At the recently completed USA Hockey Girl's/Women's National Championships (Blaine, MN) The Minnesota Thoroughbreds (19 & Under) Team skated away with Silver Medals and USA Hockey's National Runner-up Trophy by verture of there National Championship game lose to the Syracuse Stars. The final between the Thoroughbreds and the Stars pitted the Tournaments American and National Division Champions and the lone unbeaten teams remaining together for the right to decided a National Champion in the twelve team National Championship Tournament. But in the end it was the Stars who would come away victorious as the Thoroughbreds valiantly couldn't muster enough firepower to overcome the eastern powerhouse and fell 3-0 to conclude another excellent season.

The Tournament began with pool play for the Thoroughbreds as teams via to move on to the quarterfinal rounds and beyond. The Thoroughbreds opened the Tournament with a game versus the California Selects, one of the pre-tournament favorites because of their multiple championship appearances at some of the major Tournaments during the season. After a scoreless 1st period the Thoroughbreds broke on top as Candace Palmers shot finally found the back of the California net with assists going to Rachel Van Beusekom and Cassi Petsch. California tied it late in the period and the teams entered the third that way before Allison Sanchez put in what turned out to be the game winner from Caitlin Peters and Palmer as the Thoroughbreds who out shot California 41-22 got the victory 2-1 behind netminder Brie Anderson and a great start to the Tournament. Next up had the Thoroughbreds facing the Aspen Avalanche in what turned out to be a game they controlled from start to finish as they netted goals in each period beginning with Jennifer Dorff's 1st period power play goal. The 2nd period saw the Thoroughbreds increase the lead behind another power play goal this time from Cheralyn Anderson with the assist from Sanchez. The Thoroughbreds put the game out of reach early in the 3rd behind Katie Hauge's unassisted goal and Anderson's second of the game from Amber Yorga.. It ended 4-0 as Marlene Yaeger turned away every Aspen chance in notching the shutout.

The final pool game brought up defending National Champion Belle Tire, MI as each team battled for the National Division Brackets top seed . The teams flew up and down the ice in a thrilling fast paced hard fought game that saw the Thoroughbred on top after two periods behind goals from Petsch and Peters with assists going to Anderson and Hauge. The third period had Belle desperately fighting back as a goal in the final 30 seconds had them tie the game 2-2. By virtue of the tie the Thoroughbreds advanced as the top seed in the bracket and moved on the Quarterfinals. The Thoroughbreds faced the Washington DC Little Capitals in the elimination Quarterfinal round. Other match-ups had Syracuse downing Aspen, Shattuck St. Mary's beating Ohio and Connecticut ending Belle's season. For the Thoroughbreds the Little Caps brought a tough challenge as they smothered each rush the team mounted before Kim Lunneborg gave them the lead off an assist from Hauge. A two man advantage for the Caps was to much for the Thoroughbreds to hold off as they scored late in the third to tie the game and send it into overtime. With the overtime though the Thoroughbreds wasted little time as they scored in the third minute as Sanchez knotted her second game winner of the tournament from Peters to send the Thoroughbreds to the Semifinals.

The Tournaments Final Four had Syracuse facing long time eastern power Connecticut Polar Bears and the Thoroughbreds going against Central States Girl's Hockey League rival Shattuck St. Mary's. Syracuse got by Connecticut to advance to the Championship and the Thoroughbreds and Shattuck squared off for the sixth time this season in what looked to be a tightly contested battle as the two teams needed overtime to decide their last meeting in the Minnesota/Minnkota - State/District Championship game won by the Thoroughbreds. But the Thoroughbreds who were making thier seventh Final Four appearance in the last eight seasons would have no part of that. They struck quickly and raced to a 3-0 lead behind goals from Peters, Nicky Kluck and Peters again with the assists going to Sanchez, Van Beusekom, Dorff and Lunneborg before Shattuck could counter to cut the lead to two. It stayed that way until Peters completed her hat trick with an empty netter with a minute remaining to complete the scoring and finish off their rivals by the final score of 4-1 and advance to the National Championship game. The Championship game featured the top seeds from each bracket as the Thoroughbreds and the Stars had topped all comers to reach the decisive game. Unfortunately for the Thoroughbreds the Stars burst out of the gate scoring midway through the opening period and then used power play opportunities one each in the second and again in the third to put the game away and capture the championship.

For the Thoroughbreds it was a tough way to end a successful tournament but a fine accomplishment as they were one of the final two teams left playing at the end of the Tournament and graciously accepted the honor of USA Hockey National Championship Runner-up.