Rosemount vs. Eastview

2 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 20

Neither Rosemount nor Eastview has won a South Suburban Conference title since the league's formation in 2010, but both programs are in position to do so heading into the second round of league play.

The Irish shut out perennial conference contender Lakeville North 2-0 last Saturday to win their 11th consecutive game -- a nice bounce back from a 5-1 loss to the Lightning on Dec. 5. Senior goalie Ben Garrity stopped 35 shots against the Panthers and has allowed 1.36 goals per game during his team’s winning streak.

Rosemount (12-2, 7-1) begins the week a game ahead of the Eastview in the league standings, and the Irish look to continue their defensive dominance when visiting the Lightning on Saturday.

That will not be an easy task against an Eastview team riding an eight-game winning streak thanks to a potent offense led by Zach Anderson (11-12-23). The junior has been a source of scoring and playmaking for the Lightning (12-3, 6-2), who have outscored the competition 40-10 on their run. 

Look for special teams to play a bigger role in the rematch, especially with the stakes being much higher. Both teams committed six penalties in the first game, and Eastview took advantage, capitalizing on the power play late in the first period to set the tone the rest of the game.

Rosemount has improved on the penalty kill since the loss, killing eight penalties against the Panthers. The Irish haven't allowed a power-play goal in their past 15 penalty kills and boast a 93.9 percent penalty-kill rate.