Elk River/Zimmerman will need to rely on dynamic scoring Saturday if it wants to stop Hill-Murray's momentum.
The Elks' Kelsey King, a Minnesota State commit, leads the state with 27 goals this season — including two in a 4-2 loss to South St. Paul on Dec. 29 — and has tallied 43 points. Freshman Madelyn Christian (10-8-18) holds Elk River's (9-3-2, 3-2-2) second-best points total.
Hill-Murray, meanwhile, is having a season that most programs would enjoy. The Pioneers sit atop their conference and, after struggling to open the season (going 4-4), have won five of their last six.
However, considering they're used to being a regularly ranked Class 2A team, the Pioneers, who are on the outside of the top 10 looking in, are aiming for sustained momentum.
Hill-Murray (9-4-1, 4-0-1) will have the chance to ride a dynamic offense over the second half of the season. It's averaging five goals per game, and three players have tallied at least 25 points. Katie Kaufman leads the way with 16 goals and 33 points.