St. Paul United vs. Delano/Rockford

5:30 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 28

The week following Christmas will supply hockey fans with plenty of interesting matchups. One of the best comes in this year's Schwan Cup Gold Division, where St. Paul United and Delano/Rockford meet in the opening round.

The No. 7-1A United will have had two weeks to prepare for this matchup, giving them ample rest and time for preparation after coming off a 4-3 loss to Rochester Lourdes last Tuesday.

The United's (7-5, 0-1) offensive charge has been led by senior forward Samantha Burke. The Cornell commit has 13 goals and nine assists this season. She tallied a goal and an assist against Rochester Lourdes. 

The No. 12-1A Tigers have rattled off seven wins this season, thanks in part to the strong goaltending tandem of senior Karly Schmidt and sophomore Grace Glasrud. The duo have combined for a 1.73 goals against average and .934 save percentage for Delano/Rockford (7-4, 2-1).