A Look at the Leader Board

Who said picking upsets doesn't pay off?

Moore's excellent choices

do not extend to

fashion.

Riding high on his choice of Chippewa Falls, Mark Pellegrino maintains his lead over a relatively tight field, although with favored teams falling faster than the Commissioner on a third period power play, the point totals are down across the board.

Pellegrino's less-than-staggering 123 points are still good enough for sole possession of first place, while Mike Moore (120 points) saw his choice of Sparta over Rapids lock up the silver medal for another round.

Luke Rudy takes the WHSHP

very, very seriously.

And what if one had the cajones to choose both Chippewa Falls and Sparta to advance? What would that do to one's standing? Why not ask Lucas Rudy or Oliver Albrecht? The daring youth and wily veteran, as odd a couple as you'll find in these oftentimes odd proceedings, did just that and saw themselves rocketed into a third place tie with 118 points a piece. Many feel Albrecht has never gotten over his heartbreaking and highly controversial loss to Tracy DeLuca a few years back but a new country and a new attitude may have been just what the doctor ordered for Herr Albrecht. We shall see.

Entrepreneurial spirit Jaime Moe is right behind the Daring Duo in fourth (117), just one point ahead of his older brother Erik and the still unidentified Donkey.

If that familial rivalry is not uncomfortable enough for you, take a look at the 6th slot, where Peter Rudy and his wife Shauna share an awkward matrimonial bed with former champion Mark Jobson. (Spoiler alert: Jobson has Restless Leg Syndrome.) Still, Shauna deserves her kudos as she too breathes the rarefied air of the those who chose both Chippewa Falls and Sparta to advance.

Rounding out the Top 10:

Leading the number 7 slot is Erik Smolin, our first contender for Rookie of the Year. He might not have that title looked up yet, but I've already engraved his name into this year's Most Likely to Be Mistaken for a Member of the Cure trophy. He shares that slot with Dan Caplan and defending champ Brian Kobylinski who, once again, is sneaking his way up the charts.

Gloves Off Middendorf (shown here with unidentified woman) gives us

a rare glimpse of his more sensitive side.

We've got Todd Zwiaska, Kelli Dornfeld, Creighton Fung, and Gloves Off Middendorf  holding hands in 8th place, and Stu Keith and strong starter Joe Lacy doing the same in 9th. Everyone's favorite Landscape Ecologist, Blake Feist, rounds out the leader board in 10th.

More details and previews to follow. Stay tuned to The Big Ice. And God bless Wisconsin High School Hockey.