The last time Blake faced Minnehaha Academy, the Bears held off a late Redhawks' charge to escape with a 12-11 victory in the first round of the state tournament last June.
Blake fell 11-6 to eventual state champion Apple Valley, in the second round of the tourney, and then meandered its way to a third-place finish.
Thursday's matchup with Minnehaha Academy, ranked No. 9 in the state coaches' poll released April 12, will be a test for a Blake program that has won six state championships in its history.
With no seniors on the roster and just one junior, the No. 4-ranked Bears will need production from its very young lineup to have success this season.
Sophomore Eliot Mitchell showed a deft scoring ability with 19 goals in 19 games a season ago and could be counted on for more production this year.
Minnehaha Academy experienced some roster turnover, having graduated seven seniors along with Jay Rosga, who is not on the roster after scoring 85 goals in 21 games as an eighth-grader. Freshman Claire Nelson returns, however, and the midfielder racked up 28 points a season ago.