Slate Preview: 5.15 - 5.16
WHOOPS - wrote this yesterday and didn’t click publish. The Monday games are over so I added a recap in RED.
Last full week of the season with some big games on tap
MONDAY
Woodbury v Irondale: Looks like we got the reschedule from a postponed game earlier in the year. Reports day this game is a 4-3 Woodbury at half time. Irondale hasn’t had the season we thought they would, but, they just played WBL close… maybe they can find a way to steal one from Woodbury tonight. That being said, Woodbury just had their worst performance of the season against a tough Stillwater team. So, I expect them to come out hungry. Dominant performance by Woodbury in an 11-4 win. Not sure where the fall off has come from with irondale - I do know they have a younger team, so, maybe it’s just a rebuild year for them. But, nice bounce back for the Royals after their Stillwater loss.
White Bear Lake v Duluth: WBL gets the tip of the cap for rolling up to Duluth on a Monday night to play a lax game. That’s beautiful. Duluth coming off a 14-0 loss to PL - not an easy turnaround with WBL in town. I am more noting this game as it’s cool WBL is willing to travel up there during the week, although, this most certainly could have been a rescheduled game from earlier in the season. I have no idea what this season even is. White Bear Lake plays Stillwater and Woodbury to one goal games, Prior Lake beats Duluth 14-0, and now Duluth turns around and beats WBL 13-12. I officially have no idea anymore. Great win for the Wolfpack. Very interesting loss for WBL - I hate to go to “something must be up/someone must be hurt” but I have no other way to explain it
Centennial v Elk River/Zimmerman: So, it’s crazy to think Centennial is not the top dog in the NWSC right now, but, they are still a good team that has a very good chance of representing section 7 at state. Elk River/Zimmerman played Moorhead to an overtime loss, so, they can compete with better teams. However, they dropped the next game to Rogers. So, they are very hot and cold. Did they play the game of their life against moorhead? I don’t know. However, big NWSC matchup here that should be a physical game. This was a great game and close the whole way. Elk River came out to a 5-3 first quarter lead and the Cougars battled back to make it 6-6 at Half. Centennial won the second half behind Brol Scherman’s 5 goals to take the game 11-9. Big conference win for Centennial here and continued the trend of the last few years being a close battle between these two teams
Stillwater v Edina: The game of the night here. #6 v #10. East v West clash in a small town on the west side with a dream. Two teams that have been near perfect with the red knight’s being the only blemish on either team’s record. Both teams play great defense. I think Edina has a little more scoring power, but, they are also a younger team. Both teams are athletic and well coached. I think this one could be one of the best games of the year. And… there is a good likelihood we see both these teams in Stillwater in June. From the looks of it this was a competitive first half where Edina came out with an early lead but Stillwater battled back in the second quarter. However, Edina’s strength took over in the second half and really shut down stillwater’s ability to do anything, only giving up one goal in the second half. Edina’s Cooper Anderson had 4 goals and William Sherod had 3. I thought this game would have been a bit closer, but, Edina showing they are really up there in that elite tier of teams this season.
TUESDAY
Lakeville North v Shakopee: #3 v #4, SSC conference clash. Shakopee is coming off a heartbreaking loss to The Valley in overtime and North just continues to roll. This will be the toughest defense North has faced all year. This will be the toughest offense Shakopee has faced all year. Can the Sabres slow down the North offense and cause a bunch of confusion in the SSC standings? I'd love to see it!
STMA v Moorhead: A regular season, section 8 preview here. I don’t know if these two teams will be the 1 and 2 in section 8 this year, but, we very much could see them play at some point in section 8 playoffs. Two teams that have a history of big games against each other, the Spuds have had their number. Will STMA be able to score enough goals to keep up with Moorhead?
BSM v Chanhassen: Well, we wanted it… we got it. #1 v #2. Two teams that have looked dominant and nearly unstoppable this year. Someone will have a loss on their record after tuesday night. These two teams have an extremely high likelihood of heading to state and meeting again. I have a feeling this game will be two teams holding back the reigns. Willing to sacrifice rankings to keep some stuff close to the vest. Or, does one of the coaching staffs say, screw it, and throw it all out there for the Metro West conference championship? Injuries on both sides may be a factor… regardless if this is a “vanilla” game by both sides to hide some things… there is still talent galore on the field. It’s a must see.
