Faceoff

Bahnemann notches first college point

FELDY: A good night for two former Rochester-area hockey players last night (Friday).

Former Lourdes standout forward Brandon Bahnemann notched his first college point, an assist, in Bentley's 3-3 tie against Air Force at Cadet Ice Arena in Colorado Springs. Bahenmann had the lone assist on Justin Kemmerer's goal at 7:28 of the second period. That goal gave Bentley a 3-2 lead, but ...

Austin native Tim Kirby had the first assist on a power-play goal by Kyle De Laurell at 3:41 of the third period to tie the score 3-3. That's how it ended, and Bentley is now 2-3-1 overall and 2-1-1 in Atlantic Hockey. Air Force is 3-5-1, 3-1-1.

From this account, it sounds like Bahnemann made a heady play on the goal, going for a wraparound, but firing a centering pass to Kemmerer instead.

From Air Force's perspective, they feel like an opportunity slipped away.

The teams are set to meet again tonight.

HS Football Picks: Section finals edition

PHERSY: Well, Feldy you picked up another game on me. This is getting embarrassing (or more embarrassing than it already was). I already knew I wasn't good at picking games, but I always felt good knowing that I was at least better than you. It looks like this is finally going to be your year. Feldy went 5-2 last week and improved to 38-32 and I went 4-3 to move to 36-34. Here we go with the section finals ...

1AAAAA

Owatonna vs. Lakeville North

1AAAA

New Prague vs. Northfield

1AAA

La Crescent vs. Kasson-Mantorville

1AA

Zumbrota-Mazeppa vs. Caledonia

2AA

Triton vs. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown

1A

Goodhue vs. Blooming Prairie

Nine-man

Houston vs. Grand Meadow

* * * *

FELDY: All good things must come to an end. That's likely to happen to my streak this week. The lead is nice ... while it lasts. Here goes:

1AAAAA
Lakeville North 35, Owatonna 21: Owatonna is playing really well right now, but we'll see how their offense fares against a metro school that is likely faster and more skilled all around than any opponent Owatonna has seen this season.

1AAAA
Northfield 33, New Prague 19: The Raiders win the section for a second straight season. Their offense is too talented and too unpredictable (in a good way).

1AAA
Kasson-Mantorville 31, La Crescent 20: This is a grudge match for La Crescent, but since the start of the season we've heard about how talented this K-M team is. They showed it last week against Lourdes and will do the same this week.

1AA
Caledonia 42, Z-M 26: No disrespect meant to the Cougars; Caledonia is just that good.

2AA
W-E-M 18, Triton 16: Speaking of grudge matches, I don't think there's a lot of love between these teams. Respect? Yes. Love? No. W-E-M in a squeaker on its home field.

1A
Blooming Prairie 23, Goodhue 20: Both of these teams are playing very well. It just feels like the Blossoms' time to get back to state after having so many very good teams that didn't.

9-MAN
Houston 24, Grand Meadow 22: If I've been consistent at anything this year, I've been consistently awful at picking Nine-Man games, so .... the coin came up heads for Houston, which means ... Grand Meadow, congratulations on your section title.

•••

PHERSY: Gee, thanks Feldy ... you didn't pick any upsets, so that means I really have to go out there to gain any ground. Looks like you're the champ ...

1AAAAA

Directional Lakeville school 35, Owatonna 13: Lake Conference vs. Big Nine ... I think we know who wins that matchup.

1AAAA

Northfield 21, New Prague 6: I wasn't impressed with Northfield last week, but I still think the Raiders will do enough to get past New Prague.

1AAA

Kasson-Mantorville 37, La Crescent 20: The KoMets have proved to be one of the best teams in the state. And they've proven you can move their game any where you want, and they'll still beat ya!

1AA

Caledonia 40, Zumbrota-Mazeppa 19: I'd like to see Caledonia play for the Class AAA state title. But I'll settle for watching it go for the AA crown. They're the best!

2AA

W-E-M 24, Triton 23: W-E-M plays on a horrible field, but it's home for the Bucs, so I'll take them by home-field advantage. Like I always say, though, never count out Don Henderson. This certainly isn't his most talented team, but he's gotten a lot out of this group.

1A

Goodhue 31, Blooming Prairie 25: G-Force! G-Force! G-Force! The Wildcats are purple hot, and that will continue.

Nine-man

Grand Meadow 32, Houston 29: Somebody once told me to never pick against Houston. Well, Feldy has forced me to do so. Sorry ...

Ice Hawks news and notes

PHERSY: What's up all ... happy Thursday!!!

So, I finally caught up with coach Fatis and spoke with him regarding the scrimmage this week against the St. Mary's JV. And let's just say, coach was very, very pleased.

The "scrimmage" was played like a real game, with refs, official scoring, etc. And the Ice Hawks came away with a 4-1 victory.

They led 3-0 after the first, and St. Mary's got its only goal late in the third on a power play. Korby
Anderson had two goals to lead the Ice Hawks. Trevor Lloyd and Rick Weber also scored for the Hawks.

Fatis said the Ice Hawks outshot St. Mary's about 40-25 (he didn't have the exact number). Sammy 
Hingtgen earned the the start in net, and he played two periods. He didn't allow a goal, and Fatis said he looked sharp. Jordan Yaggy played the final period, and he also played well.

"It went really, really well," Fatis said. "Of course, we came back and had a terrible practice yesterday, but we were better today."

Fatis said he thought the best player on the ice for St. Mary's was former Hawk Jay Gorman. "He was tough, and he looked like he's put on some weight, which is good. It was neat to see him skate again, though it was a bit surreal to see him skating for another team," Fatis said. "It made me proud to see him do so well."

Other notes ...

The MnJHL finally handed down its suspensions from last weekend's line brawl with the Wildcats. And it's mostly good news for the Ice Hawks. The only Rochester player suspended is Cory Volk, and he'll serve just one game. Joe Velasquez and Erik Ordahl were not suspended.

"For the most part, I feel like the league got it right," Fatis said. "Volk probably deserved the game. At the same time, he was defending a teammate who had two guys on him. That's a tough spot for anybody. It's why I hate line brawls; that's when people get hurt. Volk saw a situation where a teammate was going to get hurt, and he rejoined the fray. Actually, he could have done worse and just (punched the kid) in the face, but he didn't. While I think Cory probably deserves the suspension, I'm not disappointed in him at all." ...

Who will be in net this weekend? Fatis said he has no idea. "Sammy played well. But we got some bad news ... Yaggy's grandmother died yesterday. He's going to rejoin the team at some point this weekend, but I'm not sure when," Fatis said. "I know Jordan's not going to start Friday, but that's all I know right now. Sammy looked good, and Simon's still solid. I'm still 100 percent up in the air." ...

As far as injuries go, the Ice Hawks are looking fairly healthy. Fairbanks, Phelps, Flott and Bromberg are out for sure this weekend. But other than that, Fatis is hoping to have everyone available. The only one he's concerned about is Velasquez, who had surgery this week. It's still possible he could play, but Fatis said he's not putting him on the ice unless he's 100 percent.

It's a huge weekend for the Hawks. They welcome the first-place Granite City Lumberjacks to town on Friday and Saturday, in what easily is the biggest weekend of the season thus far. It's also Military Appreciation Weekend, so all former and current members of the military will be admitted to the games on Friday and Saturday free of charge. And there will be a special presentation of the country's colors before each game.

That's all for now. Go enjoy this beautiful day!

ICE HAWKS: Going to Winona, Winona, Winona

PHERSY: Plenty of Ice Hawks notes for you ...

• The Ice Hawks will be down in Winona tonight, scrimmaging against St. Mary’s. I know there’s a caravan of Hawks fans heading down there, so if you’re interested in going, contact a member of the Hawks Nest. Of note, Jay Gorman and Bryce Stevens are playing for St. Mary’s, so those two will get a chance to go against a few of their former teammates. Scrimmage starts at 6:30 p.m.

• Forward Joe Velasquez had surgery yesterday on his “upper body.” Fatis didn’t want me to write exactly where the injury was because it’s in a spot that opponents could go after. It sounds like the surgery went well, and Velasquez could be on the ice this weekend. It was a fairly minor surgery but something that needed to be taken care of. “He’s fine,” Fatis said. He won’t skate tonight, but he should be good for this weekend. At the same time, it’s not the Stanley Cup Finals, so we’ll take everything into account and make sure he’s 100 percent.”

• Forward Myles Flott is scheduled to have surgery on his groin later this month. Depending on how that goes, Flott could be back in January. “The recovery time could be shorter than expected,” Fatis said. It could only be a month or six weeks, which is pretty amazing.” 

• Forward Justin Banaszak has left the team. Fatis didn’t give me a reason why.

• It’s obviously a huge weekend for the Ice Hawks. They’re hosting the Granite City Lumberjacks (13-3) on Friday and Saturday at the Rec Center. This weekend is also Military Appreciation Weekend. All current and retired military personnel, with proper ID, will receive free admission to the Ice Hawks games on Friday and Saturday. There will be a special presentation of our country’s colors on both nights. Also, the Hawks Nest will be selling stuffed animals for the Stuffed Animal Toss, which will take place after the Ice Hawks’ first goal. All proceeds will go to our local Military Family Readiness Groups.

• The Ice Hawks are still waiting to hear what’s going on with possible suspensions from last weekend’s line brawl with the Minnesota Wildcats. If you haven’t seen it yet, go hit up youtube. It’s ugly, all around. The one part that got me was the guy who decided to try to beat up Velasquez. What that player did was deplorable. Velasquez didn’t want to fight, never dropped his gloves, and spent the better part of a minute trying to get away from the kid. When Velasquez, who is injured and was protecting that injury with surgery coming up, did finally break free from that player and started skating toward the bench, that player took a swing at the back of Velasquez’s head. The league needs to make sure this type of play isn't acceptable. If that punch to the back of Velasquez’s head lands, it could have resulted in a serious injury, to a kid who wasn’t trying to fight. Anyway, enough of that rant ... the Ice Hawks should know by tonight if any of their players will be suspended for this weekend’s games. Erik Ordahl, Velasquez (yeah, the guy who was trying not to fight) and Cory Volk are the players who are in question.

• As of right now, Fatis said only Phelps, Flott and Fairbanks are out for sure this weekend. All the other injured players are up in the air. Jackson, Sanchez, Velasquez, Rucinski and Diltz (suffered a broken nose last weekend) all could be available. None of those guys will play tonight down in Winona, but if they progress this week, they could be back in the lineup.

• Fatis said he’ll dress all three goalies tonight. He’s not sure who will play or if he’ll play all three, but he knows he needs to make a decision for this weekend. And he needs to do it soon!

That’s all for now. I’ll check in with coach tomorrow to find out how the scrimmage goes.

Over and out from Lambeau

FELDY: That was, well, entertaining. Got a little too tight in the third quarter for Vikings fans. I was certainly much more comfortable with a three-touchdown lead as opposed to a four-point lead. As well as the Vikes are playing, they need to figure out a way to step on an opponent's throat and put 'em away. I thought the TD that made it 24-3 early in the second half today was the start of that, then Brian Robison treated the football like a shot put on a kick return and the floodgates opened. The Vikes' D was able to pull it together just in time and preserve the 38-26 win.

Nice day for Brett Favre; he was extremely happy after the game, regardless of how he looked during his news conference.

I'm tired; time for bed. The text below is my running blog from Lambeau. I'll hop back on here tomorrow if I get back to Rochester at a decent time.

* * * *

We've got 53:10 until game time as I type this. Anybody else have some butterflies yet? I'll try to update this as much as I can throughout the game. Let's start with ...

Brett Favre hasn't taken the field yet for pre-game warmups, but I have a feeling his greeting is going to be almost equal boos-to-cheers ratio. They're running the feed of the Cowboys game on the jumbotrons here and, during a break in that game, they showed a clip of Favre walking into Lambeau off the team bus. The stadium was about a quarter full at the time, but I'd guess every person in here either cheered or booed. It was pretty close to half and half.

Walking through the tailgating lots this morning, there were a lot more purple jerseys than I expected. And there's no doubt this crowd has been waiting for this game since Aug. 18, when Favre made that plane trip from Mississippi to Minnesota, followed by the O.J.-like car ride with Chili to WInter Park.

Speaking of Favre, some creative Packers fan (we're assuming) covered up the "P" on the street sign "Brett Favre Pass" near Lambeau Field. Yeah, that's how a lot of people feel about him around here.

* * * *

I was wrong. Far more boos than cheers. With 48:15 to go before kickoff, Favre jogged onto the Lambeau Field turf with the Vikings other QBs. He went straight to the visitors sideline, and seemed to settle into a spot at about the 50 to start warming up. Perhaps he picked that spot because there is a larger contingent of Vikings fans in that area. I imagine the boos will magnify when Favre takes the field for the Vikings' first series.

* * * *

This might start looking like a 2003 Packers reunion. You have Favre on one sideline and there's a good chance we could see Ahman Green, Mark Tauscher and Chad Clifton play at some point for the Packers today. Tauscher and Clifton are both active; Offensive linemen Breno Giacomini and Jason Spitz are inactive today for Green Bay. That means Scott Wells starts at center for the Packers.

* * * *

Other inactives: For Minnesota -- Antoine Winfield, Albert Young, Naufahu Tahi, Jon Cooper, Darius Reynaud, Jayme Mitchell and LeTroy Guion. Sage Rosenfels is the third QB.
For Green Bay: FB Korey Hall, S Matt Giordano, T Breno Giacomini, C/G Jason Spitz, WR Jordy Nelson, TE Jermichael Finley, DE Jarius Wynn, LB Jeremy Thompson.

* * * *

View from my press box seat, about 3 hours before game time.

* * * *

It's halftime, 17-3 Vikings. Right now, total yards are 157-46 in the Vikings favor.

I'm sure Chili would be taking a verbal beating in Minnesota right now, were it not for the fact that the Packers are starting T.J. Lang at left tackle and Aaron Rodgers has had to hold the ball for way too long.

The Vikings haven't been completely sharp on offense; defensively, they've been outstanding. Their secondary is playing a whale of a game -- sans Antoine Winfield -- for a second straight week. The reason Rodgers has been sacked at least twice is because he's held the ball for so long looking for an open receiver. He's also scrambled out of the pocket a few times and shook off an owie after Kevin Williams tripped him up on one of those scrambles.

The boos for #4 have died out mostly. He's thrown for 90 yards and a TD, with no interceptions, in the first half. He threaded a laser to Sidney Rice with about 48 seconds to go in the two-minute drill, a throw that set up Ryan Longwell's 41-yard field goal at the end of the first half.

I wouldn't be surprised to see some changes on Green Bay's offensive line to open the second half. I know coach Mike McCarthy is trying to build continuity, but the Packers haven't picked up the blitz or run the ball very well.

The Vikings need to carry this momentum into the second half. THey get the ball to start the third quarter. If they can put another TD up, the fans here will become even less interested. Like I wrote in Saturday's P-B, though, this is Lambeau Field, Halloween weekend, against the Vikings. Crazy stuff happens. Hopefully not in the next 30 minutes, but it does.

I'll check  in again after the game.

Live from somewhere in Sconnie

FELDY: In about 15 hours the next biggest game of the NFL season will be upon us when a certain gray-haired QB takes the field at The House that He Restored against his former team. I'll be in the Lambeau Field press box, or maybe as a member of the Minnesota media contingent, I'll be in a dark room somewhere in the basement of Lambeau watching on a 5-inch monitor.

So you think Sconnies aren't fired up for this? I pulled over at a Subway to grab some supper somewhere in the middle of Sconnie. I think it was in Swissville, or perhaps Cheddartown. Maybe it was Gouda City, but it really doesn't matter. Point is, a Sheriff's deputy saw my Minnesota plates and good-naturedly gave me the business. He asked if I was a Vikings fan; I said 'yeah, but I'm here on official business this weekend. I have to be impartial.' Then I explained to him that I was on my way to Green Bay to report on the big game for a newspaper. He laughed and said, "That's good, I was going to have to follow you all the way there if you were going as a Vikings fan." He was kidding. I think.

Tomorrow (well, today by now ... or is it today yet ... can't figure out anything with this time change; it's like trying to figure out how to convert the Canadian dollar to American) I'll try to post to the blog a time or two during the game. That's always my plan, but game day gets hectic and I get caught up in the game. I'm going to catch up with a group of tailgators from Kasson before the game and hope to have a story on postbulletin.com by tomorrow night, as well as pictures of that group of crazies.

I talked to a Packers fan from Rochester, Mike Murphy, on the phone yesterday and will write about some of his thoughts, too. He seemed to be one of those rare level-headed Packers fans; said he still appreciates Favre, he just doesn't want The Brett to do well this weekend.

That's all I got right now. I'm gonna try to figure out what time this hotel room clock should be set at. Hope everyone had a good Halloween.

Remember: Kickoff, 3:15 p.m.

H.S. Football Picks: Playoffs, Round 2

FELDY: The good news, Phersy: We both went 5-2 in our picks of Tuesday's games. The sobering news: That leaves me just three games over .500 at 33-30, while you're just a game over .500 at 32-31. Here's a big shock: The 9-man games did me in on Tuesday; those were the only two I got wrong. You chose my "do the opposite" approach when it came to 9-man, and that saved your bacon, though you got both of the Section 1AA games wrong.

Here's what's on tap for section semifinal Saturday picks:

SECTION 1AAAAA
• No. 4 Owatonna at No. 1 Rochester Century

SECTION 1AAAA
• No. 5 Austin at No. 1 Northfield

SECTION 1AAA
• No. 3 P-E-M at No. 2 La Crescent

SECTION 2AA
• No. 4 Triton at No. 1 United South Central
• No. 3 Southland at No. 2 Waterville-Elysian-Morristown

SECTION 1A
• No. 3 Rushford-Peterson at No. 2 Goodhue

NINE-MAN
• No. 6 Spring Grove at No. 2 Houston

******

PHERSY: I'm back on track Feldy. You better watch out this week ... or just copy my picks. I'm going to take the lead back after this week, unless you chicken out.

1AAAAA

Owatonna 28, Century 20: Owatonna is playing well right now, and the Huskies had a lead on Century the last time they played. This time, Owatonna holds on to that lead and moves on to the section final against a directional Lakeville school.

1AAAA

Northfield 31, Austin 21: Feldy is trying to take advantage of me here, knowing I'm a Big Red Machine fan. But Northfield's offense is too balanced; the Raiders will run multiple offenses against the Packers, lining up in the spread for a possession, then switching to the wishbone, the wing-T ... and they run every one of those offensive sets well. Austin is riding high, but Northfield is too good. Now we'll see if Feldy has the guts to pick Big Red in the upset.

1AAA

PEM 26, La Crescent 25: This should be a great game. PEM is playing well, and La Crescent struggled last week against Stewartville. I like the Bulldogs and Blaine Miller to bully their way past La Crescent. What's up with Feldy not putting Lourdes vs. K-M on here?

2AA

USC 20, Triton 14: It's a down year for the Cobras, though I still hate to pick against a great coach like Don Henderson. I also don't like to pick in favor of one of my old South Central Conference rivals. ... But I'll go with the Rebels in a close one.

Southland 41, WEM 21: I think the Rebels prove week after week that they're the real deal. Their offense is very good, and I think their defense will do enough to upset the Bucs.

1A

Goodhue 27, R-P 15: This is another matchup of a really hot team in Goodhue and a team that's struggling a bit (though still winning games) in R-P. I like Logan Brand a lot, and he's a horse to bring down. But coach Clair Austin will have the Wildcats defense playing well. It's back to the G-Force era!

Nine-man

Houston 35, Spring Grove 22: Houston burned me last time, but I don't see it stopping before the section title game. Though Houston lost a lot from last year, there's enough returning experience to carry them in this one.

• • •

FELDY: Short on time, keeping this succint.

SECTION 1AAAAA
Century 22, Owatonna 21: Too many people seem to be forgetting that Century is the No. 1 seed and did beat Owatonna in the regular season, regardless of how it happened. I'm not saying Owatonna can't win, but too many people I talk to are counting Century out.

SECTION 1AAAA
Northfield 33, Austin 16: Northfield's offense is too much for teams in this section to take.

SECTION 1AAA
La Crescent 28, PEM 24: There's a reason La Crescent was seeded No. 2 in this section. This just in: The Lancers are good.

SECTION 2AA
USC 16, Triton 13: What Phersy said.
WEM 26, Southland 21: Nice run for the Rebels comes to a close.

SECTION 1A
Goodhue 31, R-P 18: Wildcats are much better than I thought at the beginning of the season.

NINE-MAN
Houston 38, Spring Grove 21: Hurricanes are tough to beat at playoff time.

ICE HAWKS: A quick Thursday update

PHERSY: Here's a little roster move and injury update for you Hawks fans ...

The Ice Hawks completed a trade today, sending defenseman Grant Ehlert to the Hudson Crusaders for  
forward Justin Banaszak.

Fatis said Ehlert asked for a trade because he wasn't getting enough ice time. Banaszak hasn't been in Hudson long; he was traded there from the Bay State Breakers of the EJHL. He's a 5-foot-10, 175-pound forward ... and today is his birthday (19). Nice little birthday present for him.

Banaszak is scheduled to arrive in Rochester today, and it sounds like he'll meet up with a few teammates and have a skate-around.

"Justin's a good-sized forward, and it sounds like he's a decent skill guy," Fatis said. "He'll help add a little offense to the lineup. I have to say, Hudson was fantastic in this trade. We were very pleased to be getting Hudson, and this comes at a great time for us as we've been hit by a new rash of injuries."

Injuries indeed ... the Ice Hawks, before the trade, did not have enough healthy guys for Saturday's game against the Wildcats!

Chad Mundy was injured today; he suffered a cut just above his skate that required six stitches. It was a clean cut, so that's good news. But Fatis said he's questionable for the weekend.

Morgan Sanchez took a slap shot to the foot last weekend, and he hasn't skated this week. It's doubtful he will be available.

Alex Campbell and Zack King are sick, and they haven't been practicing. Fatis said they're out for Saturday.

Also injured it George Jackson. His ankle is doing fine, but now he has a shoulder injury. He will have an MRI on the shoulder, and he will not be available Saturday. Fatis isn't sure if Jackson will be back next weekend against Granite City.

Justin Phelps, Andrew Fairbanks, Matt Rucinski, Myles Flott and Andrew Bromberg are all still out. Flott went to St. Louis regarding his groin surgery, and the doctor there couldn't do it, so now he's headed to Philadelphia for surgery. Fatis said he doesn't have all the details at this point.

Sam Hingtgen likely will get the start in net Saturday. Fatis said he's about 90 percent on that one.

Also returning to the lineup will be Zach Diltz, and coach said he's considering moving Mike Lezotte up to forward for this weekend. Nik Tamanko will be back in action, too, and Fatis will throw the new kid (Banaszek) into the lineup right away to see what he can do.

One note about the Wildcats: They now have goalie Trey Flesch in their lineup. Flesch was in camp with the Ice Hawks, but just missed out on the final goalie spot. He's looked great so far for the Wildcats.

That's all for now.

Ice Hawks: Phelps out six weeks with broken hand

PHERSY: Man, I received a text last night that I certainly didn't want. Coach Nick Fatis let me know that Ice Hawks captain Justin Phelps has a broken hand and will be out six weeks. Phelps is scheduled to have surgery today.

What a tough break for that kid. After the shoulder injury, he was back and looking great. But when you play all-out like Phelps does, I guess injury will always be the risk. Even in his very first game back on Friday night, you could see the difference Phelps makes ... he's out there flying around, knocking people down, doing the dirty work in the corners, coaching teammates on the PK ... he's a natural leader.

"It's absolutely devastating," Fatis said last night. "I really don't even know what to say. I'm pretty shaken up. He's the best kid in the world."

Phelps injured the hand Friday when he blocked a shot. He went to the bench holding his hand, but he continued to play through the pain. He also played through the pain in Sunday's win against the Edina Lakers. But a trip to the doctor on Monday revealed the injury.

Phelps was at practice today, and Fatis said he's still going to stay very involved with the team.

"He'll have the surgery today, and he'll have no mobility for a week," Fatis said. "But after that, he'll be able to skate again. He won't be able to hold a stick for about five weeks, but he should be close to full strength at the end of the six weeks."

I guess the good news is that Phelps should be able to return just before Christmas. The bad news is the team desperately needs someone to step up and fill that role.

"It's unfortunate we only got one week of our captain," Fatis said. "But he's taking it pretty well. He's been through this before; this is his second surgery in a couple of months. Today he was in here and he was very vocal. We had player meetings, and he was involved in those. I guess it's unfortunate, but it's not the end of the world. I'm just glad that we will be able to get him back, because even having him out there for one weekend made a difference. I feel like the team has a whole different attitude after playing along side him for one weekend."

Fatis said the team is taking the news well. A few guys heard about the injury yesterday and the rest were informed today.

"It was big news, but most of the guys were worried about Justin and how he would react," Fatis said. "That's good. It means the guys are starting to think like a family. They weren't worried about what this meant to the team, they were just worried about Justin. But Justin is doing fine. He's still going to be the leader of the team."

That said, the team is going to need someone to step up over the next six weeks and fill Phelps' shoes. While nobody can completely replace Phelps, Fatis thinks it will have to be a combination of guys who take on that leadership role.

"I don't think it can be just one guy," Fatis said. "We'll see how it plays out. But I think a kid like Cory volk, with his re-inspired play, can make a difference. He's a kid who needs to lead by example, though. HE needs to get out there, pound it into the ice and let the guys see what it takes. He can be similar to Phelps in that way. Maybe a kid like Alex Campbell can be that guy. He's having a great year, and he's earned the respect of a lot of his teammates. Even new guys like Erik Ordahl and Tyler Roberg are young guys who have already gained the respect of their teammates. I've talked to Ordahl about taking on more of a leadership role, and I think he's up to it. And we've seen what a guy like Tyler Groth is capable of when he's on. I mean, I really just don't think it's going to be one guy. We're going to need everyone to step up."

So that's all I've got for now. It's bad news, but I'm glad that we'll see Phelps again before the end of 2009. It will be rough while he's out, but the kid's a warrior and he'll be back on the ice before we know it.

Fatis said he's still looking at a few possible trades, and those could be coming in the next few weeks. I'll get it on the blog as soon as something happens.

HS Football Picks: Playoffs, Week 1

PHERSY: Well Feldy, I think we sealed our fate last week ... the high school football picks need to be discontinued for next season. I can't take it any more. I can't even "do the opposite" right. Anyway, only a few more weeks and we can put out of our misery. Last week was brutal ... and now I know I'm doomed when I start losing to Feldy. So, yeah, I went 2-5 and dropped below .500 for the first time in my career at 27-29. Feldy was impressive, going completely opposite and rattling off a 5-2 record, to bump his season mark to 28-28. Let's get playoff Week 1 out of the way  (I'm tempted to do all of the 1 vs. 8 games, just so we get some right) ...

1AAAAA

No. 5 Mayo (5-3)  at No. 4 Owatonna (5-3)

1AAA

No. 5 Rochester Lourdes (5-3) at No. 4 Byron (6-2)

1AA

No. 5 Pine Island (3-5) at No. 4 Lewiston-Altura (4-4)

No. 6 Dover-Eyota (3-5)  at No. 3 Kingsland (4-4)

1A

No. 5 Medford (4-4) at No. 4 Fillmore Central (3-5)

1 Nine-Man

No. 6 Spring Grove (4-4) at No. 3 Lanesboro (5-3)

No. 5 Alden-Conger (4-4) at No. 4 Mabel-Canton (5-3)

* * *

FELDY: I'm tempted to let you go first this week, Phersy, so I can just go opposite of you this week! Well, maybe you can flip my strategy on me. Either way, as Glen Mason would say, we're both "BRUTAL! B-R-U-T-A-L!" Let's make these picks and keep the fingers crossed:

1AAAAA
Owatonna 25, Mayo 18: Mayo is playing much better than the first time these teams met, but it's hard to pick against the Huskies on their home field, and considering they won 33-6 when these teams met three weeks ago. And, under coach Jeff Williams, Owatonna has never lost a playoff game to a team it defeated during the regular season (6-for-6).

1AAA
Lourdes 16, Byron 14: Yes, the Bears won this matchup in the regular season, but Lourdes has settled in to a groove after recovering from losing RB Nic Jensen.

1AA
Lewiston-Altura 21, Pine Island 18: The Cardinals played a really tough schedule in the Three Rivers, suffering losses to Southland, P-E-M and Rushford-Peterson. That experience and the home-field advantage goes in L-A's favor.
Dover-Eyota 21, Kingsland 15: Kingsland won a close game between these teams early in the season. D-E flips the outcome this time.

1A
Fillmore Central 30, Medford 18: Fillmore played a tougher regular-season schedule and is at home for this one.

1 Nine-Man
Lanesboro 38, Spring Grove 35: These teams split two regular season games. Lanesboro won by 17 last week; they'll repeat the feat, but it'll be a nail-biter.
Mabel-Canton 48, Alden-Conger 38: M-C's offense is too tough on its home field.

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PHERSY: Not much to say Feldy ...

1AAAAA

Owatonna 35, Mayo 21: The Spartans are improved and they surprised many with their 5-3 season, but the Huskies are great when they don't turn the ball over. That Owatonna ground game won't be stopped at home.

1AAA

Lourdes 28, Byron 27: I'm with you on this one Feldy. The Eagles are getting healthy, and they're on a roll. Not that Byron isn't on a roll. The Bears were throwing the ball all over the field last week, but I think the Eagles are getting hot at the right time.

1AA

Pine Island 30, Lewiston-Altura 29: L-A seems to only play close games. And here's the kicker ... L-A alternated wins and losses all season, and it won its final regular-season game against W-K.

Kingsland 18, Dover-Eyota 13: These two teams are very even. Kingsland's four losses are to Caledonia, R-P, P-E-M and Southland. Not a bad resume.

1A

Fillmore Central 30, Medford 10: I'm with Feldy here, too ... have to take the home team. Don't know much about Medford. They've had some great teams over the years, but just judging by their scores, this one is FC's to win.

1 Nine-man

Spring Grove 30, Lanesboro 25: Feldy, I think you have this backwards ... I think Spring Grove won by 17 last week. Of course, that said, you'll probably end up getting it right, even though you don't know what you're talking about. But I like Joe Morken to rush for a few scores and lead SG to a win.

Alden-Conger 21, Mabel-Canton 13: Upset alert. A-C has a great defense. Three of its four wins came by way of shutout, and it lost to some very good teams. Plus, I can't figure out M-C. It beat Houston twice, but lost to Glenville-Emmons. Should be a good game either way.