Tonight’s broadcast schedule

Montgomery Bell vs. Ensworth-Nolensville-Lipscomb - 7:25 PM pregame, 7:30 PM faceoff BROADCAST LINK

Hendersonville-Beech-Gallatin vs. Tennessee Outlaws - 9:10 PM pregame, 9:15 PM faceoff BROADCAST LINK

Previewing tonight’s games

The games that will be broadcast by MTSN are in BOLD.

Predators Cup and Henry Hine Cup Winners’ Bracket Finals
Both games will be played @ Antioch-North
#4 Montgomery Bell vs. #2 Ensworth-Nolensville-Lipscomb - 7:30 PM
Paths to this game
Montgomery Bell
-Defeated Franklin 4-2 on February 7 in the first round
-Defeated Ravenwood 5-1 last Wednesday in a Winners’ Bracket Semifinal

Ensworth-Nolensville-Lipscomb
-Defeated Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central-Green Hill 8-3 on February 12 in the first round
-Defeated Father Ryan 1-0 in overtime last Wednesday in a Winners’ Bracket Semifinal

Season series: Only meeting ended in a 2-2 tie on November 13
Finally, three months after their incredible first meeting where Hunter Wieck stopped 43 of 45 Ice Tiger shots, we get a rematch. And this time, someone has to win it. MBA have been steadily rolling along so far this postseason, seeing off Franklin in the opening round two weeks ago tonight, then, pretty easily dismantling Ravenwood last week. Hunter Wieck has already faced 53 shots over the two games so far, turning away 50 of them. Each member of the Big Red’s amazing top line have scored at least once, with Lee Guy and Matthew Moore each having two goals already this postseason, with Trace Graham notching one. But it’s Michael Dattilo who’s the pleasant offensive surprise for MBA so far, as he has scored in both of the Big Red’s games (in fact, he’s on a three-game goal-scoring streak, starting in the regular season finale against Father Ryan). On the Ice Tigers’ side of things, Bingston Soundara has also only allowed three goals so far this postseason (all to Mt. Juliet), facing just one less shot than Wieck has. Of course, Ensworth’s offensive numbers are skewed because of how dominant they were over the Bears. They only scored one goal in the big win over Father Ryan last Wednesday, but it was the only goal that was needed. This is going to be another low-scoring, goaltending showdown, where anyone, at any point, could be the hero.

I’m picking Ensworth to win this one.

Consequences of this game’s result
Winner advances to Predators Cup Final on March 4 @ 8:25 PM @ Bellevue-Crisp
Loser falls into next Wednesday’s Losers’ Bracket Final @ 7:10 PM @ Centennial A, where they will face either Ravenwood, Pope, Father Ryan, or Franklin

#7 Hendersonville-Beech-Gallatin vs. #1 Rutherford Rampage - 9:15 PM
Paths to this game
Hendersonville-Beech-Gallatin
-Defeated Centennial 6-3 on February 7 in the first round
-Defeated Tennessee Outlaws 5-3 on February 12 in a Winners’ Bracket Semifinal

Rutherford Rampage
-Defeated Independence-Ravenwood 2 6-1 on February 7 in the first round
-Defeated USN-BA-Nashville Christian-FRA-Goodpasture 5-2 on February 12 in a Winners’ Bracket Semifinal

Season series: Rutherford won only meeting 4-0 on November 27
What an impressive run by the Commandos to this point, knocking off the 2 and 3 seeds (who have each been eliminated from the tournament altogether since then) on their way to tonight’s clash. And their best players have been doing all the scoring: Colin Smith, Gideon Drobnick, and Merrick Mott. Jackson Brodrick has been pretty good in net so far, too, keeping the Commandos close in the early stages of both of their playoff games so far, allowing the offense to take over late. But now, they have to face the 1 seed, and the Rampage are playing much more like a 1 seed than Summit-Page did in the Predators Cup. Their best players (outside of Justin Dickinson, who has three assists but no goals) have also done the scoring, with Eddie Maze leading the way with four goals, Tucker Wilhelm has a goal, and Carter Burnette-Vice has scored twice, and they’ve even gotten contributions from Kelvin McClendon, Brennen Tellez, and Cooper Feasel. And Alec Dawes has been steady in net, allowing just three goals on 49 shots so far. I really do think that the Rampage are the better team here. Hendersonville will be without Gage Salamy, as he is suspended for tonight’s game for getting a cross-checking major right at the final buzzer against the Outlaws last week.

Rutherford will win.

Consequences of this game’s result
Winner advances to Henry Hine Cup Final next Wednesday @ 8:40 PM @ Centennial A
Loser plays Brentwood/USN winner next Monday @ 6:45 PM @ Bellevue-Crisp in the Losers’ Bracket Final

Predators Cup Losers’ Bracket Quarterfinals
#8 Ravenwood vs. #3 Pope Prep-MLK-GCA - 7:10 PM @ Centennial A
Paths to this game
Ravenwood
-Defeated Summit-Page 6-4 on February 8 in the first round
-Lost 5-1 to Montgomery Bell last Wednesday in a Winners’ Bracket Semifinal

Pope Prep-MLK-GCA
-Lost 2-1 to Father Ryan in overtime on February 12 in the first round
-Defeated Mt. Juliet-Wilson Central-Green Hill 5-1 last Wednesday in the first round of the Losers’ Bracket

Season series: Both teams split their previous two meetings: Ravenwood won the first meeting 4-2 on November 1, and Pope won the second 7-2 on December 4
After their big win over 1 seed Summit to open the tournament, Ravenwood got pulled back down to Earth last Wednesday, taking yet another whipping from MBA. They have improved since bringing in James Gately to run the show after Thanksgiving, but they’re still not among the top teams in the league this season. Now, they have to once again face a team with a top goalie (Anthony Pellegrino, in this case), but, with their season hanging in the balance. Pope got mad about their tough loss to Father Ryan, and took it out on Mt. Juliet, jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the first, and holding it all the way through the end of the second, before outscoring the Bears 2-1 in the third to finish off the game. I don’t see how Ravenwood fare any better here.

I’m picking Pope to win this one.

Consequences of this game’s result
Winner plays Ryan/Franklin winner next Monday @ 8:25 PM @ Bellevue-Crisp in the Losers’ Bracket Semifinal
Loser is eliminated

#6 Father Ryan vs. #5 Franklin - 8:30 PM @ Centennial B
Paths to this game
Father Ryan
-Defeated Pope Prep-MLK-GCA 2-1 in overtime on February 12 in the first round
-Lost 1-0 to Ensworth-Nolensville-Lipscomb in overtime last Wednesday in a Winners’ Bracket Semifinal

Franklin
-Lost 4-2 to Montgomery Bell on February 7 in the first round
-Defeated Summit-Page 6-3 on February 12 in the first round of the Losers’ Bracket

Season series: Franklin won both meetings: 3-0 on October 25, and 5-0 on November 15
Poor Father Ryan. They were one goal away from tonight’s Winners’ Bracket Final, but a rare mistake by Austin Hester now has their season teetering on the edge. And now, they have to face a Franklin team that shut them down both times in the regular season. The Irish have competed in two low-scoring, grind-out games this postseason, while the Admirals have pretty much let it all hang out in their two games. The question is, how ready are the Irish to run through the Losers’ Bracket again, much like they did last season? Franklin have a shot at revenge here; it was Father Ryan who put them out of the Predators Cup in the first round of the Losers’ Bracket last year.

I think they will; I’m picking Franklin to win tonight.

Consequences of this game’s result
Winner plays Ravenwood/Pope winner next Monday @ 8:25 PM @ Bellevue-Crisp in the Losers’ Bracket Semifinal
Loser is eliminated

Henry Hine Cup Losers’ Bracket Semifinal
#5 Brentwood vs. #4 USN-BA-Nashville Christian-FRA-Goodpasture - 8:40 PM @ Centennial A
Paths to this game
Brentwood
-Lost 3-0 to USN-BA-Nashville Christian-FRA-Goodpasture on February 7 in the first round
-Defeated Independence-Ravenwood 2 8-2 on February 12 in the first round of the Losers’ Bracket
-Defeated Tennessee Outlaws 3-1 last Wednesday in a Losers’ Bracket Quarterfinal

USN-BA-Nashville Christian-FRA-Goodpasture
-Defeated Brentwood 3-0 on February 7 in the first round
-Lost 5-2 to Rutherford Rampage on February 12 in a Winners’ Bracket Semifinal
-Defeated Centennial 5-2 last Wednesday in a Losers’ Bracket Quarterfinal

Season series: USN won both meetings: 5-1 on November 15 (regular season) and 3-0 on February 7 (playoffs)
Two first round opponents find each other again, and this time, there’s no going back for the loser. Ben Schwarz once again frustrated the Bruins two weeks ago tonight, much as he did just before Thanksgiving. He will probably once again be the key player in tonight’s clash. The Bruins players whose careers are on the line tonight, especially Aidan Pustizzi, are gonna have to go for broke this time. And, as they did back on February 7, USN’s best players, like Ryan Barrett, are going to have to capitalize on their scoring chances. This will be no ordinary result if Brentwood lose, because it will be Brentwood losing in the Hine Cup before the final. If this becomes the norm for the Bruins, then, it will pass without a glance, but, at the moment, this is no ordinary time for the program.

USN will win tonight.

Consequences of this game’s result
Winner plays Hendersonville/Rutherford loser next Monday @ 6:45 PM @ Bellevue-Crisp in the Losers’ Bracket Final
Loser is eliminated

Brackets

Predators Cup

Henry Hine Cup

Podcasts

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The next newsletter comes out tomorrow, February 22.