Maple Grove at Totino-Grace
7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 28

After winning its first eight games of the season, Totino-Grace lost 4-0 against No. 2-1A Blake last Friday. It came after the Eagles took over the No. 1 spot in the Class 1A rankings, surpassing Orono, which had been No. 1 all season.

The good news for the Eagles (8-1, 8-0) is that Blake is not a conference opponent. Their first eight games of the season came against Northwest Suburban Conference teams, so they have a healthy lead in the league standings. 

The Eagles have 24 conference points, while Maple Grove (8-0-2, 7-0-2) has 23. Totino-Grace has one more conference game remaining than the Crimson, however. Third-place Blaine has 18 points, so this looks like it's a two-team race. If the Crimson can't get a win or draw on the road on Thursday, the Eagles could be walking to the Northwest Suburban title. 

The Crimson will need big performances Thursday from forwards Jeff Clune and Alex Downing, who have combined for 15 goals.

The duo will be challenged to find ways to score against Eagles goalie Philip Ronza, who, with the help of his defense, has allowed just four goals in conference play this season.