The Shattuck Preps played their first three Elite games last weekend at the NAHL Showcase at the Super Rink and then played one more at home on Wednesday.  After failing last season to repeat as three time USA Hockey U18 champions, the Preps are re-tooled this year with a team that includes seven Minnesota players.

At the Super Rink last weekend, Shattuck beat Team Southwest 5-2, Team Northwest 6-0, and tied Team North 3-3.  Wednesday, the Sabres beat Team Northwest a second time 3-0.  After four games in the league, the Sabres are in sixth place among the eight potential contenders.  Wins over Great Plaines and Team Southwest this weekend could put the Sabres in third, fourth, and fifth place despite having missed 6 regular season games.

The Sabres got 4 goals each from Chase Phelps/Eagan, MN and Anthony Petrella.  Alex Rodriquez/Miami FL, Ryan Norman/Maplewood MN, and Broydon Stufko/Prescott Ontario all posted 5 points each in the Sabres first 4 games.  Goalies Jeremy Brodeur and Luke Kania split the four games.  Brodeur got two shutouts and Kania got one shutout and a tie.

Team Southeast is threatening to run away with the regular season title.  They took 5 out of 6 points at the Super Rink last weekend, beating Great Plains 7-1 and Team Northwest 7-4 besides tying Wisconsin 4-4.  It put the TCF Bankers on top with 15 points.  But that breakaway was slowed when they tied Team Southwest 5-5 last Tuesday.  They have two tough weekend games to play in Week 4; Team Wisconsin and Team North.

The top four point getters for the Bankers are Tommy Novak/St. Thomas Academy, Tyler Sheehy/Burnsville, Nick Swaney/Lakeville South, and Willie Brown/Hill-Murray.  All four Bankers are in the Elite Leagues top 10 goal scorers going into this week’s play.  All are in the top 5 in points (joined by Jake Wahlin/White Bear Lake).  The Bankers goalies, Andrew Lindgren/Eagan and Grant Martens/Jefferson, are ranked in the top seven in save percentage and in the top six in goals per game.

Team Northeast sits in second place.  After being upended by Team Northwest 6-5 in their first game at the Super Rink, the MSPers came back to beat Team Southwest 5-3 and Great Plains 6-1.  This weekend, Team Northeast plays Team Southwest and Great Plains on Saturday and play Team North in their third game Sunday.

Team Northeast is led in scoring by Jake Wahlin, Mitchel Slatter/Hill-Murray, and Brandon Notermann/Blaine.  All three in the league’s top 10 in goals scored and points.

Team Wisconsin has yet to sweep a weekend series.  The Badgers opened with last weekend at the Showcase with a 5-3 win over Team North and tying league leading Team Southeast 4-4.  But then they lost to Team Southwest 2-1 on Sunday.  The Badger team plays Team Southwest and play Great Plains, a team they lost to 4-1 on opening weekend.  The Badgers’ third game is with Team Northwest.

Despite showing an ablitiy to move the puck, the Badger team reflects a defensive style.  Their scoring is balanced.  Charley Graaskamp/Eau Claire Memorial leads the Badgers with 10 points/2 goals.  They have split their goal tending duties between Ryan Wischow/Ashwaubenon and Nathan Siclovan/Stevens Point.  Wischow ranks third in the league behind Jeremy Brodeur/Shattuck and Hunter Shepard/Team North.

Team Northwest opened the weekend at the Super Rink with a nice 6-5 win over Northeast but have lost three games since then, two to Shattuck and one to Team Southeast.  They play two games this weekend at New Hope and it does not get easier for the Velocity.  They play Team North and Team Wisconsin.

Chase Springman/Elk River and Spencer Naas/Benilde-St. Magaret’s lead the Velocity team in scoring.

Team North lost their first three games of the season, but has gone 4-1-1 since then including a 3-3 tie with Shattuck and a 5-1 win over the league leaders, Team Southeast.  This weekend they will be favored to beat Team Northwest and Team Northeast on Saturday setting up a crucial game with Team Southeast Sunday.  A weekend sweep by North puts them in second place challenging Team Southeast for the top spot.

Team North has averaged 4.5 goals in their last six games.  In the first two weekends of play, Carter Roo, Jack Jenson, and Cole Smith carried the MMer’s offensive punch.  In the last four games, Christiano Versich, Jonah Bischoff, and Tanner Tweten carried the scoring load.  Versich was involved in all three goals scored in the North’s 3-3 tie with Shattuck.

Team Southwest has been an up and down team losing big to league leading Team Southeast 10-3 one weekend and tying Southeast 5-5 the next week.  A sweep of their two games this weekend against Northeast and Shattuck would help but that is not in the cards.  It would be back to back upsets.

Great Plains continues to struggle losing all three games at the Super Rink last weekend.  The Luther’s scored 9 goals the first weekend (in three games) and have scored 9 goals in the last 6 games.  They play three strong teams this weekend, Shattuck, Wisconsin, and Team Northeast.

This is “hump weekend” in the Elite league.  After Sunday, three weekends remain in the 2013 regular season play.  There should be separation after the weekend is over with Team Southwest, Team Northwest, and Great Plains falling into the lower third of the league.

Team North has been playing well and has a good shot at upending Team Southeast.  If the MMers do, then the top four teams should be all bunched with 15-18 points.  Team Southeast and Team Northeast would be in a virtual tie for first, Wisconsin and Team North in a virtual tie for third, and Shattuck will be lurking in the weeds not far behind alone in fifth.