The beat goes on for this enduring rivalry, one of the state’s best for decades.
While Hill-Murray most often is the favorite, as is the case this season, White Bear Lake rarely fails to make the game competitive. More than that, the Bears have plotted, schemed and flat-out hustled their way to upset victories on a regular basis.
The teams did not play in the regular season a year ago as schedules were shortened and limited to mostly conference opponents because of the pandemic. They did meet in the Section 4AA championship, a 5-0 triumph for the Pioneers who were subsequently forced to forfeit their state tournament quarterfinal because of COVID-19 protocols.
Hill-Murray has a 58-27-3 all-time advantage in the series, and the teams have met for the Section 4AA championship each of the last four seasons. The Pioneers have won three of those four games.
Hill-Murray (5-2-0), ranked No. 7 in Class 2A, has won four straight including Saturday’s 6-0 beatdown of Metro East Conference rival St. Thomas Academy. Star forward Dylan Godbout, a senior committed to Wisconsin, had a hat trick against the Cadets and senior Nick Erickson had 38 saves to become just the third goaltender this season to record 35 or more saves in a shutout. Godbout shares the team lead with nine points while Erickson ranks among the state leaders with his .934 save percentage.
Bolstering the unranked Bears hopes for an upset special is Saturday’s 7-2 triumph over St. Cloud in which junior forward Brady Borgestad recorded a hat trick. He’s one of five players who share the team goal-scoring lead with four. Senior forward Tyler Bishop is the points leader with nine.