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Elk River, Eden Prairie Conclude Holiday Classic in Style

12/21/2015, 12:00pm CST
By Peter Odney

Eagles Go Undefeated in Four-Team Tournament in Edina

Elk River’s Ben Meyers makes the save and defends the net in the Elks’ 6-2 win over Grand Rapids. Credit: Peter Odney.

Elk River’s Ben Meyers makes the save and defends the net in the Elks’ 6-2 win over Grand Rapids. Credit: Peter Odney.

Holiday Classic - Day 3

ELK RIVER REBOUNDS, DEFEATS GRAND RAPIDS 6-2

For Elk River, the final day of the 34th Annual Edina Holiday Classic offered a game setting that could see the Elks losing their fourth straight game, or claim redemption against a deep and talented Grand Rapids squad.

The Elks chose the latter, rattling off six straight goals in a 6-2 win over the Thunderhawks on Saturday night at Braemar Ice Arena.

Elk River, ranked No. 13 in the latest Class AA coaches’ poll, had lost three consecutive games going into Saturday’s test, falling to No. 3-AA Blaine, No. 2-AA Eden Prairie and No. 5-AA Edina.

“December is a tough month for us,” Elks' coach Gordie Roberts said after the game. “But it’s a character-building month, and that’s how you get better.”

Roberts trotted out a new starting line for Saturday’s game, having freshman Jack Perbix center sophomore Connor Bizal and senior Al Schwab. The trio combined for three points, with the speedy Perbix leading the way with a goal and an assist in the win.

Senior forward Jensen Zerban scored two goals, while junior forward Kyle Bouten, junior defenseman Nick Perbix and junior forward Max Michaelis all scoring one goal apiece. Junior goaltender Ben Meyers made 26 saves for the Elks (6-3-0).

Senior forward Jason Koehn and sophomore forward Gavin Hain were the goal-scorers for Grand Rapids (6-4-1).

“I think all coaches try and look at different combinations,” Roberts said of his choice to go with a different starting lineup. “You just have to see what’s going to work.”

Eden Prairie’s Hunter Johannes reacts after his shot sneaks part Edina’s Charlie deGrood to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead in the first period of Saturday’s 6-4 win over Edina. Credit: Peter Odney.

Eden Prairie’s Hunter Johannes reacts after his shot sneaks part Edina’s Charlie deGrood to give the Eagles a 1-0 lead in the first period of Saturday’s 6-4 win over Edina. Credit: Peter Odney.

EAGLES EDGE RIVAL HORNETS 6-4

Eden Prairie now has two lines that can score at will.

Early in the season, Minnesota commit Casey Mittelstadt and Notre Dame commit Michael Graham skated on the Eagles’ top line with Cole Lawrence, and the trio formed a potent scoring threat.

To add depth to the already formidable lineup, Eden Prairie coach Lee Smith now has Graham and Mittelstadt centering their own lines.

“Each of those guys is good enough to carry their own line,” Smith said after his Eagles edged Lake Conference rival Edina 6-4 in the finale of the Holiday Classic on Saturday night. “The guys that play with them are really talented hockey players,” Smith said.

Graham retained Lawrence on one of his wings, while bruising junior Hunter Johannes occupied the other wing slot. Mittelstadt now centers Eden Prairie’s leading goal scorer Nolan Sullivan, who has nine goals, and gritty senior Spencer Steen.

Graham scored two goals in the win over Edina, with Mittelstadt, Sullivan, Johannes and junior Jared Blackowiak tacking on one goal each.

Mittelstadt had a second goal robbed by Edina goaltender Charlie deGrood, who snagged a rarely caught Mittelstadt one-timer on an Eagle odd-man rush, eliciting a stunned reaction from Mittelstadt.

“More often than not, those go in,” Smith said with a laugh. “(Mittelstadt) was laughing,” Smith added. “He couldn’t believe the guy made the save either.

The win gives the No. 2-AA Eagles (7-1-0) a perfect 3-0 mark in Holiday Classic play, an impressive run after suffering their first loss of the season 6-5 to top-ranked Benilde-St. Margaret’s on Dec. 11.

Edina’s Ben Copeland scored two goals and added one assist to lead the No. 5-AA Hornets (6-4-0), who also saw Casey Dornbach and Bram Scheerer mark the scoresheet. 

Grand Rapids’ Mitchell Mattson drops to a knee to celebrate scoring a goal in the Thunderhawks' 6-3 loss to Eden Prairie on Friday night. Credit: Peter Odney.

Grand Rapids’ Mitchell Mattson drops to a knee to celebrate scoring a goal in the Thunderhawks' 6-3 loss to Eden Prairie on Friday night. Credit: Peter Odney.

Holiday Classic - Day 2

EDEN PRAIRIE POWER PLAY THE DIFFERENCE IN 6-3 WIN

Junior forward Casey Mittelstadt scored a goal and added four assists to lead Eden Prairie to a 6-3 win over Grand Rapids on Friday evening, giving the Eagles back-to-back wins at the 34th Annual Edina Holiday Classic.

The Eagles, ranked No. 2 in the latest Class AA coaches’ poll, converted on three of four power play attempts in the win, staking them a 4-1 lead after two periods.

No. 9-AA Grand Rapids got goals from senior forward Alex Adams and junior defenseman Hunter Huson in the first seven minutes of the third period to pull within one goal at 4-3. However, Eagle junior forward Nolan Sullivan netted a pair of goals (including an empty-netter) in the last six minutes of the game, icing the win for Eden Prairie.

Senior forwards Michael Graham and Cole Lawrence also scored for Eden Prairie (6-1-0). Mittelstadt’s performance gives him two goals and five assists in the tournament.

Senior forward Mitchell Mattson had a goal and an assist for the Thunderhawks (6-3-1), giving him three goals and six points through two games of Holiday Classic action.

EDINA’S DEGROOD BLANKS ELK RIVER FOR THIRD SHUTOUT OF THE SEASON

No. 5-AA Edina scored four goals in the third period to defeat No. 13-AA Elk River 4-0 in the nightcap of the Holiday Classic’s second day.

Sophomore forward Lewis Crosby scored twice for Edina (6-3-0), while sophomore forward Sam Walker and senior forward Ben Tucker scored one goal each in the win. Tucker’s goal was his seventh, which leads the team.

Senior goaltender Charlie deGrood stood tall for the Hornets, stopping 16 shots in the third period and 27 overall to notch his third shutout of the season. deGrood’s first came on Nov. 24 in a 7-0 win over No. 17-2A Farmington, and his most recent in a 3-0 win over Cretin-Derham Hall on Dec. 1.

deGrood’s counterpart in the Elk River net, junior Benny Meyers, was no slouch either in the losing effort. Meyers made 28 saves on 30 shots for the Elks (5-3-0), with two of the Hornet goals being scored on an empty net. 

Edina’s Charlie deGrood makes one of his 27 saves in a 4-0 shutout of Elk River on Friday. Credit: Peter Odney.

Edina’s Charlie deGrood makes one of his 27 saves in a 4-0 shutout of Elk River on Friday. Credit: Peter Odney.

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