#1 Warroad vs #5 East Grand Forks

[ClassAGuy]

#1 Warroad (21-0-0) vs #5 East Grand Forks (12-8-0)

A rare Monday night Class A showdown between the two best teams in Section 8A gets underway tonight. A back to back home and home to determine the #1 seed in Section 8A and the last remaining challenger from Class A the Warriors face on their quest to go unbeaten in the regular season. If there was a team that might be the thorn in Warroad’s side it would be their long time youth hockey nemesis East Grand Forks. These two groups of kids have gone through the youth ranks and played in plenty of big games against each other. There will be no love loss and no fear as both sides know exactly how the other wants to play in what should be an all out battle over the next two nights in Northwest Minnesota.

Top Line Power- Both teams get the majority of their offense to generate from their top lines. By now everyone is well aware of the Warrods 1st line of of #17 Shaugabay- #18 Pilgrim-#22 Marvin-Cordes which is Class A’s best Top line; the trio plays mega minutes and has accounted for an eye popping 78 goals this winter which accounts for a big chunk of Warroads offense. They have speed and skill and are a delight to watch and no one they have faced this year has been able to slow them down. East Grand Forks will counter with good top line of their own in Junior standouts #22 Borck Schultz and #7 Landon Jamieson and emerging sophomore stand out #10 Jace Van Eps. They have really played well during the Greenwaves recent surge carrying a heavy load of the offense. However, the health of their top player Brock Schultz is something to keep an eye on as according to the stat sheet he missed the last game and without him the Greenwave will stand much of a chance.

Big Minute Blueliners- Both teams have a pair of stand out defenseman that play lots of minutes in all situations. Warroad’s top two defenseman #25 Ryan Lund and #2 Erick Comstock they are polar opposite players but both outstanding defenseman. Lund is a big sized physical in your face and jumps up into the rush defender with a heavy shot, while Comstock is tiny in stature but one of the best skaters I have seen with incredible gap control and his outlets and playmaking ability is outstanding. East Grand Forks has two very good defenders of their own in lefties #18 Grady Magner and #2 Cole Bies who the Greenwave separate to try and keep at least one of them on the ice at all times. Magner is an aggressive defender who likes to jump in the rush and has a laser from the point to make him very noticeable as he runs the powerplay. Bies is a youngster who is lanky and growing into his 6’2 frame, a good defender with some offensive flair of his own.

Battle in the Pipes- This is where on paper the Warriors have a big advantage as they have an Elite Goaltender in Division 1 commit #1 Hampton Slukynsky who is as good as they come in the nets. The Greenwave will counter with Junior #1 Chase Mero who has won the starting job but again a big advantage for the Warriors in the nets.

Special Teams Mismatch- Warroad has the significant special teams advantage that could play a role as the East Grand Forks PK unit has struggled at times this year rolling along at around 80 % where the Warrior PP Unit is humming at nearly 34 %. A bigger mismatch though is the 95 % PK unit of Warroad whose 19 shorthanded goals is almost double that of the 10 goals the struggling EGF Power Play has produced at only around 15% on the winter.

On paper this one looks like it should belong to the Warriors but as the locals of both teams know all bets are off when these two long time rivals meet up to do battle. It should be two very tightly contested and good hockey games over the next 48 hours and preview of the Section Final we will see in a few weeks.

[elliott70]

0-0
After 1
Conflicting report on sog
12-4
One report for EgF
One report for warroad

[elliott70]

1-0 Warroad late in the 2 period
EgF out shooting them
Warroad scored on 5 on 3

[elliott70]

Power play goal Warroad
2-0 after 2

[OtterPuck]

Warroad 2
EGF 2
3rd Period-12:00 left

[elliott70]

Barn burner shots about even

[TTpuckster]

Barn burner shots about even

Hey Mark. Are you able to listen on streaming radio some where?

[OtterPuck]

Warroad 3
EGF 2
3rd Period-2:19 left

[TTpuckster]

Warroad 3
EGF 2
3rd Period-2:19 left

Warroad with an EN’r.
Final 4 - 2.

[ClassAGuy]

#1 Warroad 4 #5 EGF 2 Final

EGF battles back from a 2 goal hole to tie it in the 3rd. However, #22 Marvin-Cordes plays the hero as his hatty saves the day and Warroad moves to (22-0-0)

Great hockey game up in 8A. Rematch tomorrow night!

[TTpuckster]

#1 Warroad 4 #5 EGF 2 Final

EGF battles back from a 2 goal hole to tie it in the 3rd. However, #22 Marvin-Cordes plays the hero as his hatty saves the day and Warroad moves to (22-0-0)

Great hockey game up in 8A. Rematch tomorrow night!

Yup. My Green Wave just do not have enough scoring strength.

[WestMetro]

Great game . Rematch tonite . Warroad continues its march toward undefeated regular season . Only a few in last 30 years since Jefferson in early 90s :

- Lvn. 2015
- BSM 2016
- Gentry 2021 , shortened season

If I missed any, please add .

-

[elliott70]

Great game . Rematch tonite . Warroad continues its march toward undefeated regular season . Only a few in last 30 years since Jefferson in early 90s :

- Lvn. 2015
- BSM 2016
- Gentry 2021 , shortened season

If I missed any, please add .

-

A BIT MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO
International Falls 1965 22-0
International Falls 1966 22-0

[east hockey]

Great game . Rematch tonite . Warroad continues its march toward undefeated regular season . Only a few in last 30 years since Jefferson in early 90s :

- Lvn. 2015
- BSM 2016
- Gentry 2021 , shortened season

If I missed any, please add .

-

Hermantown 2006-07
Red Wing 1996-97

Lee

[ClassAGuy]

Great game . Rematch tonite . Warroad continues its march toward undefeated regular season . Only a few in last 30 years since Jefferson in early 90s :

- Lvn. 2015
- BSM 2016
- Gentry 2021 , shortened season

If I missed any, please add .

-

Hermantown 2006-07
Red Wing 1996-97

Lee

Was Luverne undefeated in 2013-14 ?

[elliott70]

Great game . Rematch tonite . Warroad continues its march toward undefeated regular season . Only a few in last 30 years since Jefferson in early 90s :

- Lvn. 2015
- BSM 2016
- Gentry 2021 , shortened season

If I missed any, please add .

-

A BIT MORE THAN 30 YEARS AGO
International Falls 1965 22-0
International Falls 1966 22-0

The earliest I remember is 1959 Roseau was 27-0.
Earlier than that there was probably an Eveleth team or two with undefeated seasons.

St Pual Johnson in 1963 went 20-0 and beat International Falls 4-3 in OT giving the Falls their only loss of the season.

[elliott70]

Great game . Rematch tonite . Warroad continues its march toward undefeated regular season . Only a few in last 30 years since Jefferson in early 90s :

- Lvn. 2015
- BSM 2016
- Gentry 2021 , shortened season

If I missed any, please add .

-

Hermantown 2006-07
Red Wing 1996-97

Lee

Was Luverne undefeated in 2013-14 ?

Luverne maybe in regular season but not through play-offs.
I think they entered state with no losses.

[ClassAGuy]

Didnt Warroad Go undefeated in 04-05 Oshie's group senior year?

[elliott70]

In 1970 Minneapolis SW met Edina in the state finals and both were undefeated.
Mpls SW won to go 19-0-2

[elliott70]

In 1974 Edina was undefeated.
And I know Hill was undefeated in 1983 (I was there)

[elliott70]

And of course Jefferson in 1993.
(I was there).

And Red Wing in 1997 (yup there again).

[elliott70]

Great game . Rematch tonite . Warroad continues its march toward undefeated regular season . Only a few in last 30 years since Jefferson in early 90s :

- Lvn. 2015
- BSM 2016
- Gentry 2021 , shortened season

If I missed any, please add .

-

Hermantown 2006-07
Red Wing 1996-97

Lee

I think Warroad was undefeated in 2005

[WestMetro]

Good catches everyone


Was only going since Jefferson early 90s ,otherwise the list can get very long


so to recap for the regular season since 1993:, undefeateds are :

RedWing 1997
Warroad 2005
Htown 2007
Luverne 2014
LVn 2015
BSM 2016
Gentry 2021 shortened season

Any more ?


Just shows how incredibly difficult with so many multiple factors :

Talent pool
Coaches
SOS
# and Length of road trips
Bad road accommodations
Hockey gods / puck luck / pipes
Flu
Injuries
Goalie off nites
Dzone errors
Equipment failure
Kids Confidence / leadership
Quality of ice
Etc Etc Etc

[BlueLineSpecial]

In 1974 Edina was undefeated.
And I know Hill was undefeated in 1983 (I was there)

Yup, beat Burnsville for an undefeated season in '83

Hill was also undefeated in the regular season in '80 & '70. Lost in both years in the championship game

[Mite-dad]

Didn't Little Falls have an undefeated regular season when Ben Hanowski was a senior?