FTP's Top 5 Games of the Day: Saturday, January 26th

Here are FTP's Top 5 Games for Thursday, January 24th:

1. #3AA Minnetonka (16-2-0) at #16AA Academy of Holy Angels (11-4-1), 2:25 PM

After a slow start to the season winning four and losing four, the Academy of Holy Angels have been hot since going 6-0-1. This included a successful trip out to the East Coast defeating one very good team from Rhode Island and tying another top-ranked team from Massachusetts.

Third-ranked Minnetonka has been on fire all year but their current five-game winning streak might be their most impressive of the year so far. The Skippers took down #8-ranked Eden Prairie, #6-ranked Benilde-St. Margaret's, and #2-ranked in Class A St. Thomas Academy during that stretch.

The Stars have averaged 4.57 goals per game in their last seven games. Minnetonka has given up only 1.6 games per game during their five game winning streak. Something has to give. Look for the Skippers to try and slow down leading score Danny Mattson and the rest of the potent Stars offense.

Fearless Prediction: Minnetonka 4, Holy Angels 2


2. #2AA Edina (17-1-0) at #17AA Duluth East (12-6-1), 2:00 PM

This game is on the Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network - Channel 2!

While the Edina continue to roll on over their opponents, the Hounds now look to be finding their stride and strengths. Both teams played Friday and both teams defeated strong opponents. Edina defeated Cloquet/Esko/Carlton in Cloquet, 5-1, while Duluth East shutout the Bengals of Blaine, 1-0, at the DECC in Duluth. It's the first time that Blaine had been shutout this season. The shutout was the third in five games that the Hounds have dealt an opponent. They boast a total of five shutouts on the year.

It will be no small task to slow down Marshall Everson, Zach Budish, and the extremely talented Hornets. Edina has won eight games in a row since losing to Benilde-St. Margaret's in the Schwan Cup over Christmas break 2-1. That is their only loss on the season.

The Greyhounds goalie, Matt Cooper, was in goal on Friday night and saved 24 Bengal shots en route to their 1-0 win. Will Cooper be in goal again to face the Hornets? If he is and he is on his game, the Hounds may have a shot at winning their eighth game in a row.

The Hounds play very well at the DECC and I expect they will again Saturday afternoon.

Fearless Prediction: Duluth East 4, Edina 2


3. #11AA Eastview (11-5-2) at #7AA Rosemount (14-4-0), 7:30 PM

The Rosemount Irish have won five in a row. The Lightning are 4-0-1 in their last five games.

The Irish are 7-2 on home ice. Eastview is 4-4-2 on the road.

The Irish won the first meeting with Eastview in overtime, 5-4, at the Apple Valley Sports Arena. This was way back in early December.

Revenge may be sweet for Rosemount.

Fearless Prediction: Rosemount 6, Eastview 5 (OT)

4. #5A Warroad (15-4-0) at #14A Duluth Denfeld (13-7-0), 5:00 PM

This game has me a little intrigued. Since Warroad's lost to #1AA-ranked Roseau a couple of weeks ago, the Warriors seemed rejuvenated and seemed to have a little bit of skillful luck on their side.

In their game with #1A-ranked Duluth Marshall on Friday night, the Warriors were down the entire game. They had not scored a goal until 16 seconds to go in the game. After they scored, they were still down by one goal, 2-1. The odds were still stacked against them with just 16 seconds to go and having scored only one goal the whole game. With .1 second, .1 second, junior defenseman Tai Larson scored on a tough angled shot to tie the game and send it into overtime. Incredible! Then, not only did they score with 16 seconds to go, score with .1 second left to tie the game and go into overtime with the top ranked team in Class A in Minnesota, while shorthanded in overtime, junior forward Dane Shaugabay scored an unassisted goal with 1:16 left in the game to win. WOW! It was sort of fitting since Shaugabay assisted on both of the first two goals. I sure hope they had a Hollywood camera crew up there for that one because it sounds like they couldn't have scripted that any better for the 'Mighty Warriors'.

Now, the Warriors have to take that emotional win, try to sleep, and then take a long bus ride to Duluth on Saturday to play another Duluth team, the 14th-ranked Denfeld Hunters. Did that incredibly emotional win take all they had out of them? Will it be enough time to allow that win to sink in before playing another tough team, a hungry team?

Duluth Denfeld lost to 4th-ranked International Falls on Friday night, 4-2. I'm sure the Hunters will be looking to redeem that loss by defeating the team that just be their #1-ranked Duluth Marshall rivals.

Denfeld has two top scorers in the state in seniors Jake Johnson and Chris Stafne. It will be interesting to see if they will be able to take advantage of what should be a slightly worn out Warroad team.

It should be a 'MUST SEE' at Mars Lakeview Arena on Saturday.

Fearless Prediction: Duluth Denfeld 6, Warroad 4


5. #1W Eau Claire Memorial (WI) (15-0-0) at #12A New Prague (13-4-0), 2:00 PM

There are some other good choices for games on Saturday but this another one that I found interesting. New Prague is 7-1 in their last 8 games and I curious to find out if they can hang with Wisconsin's top-ranked high school team. I would be apt to say no, they cannot.

Eau Claire Memorial has shut out 8 of their 15 opponents this season. However, the Old Abes, which is their mascot name, have had one close game and that came against Superior, Wisconsin, 6-5. Duluth Denfeld beat Superior 5-4 in overtime this past Tuesday. New Prague beat Duluth Denfeld 3-2 back in December.

New Prague has not been shutout this season and I don't expect them to be Eau Claire Memorial's ninth shutout victim on Saturday. The Trojans are a pretty young team but they can score. Junior Tyler Lapic and freshman Seth Ambroz are the scoring leaders for team and are pretty high on the list in scoring in Minnesota.

With New Prague having this game at home, they have a good shot to knock off the #1-ranked team from the Badger state.

Fearless Prediction: The Old Abes 4, Trojans 2


Honorable Mention:

Anoka at Grand Rapids - Prediction: Grand Rapids 5, Anoka 4
Blaine at Cloquet - Prediction: Blaine 4, Cloquet 1
Bloomington Jefferson at Moorhead - Prediction: Moorhead 3, Jefferson 2
Centennial at Osseo - Prediction: Osseo 3, Centennial 2
Rochester Mayo at Mankato West - Prediction: Mankato West 7, Mayo 4
Tartan at Hill-Murray - Payback?? - Prediction: Hill-Murray 5, Tartan 1