The week between Christmas and New Year’s Day will feature our annual high school sports buffet. Here’s a list of 10 events that prep sports fans should consider. Some are held in the Twin Cities, while others are held further afield. Some are tournaments, some have great teams, and some are single games.
Women’s Hockey: Walser Invitational, Dec. 26-28, Bremer Arena.
This tournament bracket always includes the top teams in the state. All eight of this year’s teams (Holy Family, Stillwater, Minnetonka, Moorhead, Maple Grove, Andover, Grand Rapids and Edina) are ranked in Let’s Play Hockey’s top 20, including five in the top 10. I am. He has won the past two Walser Invitational Championships and last year. Northwest Suburban Conference rivals Maple Grove and Andover will meet in the tournament quarterfinals.
Men’s Hockey: Premier Holiday Classic in the Grove, Dec. 27-29, Maple Grove Community Center
The schedule features three games each day starting at 2:30 p.m. and features nine Class 2A teams, including six teams ranked in Let’s Play Hockey’s top 20. In the first nightcap, No. 8 Maple Grove will play No. 3 Chanhassen. The next night, the Crimson will play No. 9 Rosemount. Maple Grove dropped its first two games this season against Edina and Wayzata, but is currently on a five-game winning streak with three shutouts. Seniors Lucas Busch and Andrew Kercock and junior Brady Aubut share the team lead with five goals each.
Men’s Hockey: Premier Holiday Classic at PIC, Dec. 27-29, Plymouth Ice Center
The schedule for the Holiday Classic in Plymouth includes the top two teams in the state rankings, as well as the top 10 teams. No. 1 Minnetonka and No. 2 Wayzata will face off on Dec. 29 at 2:45 p.m. Undefeated record? Rogers and 16th-ranked Lakeville South, previously ranked No. 3 but now down to No. 6, will also face all three opponents in the four-team event. The Skippers have been dominant this season, outscoring their opponents 37-5 through six games.
Women’s Hockey: Midwinter Meltdown, Dec. 27-29, Eden Prairie Community Center
In the other eight-team women’s competition, top-ranked Hill-Murray will face No. 10 Lakeville North in the quarterfinals on Dec. 27 at 3:30 p.m. The Pioneers, along with senior Grace, are holding the Pioneers to less than one point per game. Zahn will find the net, while senior Chloe Boreen and freshman Emily Paul will lead the attack. Six of Lakeville North’s first nine wins this season were shutouts.
Women’s Hockey: Crookston vs. Warroad, Dec. 28, 1 p.m.
Crookston has already shut out Section 8 rival and defending Class 1A champion Warroad 2-0 this season. Crookston, ranked No. 8 in Class 1A, is a high-scoring team, with more than a dozen players scoring goals. Warlord ranks third in 1A. Junior Kaiya Sandy and sophomore Taylor Reese led the team with seven goals each through nine games. This game is part of the Warroad Holiday Tournament.
Women’s Basketball: Granite City Classic (Twin City Team), Dec. 29-30.
Class 2A Providence Academy came close to losing to 2022-23 state runner-up Albany on Dec. 19. Who is your next opponent? Hopkins, the No. 3 team in Class 4A on the St. Benedict College floor. Last season, the Lions outplayed Hopkins, winning 87-80, also on neutral ground. Maddin Greenway averaged 32.8 points per game through nine games for Providence Academy this season. Also on the schedule for this event at various venues in St. His Cloud is Class 4A, No. 7 Wayzata taking on No. 5 Lakeville North on Dec. 30.
Girls basketball: Granite City Classic (out-of-state teams), Dec. 29-30.
Defending Class 1A state champion Mountain Ironbuhl heads to St. Cloud to meet 1A foe Goodhue at St. Cloud Tech on Dec. 29 at 4:15 p.m. On the schedule, MIB will play Class 2A Albany in St. Louis the following night. John’s. Jordan Zubic, who attended North Carolina for college, scored at a pace of 27.5 points per game through 10 games at MIB. Albany (7-0) enters the tournament as the top team in Class 2A with a win over Providence Academy.
Men’s Basketball: Capitol City Holiday Classic, Dec. 29-30.
Park Center, the No. 2 team in Class 4A, will be looking to bounce back from its recent loss to Class 3A powerhouse Totino Grace. The Pirates will face Minnetonka, ranked No. 5 in Class 4A, at Concordia University (St. Paul) on Dec. 28 at 6 p.m. The undefeated Skippers (5-0) will also face Benilde St. Louis. Margarets, ranked No. 2 in Class 3A, at Concordia on Dec. 29 at 2 p.m. The Skippers have three high scorers in Jordan Cain (20.2 points per game), Grayson Yurmen (19.0 points) and Andy Stefonowicz (18.2 points).
Men’s Basketball: Granite City Classic, Dec. 29-30.
Dozens of teams will be in St. Cloud for this tournament. Do you have any suggestions from the boys in Class 3A? How about Alexandria vs. Stewartville, featuring Gophers recruit Grayson Grove, at St. Cloud State University on Dec. 29 at 6:45 p.m. Alexandria is ranked No. 3 in Class 3A and Stewartville is ranked No. 5 by Minnesota Basketball News. No. 7 Orono will play No. 4 Mankato East on Dec. 29 and then play Stewartville the following afternoon. Mankato East and Alexandria will play on December 30th.
Men’s Hockey: Mahtomedi vs. Orono, 1 p.m., Dec. 30, Morrison Arena.
Orono, ranked No. 4 in Class 1A, relies on the senior duo of John Engebretson and Joey Mugarth for its top blue line pairing offense and defense. Through eight games this season, Mugaas has a team-leading eight assists, four on the power play, and 11 points. Engebretsson had seven assists. Mahtomedi, the defending Class 1A champion, is ranked No. 6 despite losses to top opponents from Class 2A and Class 1A and a sub-.500 record.