Willmar Cardinals Upset Fergus Falls Otters 8-5 in Section 6A

Eli Ewert’s 51 saves and a late flurry of goals lifted sixth-seeded Willmar to an 8-5 upset over third-seeded Fergus Falls in the Section 6A quarterfinal at the Fergus Falls Ice Arena on Tuesday. The Cards overcame a 3-2 first-period deficit and finished with 30 shots while the Otters out-shot Willmar 56-30.

The scoring swung decisively in the third period. Aiden Schake scored his third goal of the game at 2:53 of the third off a Michael Schmidt pass to cut Willmar’s lead to 5-4. Horyza answered for Willmar at 8:29 to push the margin back to 6-4. Michael Schmidt struck again at 12:27 of the third to make it 6-5, but Willmar iced the game with two late empty-netters: Horyza at 15:35 and Eli Hagen at 16:08.

Fergus Falls’ 56 shots on goal underscored how Willmar scrambled to protect leads, and Ewert’s 51 saves yielded a .911 save percentage on a heavy workload. The shot and save totals align with the 8-5 final, with Ewert facing virtually double the workload of his offense, which managed 30 attempts.

Willmar head coach Jamie Hagen celebrated the result in the locker room: “The boys are excited. And, the coaches are excited, too. We haven’t had a game like that in a while.” Hagen later reflected on the Cardinals’ two regular-season losses to the Otters, saying, “The first game up there, we got handled pretty bad. We had guys out and that was a tough week for us. We were still reeling the second time we played them. That’s a total of one goal in two games, so to put eight in the back of the net tonight was special.” The coach’s comments echo the heavy margins Fergus Falls posted in the regular season over Willmar.

The victory advances Willmar to the Section 6A semifinals. Published accounts differ on the Cardinals’ next opponent: some schedules list second-seeded Alexandria at 7 p.m. Saturday at the St. Cloud Municipal Athletic Complex, while other listings pair sixth-seeded Willmar with second-seeded Northern Lakes at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at the Municipal Athletic Complex. Officials on the Section 6A bracket should be consulted to confirm the semifinal opponent and exact game time and site.

Willmar’s win also snapped a postseason drought; it was the Cardinals’ first playoff victory since beating Windom 3-0 on March 18, 2021. Fergus Falls entered the quarterfinal having finished 5-2 in section games during the regular season and hosting the home quarterfinal at the Fergus Falls Ice Arena.

Other Section 6A quarterfinal outcomes around the region included Alexandria beating Morris/Benson Area 8-2 and Northern Lakes defeating Breckenridge/Wahpeton 6-0, with Little Falls also advancing after knocking off River Lakes. Local athletic directors and the Section 6A office can confirm bracket placements and upcoming game times for fans planning to travel to St. Cloud or Alexandria.