The 4 A games kickoff on Friday at Pop Weaver (Fairgrounds).  Here's the full schedule:

This is a solid first round match up across the board, with the exception of maybe Carmel and Lakeshore/St.Joe.  Carmel is going to be a tough contender again this year and I really only expect Culver and Zionsville to give them a run.  But you never know...that's why they play the tournament!

Game Watch:  #2 Culver vs #3 Zionsville 

This match up between two heavy hitters will have significant point ramifications come Sunday.  

Culver hasn't played a ton of league games so their relative compete level is a bit of a mystery and their last league game was a 1-0 "squeaker win" over the Penn Kingsmen.  Still,  playing a national schedule gives them quite a bit of clout and they are always good in the state tournament.  They shouldn't be underestimated.  

On the other side of the ice, Zionsville is coming into the tournament hot, winning 7 of their last 8.  Granted, the last game, a loss to Carmel Gold, was competitive through two and then a solid beat down by the Icehounds.  Be on the look out for Forward Thomas Warr, who has been an absolute beast for the Eagles this year, posting 72 points in 34 games played.

The 3 A games on Friday will be held at the Fuel Tank in Fishers (designated FT-1 and FT-2 to indicate which rink).  

I really like the 3 A and 2 A class games all weekend long.  Especially at the 3 A level, I think you're going to see very competitive games throughout the tournament.  Unlike the 4 A, where the top three teams are clearly better than the pack, I expect the 3 A division will be a series of dog fights up and down the list.

Game Watch: HSE A vs St. Joseph

I like this match up simply because both teams have some great wins, and both teams have some really puzzling losses.  For instance, Saint Joesph had a  2-1 win against Carmel Gold in November and have consistently played the lower 4 A division teams very competitively.  Yet they put a few weak losses on the board including a couple to Valpo.  Similarly, HSE A  notched wins against Culver A and Zionsville, then lost a 3-4 head-scratcher to Riley and a 2-4 loss to Munster in the MLK tournament.

HSE A has a lot of firepower with forwards Jacob Kessinger, Matthew Sawyer, and Luke Owen, all of whom are over 50 points this season (Sawyer leads with 79 points).  They should be fun to watch against a St. Joseph team with a -20 GD.  However, if Saint Joseph can lock in and play a solid defensive game, and goalie Dolan Gilbert can find a little bit of that November magic where he put up three shutouts, this should be a great game to watch. 

The 2 A games on Friday will also be held at the Fuel Tank in Fishers (designated FT-1 and FT-2 to indicate which rink).  

Again, I really like the 2 A division match ups and I think it will have some of the closest games out of all the divisions.  Some of the teams are much better than their seeding/rankings show, particularly Bishop Dwenger, Leo, and the South Stars.

Game Watch:  #5 Crown Point vs #8 South Stars 

This is a great game to watch because it will showcase what the class 2 A division has to offer in the tournament this weekend.  Although on paper it looks like a bit of a mismatch (the Bulldogs are coming in with a solid 23 win season and the South Stars have had a tough 9 win season), the two teams have met twice this year and both games have been highly competitive.   Both games saw the Stars jump out early, only to lose in the third period, 2-4 and then 5-4.

If the Stars come to play and can figure out how to finish, Crown Point will have their hands full and could drop an important game early on.  The Bulldogs will need to lean on their points leader, Joseph Shaughnessy (30 pts), who will square off against the Stars' points leader, Barrett McDaniel (29 pts) and senior goalie Zach Betz (.890 SV% in last 5 games).  

No Games Scheduled for 1 A on Friday, March 3rd.