1. Maple Grove V. Edina
Two top five teams face off in the first game of the season. Edina has Jimmy Clark and Trey Fechko Trey Fechko 5'10" | Forward Edina | 2022 State MN and Maple Grove has Finn Brink Finn Brink 5'10" | Forward Maple Grove | 2023 State MN . This game has for sure 3 D1 players in it. This game has the looks of a state semifinal/championship and will tell us a lot about these two things. I think Edina has a bit more talent, while MG has more depth.
Prediction: Edina 4-2
2. St. Thomas Academy V. Chaska
St. Thomas Academy got some bad news that their star player Max Nagel Max Nagel 5'10" | Forward St. Thomas Academy | 2022 State MN is out for the year. STA still has a very good team behind him with Will Ingemann Will Ingemann 5'11" | Goalie Wayzata | 2023 State MN among other very good players. STA takes a huge hit with Nagel out, STA is projected to be section runners up behind CDH. Chaska is also not favorites in their section, but they are real close. The combo of Jack Seaverson Jack Seaverson 6'0" | Forward Chaska | 2022 State MN and Zam Plante Zam Plante 5'9" | Forward Hermantown | 2023 State MN makes this team a force to be reckoned with. Chaska doesn’t lose too much from last year, and with 2 star future D1 players they will be pushing for the section title. This game is a very early test to see if STA will be fine without Nagel, or if the Chaska hype is real.
Prediction: 5-4 Chaska
3. Moorhead V. Wayzata
Moorhead is a preseason top 5 team by many sites. They lose one important player from last years’ squad in Max Dronen. Moorhead is very experienced and should be a top 5 team from the start. Wayzata on the other hand lost a lot, but still have a few solid players at the top. Wayzata usually plays harder Non Conference opponents and tests their teams early and it helps them late in the season. Wayzata might not be the best team early in the season, but they usually develop into a great team by the end of the year. I think Moorhead should win this game by a pretty wide margin, but Wayzata will make a run at the end of the season. If they win this game today; watch out.
Prediction: Moorhead 4-1
4. Roseau Vs. Minnetonka
Two teams that nobody is that high on this season, especially Tonka. The Skippers are currently in rebuild mode after their very good teams a few years back. Last year they struggled in the Lake conference, but this year they should improve. Think they have a way better team, and by next year they should be a real contender. This year they could surprise some people, but we will see. Roseau on the other hand I am very high on. The players to watch on this team are Max Strand Max Strand 5'9" | Forward Roseau | 2022 State MN and Gavin Gunderson. The Rams don’t lose too much this year and have some very good scorers. They also are looked at on the bubble for state. Picking up a win against a metro squad like Tonka, will show how competitive they will be this year.
Prediction: Roseau 3-1