It’s no Mirage, the Proctor/Hermantown girls hockey team really is heading back to the state tournament for the fourth straight year.

However, this year their quarterfinal foe is back-to-back defending state champions Warroad. It’s a bit of déjà vu, as the Warriors knocked off the Mirage in the 2022 state title game. The Mirage also met Warroad once already this season, falling 2-1 in their season opener in November.

“We played them our first game of the season, so definitely way different from where we are now. I think we’re together more as a team and we want it a lot more,” Izy Fairchild said, a senior forward.

“Biggest thing for us is just to keep working hard every like single shift. Like even if you had a bad shift, going out there and doing better the next one and keeping a positive mindset,” senior forward Hannah Graves added.

While Warroad has won the last two state tournaments, the Mirage have a recent state crown from 2021. Trekking to the Xcel Energy Center four straight seasons the team is well versed in playoff pressure.

This year, however, does bring a new challenge. Seeded fifth the Mirage were delt the last quarterfinal at 8 p.m., their latest game in their recent state stretch.

“With them not in school that day you’re down there, you have the whole day you kind of got to fill with stuff so they’re not just laying around. So we kind of have to structure the day a little bit and have some things added in there, team walk, team stretch. Probably watch some of the hockey that’s going on and then have some downtime as well,” head coach Emma Stauber explained.

The Mirage and Warriors’ Class A state quarterfinal is Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. Semifinals are Friday, with the title games on Saturday. For the full bracket, Click Here.