It’s the battle for the early-season top spot in the Tomahawk Conference boys’ basketball conference race when New Ulm Cathedral takes the short trek to Minnesota Valley Lutheran Monday night.

The Greyhounds enter the game at 5-0 in the conference, with the Chargers 4-0 in conference play. Both teams are unbeaten overall at 10-0.

“They are very athletic and good both offensively and defensively,” Chargers head coach Craig Morgan said about Cathedral. “They are a good all-around team.”

Cathedral head coach Alan Woitas thinks that the Chargers are a very good defensive team. MVL allows just 48 points a game.

“So we need to take care of the basketball because they are very good at forcing turnovers and converting them into points,” Woitas said. “And they are very athletic and they play with a lot of passion.”

And the Greyhounds’ defense is also solid as they allow just 53 points per game.

Woitas thinks that both teams are almost mirror images of each other.

“I think that both teams are pretty similar,” he said. “Both teams pride themselves on being good defensive teams. Both teams value the basketball and each team makes possessions count.”

“Our defense is our offense,” Morgan said.

Offensively, Cathedral is scoring 69 points per game, with the Chargers averaging 75 points per contest.

One of the concerns that Morgan has about the Greyhounds is how to defend 6-foot-7 Kyle Goblirsch.

“He has gotten better and better in the games that I have seen.” he said, “I think that we match up pretty decent, but we do not have anyone as big and strong as Kyle Goblirsch.”

Woitas said that the MVL starting five are all solid players.

“But obviously Dunwa Omot has really had a nice season so far — he can do a lot of good things with the basketball offensively and defensively,” Woitas said. “They have other players who can score, but I think that he is the one we have to key on a little bit.”

As far as style of play goes, Morgan said that the Greyhounds will want to control the tempo, which is something that his team needs to be concerned about.

Both teams come in having not lost yet in a game that will be watched by many.

“Anytime us, Cathedral and Springfield play, it will be a game that draws attention,” Morgan said.

Woitas added that this game will be a good test for both teams.

“You look at where the Tomahawk Conference is right now and we are both unbeaten early in the year,” Woitas said. “This is a good test for both of our teams going forward into the second half of the year and learn more and more about ourselves and get ready for the playoffs.”

One thing is for sure. It is going to be a fun atmosphere.

Just a reminder that the Cathedral and MVL varsity girls’ game will be played before the boy’s varsity game at 6 p.m. Monday.

STEEL MAKE TRADE: The New Ulm Steel traded defensemen Tae Evans and Kaydyn Fennell to the Bozeman (Montana) Icedogs for defenseman Brock Finn. Finn had 41 points in 50 games for the Icedogs. Finn is from Lakeland, Minnesota.