Mahtomedi vs. Hermantown

3:15 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 3

What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object?

Minnesota hockey observers may find an answer to the clichéd paradox on Saturday when Mahtomedi, which boasts the premier defense among small schools this season, visits a Hermantown team touted for its speed and offensive prowess.

The Zephyrs, ranked No. 2 in the Class 1A coaches' poll, allow just 1.61 goals per game, the second-best average in the state behind only No. 7-2A White Bear Lake (1.53 GAA).

The stingy defense has helped Mahtomedi (13-4-1, 7-2-1) keep opponents from scoring more than three goals in a game and limited the Zephyrs' losses to only Class 2A foes.

Hermantown counters with an offense averaging 7.6 goals per game in its five Class 1A matchups this season, and the Hawks (11-5-2, 3-0-1) hope to keep it humming to avoid their first regular-season loss to a small-school program since a 5-4 defeat to St. Cloud Cathedral in January 2013.

Both teams appear to be standalone favorites to make it out of their respective sections, which makes Saturday’s matinee a potential state tournament preview — and our Top Game of the Week.

Four seems to be the magic number for the Zephyrs, who’ve won every game in which they’ve scored four or more goals. Mahtomedi has found balanced scoring this year, but on the road in Hermantown, the Zephyrs could use contributions from their top two scorers: Nikolai Dulak (11-12-23) and Charlie Bartholomew (10-10-20), who both experienced three-game scoreless ruts in the past four games.

Hawks sophomore and Minnesota-Duluth commit Blake Biondi (14-17-31) has notched multi-point performances the past five games after hitting a mid-season lull. His presence could help against Mahtomedi goalie Bailey Huber, who boasts the state’s best save percentage (.946).