East Grand Forks hosts Thief River Falls on Tuesday in the second of the rivals' two regular-season showdowns, and the game features programs with big expectations and plenty of playoff history.
The Green Wave look to turn the tide against the Prowlers, who they have met in three of the last four Class 1A, Section 8 championship games but have only one victory.
Notching one over Thief River Falls in the regular-season finale — and our Top Game of the Week — could provide East Grand Forks with tidal wave of confidence should the teams collide again in a few weeks.
East Grand Forks, ranked No. 6 in the Class 1A state coaches' poll from Feb. 6, enters the week on a three-game skid but still owns Section 8's best QRF rating. A victory over No. 4-1A Thief River Falls would likely cement the No. 1 seed in the section playoffs for the Green Wave (16-8, 6-4), who must shore up their defense to fend off the Prowlers.
After allowing 30 goals over their first 16 contests, East Grand Forks has surrendered 29 to go 3-5 in its last eight games, a stretch that includes losses to No. 9-1A Warroad (6-3 on Feb. 5), Roseau (4-2 on Feb. 8) and No. 7-1A Alexandria (2-0 in a Feb. 9 duel).
However, goaltender Tucker Brown has shown he has what it takes to defeat East Grand Forks. The senior allowed three goals on 22 shots in East Grand Forks’ 4-3 overtime win at Thief River Falls on Jan. 22, and he held opponents to three or fewer goals in 18 of his 22 starts this season.
Defense is also Thief River Falls' calling card. The Prowlers boast a 1.57 goals-allowed average — the state's fourth-best mark and have allowed no more than one goal in six of their last 10 games.
Thief River Falls is 7-2-1 since the turn of the calendar year, with both losses coming by one goal, and goaltender Noah Rupprecht has been exceptional for the Prowlers (14-6-3, 5-2-1). He ranks fifth in the state in goals-against average (1.47) and is tied for fifth in save percentage (.937).
The loss to East Grand Forks was the only outing in which he’s allowed more than three goals, and the junior has allowed two or fewer goals in 17 of his 20 starts.