Weekend Preview

1 noteworthy game for tonight. Friday night.

Blake at Hill Murray

Blake is as talented of a team as there is in the state. But they have one weakness. Their goalie play has not been what they need it to be. They have been rotating goalies so that tells you the don’t have confidence in any particular goalie yet and they are hoping one of them steps up. The team goalie stats are 3.25 GAA and .838 SV%.

Hill Murray can shoot the puck averaging 37 shots per game YTD. Steiguaf can score with the best of them. If I am the Hill coach I am telling my girls to shoot from everywhere tonight.

This one is going to be a track meet.

Blake 7. Hill 5.

Saturday Games…..

Eden Prarie at Blake

Two Blake games to preview back to back? Really? Yep. I only point it out to show what a tough weekend the Bears have. And I think they go 2-0.

Blake 5. EP 3.

Andover at Minnetonka

This is a rematch of the State Tourney 3rd place game from last season. A game in which the Skippers won 3-2 despite being outshot 34-17. In fact these teams played in the regular season and Tonka won that game too.

But this is a new year. And Tonka is a different team. A better team than last year. A team whose average margin of victory is 7 goals.

But Andover is still Andover. Currently ranked #1 and they might hold that distinction for the next 6 years. Seriously. That’s not an exaggeration. Have you seen their 12UA team play?!

This could be another track meet.

Andover 6. Tonka 5.

Lourdes at Breck

Lourdes laid an egg vs. Mahtomedi last game. That was an aberration. But even if they play flawlessly I don’t think they can hang with Breck. Keep an eye on Sawyer Fleming. She’s a 7th grader. I know we have some college coaches that are readers. Put her on your list of 2025 grads. And put her right at the top.

Breck 5. Lourdes 2.

Brainerd/Little Falls at Forest Lake

As we all know Brainerd took down mighty Blake earlier in the year. Gabbie Smith and the Booth sisters are off to a great start. They will have an equally tough task vs. Forest Lake.

Forest Lake, since the start of the 2017-2018 season, is a combined 45-7-2 and I feel like they have underachieved. Is that totally ridiculous?! I’m not sure it is considering the talent on this team and their success at the youth levels. This group won the 12UA State Championship in 2015. You know who else was in the 12UA State Tourney that year? Edina, Andover, Minnetonka, Rochester, St. Paul, Roseau, and…….guess who else? Yep. You got it. Brainerd. Forest Lake beat Brainerd 3-2 in the final.

That’s right. This is a re-match of the 2015 12UA State Championship game and I think the score just might be exactly the same.

Forest Lake 3. Brainerd 2.

Now that I think about it I probably should’ve done a 2015 12UA State Tournament Participant themed game preview. I’ve got Andover at Tonka this weekend. Tonka beat Andover in the Consolation Championship in 2015. Brainerd and Forest Lake. Edina plays this weekend. So does Roseau. The St. Paul girls are probably scattered all over East Side private schools. Dang. What a good idea. Too late. Gotta go. See you at the rink.