Prep Blog: Girls Hockey Tournament Highlights Weekend Match-Ups
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – It's one of the more fun times of the year to be a winter high school athlete in Minnesota.
Kids in high school sports have wrapped up the holidays and a crazy time with tournaments. And if you ask them, they're probably most excited about being on Christmas break. Most students are back in school next week, but not before a weekend of exciting action ahead.
This week, South St. Paul is hosting a girls hockey tournament with some traditionally strong programs. There's also The Clash National Duals in Rochester, which features Minnesota's top high school wrestling programs as well as some of the top programs from around the country. There's also a big non-conference match-up in boys hockey in northwestern Minnesota, and a ranked boys basketball team hits the road for a tough Friday night game.
Here's our top weekend match-ups.
Friday Girls Hockey: Blake (12-1) vs. Hill-Murray (8-3)
(South St. Paul Tournament)
Two of the better girls hockey teams in the state face off Friday afternoon at Wakota Arena in South St. Paul as Blake faces Hill-Murray in the South St. Paul Tournament. Not only were both state tournament teams last year, both won state championships. The Bears come in ranked No. 1 in Class A, while Hill-Murray is ranked No. 4 in Class AA. The Pioneers have won six straight games since losing to Edina in early December.
The South St. Paul girls hockey team, the host of the tournament is off to a 7-6-1 start. The Packers lost in the opening round of the tournament to International Falls 2-1. After getting off to a 1-4-1 start, South St. Paul went on a six-game winning streak and have lost two straight since. The Packers are led in scoring by Taylor Cashman and Abigail Felton, who each have eight points through 14 games. Felton and Anna Barlow are tied for the team lead with six goals.
Friday Boys Hockey: Blaine (6-4) at East Grand Forks (9-3)
There's a great non-conference match-up in boys hockey in northwestern Minnesota Friday night as East Grand Forks hosts Blaine. The Green Wave, last year's Class A state champion, is currently ranked No. 3. The Bengals are ranked No. 10 in Class AA. East Grand Forks had won five of its last six games before losing on New Year's Eve to Hermantown. The Green Wave are led by Dixon Bowen's 28 points, including 13 goals. Blaine comes in having won three of its past four, including victories over Hill-Murray and Eden Prairie. The Bengals are led by Luke Notermann's 19 points, including 10 goals.
Friday Boys Basketball: Shakopee (8-3) at Burnsville (6-5)
It's always tough to win on the road in conference play, and the Shakopee boys basketball team should get a great test Friday night when it heads to Burnsville in South Suburban Conference action. The Sabers are ranked No. 8 in Class 4A and had a three-game win streak snapped just before the end of 2014. They're led by Division I recruit Steffon Mitchell's 25 points per game. The Blaze have had an up-and-down season so far, getting off to a 3-1 start and then losing three of four. They are coming off a win over Osseo in the Rochester Holiday Hoops Classic and are 2-1 in league play. Burnsville is led by Brett Shepley's 13.7 points per game. Joe Morris adds 13 points per game.
Tune into WCCO-TV's High School Sports Rally at about 10:20 p.m. Friday as Mike Max, Frank Vascellaro and David McCoy will have all the action covered.