Knowing he would have his best team in more than a decade, Little Falls coach Tony Couture sat down this summer with a list of the state’s projected top-10 teams in Class 1A and proceeded to try to get every one of them on the Flyers’ schedule. While Couture enjoyed great success in his goal, the COVID-19-shortened season forced him to drop many of those coveted matchups. However, a showdown with Gentry Academy remains.
Couture may not have done his son, senior starting goaltender Dane, any favors by putting Gentry Academy (4-0-0) on the schedule.
The No. 2-1A Stars have outscored their four opponents 44-3. Gentry Academy not only graduated just one senior from last season’s squad, but is reaping the benefits of an influx of talent from its U16 AAA team that was among the nation’s best a year ago. Two of the AAA newcomers, senior forward Nick Sajevic and junior defenseman Zach Reim, have made a crater-sized impact. Sajevic, a standout in the Upper Midwest High School Elite League this past fall, leads the Stars with six goals and 11 points. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Reim has a team-best seven assists among his 10 points.
The No. 4-1A Flyers are coming off a 3-3 tie against No. 7-1A Alexandria on Saturday. The team experiences typically outstanding play from Dane Couture, who has two shutouts, a 1.40 GAA and .939 save percentage. Senior Nicholas Stevens leads Little Falls (4-0-1) in points with 11 and sophomore Matt Filippi is the team's goal leader with eight.