Hard Rock Place, Memphis, TN: It's a battle of conference frontrunners tonight at Hard Rock Place as the Northern Conference-leading Massachusetts Militia take on the Memphis Blues, who sit atop the Southern Conference standings.
The Militia (36-9-4, 76 points) come in red-hot, going 7-1-2 over their last 10 games. They'll look to continue riding that momentum against the Blues (32-12-5, 69 points) in a potential preview of a championship series down the road.
Andrew Wiewel is expected to get the start in net for Massachusetts. The veteran netminder has been stellar this season, posting a 21-4-1 record along with a superb 2.50 goals against average and .933 save percentage. He'll need to be on his game against Memphis' high-powered offense led by Duma Dodrescu's 62 points (31 goals, 31 assists).
The Blues will counter with Bryce Bruha between the pipes. Though not quite as decorated, Bruha has still performed well with a 9-3-2 record, 2.75 GAA and .923 save percentage.
For the Militia, Amadeus Helm has been the driving offensive force, ranking second on the team with 37 points (18 goals, 19 assists).
While both teams have their sights set on bigger prizes down the road, this matchup of the top squads in each conference holds major playoff seeding implications. A raucous crowd is expected in Memphis for this nationally-televised showdown of elite clubs.