The Little Falls Flyers (5-3-1) host the St. Cloud Cathedral Crusaders (7-4-2) on Tuesday, January 7, at the Exchange Arena. The puck drops at 7:00 PM.
The Flyers, under head coach Joey Hanowski, are off to a solid start. Coming off a strong 4-2 victory over Southwest Christian/Richfield, Little Falls will look to build momentum.
The offense is led by Ryan Oothoudt, who has been dynamic with 8 goals and 17 points. Supporting him are Luke Avery (11 points) and Joey Welinski (6 goals). In goal, Izaak Kalis has been reliable with a 2.74 GAA and a .917 save percentage, providing the Flyers with stability on the back end.
Key to Success: Little Falls must capitalize on their power-play opportunities, as the Flyers convert at 21.7%, and keep defensive lapses to a minimum to contain Cathedral’s high-powered offense.
The defending state champions, coached by Robert Stocker, are hitting their stride after a 4-2 win over Orono. Cathedral carries a dangerous attack force led by Joey Gillespie, who has tallied 13 goals this season, and John Hirschfeld, who leads the team with 24 points.
The Crusaders’ power play has been a strength, clicking at 27.3%, while their penalty kill has been useful at 73.7%. Goalie Keaton Legrande has been solid in net, with a 2.85 GAA and an .886 save percentage.
Key to Success: Cathedral needs to dominate puck possession and leverage their depth to wear down Little Falls. Quick transitions and execution on the powerplay will be pivotal.
This game promises to be a competitive battle between two well-coached teams. Little Falls has the home-ice advantage, but Cathedral’s depth might give them the edge.
Prediction: St. Cloud Cathedral 4, Little Falls 3.
