After suffering a defeat earlier in the week, St. Paul Academy (2-1) could have been sitting at quite a crossroad Saturday afternoon as defending Class 1A state champion East Grand Forks came calling to Drake Arena for an early season showdown between two top 10-ranked Class 1A teams.

Another loss would drop the team’s record to 2-2 and likely bounce them from the rankings, if only temporarily.

But a win could legitimize the Spartans as one of the state's best teams in the smaller class and inject some confidence into a team hungry to put together its first state tournament season since St. Paul Academy joined the Minnesota State High School League in 1975.

As things played out, the Spartans proved collectively committed to taking the latter option with a 7-3 victory over the No. 4-ranked Green Wave.

“We’ve been working especially hard the past couple of weeks to make sure we are ready for big games like this,” junior forward Jack Johnston said. “The whole team played well for the entire game. Our speed played a big part, we moved the puck well, and we made the most of our opportunities.”

Johnston played a big part in this victory, scoring a goal in each period to finish with a hat trick and five points. Johnston now has a team-leading six goals in four games this season.

Speed proved the be the decisive factor in this game, as East Grand Forks was playing its second game in 18 hours and was still licking its wounds following a disappointing 9-1 loss to No. 2-1A ranked Breck on Friday night.

The Green Wave weren’t exactly brining fresh legs to the ice Saturday, and the Spartans knew it.

“We knew they would have tired legs and that right away we would have to use our speed to get after it,” St. Paul Academy coach Matt Funk said. 

The Spartans enjoyed success early and pounded out the game's first five shots before Will Kelly's goal got things going 3 minutes, 17 seconds into the first period. St. Paul Academy built a 3-0 lead over the next 10 minutes, and East Grand Forks was left to chase in frustration the rest of the way. 

At times, things started to look like it was coming too easy to the Spartans.

“It did surprise a little,” Johnston said jumping out to the first-period lead. “But right away, we were able to create opportunities on the wings and (establish) good puck movement. That kind of set us up for the whole game.”

The Green Wave had their own flashes of play that showed their deep potential, such as the 2-for-4 conversion on the power play and outshooting the Spartans in the game 30-23.

East Grand Forks senior forward Tanner Tweten finished with a goal and an assist, but tired legs did indeed leave the Green Wave exposed as St. Paul Academy converted its scoring opportunities.

East Grand Forks heads north eager to put this trip to the metro behind it, while the Spartans are is counting on carrying this momentum into a three-game week that culminates in much-anticipated matchup Dec. 12 with Breck.

Saturday’s win over the two-time defending state champions ought to provide St. Paul Academy a jolt of confidence and offer a little more satisfying way to bounce back from its 3-2 loss to No. 5-2A Mahtomedi on Tuesday.

“This builds a lot of confidence, but also, we’ve got a big week ahead of us and it ends with Breck,” Funk said. “That’s a school that has always been a rival for us, for greater than 50 years. And this year, it is another big game. We are really looking forward to it, but of course, we need to take care of business against our two opponents before Saturday.”

St. Paul Academy scored early and exercised its abundance of speed to keep the pressure on for three periods. 

It was an affliction visiting East Grand Forks could not counter as the Spartans skated to a 7-3 victory over the Green Wave Saturday afternoon at Drake Arena in St. Paul.

St. Paul Academy, ranked No. 6 in the Class 1A coaches' poll, was led by junior forward Jack Johnston's three goals and two assists. He scored in all three periods and now leads the team with six goals in four games.

The Spartans enjoyed success early and pounded out the game's first five shots before Will Kelly's goal got things going 3:17 in.

Over the next 10 minutes, St. Paul Academy built a 3-0 lead, and East Grand Forks was left to chase in frustration the rest of the way. It proved even more frustrating for the Green Wave considering they outshot their opponents 30-23 for the game.

Senior forward Tanner Tweten finished with a goal and an assist for East Grand Forks.

The Green Wave, who are seeking their third straight Class 1A state championship, dropped their second game in as many days to a metro team ranked in the top 5 of the Class 1A poll. On Friday night, No.3-ranked East Grand Forks lost to No. 2-ranked Breck 9-1.

The Spartans improve their season record to 3-1 while the Green Wave fall to 4-2. 

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