St. Michael-Albertville at Roseau
2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 14

Roseau hosts St. Michael-Albertville in a clash between schools expected to be the top seeds in the Class 2A, Section 8 playoffs.

Roseau is riding a 10-game winning streak that includes victories over section-mates Moorhead, Bemidji, Brainerd and St. Cloud, making this showdown with St. Michael-Albertville even more important for the No. 19-2A Rams (10-3, 2-1) as they try to stay ahead of the pack down the home stretch.

Roseau has a healthy plus-2.5 goal differential (4.85 goals for to 2.46 goals allowed) and is posting solid numbers on special teams, where it converts at 32 percent on the power play and kills 84 percent of its penalties. 

Individually, seniors Brandon Lund (11-11-22) and Bryden Stoskopf (14-17-31) and junior Alex Verbout (9-12-21) lead the team in scoring. 

St. Michael-Albertville is off to perhaps its best start ever. The Knights (9-1-1, 2-1) have one blemish this season, a 3-0 loss to section and Mississippi 8 Conference rival Buffalo on Dec. 17.

With Moorhead and Bemidji still looming on the schedule, St. Michael-Albertville cannot afford a misstep against Roseau in a game that will likely prove significant in shaping how everything shakes out in February’s section seeding. 

The No. 17-2A Knights are averaging three more goals (5.27 goals for to 2.00 goals against) per game than their opposition, and 15 different skaters have scored at least two goals this season, led by senior Mitch Bourgerie (10-8-18) and junior Blake Speltz (6-11-17).