Eden Prairie, the top-ranked team in the Class 2A coaches' poll from Nov. 27, returns several top players from last year's state tournament runner-up squad. The Eagles face No. 2-1A Hermantown on Saturday. Photo by Drew Herron, SportsEngine
We task our reporters with identifying several intriguing games throughout the state to assemble our Top Games of the Week. The matchups are presented in no particular order, and when there are additional games we want to highlight, we’ll include them with brief notes.
Moorhead vs. Buffalo, 7 p.m., Friday, Dec. 6. Buffalo’s Flying Braccini Brothers, Tyler and Jake, lead the Bison (0-1-0, 0-0-0) against one of the best goaltenders in the state in Hudson Hodges of Moorhead (2-1-0, 0-0-0) in a matchup with Class 2A, Section 8 seeding implications.
Andover vs. Duluth East, 3 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 7. No. 2-2A Andover (1-1-0, 0-0-0) seemingly has a lineup (led by Mr. Hockey candidate Wyatt Kaiser on defense) to finally get past perennial Class 2A, Section 7 roadblock Duluth East (0-2-0), and this matchup will serve as a fun primer to a potential playoff meeting come February.
Marshall vs. Luverne, 7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 3. A couple great players can take a team great distances in Class 1A, and Marshall (2-1-0, 0-0-0) boasts two of the best in southwest Minnesota in senior goaltender Dominik Caspers and senior defenseman Kaleb Welvaert, both of whom will be tested in this rivalry showdown with Class 1A, Section 3 foe Luverne (0-0-0, 0-0-0).
The MN Hockey Hub poll is for entertainment purposes only.