A couple pieces of advice for the casual fan thinking about dropping in to see Roseau host Warroad on Tuesday in one of the most highly anticipated games of the season.
One: It’s a long, long drive to Roseau from pretty much anywhere that isn’t Warroad or Roseau.
Two: Get. There. Early.
The junior varsity game starts at 5 p.m., and fans who aren’t there for that opening puck drop might have an exceedingly difficult time securing a ticket for one of the 2,000 or so seats for the 7 p.m. varsity start at Roseau’s venerable Memorial Arena.
One more pro tip: Locals will tell you that Roseau’s American Legion, which sits 77 steps (give or take) from the arena’s front entrance serves one of the town’s finest burgers.
As for the hockey game, it figures to be terrific. This is one of the greatest rivalries not only in the state but nationwide. Given its longevity (dating to the 1940s and earlier) and multitude of stars (Henry Boucha, Neal Broten and T.J. Oshie, to name three) who have played in it, it’s hard to argue this isn’t THE premier high school rivalry.
Even when the teams are having so-so seasons the intensity in this game is enough to blow the lid off a pressure cooker. So who’s to say whether the Memorial Arena’s roof is safe given the host Rams are 11-1-0 and ranked No. 3 in the state in Class 2A and Warroad is 11-0-0 and ranked No. 2 in Class 1A in Legacy Hockey’s latest Power Rankings.
Roseau senior Max Strand is tied for first in the state with 23 goals and ranks third in points with 44. At one point this season he had four hat tricks in five games, all against quality opposition. Noah Urness, one of the state’s top sophomores, has 11 goals among his 31 points, and senior St. Cloud State commit Thor Byfuglien (24 points) anchors the defense.
Warroad is powered by its Division I-committed forward duo of senior Daimon Gardner (Clarkson) and junior Jayson Shaugabay (Minnesota Duluth). They each have 34 points to rank tied for eighth in the state in scoring. Sophomore Ryan Lund, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound defenseman has seven points and is, no doubt, a Division I prospect.