ROseau vs. Moorhead

6 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 7
Moorhead Sports Center, Moorhead

Roseau versus Warroad is the rivalry that gets all the hype and the attention. It’s dream fodder for documentary makers and long-form storytellers. And rightly so. The next-door neighbors on the Canadian border have a long, storied tradition of playing games overflowing with fans, filled with phenomenal talents and dripping with drama.

Roseau versus Moorhead just doesn’t have the same panache as that other, more famous rivalry. But it possesses an element crucial to all great rivalries that Roseau versus Warroad lacks — playoff implications.

Because Warroad plays in Class 1A and Roseau opts up to Class 2A, the teams play their two regular season matchups, and that’s that. No jostling for playoff positing, no meetings with a coveted state tournament berth on the line. 

Roseau and Moorhead, on the other hand, have played for the Section 8AA title 10 times since 2005, including six-straight meetings from 2005 to 2010. Only four times since 1990 has a team other than Roseau or Moorhead represented the section at the state tournament.

It’s easy to expect more of the same this season, as both teams are loaded with high-caliber talent all over the rink. Nebraska-Omaha commit Joe Gramer is one of several standout Moorhead defensemen, and Roseau counters with St. Cloud State commit Thor Byfuglien

At forward, Moorhead (2-2-0), No. 9 in Class 2A in the Legacy Hockey Power Rankings, leans heavily on the production of junior Harper Bentz (6 points) and senior Gavin Lindberg (5 points). No. 12-2A Roseau (3-1-0) is led by senior Max Strand (13 points) and superb sophomore Noah Urness (9 points). 

Which team will win?
Legacy pick: Moorhead