Sartell-St. Stephen Takes on Elk River/Zimmerman in Section 8AA Showdown

Date: Thursday, January 2, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM CST
Venue: Furniture and Things Community Event Center, Elk River

The Sartell-St. Stephen Sabres (2-5-1) will face the Elk River/Zimmerman Elks (3-6-1) in a highly anticipated Section 8AA matchup. Both teams are looking to build momentum as they head deeper into the season.

Team Overviews

Sartell-St. Stephen Sabres

Current Record: 2-5-1
Conference Standing: 2nd in the Central Lakes Conference (2-0-1 conference record)
Goals Per Game (GPG): 2.50
Goals Against Per Game (GAPG): 4.62
Last Game: A 6-2 loss to Holy Angels on December 28 in the Premiere Holiday Classic.

The Sabres are led offensively by Devin Jacobs and Jameson Schmitz, who each have 3 goals this season. Keaton Landowski, with 6 points, has been a consistent playmaker, while goaltender Adam Holien holds a .870 save percentage and a 3.52 GAA.

Upcoming Games for Sartell-St. Stephen:

Jan 4 vs. Buffalo
Jan 7 vs. St. Cloud

Elk River/Zimmerman Elks

Current Record: 3-6-1
Conference Standing: 8th in the Northwest Suburban Conference (1-2-0 conference record)
Goals Per Game (GPG): 2.30
Goals Against Per Game (GAPG): 2.80
Last Game: A commanding 6-0 win over Brainerd on December 28.

The Elks are powered by Tristan Kriech, who has racked up 9 goals and 15 points this season, making him the team’s standout offensive threat. Gavin Greniuk has been stellar in goal with a .925 save percentage and a 2.70 GAA, anchoring the team’s defense.

Upcoming Games for Elk River/Zimmerman:

Jan 4 vs. Champlin Park
Jan 7 vs. St. Michael-Albertville

Conference Standings

Central Lakes Conference Standings (Sartell-St. Stephen):

Detroit Lakes (6-3-1)
Sartell-St. Stephen (2-5-1)
St. Cloud (4-6-1)

Northwest Suburban Conference Standings (Elk River/Zimmerman):

Rogers (11-1-1)
Totino-Grace (6-4-0)
Elk River/Zimmerman (3-6-1)

Keys to the Game

Sartell-St. Stephen: The Sabres need their offense to step up, especially on special teams, as their power play percentage stands at just 4.2%.
Elk River/Zimmerman: The Elks will look to capitalize on their strong goaltending and the scoring prowess of Kriech to win the game.