Two of the top contenders in what figures to be a highly competitive and wildly entertaining Section 2AA playoff bracket come February square off in their lone regular season meeting this season.
No. 13-2A Chaska is off to a 5-0-0 start. The Hawks’ signature win came in their first game, a 4-3 triumph over No. 17-2A St. Thomas Academy. That’s Chaska's lone game against a top-25 opponent so far. Chaska, playing out of the Metro West Conference, doesn’t face the nightly high-caliber competition that section foes Eden Prairie and Minnetonka do in the supercharged Lake Conference.
No matter the schedule, Chaska is loaded with talent. Junior defenseman Sam Rinzel, committed to Minnesota, was a standout playing for Team USA's Under-18 team at an international tournament this summer. Sophomore Sam Scheetz, a Bantam AA star last season, is leading the Hawks in scoring with seven goals and 10 points. To complete the Sam’s Club theme, freshman Sam Spehar, son of Duluth East state tournament legend Dave Spehar, has five points and is one of the state’s most exciting young players.
Teddy Manlove has emerged as to the top scorer for No. 13-2A Minnetonka (4-2-0) with nine points. Manlove, a senior forward, saw only sporadic duty on the varsity lat season and did not register a point. Manlove and senior Reed Haunus share the team goal-scoring lead with four apiece.
Minnetonka has won the teams' last four regular-season meetings.