Elk River vs. Maple Grove
7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 19

Elk River visits Maple Grove as two of the top teams in the Northwest Suburban Conference meet in what has developed into a four-team race with Centennial and Blaine for first place in the standings.

The Elks (12-3, 4-1) enter the week with an impressive body of work that includes five wins over teams ranking in Class 2A's top 10.

However, No. 2-2A Elk River must bounce back after a disappointing 5-1 loss at home to Centennial to close out last week. The Elks are sure to drop in the rankings, but could begin to ascend with a solid response against a steady Maple Grove squad. 

The Perbix brothers continue to lead Elk River offensively, as senior Nick (4-19-23) tops the team in points, and sophomore Jack (10-10-20) leads in goals.

Maple Grove enters the game tied with Elks atop the league standings, and a win for the No. 12-2A Crimson could mean a great deal for a squad that has won five straight. Maple Grove (11-3, 4-1) is scoring goals in bunches, averaging 5.5 goals per game since Christmas.

The Crimson have three players averaging greater than a point and a half per game, led by seniors Sam Huff (12-17-29), Jarrett Cammarata (7-13-20) and Justin Kelley (8-11-19).