Minnetonka vs. Andover

9:30 a.m., Saturday, Jan. 19

When Minnetonka faces Andover on Lake Bemidji to open Hockey Day Minnesota, expect an atmosphere that should be even better than your typical matchup between the top-ranked teams in Class 2A.

Just don’t expect a lot of scoring in our selection as the Top Game of the Week.

Although both teams average at least 4.80 goals per game, they’re also the two of the state's stingiest defenses.

Minnetonka allows a mere 1.25 goals per game while Andover owns a state-best average of 0.87 goals allowed per game. Those defenses are keyed by perhaps the two best goaltenders in the state.

Minnetonka’s Charlie Glockner leads the state with 15 wins, while Andover’s Ben Fritsinger is tied for second with 12. Among goaltenders with at least 600 minutes played, they’re the best two in goals-against average (Fritsinger is at 0.90, Glockner at 1.26) and in save percentage (Fritsinger is tied for first at .953 and Glockner is second at .938).

Glockner was clutch for Minnetonka in backstopping the Skippers to their first state title last March.

Fritsinger was named to the USA Today All-USA preseason boys' hockey team, thanks to his stellar play last year.

So what else is on the line for these elite goalies and their teams? A bit of pride in perhaps remaining the only unbeaten team in the state.

Minnetonka, ranked No. 1 in the Class 2A coaches' poll from Jan. 9 faces No. 8-2A Eden Prairie on Thursday, so there’s no guarantee the Skippers (15-0-1, 0-0-0) enter Saturday’s tilt unblemished.

Plus, they just played two of their closest games of the season last week, when they held off a late rally to defeat No. 6-2A White Bear Lake 3-2 on Jan. 10 and then settled for a 3-3 overtime tie with No. 1-1A Hermantown after letting a 3-0 lead slip away.

Andover hosts St. Cloud (Tuesday) and plays at Anoka (Thursday) and will want to avoid any slip-ups before its Hockey Day Minnesota showdown, where a victory over Minnetonka may provide a boost to any postseason plans.

The playoff track record of the No. 2-2A Huskies, however, is less prestigious than the Skippers, thanks to the tough competition in Class 2A, Section 7, where reigning state runner-up Duluth East eliminated the Huskies in last season’s section final. It's also where traditional powers Elk River and Grand Rapids reside.

And Andover already has already avenged last year's loss to the Greyhounds by recording a 2-1 overtime victory on Dec. 8. A victory win over the defending state champion could fuel the Huskies (14-0-1, 5-0-1) over the final 30 days of the regular season.