Fortis, Performance Office Papers advance to Dangle Cup Final

The 2026 Dangle League Playoffs opened Tuesday night with three massive games at Braemar Arena’s South Rink.

The evening began with fourth-seeded Tradition Mortgage facing fifth-seeded MNHockeyTv in an elimination game. After occupying first place through its opening four games, MNHockeyTv entered the playoffs in a tailspin following four consecutive losses.

The winner would advance to meet top-seeded Fortis in the second semifinal later in the evening. The first semifinal featured second-seeded Performance Office Papers and third-seeded Twin Cities Orthopedics.

MNHockeyTv 3, Tradition Mortgage 2

MNHockeyTv rediscovered its game at precisely the right time, defeating Tradition Mortgage 3-2 on Maddie Baker’s goal with just 14 seconds remaining.

MNHockeyTv controlled much of the opening half with heavy play, a high compete level and sustained pressure. Nora Ptak opened the scoring with 6:34 showing on the clock after Kira Prange forced a turnover.

Tradition Mortgage found its push after the goal, but MNHockeyTv carried a 1-0 lead into the break and held a 16-12 advantage in shots.

Tradition tied the game on the power play with 23:53 remaining in the second half. Payton Blom delivered a rink-wide pass to Libby Moe, who marched in from the blue line and beat Clara Milinkovich to make it 1-1.

The game remained deadlocked until MNHockeyTv was sent to the penalty box late in the half. Rather than surrendering the lead, MNHockeyTv took it.

With Olivia Roberts providing a decoy on the rush, Ptak buried a shorthanded goal with 8:50 showing on the clock. Josie Nelson earned the assist as Ptak’s second goal of the game and third of the season gave MNHockeyTv a 2-1 advantage.

Moe answered with her second goal of the game and sixth of the season. Playing center field in the neutral zone, she jumped the route on a pass, walked across the MNHockeyTv line and pulled the puck through a defender before blasting it past Kaia Weiland with 4:38 remaining.

Moe nearly struck again on another rush, but Weiland steered the chance into the right corner. Nelson collected the puck and advanced it to Baker, who raced up the right wing and pulled away from the Tradition defense. Lily Peck created additional space by separating from Baker and her defender, opening the shooting lane.

Baker walked in from the right side and buried the game-winner with 14 seconds remaining, snapping MNHockeyTv’s four-game losing streak and sending her team into the semifinal round.

MNHockeyTv outshot Tradition Mortgage 32-26. Milinkovich and Weiland split the game in goal, with Weiland earning the victory. Finley Engfer made 29 saves for Tradition Mortgage.

Performance Office Papers 5, Twin Cities Orthopedics 3

Performance Office Papers and Twin Cities Orthopedics delivered a fast, transitional semifinal that featured a series of scoring runs before Performance pulled away for a 5-3 victory.

Audrey Nichols started the scoring just 1:20 into the game. Taylor Schreifels and Grace Gerebi moved the puck through the neutral zone before Nichols finished the rush with 28:40 showing on the clock.

Performance struck again only 51 seconds later. Makenna Miller and Lauryn Murray helped spring Brinley Gretz in transition, and Gretz finished the play to give Performance a quick 2-0 lead.

TCO answered with two straight goals of its own.

Katie Zakrajscheck completed a length-of-the-ice rush from Dana Madsen and Marian Omann with 19:25 remaining. Brielle Clardy tied the game at 2-2 with 6:50 on the clock, finishing a net drive created by Callie Arthur and Maya Dutton.

Performance regained the lead before the half ended. Taylor Miller scored with 1:15 remaining after receiving the puck from Alaina Post and Molly Clough, sending Performance into the break with a 3-2 advantage.

Schreifels restored the two-goal margin with 25:03 showing in the second half. Gerebi and Nichols collected the assists as Performance took a 4-2 lead.

Clardy continued to create problems all over the ice for Performance. She broke free while TCO was shorthanded and scored her second goal of the game from Kate Koschinska with 17:35 remaining, pulling TCO within 4-3.

Both teams maintained the frantic pace and matched one another stride for stride deep into the second half. Julia Gerdes finally supplied the necessary insurance goal from the greasy area around the crease with 7:58 remaining. Nichols and Post assisted on the goal that sealed Performance’s place in the Dangle Cup Final.

Performance Office Papers finished with a 29-22 advantage in shots. Gianna Marchese earned the victory after taking over for Beth Bigalke in the second half.

Fortis 5, MNHockeyTv 1

MNHockeyTv’s reward for surviving its opening-round game was a semifinal meeting with top-seeded Fortis less than two hours later.

MNHockeyTv showed little fatigue during a hard-hitting and intense opening half, but Fortis generated four goals and built a commanding lead before the break.

Mayme Scott opened the scoring from the low slot, lifting the puck over Weiland’s shoulder with 16:51 showing on the clock. Norah Kratz and Senna Hofmann earned the assists.

Fortis struck again just 1:26 later on a goal built through effort and execution.

The play began with a blocked shot in the slot. Maysie Koch collected the puck and raced up the ice as Bonnie Zhao took off through the middle. Zhao drove hard to the net, finished the rush and scored her fifth goal of the season to give Fortis a 2-0 lead.

MNHockeyTv answered with 12:10 remaining. Sarah Johnson forced a turnover along the left-wing boards, Ella Fugazzi tipped the puck to Ptak and Ptak ripped a bar-down shot for her third goal of the evening and fourth of the season.

Fortis quickly regained control. Angie Cody scored from Taylor Risch and Hofmann with 6:35 showing before Brooklyn Mauch finished a setup from Cody at 4:52, sending Fortis into the half with a 4-1 lead.

Fortis removed any remaining doubt just 45 seconds into the second half. Lexi Erickson scored from Mauch and Cody with 29:15 on the clock, extending the lead to 5-1.

From there, Fortis controlled the game and cruised into the Dangle Cup Final. Fortis outshot MNHockeyTv 36-11, including 19-6 in the second half.

Ilamae Draheim and Alyssa Polaski combined in goal for the Fortis win. 

Twin Cities Orthopedics and MNHockeyTv will meet in the third-place game Thursday night, followed by the Dangle Cup Championship between top-seeded Fortis and Performance Office Papers.