2022 Class A Girls Basketball Section Preview

 In the Class AA Preview, there were some sections already underway.  That's also true in Class A as the eight sections are previewed.  

Section 1 has the only unbeaten team in Minnesota, the top seeded Hayfield Vikings.  They are 29-0 and two wins away from their first trip to Minneapolis since 2008.  Looking to derail the Vikings title hopes are the second seeded Kingsland Knights and the third seeded Grand Meadow Superlarks.  

The Mayer Lutheran Crusaders are the top seed in the North Subsection of Section 2 and they will likely face a team from Sleepy Eye in the section final.  The South Subsection's top two seeds are the Sleepy Eye St. Mary's Saints and the Sleepy Eye Indians.  One team that could keep the Sleepy Eye teams from heading down Highway 14 to Mankato for the section final is the third seeded Nicollet Raiders.  

In Section 3, the defending Class A state champion Minneota Vikings are the top seed in the North Subsection but Chad Johnston's bunch has some serious competition out to end the Vikings title hopes in the South Subsection, the top seeded Tracy-Milroy-Balaton Panthers and the third seeded Southwest Minnesota Christian Eagles.  The Panthers are on a 17 game winning streak that includes a 50-46 win over Minneota February 10.  Could their be a rematch in the section final.  

Here's a school you likely haven't heard of.  United Christian Academy.  The Bloomington based school that's was formerly Bethany Academy is the top seed in Section 4 and finished the regular season with an eight game winning streak.  Can they continue their momentum against the second seeded New Life Academy Eagles and the third seeded Legacy Christian Lions?  

Section 5 looks like a wide open section with the Braham Bombers and the Ogilvie Lions the top two seeds in the East Subsection and the Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa Jaguars and the Browerville-Eagle Valley Tigers are the top two seeds in the West Subsection.  Who will win the title trophy?  Head to Fergus Falls March 11 to find out.  

Over in Section 6, the Underwood Rockets are the top seed in the North Subsection and are on a seven game winning streak.  They will have to contend with a couple of red hot teams in the South Subsection, the top seeded Hancock Owls and the second seeded Wheaton/Herman-Norcross Warriors.  The Owls beat the Warriors twice in the regular season and could make it three in a row to set up a section showdown with the Rockets.  

The top seed in Section 7 is once again the Mountain Iron-Buhl Rangers.  Head coach Jeff Buffeta could lead the Rangers to their 11th state tournament berth in 12 years.  Before Rangers fans can head down Highway 169 to The Barn, they have to see them get past the second seeded Cromwell-Wright Cardinals, the third seeded South Ridge Panthers and the fourth seeded Chisholm Bluestreaks.  It looks like a tough section and plenty of excitement for Iron Range girls basketball fans.  

The final section preview is Section 8 where the Cass Lake-Bena Panthers are the top seed in the East Subsection, losing to Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa and Mountain Iron-Buhl.  Who will come out of the West Subsection?  Will it be the top seeded Stephen-Argyle Storm, second seeded Badger/Greenbush-Middle River, third seeded Goodridge/Grygla and fourth seeded Warren-Alvarado-Oslo?  No matter how many towns are represented in the section final in Thief River Falls, there's plenty of exciting girls basketball coming up in the northwestern part of the state.  

Take your pick of any of the 32 sections around Minnesota.  It's a wonderful time of the year for Minnesota high school girls basketball.  

2022 Class AA Girls Basketball Section Preview

 Heading into the Class AA preview, there are several sections that are already underway so here's a preview as well as who is left in the eight Class AA sections.  

If you're looking to take a road trip to watch some exciting girls basketball section play, head to Rochester since there are six teams that could head up Highway 52 to Minneapolis.  Up first is the top seeded Goodhue Wildcats, followed by the second seeded Rochester Lourdes Eagles and the third seeded Winona Cotter Ramblers.  But wait, there's more.  There's also the fourth seeded Dover-Eyota Eagles, the fifth seeded Lake City Tigers and the sixth seeded Plainview-Elgin-Millville Bulldogs.  This could be the toughest section in all of Minnesota.  Who will come out on top?

In Section 2, the Glencoe-Silver Lake Panthers have the first round bye in the North subsection with the Norwood-Young America Raiders seeded second.  The South Subsection's top seed is Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial who enters section play on a four game winning streak and have won 13 out of their last 14 games.  

Section 3 looks like a six team race.  In the North Subsection the top seed is the Montevideo Thunder Hawks.  But look out for the second seeded New London-Spicer Wildcats and the third seeded Litchfield Dragons. The South subsections top seed, the Luverne Cardinals enters the tournament with a nine game winning streak.  They will have to get past the second seeded Fairmont Cardinals and the third seeded Minnesota Valley Lutheran Chargers.  Could the section final be the Battle of the Birds?  

The pairings are not released for Section 4 but it looks like the Minnehaha Academy Redhawks will be the top seed.  Another team in red and white is red hot and it's the St. Croix Lutheran Crusaders, winners of 14 straight games.  Don't count out the Minneapolis Roosevelt Teddies or the St. Croix Prep Lions.  

The top two seeds in Section 5 both have 22-4 records the Providence Academy Lions and the Holy Family Catholic Fire.  The Lions are led by one of the best young girl basketball players in Minnesota, eighth grader Maddyn Greenway.  Add the Counts sisters Maria and Grace and you get the nucleus of the team that finished second last year in Class AA.  As for the Holy Family Catholic Fire, they faced Providence Academy on February 15 and lost 57-43.  Could there be a rematch in the section final or will the third seeded Watertown-Mayer Royals and the fourth seeded Maranatha Christian Academy Mustangs pull a upset?  

Here comes another interesting section to watch, Section 6.  The top seed is the Albany Huskies, followed by the second seeded Sauk Centre Mainstreeters under the veteran leadership of Scott Bergman.  There's also the third seeded Foley Falcons.  Who will come out of this section?  

Heading North to Section 7, where the top seeded Pequot Lakes Patriots have won 20 straight games.  There will have to contend with the second seeded Esko Eskomos, the third seeded Pierz Pioneers and the fourth seeded Proctor Rails who have won seven in a row after a three game losing streak.  

Wrapping up the Class AA preview is Section 8 with the top seeded Fergus Falls Otters in a five team race to head down I-94 to The Barn.  Ther's also the second seeded Menagha Braves, the third seeded Perham Yellowjackets, the fourth seeded Hawley Nuggets and a perennial power the fifth seeded Roseau Rams.  Some great basketball coming up in northwestern Minnesota. 

Next up is the Class A preview.  

2022 Class AAA Girls Basketball Section Preview

 Following the preview of the eight Class AAAA sections is a preview of the eight Class AAA sections.  

In Section 1, the top seeded Austin Packers are three wins away from a return trip to Minneapolis.  But can the second seeded Stewartville Trojans earn their first state tournament trip.  

It could be The Battle of Highway 169 in Section 2 as the top seeded Mankato East Cougars and the second seeded Mankato West Scarlets are the top two seeds.  The third seeded Marshall Tigers enter section play with nine wins in their last ten games and the fourth seeded St. Peter Saints could lock up the two Key City teams.  

Good news for girls basketball fans in St. Paul.  the Como Park Cougars are the top seed in Section 3.  Led by 5"2" Ronnie Porter,  she could make history by being the shortest player in state tournament history.  But it won't be easy for the Cougars in this tough section with the second seeded DeLaSalle Islanders, the third seeded Simley Spartans and the fourth seeded Visitation Blazers all in contention.  

Another tough section is Section 4 with the top three seeds the Totino-Grace Eagles, the Mahtomedi Zephyrs and the Hill-Murray Pioneers.  

The defending Class AAA champion Becker Bulldogs are the top seed in Section 5 and have won 15 straight games.  They have not lost since January 4 when they lost 74-64 to the Willmar Cardinals.  Before Dan Baird's bunch heads down Highway 10 to The Barn, they have to get past the second seeded Chisago Lakes Wildcats.  

Section 6 has the makings of another tough section with the Holy Angels Stars the top seed.  But look out for the second seeded Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights, led by sophomore sensation Olivia Olson, the third seeded Orono Spartans and the fourth seeded Hutchinson Tigers.  Who will come out of this section?  It's a difficult answer.  

There are only two teams with winning records in Section 7.  They are the top seeded Grand Rapids Thunderhawks and the second seeded Cloquet Lumberjacks.  The two teams played each other twice in the regular season with Grand Rapids sweeping the series.  Is a third meeting possible for a state tournament berth?  

There could be a lot of red and white in the Section 8 final as the Willmar and Alexandria Cardinals are the only two teams with winning records.  

Who' left in Class AA?  That's coming up.  

2022 Class AAAA Girls Basketball Section Preview

As boys hockey enters section final action, section play gets underway in Minnesota high school girls basketball.  Here's a preview of the eight Class AAAA sections.

All roads lead to Rochester in Section 1.  The city's Mayo Civic Auditorium is the site for the finals and two Rochester schools are among the top three seeds with the Rochester John Marshall Rockets the top seed and Mayo the third.  Sandwiched between the two schools is the second seeded Lakeville North Panthers.  Will fans in Med City get to celebrate or will Lakeville North take home the gold medals?

The defending state Class AAAA champion Chaska Hawks are the top seed in Section 2 but Hawks fans who look forward to seeing Mallory Heyer and her supporting cast at The Barn should hold off on making their hotel reservations because there's plenty of great competition in the section.  The second seeded Eden Prairie Eagles, the third seeded Minnetonka Skippers, the fourth seeded Shakopee Sabers and the fifth seeded Chanhassen Storm could end Chaska's state title reign.  Take your pick and get ready for some great high school basketball.  

Rosemount Irish fans eyes are smiling since their team is the top seed in Section 3.  Their smiles could even broader if they can beat the second seeded Eagan Wildcats for the third time this season in the section final.  

In Section 4, the Stillwater Ponies have a great chance of returning down Highway 36 to Minneapolis.  But they have to contend with the hot East Ridge Raptors who enter section play on a six game winning streak and the White Bear Lake Bears.  

Crimson fans can get ready for another trip down I-94 because Maple Grove is the top seed in Section 5.  The Crimson has not lost a game since December 21 when they lost 65-55 to the St. Michael-Albertville Knights.  Can they extend their streak to 21 if they can beat the second seeded Roseville Raiders in the section final?  

The most dominant team in Minnesota is the top seed in Section 6, the Hopkins Royals.  Their only loss was to a school from the Washington DC area, Sidwell Friends.  They're led by Amaya Battle, Maya Nnjai and Taylor Woodson and are the heavy favorites to head to Williams Arena.  But can the second seeded Wayzata Trojans, led by future Gopher Mara Braun, pull off the upset?  

There's no clear favorite in Section 7 as the top seeded Centennial Cougars, the second seeded Blaine Bengals and the third seeded Andover Huskies could earn a state tournament berth.  Don't count out the fourth seeded Cambridge-Isanti Bluejackets.  

Over in Section 8, the St.Michael-Albertville Knights are the top seed.  But looking to tarnish the Knights armor is the second seeded Roger Royals who have not lost since December 14.  Also in the hunt is the third seeded Brainerd Warriors.  

Next up, the eight Class AAA sections.  

Kennedy and Cooper Leaving Metro West Conference for Tri-Metro

 When the 2022-23 high school sports season begins in late August, the Metro West Conference will be minus two schools.  

That's because Bloomington Kennedy and Cooper will leave the Metro West to join the Tri-Metro Conference.  The conference will expand to nine teams with Brooklyn Center departing for the Skyline Conference.  

According to Kennedy activities director Jon Anderson in the February 23 Sun Current "We're excited to play new teams, see some different schools, play in some different locations. "

The change was made due to a change in demographics and enrollment size.  

It will be a shorter commute for Kennedy, since they will join Richfield and Holy Angels in the Tri-Metro.  

As for Kennedy and Cooper's city rivals, there will be no conference change.  Jefferson will remain in the Metro West and Armstrong, based in Plymouth will stay in the Northwest Suburban.  

2022 Class AA Boys Hockey Section Preview

 After previewing the eight Class A sections, here's a preview of the eight Class AA sections.  

There's good news for hockey fans in Lakeville as the Lakeville South Cougars and the Lakeville North Panthers are the top two seeds in Section 1.  The Cougars enter section play with 13 straight wins.  But looking to end hopes of an All Lakeville Final are the third seeded Hastings Raiders and the fourth seeded Rochester Mayo Spartans.  This could be an interesting section to watch.  

The top seed in Section 2 is the defending state Class AA champion Eden Prairie Eagles.  It will be tough for the Eagles to repeat since their Lake Conference rivals, the second seeded Minnetonka Skippers split their season series.  But wait a minute, there's another contender that's red hot, the third seeded Chaska Hawks.  The Hawks have won 12 straight games and are three wins away from their first trip to the X.  Will there be a third Eagles-Skippers battle or will the Hawks get a rematch with Eden Prairie after they lost 4-1 in the Prior Lake Invitational December 28?  

Heading to Section 3 as one of the top Class AA teams is the top seed the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders.  The Raiders have one 15 straight games and two of their three losses were to the second seeded St. Thomas Academy Cadets.  Is a third meeting possible in the section final?  

The perennial powerhouse, the Hill-Murray Pioneers are the top seed in Section 4.  It won't be easy for the Pioneers to head to state for the 32nd time since they have competition from the second seeded Stillwater Ponies, the third seeded White Bear Lake Bears and the fourth seeded and defending Class A champion Gentry Academy Stars.  Plenty of exciting action in the east metro.  

Over in Section 5, the top seeded Rogers Royals are three wins away from heading down I-94 to St. Paul.  But look out for the second seeded Maple Grove Crimson and the third seeded Centennial Cougars.  The Royals beat both the Crimson and the Cougars in regular season play.  Will this be the year for Rogers to win the section title?  

Now comes the toughest section to forecast and it's Section 6.  It's a five team race for a state tournament berth as the top seeded Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights contend with the second seeded Edina Hornets, the third seeded Wayzata Trojans, the fourth seeded Holy Angels Stars and the fifth seeded Blake Bears.  Where are the St. Louis Park Orioles?  They are the sixth seed and face Wayzata in the quarterfinals.  Who will emerge with the title trophy?  It's a tough question to give a logical answer.  

It's been an outstanding year for hockey in Andover.  First, the unbeaten girls team is the top seed and favorite to win the Class AA state title, now the boys team is the number one seed in Section 7.  Also in contention are the second seeded Grand Rapids Thunderhawks and the third seed Blaine Bengals, who the Huskies beat twice in the regular season.  It could be a three team race for the title trophy.  

Wrapping up the preview is Section 8 as the top seeded Moorhead Spuds are in the hunt for their 19th trip to the X and a chance to finally bring home a championship trophy.  But looking to prevent them from making the five hour trip down I-94 is the second seeded Roseau Rams, who split the season series with the Spuds and are three wins away from their 35th state tournament berth.  As for third seeded Elk River/Zimmerman, they have won seven of their last eight games.  Another three team race for a section title.  

Let the races for a state tournament berth begin.  There's plenty of drama and excitement coming up.  

2022 Class A Boys Hockey Section Preview

 While the state girls hockey tournament takes place in downtown St. Paul, there's plenty of excitement for boys hockey fans as section play gets underway.  First up is a preview of the eight Class A sections.  

It's been a good year for hockey in the home of Carleton and St. Olaf Colleges.  First the Northfield girls hockey team opens Class A tournament play against the Orono Spartans now the boys team is the top seed in Section 1.  The Raiders have won 14 of their last 15 games and have to contend with the second seeded Rochester Lourdes Eagles and the third seeded Albert Lea Tigers.  Can the maroon and gold win the gold medals for a second trip to the X in a two week period.  

Heading into Section 2 where top seeded Minneapolis could earn their first state tournament berth by a city public school since Edison in 1994.  But like the early 1970s hit from Ringo Starr, it don't come easy since the second seeded Delano Tigers, the third seeded Orono Spartans and the fourth seeded Providence Academy Lions could extend the drought.  

The New Ulm Eagles are the top seed in Section 3 entering section play with seven wins in their last eight games.  But could second seeded Mankato East/Loyola continue their even number pattern of state tournament appearances?  

It could be a three team race in Section 4 with the top seeded Mahtomedi Zephyrs looking for their fifth trip to the X in six years.  But looking to keep the Zephyr fan buses in the garage are the second seeded Simley Spartans and the third seeded Chisago Lakes Wildcats.  This could be an interesting section to watch.  

In Section 5, the top seeded Little Falls Flyers got off to a 15-0 start before going 5-4-1 heading into sections.  Can the Flyers make their second straight trip down Highway 10?  First they have to get past the second seeded Cambridge-Isanti Bluejackets.  

The top seed in Section 6 is the Alexandria Cardinals, followed by the second seeded Fergus Falls Otters.  On February 15, the Cardinals shutout the Otters 3-0.  Could their be a rematch in the section final?  

Yes sir folks, the Hermantown Hawks are the top seed in Section 7 and in the hunt for their 18th trip down I-35 to St. Paul.  Their only losses this season were to the Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders and the Maple Grove Crimson.  But they will have to get past the second seeded Duluth Denfeld Hunters and third seeded Rock Ridge.  

Concluding the Class A preview is Section 8 with the Warroad Warriors the top seed.  The Warriors lost in overtime to Hermantown in the regular season.  To get a possible rematch, they will have to contend with the second seeded Thief River Falls Prowlers and the third seeded Detroit Lakes Lakers who have not been to state since 1996.  

Next up, the eight Class AA sections.  

2022 Class AA State Girls Hockey Tournament Preview

 2022 MINNESOTA STATE HIGH SCHOOL CLASS AA GIRLS HOCKEY TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

                          (Games played Thursday, February 24 at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul)

11:00:  Northfield vs. Edina (Seed 2)

 1:00:  Burnsville vs. Minnetonka (Seed 3)

 6:00:  Brainerd/Little Falls vs. Andover (Seed 1)

 8:00:  Gentry Academy (Seed 5) vs. Maple Grove (Seed 4)

Examining the field:  It's the Class AA schools turn in the Xcel Energy Center spotlight as the Northfield Raiders battle the defending Class AA state champion Edina Hornets.  The Raiders head up Highway 3 to St. Paul for the fourth time and their first since 2017.  They pulled off the upset in the Section 1 final with a 2-1 overtime victory over the top seeded Lakeville South Cougars.  Northfield will face another powerhouse in the Edina Hornets who are back at the X for the eighth straight year and 12th overall.  Their only two losses were to their Lake Conference rival the Minnetonka Skippers and the Andover Huskies.  Will their be plenty of green clad fans occupying the arena's green seats on Championship Saturday?  

The final game of the afternoon session pits the Burnsville Blaze and the third seeded Minnetonka Skippers, both in their eighth trip to state.  The Blaze are blazing hot as they enter the state tournament with 18 wins in their last 19 games.  They have outscored their three section opponents 17-3.  But can they hold off the Skippers, who extinguished the Holy Family Catholic Fire's first state tournament berth with a 3-2 overtime win in the Section 2 championship.  This should be a great match up to close out the first Class AA tournament session.  

Now to the evening session as the Brainerd/Little Falls Flying Warriors return to St. Paul for the first time since they came up short against Edina in the 2019 Class AA final.  Unfortunately, they tournament draw wasn't good for fans in the Brainerd Lakes Area as they will have to contend with the top seeded and unbeaten Andover Huskies.  The Huskies, who lost to Edina in last year's Class AA final beat them on Hockey Day Minnesota 4-0.  It was one of nine wins against teams in this year's state tournament.  Could their be a Huskies-Hornets rematch in the Class AA final?  

The Class AA quarterfinals concluded with the fifth seeded Gentry Academy Stars battling the fourth seeded Maple Grove Crimson.  Last season, Gentry Academy lost to Proctor/Hermantown in the Class A final in double overtime.  This year, the Stars moved up to Class AA and proved themselves that they belong with the big schools with a 4-3 double overtime win over the Hill-Murray Pioneers in the Section 4 final.  The Crimson make their fourth trip down I-94 to the X and have won 10 of their last 11 games, losing 3-2 in their regular season finale to Hill-Murray.  An interesting match up to end the evening session.  

Get ready for four exciting days of girls high school hockey.  

2022 Class A State Girls Hockey Tournament Preview

              2022 MINNESOTA STATE CLASS A GIRLS HOCKEY TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

                          (Games played Wednesday, February 22 at Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul)

11:00:  Mankato East vs. Orono (Seed 2)

 1:00:  Albert Lea vs. Proctor/Hermantown (Seed 3)

 6:00:  River Lakes Stars vs. Warroad (Seed 1)

 8:00:  Luverne (Seed 5) vs. South St. Paul (Seed 4)

Examining the field:  The 2022 edition of the Minnesota State High School Girls Hockey Tournament gets underway with the Mankato East Cougars in their third trip to St. Paul facing the second seeded Orono Spartans, who are in their first state tournament.  The Cougars, the first Big Nine Conference team in the tournament is on a seven game winning streak.  They have not lost a game since January 18 when they lost 5-2 to the Owatonna Huskies.  It will be their first game against a team from the Twin Cities as they face the Orono Spartans, coming out of a tough Section 5 in their first trip down I-394 to the X.  The Spartans beat the Holy Angels Stars 5-4 in the section final.  They have won 13 out of their last 14 games with their only loss to the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights.  Can they head back to the west metro with a trophy?  

Wrapping up the afternoon session is another first time team, the Albert Lea Tigers.  Coming out of the state's smallest section, Section 1, the Tigers, the second Big Nine Conference school in the tournament has a tough task ahead in the defending state Class A champion Proctor/Hermantown Mirage.  The Mirage have played a brutal non conference schedule that included several state tournament team.  Three of their losses were to Warroad, Edina and Andover.  They did play Orono on November 19 and lost to the Spartans 6-3.  Could a rematch be possible in the semifinals?  

Opening up the evening session is another first time team, the River Lakes Stars.  The Paynesville based team had to wait a day for the Section 6 final in Fergus Falls due to a snowstorm and it paid off as the Stars beat the host Otters 3-1.  They will have a rough road in their path in the top seeded and top ranked team for most of the season, the Warroad Warriors.  The Warriors, in their 13th state tournament have won seven straight games since they lost to the top ranked and top seeded team in Class AA the Andover Huskies.  Last time Warroad won the state Class A title was 2011.  Could they end the 11 year drought?  

Concluding Quarterfinal Wednesday is the fifth seeded Luverne Cardinals and the fourth seeded South St. Paul Packers.  The Cardinals earned their fourth trip to St. Paul on Reagan Bjork's goal in double overtime to beat the New Ulm Eagles in the Section 3 final.  Once again veteran Packer head coach Dave Palmquist has a team in the state tournament.  South St. Paul, the number two seed in Section 4 beat the Chisago Lakes Wildcats to earn their 16th state tournament berth.  If you're looking for one game to attend on Wednesday, this is the one to watch.  Can the Cardinals become the first Section 3 team to advance to the semifinals or will the Packers be on their quest for their first state title since 2006?  

Next up, the Class AA preview

A Royal Shutout Ends SLP Orioles Regular Season

 The 2021-22 regular season came to a close for the St. Louis Park Orioles Thursday night as Mason Pelke scored two goals and picked up one assist to lead the Woodbury Royals to a 6-0 shutout over the Orioles at The Rec Center.  

The Royals made the most of their trip from the East Metro with two first period goals.  Mac Gordon passed to Pelke on the left side and he fired the puck over the goal line.  They would go up by two when Chris Fotopoulos' shot was saved by Josh Middleton and the senior tapped in the rebound as the net went off its moorings.  

Woodbury would conclude the scoring with four second period goals.  Nicholar Bradley rebounded Pelke's shot to put the Royals ahead by three.  Then came Dylan Hoschka's shot from the right corner that went past Middleton and into the net.  Woodbury would also tally while shorthanded.  Max Belak was serving a minor hooking penalty and RJ Altman scored an unassisted goal.  But as time was running out in the period.  Pelke would score from the left side with a half second to go.  The Roayls had a five on three advantage for 1:18 in the third period but they couldn't extend their lead.  '

Woodbury improved their record to 13-11 and ends the regular season on Saturday, February 19 at 7 PM against the Mahtomedi Zephyrs at the St Croix Valley Rec Center in Stillwater.  St. Louis Park concluded the regular season with a record of 11-13-1.  They will begin Section 6AA tournament play on Thursday, February 24.  

Obscure Chuck Barris Game Show Turns Up in Hit Movie

 If you seen the movie Licorice Pizza, which is set in 1973, in the background is a show that was one of many produced by Chuck Barris that's wasn't one of his biggest hits The Parent Game.  

The show debuted in prime access syndication in the fall of 1972 and was hosted by Los Angeles radio personality Clark Race.  In the Twin Cities, WCCO-TV aired the show on Tuesday nights at 6:30, opposite KSTP's access entry The Nighttime Price is Right, hosted by Dennis James.  

As for the game itself, it was very similar to Barris' hit show The Newlywed Game.  Instead of four couples competing, there were three.  The object was to match answers to parenting situations that were given by psychologist Dorothy Thompson who never appeared in the studio.  

The scoring system was different.  In the first round, each correct match was five points.  The second round was 10 and the third round 15.  The fourth and final round had a 30 point bonus question where both couples had to agree on Thompson's answer.  Highest scoring couple won the game and a grand prize.  If the score was tied, The Newlywed Game tiebreaker would come into play where the couple who came close to their predicted final score without going over would be the winner.  

Despite being widely syndicated in 125 markets, The Parent Game was not a success and ended production after one season.  The show would be revived in 1986 on The Family Channel (now Freeform) with a new title Wait Till You Have Kids that was produced by Jay Wolpert and hosted by Tom Parks.  But this incarnation would last only 16 weeks.  

The Parent Game would be the only national game show Race would host.  He did host a brief revival of You Don't Say on KTLA in Los Angeles from April to June of 1975.  Original host Tom Kennedy would be a regular panelist and would later return to the emcee's role later in the run and when ABC picked up the revival in July.  

Race would leave broadcasting in 1986 and move with his wife Diane to Pittsburgh, the city where he became a top rated DJ in the 1960s and hosted KDKA-TV's Dance Party.  Sadly, years of smoking caught up to Race and he passed away on July 27, 1999 from throat cancer at the age of 66.  

If you haven't seen Licorice Pizza, check out this Oscar nominated movie and you'll notice not only The Parent Game but also the show that it was derived from, The Newlywed Game.  

2022 Class AA Girls Hockey Section Preview

 Following a preview of the eight Class A section will be the eight Class AA sections.  

The top seed in Section 1 is the Lakeville South Cougars.  Coming off an opening loss to their section rivals the Northfield Raiders,  the Cougars only other defeat was to Burnsville 3-1 on January 22.  Can they get a rematch with Northfield or will they battle the Owatonna Huskies for a trip up I-35 to St. Paul?  

Heading into Section 2 where the top seeded Minnetonka Skippers, a powerhouse in the 2010s have a shot at another state tournament berth.  But there's a new contender that could capsize the Skipper's chances of returning to St. Paul, the second seeded Holy Family Catholic Fire.  The Victoria based school lost four games in the regular season, two of them to the defending Class AA champion Edina Hornets.  Can the Fire stay on fire and head to Edina February 18 for a possible showdown with the Skippers.  

It could be a three team race in Section 3 with the Burnsville Blaze, Cretin-Derham Hall Raiders and the Rosemount Irish battling for a state tournament berth.  The Blaze split the season series with the Irish, both games decided by a one goal margin.  Will a third meeting take place to decide the section title or will Cretin-Derham Hall raid the Irish?  

Last year's Class A runner up Gentry Academy moved up to Class AA and made Section 4 even tougher.  It will be a four team race with the second seeded Hill-Murray Pioneer, the third seeded Stillwater Ponies and the fourth seeded Roseville Raiders.  Gentry Academy enters section play on a seven game winning streak.  Who will emerge with the championship trophy?  It's a tough section to pick.  

The pairing have not yet been determined for Section 5 but it's likely to be a three team race between three Northwest Suburban Conference teams, the Maple Grove Crimson, the Rogers Royals and the Centennial Cougars.  The Royals enter section play on an eight game winning streak and look to earn their first trip to the X.  Another tough section in the Twin Cities.  

Last year's Class AA champion the Edina Hornets are the top seed in Section 6 and haven't missed a beat despite losses to the Minnetonka Skippers and the Andover Huskies.  But before Sami Reber's bunch can board the team bus to St. Paul, they have to contend with the second seeded Wayzata Trojans and the red hot like their team color the Benilde-St.Margaret's Red Knights.  The Red Knights have won 12 straight games and have not lost since they were beaten by Holy Family Catholic January 4 5-4.  Will the Hornets head back to the X or will the Red Knights remain red hot?  

Over in Section 7, the top ranked and unbeaten Andover Huskies have been the dominant Class AA team this season.  In a rematch of the Class AA on Hockey Day Minnesota, viewers on Bally Sports North got to see how good the Huskies are as they stung the Edina Hornets 4-0. They are an overwhelming favorite to defend their section title if they can get past Grand Rapids/Greenway.  

Nothing officially posted for Section 8 but the team to watch is the Moorhead Spuds, who enter section play winning four straight games.  But look out for the Alexandria Cardinals and Brainerd/Little Falls.  

There's plenty of exciting girls hockey section action coming up as the Road to St. Paul begins.  

2022 Class A Girls Hockey Section Preview

 As the regular season in Minnesota girls high school hockey has come to an end,  The Road to St. Paul and the state tournament begins.  First up, a preview of the eight Class A sections.  

Starting out small is Section 1, with only four teams.  The top two seeds are Albert Lea and Austin.  Get ready for an I-90 showdown in the section finals.  

The top seed in Section 2 is the Mankato East/Loyola Cougars.  They are on a five game winning streak and the only section team with a winning record.  But look out for second seeded Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato and third seeded Minnesota River.  

It will be a two team race in Section 3 between the top seeded New Ulm Eagles and the second seeded Luverne Cardinals.  Both enter section play with identical 21-3 records.  New Ulm is on a roll, winning their last seven games.  They beat Luverne twice in the regular season 7-3 and 6-0.  Is a third meeting possible in the section finals.  

Could there be a changing of the guard in Section 4?  That's right.  There's a new number one seed and it's not the South St. Paul Packers.  And the new top seed in Section 4 is the Simley Spartans.  The Packers are the second seed.  They were the last team to beat the Spartans 2-1 on December 23.  Could a rematch be possible in the section final?  

Section 5 looks like a three team race with the top seeded Orono Spartans, the second seeded Mound-Westonka Whitehawks and the third seeded Holy Angels Stars.  The Spartans enter section play winning 11 of their last 12 games.  The Whitehawks are on a three game winning streak following losses to Simley and Holy Family Catholic.  But look out for Holy Angels\.  The Stars are on a five game winning streak and have lost twice to Orono in the regular season.  Who will come out of this section?  Find out in the section finals.  

The pairings have not been released for Section 6 but it looks like the Fergus Falls Otters will be the top seed.  The Otters have won six of their last seven games.  Also in the hunt is the Willmar Cardinals.  

Heading north to Section 7 where the defending Class A champion Proctor/Hermantown Mirage is the top seed.  Mirage fans, before you start making your hotel reservations in downtown St. Paul, there's tough competition coming your way in the second seeded Duluth Marshall Hilltoppers and the third seeded Cloquet-Esko-Carlton Lumberjacks who are on an 11 game winning streak.  The Mirage has played a tough nonconference schedule this season with losses to Edina, Andover and Eden Prairie.  Their only loss to an outstate team was 1-0 against Warroad November 13.  Which team will make the trip down I-35 to St. Paul?  It's a tough northern section to watch.  

Wrapping up the Class A preview is Section 8 with the Warroad Warriors without a doubt the top seed.  If you read the girls hockey rankings in your local paper or online, you've noticed that the Warriors have been the dominant team in Class A this season.  Two of their three losses were to the top ranked Class AA team the Andover Huskies.  Can they get by the Crookston Pirates en route to another trip to the X?  

Next up, the eight Class AA sections.  

Shutout Again...Naturally

 Saturday was Senior Day for the Sr. Louis Park Orioles but for the second straight game their portion of the Rec Center scoreboard didn't budge from zero as the Chaska Hawks shut out the Orioles 7-0.  

The Hawks would tally twice in the first period.  Their first goal came from Jack Seaverson on a shot from the center slot.  They would go up by two on Luke Iverson's left side goal.  

Chaska added two more goals in the second period as they were on a 7:00 power play due to a five minute major penalty for boarding and a two minute minor penalty for tripping to Ben Olson.  The Hawks, utilizing outstanding passing did well in setting up two power play goals.  The first came from Timmy Leroy and the second from Bennet Jax.  

Heading into the third period, once again a lengthy penalty would hurt St. Louis Park when Stanley Regguinti was called for a double minor for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct.  Chaska would have a four on three advantage for :45 after Ben Farley went off for tripping and it was advantageous as Zach Seltun scored the Hawks third power play goal.  They would add two more goals with Matthew Magnuson and Tanner Bruender tallying.  

Prior to the start of the game, Regguinti and Olson were among the seven seniors recognized.  The other five were Farley, Michael Hoikka, Robert Perelman, Jacob Favour and Carson Viets.  

Chaska improved their record to 15-5 and returns to action on Tuesday, February 8 at 7 PM against the Bloomington Jefferson Jaguars at the Bloomington Ice Garden.  St. Louis Park, outscored 12-0 in their last two games will head down Highway 5 to the Victoria Recreation Center on the 8th to face the Chanhassen Storm at 7 PM.  

Chanhassen Storm Shuts Out SLP Orioles

 A balanced scoring attack that included five different goal scorers and two assists apiece from Drew Jensen and Evan Miller helped the Chanhassen Storm shutout the St. Louis Park Orioles 5-0 Friday night at The Rec Center.  

The game was rescheduled from January 8 due to COVID-19 issues in the Chanhassen program.  

In the first period, the Storm had a five on three advantage for 1:27 and it would pay dividends as Tyler Smith got the power play goal.  

Chanhassen added a goal to their ledger in the second period on Col Miller's shot from the left corner that would go past St. Louis Park goalie Josh Middleton.  

Lightning would strike for the Storm in third period when they put the game away with three goals.  The first came from Owen Buesgens' shot from the right corner.  Then Caden Lee would tally to give Chanhassen a four goal lead.  It wouldn't be long before the Storm wrapped up the scoring as Nick Patka's shot clanked off the post and barely crossed the goal line.  

St. Louis Park was minus defenseman Mason Amelse who is out for the season with a broken collarbone that occurred when he was head checked on February 2 against Orono.  

The Storm improved their record to 15-4-1 and will host their Carver County rival the Waconia Wildcats on Saturday, February 5 at 7 PM at the Victoria Recreation Center.  The Orioles fell to 9-10-1 and wrap up their three game home stand on the 5th, hosting the Chaska Hawks at 2 PM at The Rec Center.  

SLP Orioles Oust Orono Spartans in Overtime

 The St. Louis Park Orioles took advantage of a five minute power play in overtime and got the game winning goal from Stanley Regguinti with 3:26 remaining to lead them to a 4-3 win over the Orono Spartans Wednesday night at The Rec Center.  

The Spartans would score the only first period goal as Bradley Walker received a pass from Brody Finnegan and went through the center slot and shot the puck into the middle of the net.  

In the second period, the Orioles would tie the game on Henry Schrader's first goal of the season.  Orono would vault into the lead with two consecutive goals.  The first came when Easton Sankey went to the right of St. Louis Park goalie Josh Middleton and sank the puck over the goal line.  Walker would score his second goal of the game as he went along the left corner boards and sent it to the net.  

There would be good news for Orioles fans as St. Louis Park would come back to tie the game with a pair of goals.  Griffin Krone fed Mason Amelse and the junior displayed outstanding stick handling as he went along the left boards, cut to the center slot and found an opening to the right of Orono goalie Brock Peyton to score the goal.  Unfortunately, Amelse had to leave the game due to an injury cause by a major head contact penalty on Walker for five minutes.  The Orioles would capitalize on the power play as head coach Matt Penner for a sixth attacker and they would tie the game on Ben Farley's rebound goal with :23.5 left in regulation time.  The game would head into overtime.  

Still on the power play in overtime, St. Louis Park would complete the comeback as Regguinti. positioned on the edge of the crease would put the puck past Peyton with 3:26 left for the win.  

The Orioles improved their record to 9-9-1 and return to action on Friday, February 4 against the Chanhassen Storm at 7 PM at The Rec Center.  The Spartans fell to 10-10-1 and will head back to The Rec Center on Tuesday, February 8 ro face the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights at 7 PM.