MOORHEAD — Moorhead defenseman Brandon Mickelson dove to his left to stop a Minnetonka shot late in the third period on Saturday evening.
Without a blocker or leg pads, Mickelson found himself inside the crease after Moorhead’s goalie was pulled with two Skippers forwards crashing the net.
The puck sat loose in front of the net after bounding off Mickelson’s arms and was quickly put away by Minnetonka forward Cash Hardie for his second of the night to make it a two-goal game with 21 seconds left in the game.
Moorhead found themselves on their heels in the moments leading up to the goal and most of the night.
No. 2-ranked Minnetonka knocked off the top-ranked Spuds 4-2 in Minnesota Class 2A boys hockey in a nearly full Moorhead Sports Center.
“We needed more offense tonight,” said Mickelson, who finished with two points. “They just outworked us tonight to be honest. We just have to come back better.”
Moorhead’s Brandon Mickelson looks to pass to a teammate during their game against Minnetonka on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at the Moorhead Sports Center.
Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum
Moorhead was outshot 32-16 and was limited to only four shots in the third period.
“We just kind of ran out of steam,” said Spuds head coach Jon Ammerman.
Moorhead forward Max Cullen buried a power-play goal at 15 minutes, 4 seconds of the third period to make it 3-2. With a 6-on-4 advantage after the goalie was pulled, Cullen netted a backdoor one-timer that was slid over by Zac Zimmerman. Mickelson also assisted on the goal.
Tied at 1-1, Skippers forward Cooper Rannow had back-to-back goals to open the third period. Rannow tallied his first with a shot along the left wall and put away a cross-crease pass shorthanded for his second.
“They’re a good team,” Mickelson said. “They play hard. They play the right way.”
Mickelson opened the scoring at 3:26 of the second period. Mickelson worked his way down the right wall on a pass from Zimmerman, cut inside along the bottom of the circle and beat Skippers goalie Chase Jerdee blocker side.
Joey Cullen, who left the ice with an “upper-body injury” in the third period, also had an assist on the goal. Ammerman noted the injury “is not season-ending.”
Minnetonka evened the game 1-1 at 11:23 in the second. Hardie scored on the power play from just outside the slot on a pass from Max Aronson in the right circle.
Moorhead’s Will Arnold hits the puck away from the goal during their game against Minnetonka on Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, at the Moorhead Sports Center.
Alyssa Goelzer / The Forum
Jerdee and Spuds netminder Will Arnold both made key saves in the scoreless first period. Arnold stopped a pair of breakaway shots after Skippers forwards slipped past the Moorhead defensive units.
“He was tested tonight and did a great job of competing,” Ammerman said of Arnold. “He gave us a chance.”
Arnold stopped 28 of 31 shots faced, while Jerdee made 14 saves. Minnetonka excelled in transition and in the neutral zone throughout the contest.
“Turnovers in the neutral zone turn into offense,” said Skippers head coach Sean Goldsworthy.
Moorhead moved to 8-1 on the season. The Spuds host Sartell at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 23, at the Moorhead Sports Center.
Prior to the game, the 2025 state championship banner will be raised as part of a special ceremony to commemorate last season’s title-winning team. The ceremony begins at 5:30 p.m. with alumni present from almost all 57 years of Spuds hockey.
The history of Moorhead hockey book, written by Forum reporter Tracy Briggs and Moorhead High historian Brian Cole, will be available for purchase at Tuesday’s game.
After Saturday’s game, the message to the team remained simple.
“It’s how we react,” Ammerman said.
“It’s a reality check,” Mickelson added. ” We need to get better.”
After graduating from North Dakota State University, Haugland joined the Forum in January of 2023. Readers can reach him at 701-241-5508 or by emailing ahaugland@forumcomm.com