Hutchinson and Buffalo have ascended to the top of the Greater West Metro Conference standings on the backs of impressive individual offensive outputs and stingy defenses, leaving the door open for anything from a gritty defensive contest to a wide-open goal fest that could be decided by the last possession when the teams meet on Tuesday.
Freshman Maddy Seifert's 29 goals are good for fourth in the state, and her six assists also lead the Tigers (5-1, 4-0). Seifert's offensive output has been complimented nicely by Hutchinson's defense, which has only given up double-digit goals in the 17-6 loss to Holy Family Catholic on May 1.
Both Seifert and the Tigers defense will be put to the test when they come up against the Bison in a game that could decide the conference title.
Buffalo (4-0, 4-0) also boasts a top-10 goal scorer in junior Emma Carlson, who is currently seventh in state with 23 goals. The Bison have been sprinting away from teams this season, never scoring fewer than 13 goals and never giving up more than six.