FTP's Top 5 Games: Saturday, January 12th

If you want to pick the following five games too, please send me your picks at followthepuck@sio.midco.net. If you get all five games right, I will post your name on the site. Also, I will keep track of your picks the rest of the season and post the Top 10 best throughout.

5. Duluth East (7-6-1) at #20AA Brainerd/Pillager/Pierz (11-3-1), 4:00 PM

It was a tough choice picking this game above several others. Even though Duluth East isn't currently ranked in the FollowThePuck.com Top 20, they could get back in with a win at Brainerd on Saturday. The Hounds will most likely be in the championship game in Section 7AA and I'm patiently waiting to see if they will make a run now the rest of the season.

Is Brainerd for real or do the Warriors just keep teasing us? If they can beat a volatile Duluth East team, Brainerd will get a few more people to sit up and take notice. Will they be in the championship game in Class 8AA this year instead of the typical Moorhead vs. Roseau matchup? Seniors Joe Fraser and Bronson Shepherd will need to step up big on Saturday if the Warriors are to beat the Hounds.

I think Duluth East gained some needed confidence with their rival win over Grand Rapids this week. They will ride that confidence into Brainerd and defeat the Warriors. I expect 8+ goals in this one though.

Fearless Prediction: Duluth East


4. #15AA Anoka (9-4-0) at #18AA Osseo (9-3-0), 7:30 PM

The Osseo Orioles have won seven straight games thanks in part to balanced scoring and tremendous goaltending by Senior Kyle Moody. Moody has a .933 save percentage and a 1.82 goals against average.

Anoka also has a strong presence between the pipes in J.D. Wells. He carries a .906 save percentage and a 2.41 goals against average. Leading scorers Cory Belisle and John O'Neill will lead the Tornadoes and try to get the rubber biscuit past Moody.

This should be a 3-2, 2-2, 2-1 game on Saturday. I'm not completely sold on how strong the Tornadoes are at this point. A strong victory in Osseo will go a long way in helping decide what Anoka is made of. Osseo is looking to win their eighth in a row while Anoka is looking to recover from a 3-1 loss at Wayzata on Thursday.

Fearless Prediction: Osseo


3. #7AA Bloomington Jefferson (9-2-3) at #10AA Burnsville (10-5-0), 3:30 PM

This is a rematch of two teams that played each other at the beginning of this season. At Bloomington Ice Gardens in Bloomington, the Blaze of Burnsville won round one defeating the Jaguars 5-4 in overtime on November 24th.

Burnsville is 2-1 in January with their one loss coming at the hands of #9AA Rosemount, 3-1, this past Tuesday. Jefferson is riding a 3 game winning streak in January with solid wins over Eastview and Grand Rapids.

With the Jaguars only other loss during the season coming against the #1AA Roseau Rams, the Jaguars most likely have vivid memories having lost that opening game to Burnsville. Look for the Jaguars to escape the Blaze in a game that looks headed for another one goal difference or overtime.

Fearless Prediction: Jefferson


2. #2A Duluth Marshall (11-3-0) at #1A St. Thomas Academy (12-2-0), 2:00 PM

LISTEN! to this game on the Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network

Marshall key wins: Breck School, Totino-Grace, Hermantown
Marshall losses: Minnetonka (2-3), Benilde-St. Margaret's (2-5), Madison Edgewood (WI) (3-4)

STA key wins: Red Wing, Rochester Lourdes, South St. Paul, Tartan, Blaine, Benilde-SM, Mahtomedi
STA losses: Breck School (5-6), Hill-Murray (2-4)

St. Thomas Academy has had to play a much tougher schedule than the Hilltoppers. You could say that should be an advantage for the Cadets. But, with the Cadets having sparred and battled in a hard fought loss to Hill-Murray on Thursday, Duluth Marshall might be a bit more rested. The Hilltoppers played this past Tuesday and had an easy win over Greenway, 7-2.

Since 2004-2005, the Hilltopper/Cadet rivalry has given Duluth Marshall a 2-1-1 edge. Marshall got the last laugh during last year's semifinals in the Class A State Tournament winning 3 to 2 in overtime.

If the Cadets would have had an easier opponent on Thursday, I would think that they would win Saturday's game by at least two goals. St. Thomas Academy is solid this year and the Hilltoppers may have lost a half step from last year's team. I would think that the Cadets would have this game pinned up on a bulletin board somewhere to remind them that the Hilltoppers stopped their chances for a state championship in 2007. I am taking the Cadets to pull it out even though they may be a little bruised and battered. I think they want this one more than the Hill-Murray game.

Fearless Prediction: St. Thomas Academy


1. #3AA Hopkins (14-0-0) at #2AA Edina (13-1-0), 7:00 PM

Conventional wisdom (or people in the southwest Minneapolis suburbs besides Hopkins) would say that the Royals nice undefeated run this season has to end sometime. I am sure that is what Anoka said, what Woodbury said, and undisputed rival Minnetonka counted on but..... it didn't happen. Hopkins is now 14-0. Some are suggesting that they are just getting lucky at the right times or Junior goaltender Alex Fons is playing at a level that will not continue or the leading scorer for Hopkins, 8th grader Travis Boyd, can't possibly keep putting pucks in the net against his older and experienced opponents. After 14 wins, the Royals success cannot be overlooked or excused. Hopkins is for real.

Hopkins now travels to Braemar Arena to face the Hornets in Edina on Saturday. There are naysayers that still believe that Hopkins won't have a chance against the Hornets. The Hornets have too much talent in the likes of Everson, Budish, Gleason, Lee, and Caschetta. There is no doubt that the Royals are up for a tough task in trying to knock off the Hornets who are #2 in the state in Class AA, #1 in some polls. However, I would not be surprised if they did it. This is a game with many story lines and the biggest one seems to be how destined Hopkins is to make history this season.

After having said all of that, I am one of those that say that Hopkins is very good but, Edina is better.

Fearless Prediction: Edina