2018 Schwan Cup Preview

Oh there's no place like the rink after the holidays as the 2018 Schwan Cup High School Hockey Tournament takes place December 26-January 1 at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine and Ridder Arena on the University of Minnesota campus.  Here's a preview of the five girls and four boys varsity divisions.

Ridder Arena will be the site for the Gold Division that features several outstanding teams.  Opening up quarterfinal play on december 26 will be the Mahtomedi Zephyrs and St. Paul United.  The Zephyrs, ranked eighth in Class A played SPU on November 21 and shut out the team comprised of students from St. Paul Academy and Visitation 5-0.  It's been a down year so far for SPU as last year's Class A consolation has a record of 3-6-2.  Can they pull off the upset?

Next up the Rogers Royals take on the eighth ranked team in Class AA the Andover Huskies.  The Royals enter tournament play with a 7-3-2 record.  It's been an outstanding hockey season so far in the growing metropolis of Andover.  The boys are ranked second in Class AA and the girls are off to a solid 10-2 start.  It could be an outstanding match up.

Also having an outstanding season is the Blake Bears.  The second ranked team in Class AA has not lost a game since they lost to their Section 6AA rival the Edina Hornets on November 13.  The Bears will battle the Holy Family Catholic Fire who is on a three game unbeaten streak.

Wrapping up the Gold Division quarterfinals is the third ranked team in Class A, the Proctor-Hermantown Mirage and last year's Class AA runner up the Centennial Cougars.  The Cougars have struggled since losing Gabby Hughes and Anneke Linser to graduation and head coach Kristi King left ot be an assistant coach with the University of St. Thomas women's hockey team.

The other four divisions will be playing at the Schwan's Super Rink in Blaine.  In the Silver Division, could there be an All Duluth final as the Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers and the Duluth Northern Stars are entered in the field.  There's also Spring Lake Park, Buffalo, Delano, Cambridge-Isanti-Mora-Pine City. Bloomington Jefferson and Rochester Lourdes.  The Bronze Division has the Red Wing Wingers, a perennial Class A power that has gone 4-5 since a 0-4 start.  There are also two Open Division brackets.  The American division has three Wisconsin teams.  They are Green Bay Area, University School of Milwaukee and the Cap City Cougars from Madison.  It's all outstate teams in the American Division that features the "Battle of the Cardinals" in the quarterfinals as Fairmont faces Luverne.

Now to the boys.  Where have all the top teams in the Gold Division gone?  Down to only four.  It will be a round robin event featuring the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders, the Hill-Murray Pioneers, the Burnsville Blaze and the Centennial Cougars.  The only ranked team in the division is Hill-Murray, ranked 10th in Class AA.

A perennial Class A power is in the Silver Division, the Breck Mustangs.  The Mustangs are off to a slow 3-5 start as they face the Hudson Raiders in the quarterfinals.  The St. Louis Park Orioles are also entered as they will take on the Minneapolis Novas in their quarterfinal game.

Two teams that play their home games at the Super Rink could meet in the Bronze Division semifinals.  The Totino-Grace Eagles open up quarterfinal play against the Minnehaha Academy Redhawks and the Mounds View Mustangs battle the Holy Angels Stars.  The lower bracket has the St. Paul Academy Spartans and the Spring Lake Park Panthers followed by the Rogers Royals and the University School of Milwaukee.

In the Open Division (which the author of this blog will be at the Public address mike for the December 29 quarterfinals), There could be a lot of orange and black in Rink 2 as the Princeton and Marshall Tigers open the day's festivities.  The second game will be a Metro East Conference battle featuring the Simley Spartans and the Henry Sibley Warriors.  Looking at the lower bracket, the Pine City Area Dragons take on the Southwest Christina/Richfield Stars and the Bloomington Kennedy Eagles conclude the day against the Chisago Lakes Wildcats.

Girls division finals take place at Ridder Arena Wednesday, December 28 and the boys finals Tuesday, January 1, also at Ridder.  Plenty of hockey action coming up.  Hopefully, the weather picture won't be a winter storm.