Hill-Murray at Elk River
7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 10
Elk River hosts Hill-Murray in a meeting between monster Class 2A programs following similar scripts this season, which includes flashes of brilliance and bouts of inconsistency.
Though nether team will likely earn a top seed in their section tournaments (Elk River in Section 7, Hill-Murray in Section 4), both have the talent and the means to punch a ticket to St. Paul.
With the final week of the regular season at hand, the No. 10-2A Pioneers and the No. 12-2A Elks need to be playing their best, and this game provides both a big opportunity to do so.
Hill-Murray (14-7-2) enters the week still struggling to score goals. After a promising start to January, the Pioneers are 1-3-1 in the last two weeks.
Given the talent on Hill-Murray's top line of Marko Reifenberger (16-13-29), Luke Ranallo (13-13-26) and Dylan Mills (13-13-26), a group that's combined for 42 goals, the components are there to make a run.
Elk River's resume lists impressive wins but also inglorious losses.
Junior forward Max Michaelis continues to put up solid points for the Elks (15-7-1), with 22 goals and 40 points through 23 games.