Blaine at Centennial
7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 15

Class 2A, Section 5 is a muddled mess at the top, with some of the usual suspects battling it out — but none running away with it. An important seeding tilt comes Thursday when No. 12 Blaine (8-5-0) visits unranked Centennial (8-6-0), the two-time defending section champion.

The Cougars have lost two of their last three games, only winning a 5-4 decision over Anoka after losses to Elk River (6-1) and Moorhead (2-1). A lack of offense is a continuing problem for Centennial, which has scored just nine goals in its six losses. Lucas Kranz (7-3-10) leads the Cougars in goals, just ahead of points leader Tyler Nyman (6-10-16) and Colton Berg (6-7-13).

Blaine is ranked ahead of Centennial, but has already lost to Section 5 rival Elk River and split with Maple Grove — in addition to losing 3-1 at Anoka on Dec. 20. The Bengals did beat Centennial 5-4 on Dec. 11, however, scoring the final five goals to erase a 4-0 first-period deficit. Griffin Fussy (3-4-7) had two goals and an assist and Ryan McArthur (1-5-6) netted a goal and two assists to lead the Bengals’ big rally.