FOREST LAKE (4-12-2) AT DULUTH EAST (17-1)
What: Section 7AA championship
When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Ordean Stadium
Outlook: The Greyhounds are peaking in the playoffs, beating Cambridge-Isanti and Coon Rapids by a combined 16-0 to enter the final on an eight-game win streak. A 4-0 victory over Forest Lake began the run after the Greyhounds lost their only game of the season, 2-1 to Duluth Denfeld. East is seeking its fourth state tournament appearance and first since 2014. Junior forward William Francis (13 goals, eight assists) leads the team in scoring and is tied with junior midfielder Seth Hoffman for the goal-scoring lead. Senior midfielder Nolan Friday (9-11-20) pushes the attack, while senior goalkeeper Matthew Campbell (0.65 goals-against average) has posted six of his nine shutouts during the winning streak. ... The Rangers' only state appearance came in 1996 and this would rank as a monumental upset by a team that was on a 14-game winless streak before beating Blaine 4-3 and Anoka 2-1 in two road playoff wins. Carter Thiesfeld and Ethan Tomas led the team with three goals apiece during a regular season in which the Rangers were outscored on by a 2.9-1.2 average.
