Mankato West has dominated this rivalry in recent years, beating Mankato East by a combined score of 12-1 in their last three meetings. The Cougars will hope to get their first win against the Scarlets since 2013 while gaining some ground in the Big 9 Conference standings along the way.
Since a 4-3 season-opening loss against Orono, Mankato West (7-1, 6-0) has ripped off a seven-game winning streak, which includes four-straight shutout wins against conference opponents while posting an impressive plus-27 goal differential. Rachel Luedtke is a big reason for that wide gap, tallying six goals and eight assists, good enough for fifth in the state.
Entering the week eight points behind the Scarlets in the Big 9 standings, Mankato East (4-3-1, 3-1-1) finished last season 13 points back, and they haven’t finished above Mankato West since 2012.
Eighth-grader Ella Huettl should help spark the Cougars offense. She netted two goals and an assist in a 4-2 win over New Ulm on Sept. 10.