The Midwest High School Hockey League is expanding to 13 teams this coming season after League officials voted to admit the team from Fremont, Nebraska. The Flyers previously played in the South Dakota high school circuit, but opted to move to the more geographically-friendly MHSHL. The Flyers will field both Varsity and Jr. Varsity teams and compete in the West Division. All teams will now play a 32-game schedule, up from 28, continuing to play division rivals 4 times and teams outside the division twice. Teams in the Central and West divisions will play two additional interdivision games. Fremont’s entry marks the first League expansion since the 2009-2010 season.

Last season the MHSHL reached its highest post-season success in the League’s 43-year history, when the Sioux City Metros captured the USA Hockey High School Division 2 National Championship in Plymouth, Minnesota, March 22-26. (Division 2 teams are comprised of players from multiple high schools.) The Metros made their way through the 16-team field of top high school teams from around the country to reach the title game where they overcame a 2-0 deficit, edging Monarch, Colorado, 3-2, to earn a prestigious USA Hockey national championship title.

The Metros also won the Midwest League’s regular-season with 25 wins, 2 losses, and 1 overtime loss, and captured the year-end tournament championship, edging Mason City, 4-2 in the title game. Mason City topped the Central Division during the regular season, and Cedar Rapids finished first in the East. Omaha captured last year’s Jr. Varsity regular season with 23 wins, 3 losses, and 3 shootout losses, but fell to Kansas City, 2-1, in the year-end tournament championship game.

All 13 teams will see action this coming weekend, October 26-28. Fremont begins its inaugural MHSHL season hosting Omaha Friday and Lincoln on Saturday. A second Friday night matchup features Ames at Cedar Rapids. The remaining teams play two-game sets on Saturday and Sunday: Waterloo at Mason City, Des Moines Capitals at Sioux City, Kansas City at Dubuque, and Des Moines Oak Leafs at Quad City.

The 2018-2019 regular season ends Sunday, February 24, followed the next weekend by the 2019 Varsity and Jr. Varsity year-end tournaments in Ames, Iowa.  The Varsity tournament will run from Friday, March 1 to Sunday, March 3, while the Jr. Varsity tournament will begin Thursday, February 28, and run through Saturday, March 2. The first day of quarterfinal games for both divisions are single-elimination.

The 13-team Midwest High School Hockey League is divided into three divisions. Fremont, Kansas City, Lincoln, Omaha and Sioux City in the West; Ames, Des Moines Capitals, Des Moines Oak Leafs and Mason City in the Central; and Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Quad City and Waterloo in the East.

Over 400 high school student athletes compete in the League that covers three states. This year marks the 43rd year of the Midwest High School Hockey League, formerly known as the Iowa High School Hockey League.

The MHSHL is a member of the Pointstreak Scoring Network. For scores, standings and statistics go to: http://www.midwesthighschoolhockey.com

For a complete history of the Iowa/Midwest High School Hockey League including year-by-year listings of past champions and statistics, go to the Information Vault at http://www.mhshl.com/