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Defending girls' hockey champs to clash this week

By Jim Paulsen, Star Tribune, 01/14/18, 10:58PM CST

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Blake plays host to Edina in a battle of defending state champions Saturday at 4 p.m.

Hockey takes center stage this week, but it might not be where you think.

Saturday is designated as Hockey Day Minnesota 2018, an annual event put together by a local sports broadcasting entity. It’s in St. Cloud this season, featuring three outdoor games: two high school boys’ games (St. Cloud vs. St. Cloud Cathedral and Moorhead vs. Centennial) sandwiched around a women’s college hockey game.

But in truth, the biggest high school hockey game of the day is the most anticipated girls’ game of the season. Blake plays host to Edina in a battle of defending state champions Saturday at 4 p.m. Blake won four of the past five Class 1A titles before moving up to Class 2A this season. The move hasn’t slowed down the Bears; they’re 17-0-1, with the only imperfection a 1-1 tie with Wayzata in late November. The top-ranked Bears will have junior defenseman Madeline Wethington back from her stint with Team USA’s U18 team, which won the gold medal at the IIHF World Championships in Russia.

Edina, 14-1-1 and No. 2 in Class 2A, is the highest-scoring team in the large-school class, averaging six goals per game. Ten Hornets have 10 or more points, led by senior forward Loli Fidler’s 16 goals and 41 points.

What’s at stake? The No. 1 ranking. Blake’s undefeated season. The top seed in Class 2A, Section 6. Bragging rights.

In other words this, above all others, is the game worthy of attention Saturday.

Elsewhere in prep sports this week:

Girls’ hockey

Tuesday: Centennial vs. Blaine, at Fogerty, 7 p.m.

Boys’ hockey

Tuesday: St. Thomas Academy at Tartan, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday: Mahtomedi vs. Stillwater, at St. Croix Rec, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday: White Bear Lake vs. Cretin-Derham Hall, at Highland, 3 p.m.; Edina vs. Hill-Murray, at Aldrich, 7 p.m.; Moorhead vs. Centennial, at St. Cloud, 4:30 p.m.

Girls’ basketball

Tuesday: St. Michael-Albertville at Wayzata, 5:30 p.m.

Friday: Holy Angels at DeLaSalle, 7 p.m.

Boys’ basketball

Monday: DeLaSalle vs. Waconia, at Totino-Grace, 7:15 p.m.

Tuesday: Prior Lake at Lakeville North, 7 p.m.; Edina at St. Michael-Albertville, 7:15 p.m.

Friday: Hopkins at Eden Prairie, 7 p.m.; Woodbury at Cretin-Derham Hall, 7 p.m.; Columbia Heights at Fridley, 6 p.m.

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