Once Saturday's U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame game against Notre Dame starts, Gophers forward Zach Budish said he will try to pretend that Anders Lee of the Fighting Irish is a stranger.
That could be tough.
He and Lee, both of Edina, played on the same teams in three sports since fourth-grade football.
"Our dads coached [that fall]. Mr. [Kim] Budish was the head coach," Lee said. "We have been on a lot of teams together: summer hockey, fall hockey, football teams, baseball teams."
Saturday will be one of the rare times they will be opponents.
Budish said Lee is one of the Notre Dame players the Gophers definitely have to focus on.
"[Anders] is a strong kid, a big kid," Budish said. "He works hard in the weight room. He had a point a game last year as a freshman and he is doing the same thing this season."
Lee has a lot of respect for Budish's talents, too. "Zach can put the puck on anybody's stick at any time," Lee said. "He is an unbelievable passer and he sees the ice great."
As high school juniors at Edina, they played on the same line about half the season. The Hornets lost in the Class 2A state final that year.
Now both are excited about trying to stop one another.
"We played against each other our sophomore year [in hockey], but not a whole lot, really," Budish said. Lee went to St. Thomas Academy from eighth to 10th grade before transferring to Edina. "It will really be fun to play against him but, once we are on the ice, I don't think we will be friends."
Said Lee: "We better line up against each other. I'll give him a little tap."
Chances are they will have a few battles. Both play on their team's top lines and will be on the same side of the ice. Budish, a redshirt sophomore, is a 6-3, 214-pound right winger. And Lee -- who was a head shorter than his buddy in pee wee hockey -- is a 6-3, 227-pound left winger. Lee is the second-leading scorer on the Irish with 14 goals and eight assists for 22 points.
"[Anders] certainly has been a big addition," Irish coach Jeff Jackson said, "and not just from his offensive abilities and the way he plays the game. He is the total package. He has the right attitude and character. This is the first time I have ever made a sophomore an alternate captain."
Lee started this season as one of the nation's hottest goal-scorers, but recently had a nine-game scoring drought. It ended last Saturday with Lee scoring two goals in Notre Dame's 5-2 victory over Boston University. The goals were a relief to Lee.
"It is good to come in here with a little less pressure than we already have," he said.
The Irish are No. 4 in the latest PairWise Rankings, which mimic how the NCAA fills its field for the postseason tournament. The Gophers are No. 7.
It's not surprising the Irish are so high in all the polls, since they are coming off a Frozen Four appearance. The Gophers were picked to finish sixth in the WCHA but are the conference co-leaders. Budish's contribution is one reason for their success. Like Lee, he is sixth in team scoring with 19 points (five goals and 14 assists).
"I am happy where [Zach] is at when you consider he played one out of [the last] three years basically," Gophers coach Don Lucia said.
Budish missed his senior season of hockey at Edina after tearing the ACL in his right knee in football. He missed most of last hockey season with the Gophers after tearing the ACL in his left knee in a moped accident.
"I'd like to see [Zach] take the puck to the net more, shoot more, be a little more unselfish," Lucia said. "He is playing with Bjugey and Rau and it seems like when he gets it, [Zach] is looking to pass more than shoot and he has a good, heavy shot."
Nick Bjugstad and Kyle Rau lead the Gophers in goals with 16 and 12, respectively.
"I feel I can put a few more pucks in the net the second half of the year," Budish said, "be a physical force and create space."
Even if he has to carve it out against his buddy. Budish expects a lot of his and Lee's friends to attend Saturday's game.
"I don't know if they will be cheering for the Gophers or the Irish," he said.
