With one final meet between the regular season and the Section 2AA competition, the New Prague High School boys’ swimming & diving team is working to be in top form as it hopes for a good showing at the section competition.

The Trojans face Owatonna this evening, Feb. 5, 6 p.m., at Owatonna Middle School. They’ll have two weeks to rest, workout and prepare for the section meet Wednesday, Feb. 18-19, at Pioneer Ridge Middle School in Chaska.

With a pair of wins in the past week, New Prague’s floor hockey team is making its final push for an automatic bid into the state tournament and avoid a potentially grueling playoff.

After several setbacks against Metro West and non-conference teams, Tuesday night’s win was just what the doctor ordered for the New Prague High School girls’ hoops team.

The Trojans topped Rochester Century Tuesday, Jan. 27, 90-62. The win was a big one for the Trojans not because it stopped a losing streak, but also because it was against a section opponent. NP took a 49-33 lead to intermission and outscored the Panthers, 41-29, in the second half. Details of the contest will be available in an upcoming print edition of The New Prague Times.

Although the win total is greater than a year ago, New Prague’s girls’ ice hockey team is looking for more momentum heading into the section playoffs.

The Trojans dropped a pair of games in the past week to Rochester Mayo and Chaska/Chanhassen. New Prague heads west to face Waconia tonight, Thursday, Jan. 29, 7 p.m. NP wraps up the regular season Friday, Jan. 30, 7:15 p.m., against Minneapolis. The section playoffs begin Friday, Jan. 6, 7 p.m., at a site to be determined.

The Trojans hosted Waconia Thursday, Jan. 22, for a dual and bragging rights to be Metro West Conference Champions. It was a one point victory, 25-24, for New Prague.

New Prague High School’s boys’ basketball team split its last two games with a one point victory, 70-69, over St. Louis Park, Tuesday, Jan. 20, and a just as close, 80-76, loss to Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Friday, Jan. 23.

The Trojans hosted Bloomington Jefferson, Monday, Jan. 26, results were not available as of press time for this edition. Tonight, Thursday, Jan. 29, New Prague is at Chanhassen for a 7 p.m. game. The Trojans will also be on the road to Waconia, Monday, Feb. 2, 7 p.m.

With four games to go, two against its primary opponent for an automatic berth in the state tournament, the New Prague floor hockey team is preparing for a possible showdown game early next month.

At 6-0, the undefeated NP team faced Mankato yesterday, Jan. 21, at Franklin Elementary School. Mankato is likely New Prague’s top competition for an automatic state tournament berth. The top team in the southern division wins the automatic berth. The alternative route to state requires winning a berth via the playoffs.

New Prague’s archery team won its first meet of the season, finishing just shy of last year’s high-point total.

The New Prague Archery Club competed at the Concordia Academy Beacon Shootout in Roseville Saturday, Jan. 10, against teams from Becker, White Bear Lake, Champlin Park, Delano, Faribault, Minnesota New Country School (Henderson), Hastings, Mahtomedi, Princeton, Sartell, Sauk Centre, St. Croix Prep (Stillwater) and Zimmerman.

A week after a tough showing against some of the best high school dance teams around, the New Prague High School dance team showed it has impressive talent with a strong showing at its own invitational Saturday, Jan. 17.

The NP varsity kick team won its event and the jazz team finished third in a seven-team field.

The New Prague JV kick and jazz teams both finished second while the newly-formed B-squad kick team took fifth and the jazz team took third.

“They performed super well,” said NP coach Tiffany Sandhurst. “They were lockedin and ready to compete.”

It’s been a while, too long if you ask members of the New Prague boys’ ice hockey team, when they last won back-toback games. The effort is there but the results on the scoreboard haven’t been coming as easy as it did early in the season.

NP has dropped three of its last four games. The Tuesday, Jan. 6, setback at Dodge County, is one of those setbacks where the coaches and team would rather put the game in the rearview mirror and forget about it.

New Prague’s gymnasts view the season as a process, a journey where they aim to be at their best at the end of the season when the meets are the most important. Saturday (Jan. 3), NP took second at the Matt Shetka Invitational.

The second-place finish represents steady improvement by a young team working to be better each time out, said coach Darrell Christenson.

New Prague High School’s boys’ basketball team had two wins and a loss in the last week. At the Lakeville North Holiday Tournament, the Trojans lost to Lakeville North, 89-68, Monday, Dec. 29. The next day at the tourney, Tuesday, Dec. 30, New Prague defeated Rochester John Marshall, 65-54. The Trojans then won, 75-54, at Mankato West Friday, Jan. 2.

New Prague was at the Academy of Holy Angels, Tuesday, Jan. 6. Tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 9, 7 p.m. the Trojans host Rochester Century. New Prague will be at Chaska Tuesday, Jan. 13, for a 7 p.m. game.

During the halftime at the 66th annual Sno-Bowl game, members of the Ptarmigans reminded each other their namesake are birds of a feather that fly together. The message energized the team as the Ptarmigans rallied to a hard-fought 12-6 victory in the latest edition of the storied rivalry with the Polars.

With three upcoming non-conference games, the NP boys ice hockey team is looking to round into form in time for the MetroWest schedule starting next week.

The Trojans will face longtime rival Northfield tomorrow, Friday, Jan. 2, 7:15 p.m., in Northfield. Monday, Jan. 5, 7:15 p.m., New Prague will host Hutchinson followed by a trip to face Kasson-Mantorville Tuesday, Jan. Jan. 6, 7 p.m., at the Dodge County Ice Arena.

With six games remaining on its regular-season schedule, the New Prague High School floor hockey team is ready to get back to work on its drive for a return trip to the state tournament and a possible defense of its state championship.

At 4-0, New Prague will host Mankato Wednesday, Jan. 7, 4:30 p.m., at the Community Eucation Center. The game is the first of a three-game run at home. The Trojans will face Robbinsdale/Hopkins/Mound-Westonka Monday, Jan. 12, 4:30 p.m., followed by a showdown game against an old rival, Dakota United Wednesday, Jan. 14, 4:30 p.m., in NP.

Had it not been for a slow start in the second half of the Trojans’ game against Stillwater Saturday, the NP girls’ basketball team would have enjoyed a far more relaxing victory, the final contest of a busy yet successful week on the hardwood.

The Trojans won all three of their games for the week, improving their record to 6-2 overall. But the road is expected to be a bit more challenging moving forward, NP coach Eric Specht said.