SLP Orioles Begin 2017 With Three Home Games

After closing 2016 with three straight wins in the Duluth Tournament, the St. Louis Park Orioles boys hockey team begins 2017 with three of five consecutive home games.

The Orioles beat Apple Valley, Owatonna and Duluth Denfeld to improve their record to 6-3.  Two of their three losses were to Lake Conference schools Edina and Wayzata.  They will play their third game against a Lake school on Tuesday, January 3 against the Hopkins Royals.  The royals are off to a slow start with a 3-9 record, two of their three wins coming in last week's South St. Paul tournament.  Hopkins has had a tough time putting the puck in the net, scoring only 19 goals in its first 12 games.

On Thursday, January 5, the Orioles will host the Holy Angels Stars, who lost two of three games last week in the Schwan Cup to Blake and Hudson, WI.  It will be a good tuneup for the Stars since they play four of their next five games against perennial powers Edina, Wayzata, Duluth Marshall and Breck.  They will also play Minneapolis on January 19.  It should be an interesting match up with St. Louis Park.

Wrapping up the week is the Orioles second game this season against a Big Nine Conference school, the Mankato East Cougars.  The Orioles began their regular season by demolishing the Rochester Mayo Spartans 10-0.  The Cougars have a pair of road games this week before they head up Highway 169 to The Rec Center.  They will play at Luverne on the 3rd and head to LeSueur on the 5th.  Five of Mankato East's first 11 games have gone into overtime and the Cougars have a record of 3-1-1 in those contests.  The tie came in the Schwan Cup consolation final against the Princeton Tigers because the Minnesota State High School League doesn't recognize shootouts that is used to decide a winner.

The key to these upcoming games is the continued outstanding play of Bauer Neudecker.  He goes into the new year with 20 goals this season.  The only other Oriole who has scored 10 goals is Johnny Sorenson.  Can the Orioles continue their momentum from the Twin Ports?  Head over to The Rec Center and check out a team that is on the rise in St. Louis Park.