Sports

EP hockey teams gear up for holiday tournaments

Rick Olson

December 26, 2024

Eden Prairie boys hockey senior captain Johnny Kleis (10) scores past three Elk River/Zimmerman defenders and their goalie, giving the Eagles a 1-0 first-period lead. Eden Prairie defeated Elk River 3-0 on Dec. 19 at the Edina Holiday Classic at Braemar Arena. Photo by Rick Olson

The Eden Prairie boys and girls hockey teams are preparing for pivotal tournaments over the holiday weekend.

The boys team (6-3-0, ranked No. 10 in Class 2A) heads to the Dakotah! Ice Center in Prior Lake for three games against top-five opponents. The tournament format does not feature a bracket or overall winner, but the Eagles will face a gauntlet of highly ranked teams:

• Thursday, Dec. 26: No. 6 Cretin-Derham Hall (6-1-1), 2:30 p.m.

• Friday, Dec. 27: No. 4 Moorhead (8-1-0), 2:30 p.m.

• Saturday, Dec. 28: No. 2 Hill-Murray (7-0-0), 2:30 p.m.

This follows last Saturday’s matchup with No. 3 Edina, marking one of the toughest stretches on Eden Prairie’s schedule.

Eden Prairie girls hockey junior forward Sara David (27) scores the game-winning goal with a backhanded shot in the final 37.7 seconds of the third period during the Eagles’ 2-1 victory over Stillwater on Dec. 20 at the Eden Prairie Community Center. David also tied the game earlier with a power-play goal at 15:07 in the second period. Photo by Rick Olson

The girls team (6-8-0) will host an eight-team holiday tournament at the Eden Prairie Community Center. The bracket-style competition begins Thursday, with champions crowned Saturday.

• Thursday, Dec. 26: Eden Prairie opens against Chaska-Chanhassen (4-7-0) at 11 a.m.

• Friday and Saturday: Opponents and game times will depend on Thursday’s result.

While no teams in the tournament are ranked in the top 10 (either Class 2A or Class 1A), Eden Prairie has a chance to compete for the title on home ice.

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