there and compete,” Stokke said. “The expectation is obviously to win and all the girls have that expectation too, but we want to go out and compete and play our best hockey and do the little things the right way. We know that we have a chance to do what we want to do if we can get out there and execute.”