After the presents are unwrapped and the last carols have been sung, high school hockey fans have a full buffet of action December 26-30 as the 2017 Schwan Cup High School Hockey Tournament takes place at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine and at Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota campus. First up is a preview of the four boys varsity divisions.
There will be a number of top teams competing in the Gold Division at Ridder Arena starting with the Burnsville Blaze facing the fourth ranked team in Class AA the St. Thomas Academy Cadets. The Blaze hasn't been on fire this season with a 1-6 record going into their December 23 meeting with the Prior Lake Lakers. The Cadets have won five straight games since losing their season opener in overtime to the Minnetonka Skippers.
Next up, the Eden Prairie Eagles battle a newcomer to the field the St. Michael-Albertville Knights. The Eagles have felt the graduation loss of Casey Mittelstadt and are off to a 3-3 start. Good news for hockey fans in Wright County, the Knights are off to a hot 5-1 start before their meeting with the North Branch Vikings on the 21st. Their only loss was a 7-0 beating by the Holy Family Catholic Fire.
The day's third game pits the Hill-Murray Pioneers against the fourth ranked Centennial Cougars. The Cougars were on a roll, going 5-0-1 in their first six games until they lost to the Duluth East Greyhounds on December 19. Both the Centennial boys and girls teams are off to hot starts, giving fans in the communities of Circle Pines, Lexington, Lino Lakes and Centerville something to celebrate.
And the moment fans will be waiting for will come around 8 PM when the top two teams in Class AA battle in the day's final game as the top ranked Edina Hornets square off with the second ranked Minnetonka Skippers. It's the first of three battles between the two Lake Conference rivals. The Hornets are unbeaten in eight games while the Skippers have won six in a row since the 2-2 tie with Lakeville North November 25. If you can make it to only one quarterfinal game, come to this one but get there early. The place might be packed.
Looking at the Silver Division, the St. Louis Park Orioles won't be going to Duluth as in the past because they will open up quarterfinal play against the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders. Both teams have a couple of losses against Lake Conference schools. They both lost to Edina while St. Louis Park was beaten by Minnetonka and Cretin-Derham Hall fell to Wayzata. The winner faces either the Breck Mustangs or the Buffalo Bison. The Mustangs are ranked seventh in Class A under new head coach Glen Lang, who replaced the retired Les Larson. In the lower bracket, the top team in Class A the Mahtomedi Zephyrs faces the Mounds view Mustangs and the St. Cloud Apollo Eagles go up against Minneapolis.
Now to the Bronze Division where two ranked Class A teams will be in action. The 14th ranked Northfield Raiders take on the Minnehaha Academy Redhawks with the winner facing the Bloomington Kennedy-Spring Lake Park winner and the 17th ranked St. Paul Academy Spartans facing the Hudson Raiders. Winner gets either Rogers or Mankato East. Is an All-Raider final possible?
Concluding the boys preview is the Open Division as the Pine City Dragons open the quarterfinals against the Simley Spartans. The Waconia Wildcats face off with the Cambridge-Isanti Bluejackets, followed by the Chisago Lakes Wildcats and the Marshall Tigers. Wrapping up the day's festivities is another Tiger team that will come down Highway 169 from Princeton. They will face the third team in this division that's nicknamed the Wildcats, University School of Milwaukee.
Championship games will be played on the 28th at Ridder Arena with consolation and third place games at the Schwan's Super Rink.
Next up; The girls tournament preview.
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