Rolling up their sleeves and going to work, the Benilde-St. Margeret's Red Knights out-gritted the Wayzata Trojans and defeated the Section 6AA number one seed by a score of 2-1 in semi-final action Saturday afternoon to advance to the finals where they will face the Eden Prairie Eagles.

Seniors Nate Meyer and Evan Fleming each scored to build a 2-0 lead through two periods that the Red Knights protected with precision until :58 remained and Alex Stevens of the Trojans scored to cut the deficit to one goal.  

The Section 6AA final this Wednesday night  is at Mariucci Arena and plays out at 6pm where they will face off for the fourth time this season.  So far the Eagles lead the series two games to one over the Red Knights.  

The Trojans were defending Section 6AA champions from last year and poised to make a second straight run. and are known for their disciplined-tight checking brand of hockey.  The Red Knights matched their blue collar effort against Hopkins but were even better against the Trojans.

"It's sectional time. And that's always a time to tighten up," Red Knight coach Ken Pauly said when asked after the game when asked how a team shuts down the Trojans.  "That's what we have done the last three games. Our defensemen did a great job in keeping that top line off our goalie and denying odd man rushes and second chances."

The story of the playoffs is getting contributions fro the entire team and this time, the Red Knights looked the line of Will Duda, Fleming and Meyer.  They answered the call.  Pauly was asked about the so-called third line. The coach addressed that quickly and said,  "You can't really call our third line a 'third line' they way they played against Wayzata. They not only kept the Trojans off the board but they provided all of our scoring."  

Pauly noted the contributions of that line further. "Senior Nate Meyer was one of the best players on the ice on Saturday. He also enjoyed a great game against a tough Hopkins team as well," Pauly said.  "It was great to see Evan Fleming bounce back and play so well on Saturday as well. He had an uneven performance in the quarters but he was just outstanding. Will Duda was gritty, tough, and determined.  These three deserve a lot of praise for their performance against a great Wayzata team."

The Red Knights are feeling good about themselves and there is no question the Red Knight coaching staff knows how to get their team to where they need to go.  "All you can ever ask for is a chance," Pauly stated.  "And we have a great opportunity in front of us. Our guys are playing with confidence and we are looking forward to the challenge."

They have a stiff challenge before them in the Eden Prairie Eagles.  As the teams have played three times this year with Eden Prairie winning two them, one in overtime, there is no question there will be plenty of high end talent on the ice including three Mr. Hockey Finalists and four committed Division I players.

"It should be a great final," Pauly said.  "In Section 6AA teams don't get to the title game by accident. There's a lot of high end kids out there. It should be fun for fans of high school hockey."