The past few years the Metro East Conference has been dominated by two teams: Mahtomedi and Hastings. And this season seems to be setting up for more of the same, as the Zephyrs trail the league-leading Raiders by a half-game at the start of the week.
Last season, Mahtomedi went 13-1 in league play on its way to the title. The Zephyrs swept the Raiders -- a seven-point road victory and a 10-point win at home -- with Annika Sougstad averaging 7.5 points in the series. This season, she's averaging 14.8 ppg, second most on the team behind Emma Grothaus (23.3 ppg), and both will be key to a victory for No. 5-3A Mahtomedi (11-1, 2-0) on Tuesday.
From 2014 to 2016, Hastings went 26-2 in the Metro East on its way to two conference championships. After last season’s second-place finish, the Raiders hope to reclaim the top spot in the league once again.
Hastings has started the season 3-0 in the conference, and with Mahtomedi being the only other undefeated team, the Raiders' matchups with the Zephyrs could have the feel of conference championship games.
Krystal Carlson and Mallory Brake could be the difference makers for Hastings (10-4, 3-0). Both average 19 points or more per game and have combined to score 39.9 ppg this season.