SEC Saturday 2/12
Posted: Sat Feb 12, 2011 12:19 pm
Six SEC games today including two afternoon non conference matchups.
Stillwater (15-4-2) (13-2-2, SEC, 28 points) at Cloquet/Esko/Carlton (15-7-0) 1st Place in the Lake Superior Conference 1:30 PM
The Ponies extended their unbeaten streak to eleven games with 2-1 overtime victory over Mounds View, keeping their SEC title hopes alive. What may be a concern is that the Ponies have struggled against two of the lower standing teams in the conference, eking out two one goal wins and only scoring four goals in the process. Scoring goals seems to becoming an issue again, but their defense and goaltending has remained strong enough to overcome the low goal production. Stillwater will be tested this afternoon on the road against an offensive minded Lumberjack team that has some players that can put up some points. Third game of the week for the Ponies and a long road trip could spell trouble. I’ll take the Lumberjacks to win at home.
Remaining schedule: at North St. Paul, at Hastings, Benilde St. Margaret’s
Goals per game: 3.14
Goals against: 2.05
Shakopee (5-16-1) Last place in the Missota at East Ridge (9-14-0) (5-12-0, SEC, 10 points) 3:00 PM
East Ridge is coming off a nice 5-2 win over Woodbury, scoring five goals in the third period to secure the win over their next door neighbors. The Raptors have suddenly gotten stingy on defense, only giving up ten goals over their last five games, a step in the right direction and the formula for winning games in the SEC. Both teams play with a little edge to them and this one could turn into a physical penalty filled game. East Ridge is 4-2 in non conference action this season and should get their fifth non conference win over the Sabers.
Remaining schedule: Park- Cottage Grove
Goals per game: 3.00
Goals against: 3.17
Roseville (11-6-5) (9-5-2, SEC, 20 points) at Cretin-Derham Hall (11-8-4) (7-6-3, SEC, 17 points) 7:30 PM
Cretin enters the game on a three game unbeaten streak, including Thursday’s 4-4 tie with White Bear Lake. Cretin let a one goal lead slip away as the Bears knotted the game with 16 seconds left in the third. Cretin was showing signs of being better in their own end, but have given up seven goals in their last two outings, including three to the offensively struggling Mounds View squad. They now face a Roseville team that scored a season high six goals on Thursday, defeating Forest Lake 6-0. Roseville looked liked they juggled their lines a bit and may have found some combinations that could help their goal production, time will tell. This may be the best game of the evening with two teams that play different styles, should prove to be a fun one. I’ll take the Raiders, that way I can’t be wrong.
Roseville: Remaining schedule- at White Bear Lake, Rochester Century
Goals per game: 2.86
Goals against: 2.05
Cretin: Remaining schedule- at Forest Lake
Goals per game: 4.00
Goals against: 3.70
Hastings (11-10-1) (9-7-0, SEC, 18 points) at Woodbury (12-11-0) (7-9-0, SEC, 14 points) 7:30 PM
A pretty big 3AA showdown, which could put one team ahead of the other in the section seedings. The Raiders are on a nice little stretch of late, winning five of their last six, getting them over the .500 mark. Beating Park by only one isn’t impressive, but they got the job done and moved into sole possession of 4th in the SEC. Hastings top line continues to impress scoring most every goal for the Raiders of late. Woodbury is coming off a disappointing 5-2 loss to East Ridge, a rare 5 goal giveaway by the Royals. Giving up as many shots as they do seems to be catching up to them, however I do see Woodbury bouncing back and winning at home in a slight upset.
Hastings: remaining schedule- at Duluth East, Stillwater
Goals per game: 3.45
Goals against: 2.86
Woodbury: Remaining schedule- at Mounds View
Goals per game: 2.87
Goals against: 2.96
Mounds View (6-12-4) (2-9-4, SEC, 10 points) at Park-Cottage Grove (5-15-2) (0-14-1, SEC, 1 point)
The Mustangs gave Stillwater a big scare on Saturday before falling in OT; they may have given the Ponies something to think about come section time, as those two could possibly meet in the quarterfinals. Once again though for the Mustangs they find a way to keep a better team close but can’t find a way to beat them. Park continues to struggle but did play a hot Hastings team to a one goal loss; I’m going with the Wolfpack to earn their first SEC win of the season.
Mounds View: Remaining schedule- Woodbury
Goals per game: 2.68
Goals against: 3.55
Park-Cottage Grove: Remaining schedule- at White Bear Lake, at East Ridge
Goals per game: 3.09
Goals against: 3.77
White Bear Lake (14-5-2) (12-1-2, SEC, 26 points) at Forest Lake (8-10-4) (6-6-4, SEC, 16 points) 7:30 PM
The Bears have a chance to reclaim a spot at the top with Stillwater with a win tonight. Keep in mind that the Bears will have played one less game than Stillwater, so they still hold the SEC title advantage; they got an important point with their late game heroics on Thursday to keep them in the driver’s seat. The Bears just keep finding ways to gain points, but one concern must be the amount of goals they are starting to give up. They have not been as solid recently in their own end as they were earlier this season. They may find a solution to that problem in tonight’s game versus Forest Lake; the Rangers have not scored in their last two outings, getting shutout by both Roseville and East Ridge. The Rangers split up their top two players against Roseville looking for something, they found nothing. The once solid defensive game they showed early in the season isn’t anywhere to be found at the moment either. White Bear wins on the road.
White Bear Lake: Remaining schedule- Park-Cottage Grove, Roseville, Cloquet/Esko/Carlton
Goals per game: 4.10
Goals against: 2.14
Forest Lake: Remaining schedule- at Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, at Cretin-Derham Hall
Goals per game: 2.77
Goals against: 3.41
Stillwater (15-4-2) (13-2-2, SEC, 28 points) at Cloquet/Esko/Carlton (15-7-0) 1st Place in the Lake Superior Conference 1:30 PM
The Ponies extended their unbeaten streak to eleven games with 2-1 overtime victory over Mounds View, keeping their SEC title hopes alive. What may be a concern is that the Ponies have struggled against two of the lower standing teams in the conference, eking out two one goal wins and only scoring four goals in the process. Scoring goals seems to becoming an issue again, but their defense and goaltending has remained strong enough to overcome the low goal production. Stillwater will be tested this afternoon on the road against an offensive minded Lumberjack team that has some players that can put up some points. Third game of the week for the Ponies and a long road trip could spell trouble. I’ll take the Lumberjacks to win at home.
Remaining schedule: at North St. Paul, at Hastings, Benilde St. Margaret’s
Goals per game: 3.14
Goals against: 2.05
Shakopee (5-16-1) Last place in the Missota at East Ridge (9-14-0) (5-12-0, SEC, 10 points) 3:00 PM
East Ridge is coming off a nice 5-2 win over Woodbury, scoring five goals in the third period to secure the win over their next door neighbors. The Raptors have suddenly gotten stingy on defense, only giving up ten goals over their last five games, a step in the right direction and the formula for winning games in the SEC. Both teams play with a little edge to them and this one could turn into a physical penalty filled game. East Ridge is 4-2 in non conference action this season and should get their fifth non conference win over the Sabers.
Remaining schedule: Park- Cottage Grove
Goals per game: 3.00
Goals against: 3.17
Roseville (11-6-5) (9-5-2, SEC, 20 points) at Cretin-Derham Hall (11-8-4) (7-6-3, SEC, 17 points) 7:30 PM
Cretin enters the game on a three game unbeaten streak, including Thursday’s 4-4 tie with White Bear Lake. Cretin let a one goal lead slip away as the Bears knotted the game with 16 seconds left in the third. Cretin was showing signs of being better in their own end, but have given up seven goals in their last two outings, including three to the offensively struggling Mounds View squad. They now face a Roseville team that scored a season high six goals on Thursday, defeating Forest Lake 6-0. Roseville looked liked they juggled their lines a bit and may have found some combinations that could help their goal production, time will tell. This may be the best game of the evening with two teams that play different styles, should prove to be a fun one. I’ll take the Raiders, that way I can’t be wrong.
Roseville: Remaining schedule- at White Bear Lake, Rochester Century
Goals per game: 2.86
Goals against: 2.05
Cretin: Remaining schedule- at Forest Lake
Goals per game: 4.00
Goals against: 3.70
Hastings (11-10-1) (9-7-0, SEC, 18 points) at Woodbury (12-11-0) (7-9-0, SEC, 14 points) 7:30 PM
A pretty big 3AA showdown, which could put one team ahead of the other in the section seedings. The Raiders are on a nice little stretch of late, winning five of their last six, getting them over the .500 mark. Beating Park by only one isn’t impressive, but they got the job done and moved into sole possession of 4th in the SEC. Hastings top line continues to impress scoring most every goal for the Raiders of late. Woodbury is coming off a disappointing 5-2 loss to East Ridge, a rare 5 goal giveaway by the Royals. Giving up as many shots as they do seems to be catching up to them, however I do see Woodbury bouncing back and winning at home in a slight upset.
Hastings: remaining schedule- at Duluth East, Stillwater
Goals per game: 3.45
Goals against: 2.86
Woodbury: Remaining schedule- at Mounds View
Goals per game: 2.87
Goals against: 2.96
Mounds View (6-12-4) (2-9-4, SEC, 10 points) at Park-Cottage Grove (5-15-2) (0-14-1, SEC, 1 point)
The Mustangs gave Stillwater a big scare on Saturday before falling in OT; they may have given the Ponies something to think about come section time, as those two could possibly meet in the quarterfinals. Once again though for the Mustangs they find a way to keep a better team close but can’t find a way to beat them. Park continues to struggle but did play a hot Hastings team to a one goal loss; I’m going with the Wolfpack to earn their first SEC win of the season.
Mounds View: Remaining schedule- Woodbury
Goals per game: 2.68
Goals against: 3.55
Park-Cottage Grove: Remaining schedule- at White Bear Lake, at East Ridge
Goals per game: 3.09
Goals against: 3.77
White Bear Lake (14-5-2) (12-1-2, SEC, 26 points) at Forest Lake (8-10-4) (6-6-4, SEC, 16 points) 7:30 PM
The Bears have a chance to reclaim a spot at the top with Stillwater with a win tonight. Keep in mind that the Bears will have played one less game than Stillwater, so they still hold the SEC title advantage; they got an important point with their late game heroics on Thursday to keep them in the driver’s seat. The Bears just keep finding ways to gain points, but one concern must be the amount of goals they are starting to give up. They have not been as solid recently in their own end as they were earlier this season. They may find a solution to that problem in tonight’s game versus Forest Lake; the Rangers have not scored in their last two outings, getting shutout by both Roseville and East Ridge. The Rangers split up their top two players against Roseville looking for something, they found nothing. The once solid defensive game they showed early in the season isn’t anywhere to be found at the moment either. White Bear wins on the road.
White Bear Lake: Remaining schedule- Park-Cottage Grove, Roseville, Cloquet/Esko/Carlton
Goals per game: 4.10
Goals against: 2.14
Forest Lake: Remaining schedule- at Cloquet/Esko/Carlton, at Cretin-Derham Hall
Goals per game: 2.77
Goals against: 3.41