Comeback season for Central's Evan Panzer continues in the state tournament
Feb. 20—GRAND FORKS — Grand Forks Central senior Evan Panzer played just seven games at the tail end of last season.
He tallied five points.
This season has been a comeback of sorts for the forward. He leads the Knights with 42 points, a career high, off 14 goals and 28 assists. The total puts him at No. 14 in the state.
"He didn't get much of an opportunity there (last season) to build his game, and now it looks like he hadn't even lost a step," Central coach Grant Paranica said. "He's been a great leader for us on and off the ice and just a good player for us all around, in every aspect of the game. He's creative enough where he can make plays and score goals and set guys up.
"It was like missing one of the main hubs of a wheel when we didn't have him."
Panzer will look to continue his success Thursday when Central, the No. 1 East seed, plays West's No. 4 Bismarck Legacy in the state quarterfinals at 5:30 p.m. at Scheels Arena in Fargo.
The Knights will carry the top seed at state for the first time since 2021, Central's championship season and its last state tournament appearance.
"The only thing that matters is the color of jersey you get to wear," Paranica said. "Everybody's got the same opportunity, and it's a one-game shot moving forward. I don't think (the 1 seed) means a whole lot. It's just a matter of us trying to be our best at this time of year, kind of peak at this time of year and gain momentum through each game."
Panzer said there's a little pressure that comes with it, but Central is prepared for it.
"We know everyone's going to be looking at us a little scared," he said. "They're going to be wanting to get us."
Panzer has help offensively from fellow forwards Mack Blue, a junior with 16 goals and 20 assists, and sophomore Cooper Deziel, who has 13 goals and 18 assists. Deziel had the
game-winning goal in double overtime
against Fargo North in the East Region semifinals to send the Knights to the East title game, where
they beat rival Red River
2-1.
Panzer is still the player Central looks to when the Knights find themselves in a tight spot, though.
"When we're down a goal or two, he seems to be the guy that answers the bell," Paranica said, "and starts our momentum and rallies the team. The guys on the team look up to him. He's a good leader for us, just because he's so competitive and comes through in the clutch for us all the time."
The Knights will need that as they look to knock off Bismarck Legacy, who finished the season ranked No. 2 in the West but was handed the four seed in the state tournament after losing to Minot 5-1 in the West semifinals. Legacy qualified for state with a 1-0 win over Mandan.
"We know they're a good hockey team and they seem to be playing real well," Paranica said. "We're just taking it one game at a time. We have to be good against them, and we have to be at our best and play as well as we can and see how it shakes out. Just one game at a time."
Coach: Grant Paranica.
Record: 20-3.
Top scorers: Sr. F Evan Panzer (14 goals, 28 assists); jr. F Mack Blue (16 goals, 20 assists); soph. F Cooper Deziel (13 goals, 18 assists); sr. F Markus Lunski (14 goals, 6 assists); soph. F Gavin Wockenfuss (12 goals, 7 assists); jr. F Donovan Balek (10 goals, 7 assists); sr. D Cale Quamme (2 goals, 13 assists); soph. F Chay Quamme (5 goals, 10 assists).
Top goalies: Sr. Jaxon Washburn 94.7 save percentage, 1.29 goals-against average; sr. Preston Diederich 92.5 SP, 1.83 GAA.
State tournament history: Central has 29 state championships, last winning a title in 2021.
