Two days before Class 2A's top two teams face off, the top two teams in Class 1A meet. Thief River Falls, ranked No. 1, hosts No. 2 Warroad in a battle of section and conference foes.
It's the second time these teams have played this year. The Prowlers lost at the Warriors 3-0 on Dec. 19, and another defeat means Thief River Falls will likely lose its top ranking, the conference title and the No. 1 seed in the section playoffs.
Thief River Falls (14-2-2, 6-1-0) is coming off a 2-1 loss to No. 10-2A Brainerd/Little Falls last Friday, and this week, the Prowlers need freshman forward Shelby Breiland (18-12-30) to regain the form that helped her become the teams' leading scorer on the season. She was held scoreless in both Friday's loss and the defeat to Warroad.
The Prowlers held Madison Oelkers (31-18-49) off the score sheet in the loss to the Warriors, but the Warroad senior forward has been a force this season. Her team-high 31 goals includes a tally in the 2-0 win over No. 7-1A East Grand Forks last Friday -- their seventh victory in the last eight games and one that gives the Warriors (14-3-2, 5-1-1) some momentum into the rematch.