Mainstreeter boys' basketball and North Stars boys' hockey both win on Friday night

The Prairie Centre Area North Stars defeated section rival Wadena-Deer Creek 4-2 on Friday night at Wadena to improve to 13-10-1 overall on the season. Their final action before opening up the Section 6A playoffs is at Northern Lakes next Tuesday, Feb. 14. The Lightning team is 11-10-2.

In a game at Sauk Centre, the Mainstreeters boys' basketball team edged New London-Spicer 67-55. The Streeters (11-8) rise to 4-3 in the West Central North Conference and sit in third place alone. NL-S is 3-4 WCCN, 8-12 overall. Sauk Centre continues WCCN action on Monday at Paynesville Area.

Read more on both teams in next week's Sauk Centre Herald.

North Stars fall 2-1

Nate Mettenburg tries to poke check the puck away form a MBA player as goalie Justin Brever gets into position to make a stop.

Dan Perry stick checks an MBA player.

Cody Bartkowicz, who scored the team's lone goal in the 2-1 loss, backhands the puck into the Morris-Benson zone.

Prairie Centre Area got a late goal from Cody Bartkowicz, but Morris-Benson Area held on for the win....literally.

With the score 2-1, twice a Morris-Benson player covered up the puck in the defensive zone as precious seconds ticked off the clock. In one instance a player visibly closed his hand on the puck and swept it under his body, which should have resulted in a minor penalty. But officials did not call it.

Then, just minutes later, another Morris-Benson player purposely fell on the puck and smothered it with his body, but again no call. Players pleaded with the referees to make a call, but play went on.

The Storm held on for the 2-1 win.

Senior defenseman Brady Schulzetenberg helps deflect a shot from the point.

Justin Brever makes a nice stop in first-period action Thursday.

Streeter girls defeat Paynesville

Jordan Gamradt attempts a jumper in traffic in Thursday's win.

Ten different Sauk centre girls scored at least one basket Thursday night as the Streeters overcame an early deficit to defeat Paynesville 62-43 in Sauk Centre.

Macy Weller led the squad with 18 points as Sauk improved to 7-2 in the West Central North and 17-4 overall. Jena Klaphake had nine points and Krista Primus eight.

Sauk's next game will be Tuesday against Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta.

Liz Ellens goes in for a lay up although she was fouled on the play.

New London-Spicer played Albany tonight. No results yet on how that game turned out.

**Update at 11:15pm...the Albany Huskies did Sauk Centre a huge favor by knocking off the Wildcats by double digits tonight 65-51. The updated West Central North Conference standings are below.

WCCN girls' basketball standings as of Feb. 9:
1- Sauk Centre (7-2)
2- NL-S (6-3)
3- Albany (5-4)
4- Melrose (4-4)
5- Paynesville Area (4-5) *Bulldogs started WCCN schedule 2-0
6- Minnewaska Area (0-8)

Beth Gieske makes a move toward the basket.

Brianna VonWahlde goes in for a shot in action Thursday. She was one of 10 players who scored at least one basket.

Sauk Centre-Melrose matmen seeded ninth for Section 6AA playoffs

For the upcoming Section 6AA tournament, the Sauk Centre-Melrose wrestling team earned the #9 playoff seed in the 11-team group.

They open the playoffs in a play-in round match at Foley High School next Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 6 p.m. against #8-seed Princeton (5-13).

If SC-M wins, they will go again right away that night against #1-seed Foley (21-1) at approximately 7:30 p.m.

The full seedings are as follows:
1- Foley
2- New London-Spicer
3- Becker
4- Litchfield
5- Dassel-Cokato
6- Annandale-Maple Lake
7- Big Lake
8- Princeton
9- Sauk Centre/Melrose
10- Albany
11- Zimmerman

Mainstreeter boys win by one, girls' basketball drops one-point game

In a tough game at Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta tonight, the Mainstreeter boys' basketball team won 55-54. The Mainstreeters led the entire first half and were up by three at the break. MA/CA is ranked #2 in the south half of Section 6AA and sported a 12-5 overall record coming into the night. Sauk Centre went up as much as 42-33 before the Tigers clawed back and took a one-point lead with 3 minutes left.

Sauk Centre regained the lead and went up by the game's final margin with 48 seconds left. The Tigers couldn't get a decent shot off against terrific defense by the Mainstreeters.

Patrick Knoblauch led the Maroon with 18 points including three threes; Nick Adams chipped in 14 points.

On the home court, the Mainstreeter girls' basketball team fell 53-52 to Wadena-Deer Creek.



Don't miss out on more details on these games in the Feb. 9 issue of the Sauk Centre Herald.