Prairie Centre Area drills Detroit Lakes

Action from the North Stars' season opener in Sauk Centre on Nov. 29...

With only one loss in their last seven outings, the Prairie Centre Area North Stars boys' hockey team appears to be peaking at the right time.

On Friday night at Detroit Lakes, the North Stars erupted with five goals and drilled the section rival Lakers 5-1. It's DL's seventh straight loss and avenges a 3-1 win by the Lakers on Dec. 8 earlier this season. Detroit Lakes is a former rival of Prairie Centre in Section 6A; they were moved out this year with a shift taking place in the boys' hockey sections and now reside in Section 8A. It's a much better fit, as they will compete against northwest Minnesota teams for playoffs.

The North Stars led 1-0 after one period and 3-1 after two were in the book. Read more on the big win in the Feb. 2 issue of the Sauk Centre Herald.

Prairie Centre Area takes an 11-7-1 record into Willmar tonight; the puck drops at 7 p.m. against the Cardinals (7-12 overall, 3-7 Central Lakes Conference). It's a huge match up, as the winner will likely have the upper hand over the other at Section 6A seeding time in February. The North Stars have won 11 of their last 16 hockey games.

A win over Willmar gives Prairie Centre a shot at the #5 seed in the 10-team section; a loss could push them down as low as #7. Wins in rematches with Morris/Benson Area on Feb. 9 on Wadena-Deer Creek on Feb. 10 will solidify their spot in the middle of the pack for playoffs. They are on track to break their 13-11-2 record of the 2007-08 season.

Top four seeds in Section 6A will most likely be held by Little Falls (14-6), Alexandria (10-8), Fergus Falls (9-7-1) and St. Cloud Apollo (8-10-1). A wildcard in the mix is Breckenridge/Wahpeton, who could end up anywhere from #5 to #7.