GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The Aberdeen Cougars boys’ hockey team notched a pair of dominant victories Saturday to advance to the championship game of the Grand Forks Lee Haugen Tournament. The Cougars sprinted to a 10-1 victory over Minot in their first game of the day, then closed with a 5-0 blanking of Northwood.

Micah Kranzler and Jack Podoll each scored twice in the opening contest, but the Cougars spread the offensive statistics liberally through all four lines. Jaxon Danielson, Aiden Posthumus, Cameron Backous, Lleyton Kleffman, Brady Huff and Levi Little all found the net, as the Cougars dominated the final two-thirds of the game after leading 2-1 at the end of the first period.

“It was nice to see the kids playing as a team, looking to move the puck and making a play,” said Aberdeen coach Jeremey Backous.

After that offensive splurge, the Cougars did only half as well in the nightcap, but it was more than enough as Colton Townsend pitched a shutout in a 5-0 win.

Devon Fischbach scored twice and Kleffman, Little and Huff each scored once in the win.

Those two wins put the Cougars (14-7 on the year) in line for today’s championship trophy when they face Grand Forks at 1 this afternoon.

“We have a really good chance of finishing a great weekend of hockey,” Coach Backous said. “Colton made some really nice saves to post the shutout.”

Aberdeen Cougars 2 5 3 – 10

Minot 1 0 0 – 1

First period: 1, AC, Micah Kranzler (unassisted), 16:46; 2, MIN, (Name not reported), 16:15; 3, AC, Jaxon Danielson (Austin Schmit), 7:51.

Second period: 4, AC, Jack Podoll (Drake Witte), 15:51; 5, AC, Podoll (Levi Little), 15:21; 6, AC (Kranzler (Quincy Madsen), 12:47; 7, AC, Aiden Posthumus (Little), 7:46; 8, AC, Cameron Backous (Podoll), 4:41.

Third period: 9, AC, Lleyton Kleffman (Michael Weisenburger), 10:22; 10, AC, Brady Huff (Talan Dutenhoffer), 6:23; 11, AC, Little (Schmit, Posthumus), 3:15.

Aberdeen Cougars 2 1 2 – 5

Northwood 0 0 0 – 0

First period: 1, AC, Lleyton Kleffman (Devon Fischbach, Cameron Backous), 7:13; 2, AC, Levi Little (Austin Schmit), 7:43.

Second period: 3, AC, Fischbach (Kleffman, Quincy Madsen), 13:44.

Third period: 4, AC, Brady Huff (Fischbach, Backous), 15:32; 5, AC, Fischbach (unassisted), 4:00.