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Hockey Day Minnesota: Lakeville North vs. Duluth East Preview

02/05/2016, 1:30pm CST
By Emily Wright, courtesy Wild.com
Lakeville North's Reed Smith scores in the Panthers' 6-5 loss to Stillwater earlier this season. Credit Peter Odney.

Lakeville North's Reed Smith scores in the Panthers' 6-5 loss to Stillwater earlier this season. Credit Peter Odney.

The second high school game for Hockey Day Minnesota 2016 at the St. Luke's Orthopedics Sports Medicine Hockey Rink in Duluth is a rematch of last year’s AA championship between Lakeville North and Duluth East, and features two streaking teams who welcome the chance to make a statement against the other.

Lakeville North casts a long shadow in its division. It wasn’t always that way- when Coach Trent Eigner arrived in 2011, the joke was that its most successful athletic program was its marching band. The Panthers had a habit of succumbing to opponents by large margins. There was talent but little focus.

Now overflowing with players destined for D1, last year’s undefeated season and subsequent championship is a symptom of the successful system installed by Eigner and his assistants.

Standout points leader Ryan Poehling was selected first overall in the USHL draft last year, but elected to return for his senior season.

Why?

“Nothing beats high school hockey,” Poehling said. “It’s the only time where you are playing for your school, and more importantly playing with your buddies.”

Watching his two brothers make the same decision after being drafted may have influenced his thinking- all three plan to play for St. Cloud.

While Lakeville may cast a shadow, Mike Randolph’s Duluth East team is not content to stand in it.

Read more at Wild.com

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Tag(s): State Of Hockey  News