Mankato East (14-13-1) VS. St. Cloud Cathedral (No. 2, 23-3-1), 11 A.M.

Scouting the Cougars: Speedy senior Matthew Salzle adds serious sizzle to the Mankato East offense, especially in the postseason, when he has scored six of his team-best 32 goals to earn the nickname “Playoff Siz.” Salzle and junior Layten Liffrig (31 goals) form one of the best forward duos in the field. “They can be absolutely electric,” seventh-year coach Adam Fries said.

Scouting the Crusaders: The defending champs overcame aggressive preseason recruiting of their bevy of star players by junior league coaches, then welcomed senior Mack Motzko, a former Cathedral star who spent his junior season at Minnetonka, back into the fold. A rash of injuries threatened to derail the season, but reliable scoring from senior Mr. Hockey finalist Blake Perbix (85 points) and the emergence of scoring standout Motzko (three consecutive hat tricks in late January) helped Cathedral persevere.

Worth knowing: Cathedral upended Andover, the No. 1 seed in the Class 2A tourney, 2-1 on Jan. 7 on a third-period goal by senior Ethan Cumming.

LOREN NELSON