Imaginative forwards. Dynamic defensemen. Blow-your-mind goaltenders. These teams possess all the elements of championship-caliber teams, not to mention blue-ribbon pedigrees in terms of history and tradition.
Senior Joey DelGeco, a dynamo at forward, leads No. 11-2A Grand Rapids (4-0-0) in scoring with 14 points on seven goals and seven assists. Senior Easton Young anchors a deep defensive corps with his elite puck-moving ability and chips in offensively, too (11 points).
No. 3-1A Warroad (3-0-0) has two Division I commits at forward in senior Daimon Gardner (Clarkson) and junior Jayson Shaugabay (Minnesota Duluth). They lead the Warriors in scoring with seven and four points respectively.
Expect a close game. Grand Rapids won last season’s meeting in thrilling fashion, as Garrett Drotts, a senior foward who has nine points this season, scored the winning goal with 44 seconds left in regulation. Warroad scored in the closing minutes to win the 2019-20 meeting 3-2.