Sports Round-up: Two Orioles, One Red Knight Headed To Nordic State

Two members of the Nordic ski team joined one skier with state qualifications on Friday, while the Red Knights girls hockey squad won its Section 6AA opener on Saturday to highlight a light weekend in local sports.

St. Louis Park Nordic Ski: Cork, Palmatier Qualify For State

Katelyn Palmatier and Michael Cork of the St. Louis Park Nordic ski team qualified for state after finishing second and third, respectively, in the girls and boys Section 6 championship meet.

The Orioles girls took seventh and the boys were eighth in the team standings after the competition at Baker Park.

Benilde-St. Margaret's Nordic Ski: Shaffer To Represent Red Knights At State

Garrett Shaffer of the Benilde-St. Margaret's boys Nordic ski team punched his ticket for the state meet with a seventh-place individual finish in the Section 6 meet.

The Red Knights boys placed fifth, with the girls coming in 11th in the sectional team standings.

The state Nordic ski meet is scheduled for Thursday at Giants Ridge in Biwabik, Minn.

Benilde-St. Margaret's Girls Hockey: Red Knights 2, North Metro 0

The Benilde-St. Margaret's girls hockey team did enough to claim a playoff-opening win with a 2-0 defeat of North Metro in the opening round of the Section 6AA Tournament at Parade Ice Arena on Saturday.

After launching 54 shots on the Stars' net in the game, the Red Knights netted only a pair of scores by Kelly Pannek and Jordyn Burns; however, Tiana Press saved 13 of 13 shots in the Benilde net to make the two goals stand.

The second-seeded Red Knights host No. 6-Hopkins on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. in the sectional semifinal.

Benilde-St. Margaret's Girls Basketball: Red Knights 71, St. Paul Central 67

The Benilde-St. Margaret's girls basketball team held on for a 71-67 home win over St. Paul Central in a non-conference battle on Saturday night.

Khadijah Shumpert led the Red Knights with 18 points, while teammates Josie Dillon and Lindsay Kaminski recorded 16 and 13 points, respectively.

Benilde, now 17-5 overall, returns to North Suburban Conference play with a home game against Columbia Heights at 7:15 p.m. Tuesday; the Red Knights are an unblemished 12-0 in the conference.

Benilde-St. Margaret's Boys Hockey: Red Knights 9, Irondale 0

The Benilde-St. Margaret's boys hockey team had no trouble in disposing of Irondale, 9-0, in a North Suburban match-up on Saturday.

Pat Steinhauser, Jake Horton and Patrick Graham each scored twice, with Christian Horn, T.J. Moore and Vince Beacom adding one goal apiece in the victory as Justin Quale was called on to make just seven saves to earn the shutout in net.

Benilde, now 19-4 overall and 8-1 in conference play, hosts North Suburban-leading Totino-Grace on Thursday night at the St. Louis Park Rec Center.

Results were not available for a Friday meet involving the Benilde-St. Margaret's wrestling team.