Two of the top squads in the Suburban East Conference clash when Stillwater visits East Ridge, and the winner could be in the driver’s seat for the league title, as well as gain an advantage in seeding for the postseason tournament.
Despite finishing ahead of East Ridge in the conference standings the past two seasons, Stillwater twice lost to East Ridge in the Class 2A, Section 4 playoffs — in the semifinals a year ago and the championship game in 2016. Carrying confidence into the postseason from a regular-season victory could be key if the Ponies (8-1-3, 3-1-1) hope to avoid another loss to the Raptors in section play. They can also stay atop the Suburban East standings with a win.
If anyone is going to find the back of the net for the No. 6-2A Ponies against an East Ridge defense allowing 0.9 goals per game this season, there’s a good chance it’ll be Lexi Huber (8 goals, 4 assists) or Megan Howard, who's scored at least a goal a week through September.
East Ridge (8-1-1, 3-0-0) is on a tear of its own. Coming off a 7-2 win against St. Peter on Sept. 22, the Raptors have outscored opponents 26-9. Linnea Yacovella, a senior, scored three of East Ridge's five goals when the Raptors defeated Forest Lake 5-0 on Sept. 6.
Before playing Stillwater on Tuesday, East Ridge's perfect conference record will be tested in a makeup game against No. 5-2A White Bear Lake Monday.