The new year will kick off with another rivalry hockey battle between the Freeburg-Waterloo Raging Bulldogs and Columbia Ice Eagles.

The two local squads, who rank atop the Mississippi Valley Club Hockey Association Varsity East standings, will clash this coming Tuesday night at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex in O’Fallon. 

The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. 

The Raging Bulldogs and Ice Eagles played to a 4-4 tie in a fiercely contested match on Nov. 18.

Freeburg-Waterloo is the highest scoring team in the league; Columbia is among the hardest teams to score upon.

The Raging Bulldogs (13-2-1) went 2-1 in recent action. 

On Monday, Freeburg-Waterloo won 12-0 over Bethalto. Donovan Knuckles finished with a hat trick and an assist. Michael Gildehaus added two goals and three assists. Logan Ganz scored a goal and recorded three assists.

On Thursday, the Raging Bulldogs suffered a 3-2 loss at the hands of Granite City, which leads the MVCHA Varsity West standings at 12-1-1.

“We ran into a hot goalie,” Freeburg-Waterloo head coach Scotty Roberts said after the loss, referring to Granite City goalie Michael Atkins. 

Freeburg-Waterloo outshot Granite City in the game, 38-18. 

Conner Blair scored both goals for the Raging Bulldogs.

Last Tuesday, Freeburg-Waterloo picked up a big win over O’Fallon, 10-7.

Ganz recorded a hat trick and Knuckles also netted a hat trick with two assists.

Blair added two goals and Layne Wilkens scored a goal and recorded two assists.

Columbia (11-0-4) kept its unbeaten streak alive courtesy of a 7-0 victory over East Alton-Wood River on Thursday. 

Freshman goalie Dalton Fitzgerald collected his first varsity shutout in net, making 13 saves.

Anderson Judy recorded a hat trick and Dean Lyon dished out four assists for the Ice Eagles. 

Following Tuesday’s showdown with the Raging Bulldogs, the Ice Eagles battle a tough Granite City team on Jan. 6.