Stang’s Preseason Class A Rankings

[Stang5280]

It's a weird year in Class A, starting with the fact that both of the state finalists from last season are now in AA. The talent pool is as concentrated as ever, with only a handful of teams that have any legitimate shot at the state title. It doesn't take long before one basically feels as if they are throwing darts in constructing rankings. I had a harder time with this exercise than usual and I am hoping that a few teams will rise above the detritus heap and create some clearer tiers. An interesting trend is that 2A seems to once again be the "section of death," though more through sheer volume of decent teams than excellence at the top.

Side note: I spent far longer on these rankings than I initially planned, as I wanted to get a clear idea of returning talent on each team. Next week may be an abbreviated edition of rankings, if I do them at all, given the low volume of games over the first weekend.

1. Hermantown (19-2-0, State QF)
Covid protocols forced the Hawks into an ignominious end to an otherwise stellar campaign, but they are back in the familiar position of preseason favorites. Four of the top five scorers are gone to graduation, as is all-everything defenseman Joey Pierce. The cupboard is far from bare, however, with UMD commits Zam Plante and Ty Hanson leading the way. The defense forms the backbone of this group, with Hanson being joined by returners Beau Janzig, George Peterson, and Jack Glockle. Garron Opsahl had a strong sophomore season between the pipes and will again log the majority of minutes. Hermantown welcomes an excellent crop from Bantams, including the diminutive but dynamic Max Plante. If some of the young forwards can pitch in with the Plante brothers, the Hawks appear to be the class of the A level. As usual, the schedule is littered with top AA opponents, but the Hawks have a slow, belated start to the season.
Schedule: 12/3 @ BSM

2. Warroad (13-5-2, 8A Final)
The Warriors fell painfully short of a return trip to state, dropping a double overtime heartbreaker to rival East Grand Forks after erasing a three-goal deficit in regulation. Warroad loses a few key pieces in Blake Norris and Anthony Foster, along with several depth players. However, superstar future Bulldog Jayson Shaugabay will again pace the offense, and the blue line will be anchored by Carson Reed and Eric Comstock. They also add Clarkson commit Daimon Gardner, a physical specimen who returns to Warroad after several years in Canada and the USHL. Goalie Hampton Slukynsky was outstanding in limited time as a sophomore and should step nicely into the lead role. The incoming Bantams, who also dropped the state final to EGF, should provide immediate contributions, particularly stud forward Murray Marvin-Cordes. The early schedule is light fare, but things will pick up significantly later in the season.
Schedule: 11/26 vs Cathedral, 11/27 vs Mounds View, 12/4 @ Bemidji

3. East Grand Forks (14-9-0, State SF)
The Green Wave were the only team to really challenge state champion Gentry, eventually falling by a 5–3 count in a back-and-forth affair. Unfortunately for EGF, most of the fixtures from that squad have departed. Leading scorer Landon Parker graduated, as did nearly the entire defensive corps save for Trey Ausmus, who will be spending his senior year with the USHL Madison Captols. Fellow North Dakota commit Jaksen Panzer will be called upon to lead the offense, joined by junior Caleb Schmiedeberg, who sniped 11 goals last season. Goaltending was a weakness last season, and the competition is wide open entering tryouts. The youth movement will be in full bloom, with the state championship Bantam A group having plenty of opportunity to fill in the lineup. The schedule is one of the toughest in Class A, with two top 10 foes right off the bat.
Schedule: 11/27 vs Delano, 11/30 @ Detroit Lakes, 12/3 @ Mahtomedi

4. Mahtomedi (12-8-1, 4A Final)
The Zephyrs have the best goalie in the state, perhaps in either class, but not much else in front of him. The top five scorers all graduated, and David Wolsfeld (8G, 5A) is the top returning forward. The defense is solid, if unspectacular, with Grant Dardis leading the way in protecting his twin brother. This ranking is partially an indictment on the rest of the field and also a vote of trust in the Mahtomedi system, which never seems to drop off much. The Zephyrs will need to find some scoring to make another deep run after a one-year absence from the tourney. The schedule is absolutely brutal, and another record around .500 is to be expected, but they will certainly be tested come playoff time.
Schedule: 11/26 vs Monticello, 11/27 @ Orono, 11/30 @ CDH, 12/3 vs EGF

5. Fergus Falls (15-4-0, 6A Final)
This is one of the few teams who basically bring everyone back. The Otters are a high-flying group who like to push the pace. Isaac Johnson, Michael DeBrito, and Cole Zierden all topped the 30 point plateau last season and will counted on to continue their prolific scoring. The top defensive pairing is gone to graduation, and the younger players will need to step up to stabilize what was already the team's weakness. On the other hand, junior net minder Ben Swanson has two seasons of starting experience under his belt, and has made great strides over that span. Fergus Falls will be the clear favorite in 6A entering the year, particularly with nemesis Little Falls moved out of the section, and are primed to make their first appearance in the big dance since their seven year run from 1997 to 2003. Unfortunately the schedule is pillow soft, with Warroad being the only notable test outside of conference play.
Schedule: 11/27 @ Detroit Lakes, 11/30 vs Northern Lakes, 12/4 vs Willmar

6. Duluth Denfeld (10-6-1, 7A Final)
The Hunters advanced to the section final for the second straight year, but again fell to Hermantown by a six-goal margin. This is probably their last bite at the apple for some time, with a boatload of production returning. Standout seniors Simon Davidson and the McClure twins will guide a potent attack. Unfortunately the rear guard is in rough shape. The top defensive pairing are gone to graduation, along with Jacob Snyder, who capably logged every minute in goal. Barring a surprise revelation to shore up the defense, the Hunters will lean into an "all gas, no brakes" philosophy, so be prepared for some fireworks at both ends of the ice. The schedule is a bit of a weird one, but features a home-and-home with Gentry, a trip to Warroad, and visits from Sartell and Alexandria.
Schedule: 11/26 @ Woodbury, 12/3 @ Gentry, 12/4 @ East Ridge

7. Delano (14-7-1, State QF)
The Tigers are coming off yet another appearance at the X, and another disappointing quarterfinal loss (4 in 5 years on both fronts). Delano graduated most of the top two lines, including its two most talented players in the form of Adam Brown and Jack Keranen. There are still a few stalwarts to build around, starting up front with Jesse Peterson and Will Brown. Goaltending is once again in strong hands, as Thomas Huotari was a pleasant surprise as a sophomore. Coach Gerrit van Bergen has repeatedly shown an ability to take fringe varsity and JV players and tum them into significant contributors (see Brad Pinoniemi and Tyler Selstad last season). So don't be surprised if the Tigers follow their usual pattern of starting slow and building toward a crescendo come playoff time. Delano managed to load up their nonconference slate, and will be tested early with a visit to Northwest Minnesota.
Schedule: 11/26 @ TRF, 11/27 @ EGF, 12/4 @ Buffalo

8. Alexandria (9-10-1, 6A SF)
I had the Cardinals too low in my summer rankings, not realizing how much they return. Granted, these players are returning from a sub-.500 team, but Alexandria always has a tough schedule and faced a lot of changes last season, including a new head coach. The majority of talent is on the offensive side of the ledger, led by senior sniper Joe Gronholz and creative junior Tyler Kludt. Most of the defenders are back as well, though this group is more steady than star-studded. Goaltending is potentially a weakness, as junior Teagen Pfeffer was the shakier half of a timeshare. As is often the case, Alex has a good crop coming up from Bantams who should be ready to contribute. The early going is fairly manageable, but the difficulty level ramps up considerably starting in mid-December.
Schedule: 11/30 @ Sartell, 12/2 vs River Lakes

9. Southwest Christian (11-6-0, 2A QF)
These are lofty expectations for a program that has yet to advance past the section quarters in its brief five year history. But the Stars return most everyone of consequence, with loads of experience, and that puts them at the top of a mosh pit vying for position behind favorite Delano in 2A. Caleb Bendell, Joey Michelizzi, and Andrew Erhart are a potent trio of seniors up front, all of whom registered over a point per game. The excellently-named Brody Hardacre will anchor the blue line and kick start the offense, joined by fellow senior Brady Anderson. Isaac Haugen Is set to take the reins in net after splitting time the previous two seasons. Southwest Christian is now a Wright County member after conference realignment, which provides them with plenty of section games, but the non-conference slate is rather weak.
Schedule: 11/27 vs Anoka, 12/2 @ Providence, 12/4 @ LDC

10. Rock Ridge (New Program)
Longtime rivals Virginia and Eveleth-Gilbert are taking the ice together a year earlier than expected, and should be a force to be reckoned with right off the bat. Both squads finished slightly above .500 last season, though Virginia took two of three contests between the two, including the section quarterfinal, before being drummed out unceremoniously by Hermantown. The vast majority of talent will come from the Virginia side. They return the junior trio of Dylan Hedley, Isaac Flatley, and Ryan Manninen up front, joined by senior Brennan Peterson. The top three defenseman are also all back as seniors. Ian Kangas was inconsistent in net, but did post a .906 save percentage and four shutouts. E-G had a large senior class, and their main contribution will be defenseman Nick Troutwine. If things come together right, this group could challenge Denfeld for the two seed in 7A. The schedule isn't particularly daunting, but features a few early tests from Warroad and Denfeld.
Schedule: 11/30 @ Greenway, 12/3 @ Hibbing

11. Providence Academy (9-5-0, 2A QF)
The youth movement was on full display in Plymouth last season. Despite multiple Covid interruptions, the Lions completed one of their best campaigns in recent memory with a roster littered with underclassmen. Sophomore sensation Johnny Hendrickson was the star of the show, netting nearly a goal per game. He is joined by forwards Josh Mogeni, Andrew Owen, Sammy Lewis, all of whom posted double digits in scoring. The defense is thin, but led by Jack Reller, who logs major minutes and was the second-leading scorer. Junior Nate Miest is set to take over as the top goalie after splitting time last year; he came on strong at the end and was undefeated in four starts. If Providence can solidify its blue line, this is a group that may be a sneaky contender in 2A. There are a few early challenges within the section, but the slate is pretty weak overall.
Schedule: 11/27 vs Mound, 12/2 vs SW Christian, 12/4 @ Prairie Centre

12. Minneapolis (8-5-0, 2A SF)
Another ranked Section 2A squad whose regular season was ravaged by Covid, Minneapolis returned just in time for the playoffs, where they defeated Providence and fell to Breck in two thrillers. Defense is the name of the game, with Zander Zoia and Drew Pitts back to form a strong top pairing, and both goaltenders (Alex Lamont and Cole Kloek) once again patrolling the crease. Top scorer Jack Hanson is by far the biggest offensive threat, though there is some nice younger talent like Caden Lacher and Andrew Lybeck. If they can scrape together some scoring, Minneapolis could challenge for their first state berth as a combined program. Cobbling together a schedule is always a challenge as a non-powerhouse independent, and the best Class A challenges outside of section play are Alexandria and Rock Ridge.
Schedule: 11/27 @ Hastings , 11/30 vs Armstrong/Cooper, 12/2 @ Hopkins, 12/4 @ Burnsville

13. Little Falls (14-5-1, State SF)
I am lower than most on the Flyers, but they lost a lot from a team that was a few unlucky breaks away from a trip to the state championship game. Gone are longtime coach Tony Couture and his son Dane, who started every game in net for three seasons. Little Falls also bids adieu to longtime stalwarts like Nick Stevens and Joe Majerle, to name a few. In all, only two of seven double-digit scorers are back, along with two of the five primary defensemen. Still, there is some quality among the ranks of the returnees - junior Matt Filippi and senior Hayden Johnson led the Flyers in goals and assists, respectively. Little Falls also benefits from section realignment, escaping perennially tough 6A to become the favorite in 5A. If things come together they could well find a way to make it back to the big dance, even in a rebuilding year. The schedule is softer, in part due to the section realignment, but the early neutral side contest with Monticello will be telling.
Schedule: 11/26 vs Orono, 11/27 vs Monticello, 11/30 @ Cathedral, 12/2 vs Princeton, 12/4 vs Becker

14. Breck (15-6-0, 2A Final)
Now we're really getting into the range where I am basically throwing up my hands and hoping that these teams turn out to be decent. The Mustangs turned in their best campaign in several years, posting a few impressive victories and marching to the section final before being blasted by Delano. Breck graduated a huge crop of seniors, most notably forwards Beau Courneya and Jake Silverman, and goalie Dylan Halliwill. Caden Morgan, their best all-around player, also transferred to Edina. There are still a few nice building blocks in defenseman Carter Theissen and goalie Jack Thomson, both of whom played in the elite league this fall. The big question is where the Mustangs will find scoring. There is a solid group of youngsters coming into the pipeline, but none appear to be difference makers at this stage. The schedule is rather forgiving, with Mahtomedi representing the only real Class A threat outside of section play.
Schedule: 12/2 vs Orono, 12/4 @ Cotter

15. Orono (11-8-0, 2A SF)
No, I didn't expect to include six 2A teams in the rankings, much less in the top 15, but here we are. The Spartans started out fine last season, but the wheels came off down the stretch, resulting in an underwhelming campaign. A large group of seniors departed, but there are still some talented young players left in the stable. Junior Bradley Walker has already amassed 77 points in two varsity seasons, while Carson Clark put up 17 points from the blue line as an 8th grader. Goalie Brock Peyton was a revelation and should improve on a fine sophomore season. Orono departs to the Metro West this year, which results in a distinct lack of section games. The overall schedule is no joke, though, as Orono takes on three ranked teams in the first few weeks, along with the likes of Delano, Hermantown, and Benilde later in the season.
Schedule: 11/26 @ Little Falls, 11/27 vs Mahtomedi, 11/30 @ Jefferson, 12/2 vs Breck

Next Five:
16. Monticello (12-7-1, 5A Final)
11/26 @ Mahtomedi, 11/27 vs Little Falls, 12/2 vs LDC

17. Hibbing (11-7-1, 7A SF)
11/27 @ Grand Rapids, 11/30 @ Cloquet, 12/2 @ I-Falls, 12/3 vs Rock Ridge

18. Thief River Falls (9-9-1, 8A SF)
11/26 vs Delano, 11/27 vs Cathedral, 12/3 @ Northfield

19. Northfield (12-6-1, 1AA QF)
11/30 @ Farmington, 12/3 vs TRF, 12/4 vs Faribault

20. Mankato East (14-5-0, 1A QF)
11/26 vs Champlin Park, 11/30 vs Mound, 12/3 @ Century

[GoldenBear]

Stang…thanks for the rankings. One update. Orono’s Clark is playing at Blake this year. GB

[Stang5280]

Stang…thanks for the rankings. One update. Orono’s Clark is playing at Blake this year. GB

Thanks GB. That’s a big loss for the Spartans. I won’t bother tinkering with the rankings, but obviously it changes my assessment of them. The bottom end of the rankings will be quite fluid anyway.

[ClassAGuy]

Great rankings Stang. We look to be identical on the top 8 teams and then after that its like you said and I think everyone would agree its anybody's guess.

You went really high on SW Christian over traditional teams like (Little Falls, TRF, Monticello) I too like the core of veterans they return still though they have not even been to a Section Semifinal which in Section 2A will hurt them I am not seeing a top 10 team but Top 20 agree. I am not as sold on Providence as you again a program with some promise though. I was surprised to see you have Breck so high do you think the Mustangs will be that solid. I have heard they have a number of sophomores but nothing like the old days or even a Beau Cornyea type.

Orono.... I dunno they should be good be they are starting to lose their top end kids to privates pretty regularly like the old days but they should have enough to be in the discussion.

Why no mention of Northern Lakes? It's a youth program on the rise they return good scoring punch and some good veterans on the blue line they had kids in the elite league this fall. They are going to be top 3 in 6A and I think be a thorn in the side of the top 2 up there. I went high but to not even have them in the top 20 with all they return i thought interesting....

State Tourney should be decent.

Section 2A is far and away the deepest.

Section 4A,7A, 8A will be (Mahtomedi, H-Town and Warroad/EGF) Top 3 seeds

Section 2A and 6A will be a good 4 vs 5 Seed game on Wednesday night.

Section 5A, 1A, 3A look to be the unseeded teams.

Overall Friday and Saturday at State should be fine and there will be a lot of parity at the bottom to talk about when rankings 10-20 this year.

[elliott70]

Breck at 14?

Oh ye of little faith!

[YouthHockeyHub]

We differ a bit on our rankings - but that is what makes it fun.

Nice write-up. Great detail and a lot of research done here.

Sidebar: Ben Dardis and Grant Dardis are part of a triplet crew (I believe the non-hockey playing triplet's name is Jack).

[ClassAGuy]

I thought it would be good to put my Class A Preseason Ranking here this was done on (11-7-21). Below is the Preseason Ranking for Class A.

Class A Preseason Ranking (11-7-21)

1- Hermantown- The Hawks return two very talented and UMD committed Juniors on the Front line and Back end in Zam Plante and Ty Hansen to lead the latest version of the Hawks. Add in great depth at forward in with Blomdahl, Thomas, Carlson and Kauppinen back after playing last year and producing. They return defenseman Janzig and Peterson for depth on the blueline. They have their starter in the net back in Opsahl and I haven't even mentioned the group of Super Sophomores led by the Younger Plante and Vieau ready to jump in after an outstanding AA Bantam campaign. Coach Pat Andrews will enter his 5th season as the pre-season favorite on paper in Class A yet a title has eluded him. Will this version of the Hawks be the team to help get the growing monkey off his back and cash in for his first title. The Hawks are formidable and look to be the team to beat again this winter.

2- Warroad- The Warrior look to be one of those teams on paper that should be able to contend with the Hawks. They are led up front by their own UMD Committed Junior in offensive wizard Jayson Shaugabay and with the recent Omaha Lancers mess they return D1 committed star Daimon Gardner and they will be joined by a good core sophomores coming in like Marivn-Cordes and Pilgrim along with some older veterans who will play a great brand of Warriors hockey. The reason I like this team is because their Blue Line looks very solid led by two polar opposite Defenseman in tall rugged shutdown Sr. Caron Reed and the small elusive smooth skating Jr. Erick Comstock add-in a Blue Chip Rookie coming up with Ryan Lund and there is a lot to like about the back end. Ohh and I forgot to mention there is another Slukynski, this one is in the net and he is very good and will make Warroad tough to beat all season long.

3-East Grand Forks- If there is a team built to beat the Warriors it's the GreenWave. Yes they did get dinged by an early departure but they are returning their own UND committed Junior in Jaksen Panzer and he will lead a very tough and effective group of forwards they return Magner, Stocker and Aker. They have emerging sophomore star Schmiederberg along with some very nice sophomores of their own who are coming off an A Bantam over none other than Warroad and the State Title game. Their Defense has some question marks but those holes will be filled by the great veteran EGF coaching staff. The biggest question mark as it is every year with East Side is the Goaltender. It's been the Achilles heel for the last few groups. If they have an answer their EGF could very well be the champion this year in Class A.

4- Mahtomedi- The Zephyrs might be a bit high for some but they have a very weak Section 4A with Gentry gone they should walk through it to be at the X. They play a AA tough Schedule all year and they have a 4 year Starter in Ben Dardis in the net. Those factors to me led Mahtomedi to be 4 for now. They will be a thorn to deal with in a Class A Semi-final for whoever is the two seed or one seed above. They will need to find scoring, they return Gulenchyn and Wolsfeld up front and they do have another Dardis on the Blue line to lead their Defense. The Zephyrs have a nice crew of AA Bantams coming in and they have some depth players ready to fill and their schedule will teach them how to play tight with teams that have better talent all year. This team will be in the discussion all year don't let the record fool you as they will be a definite contender in March.

5- Fergus Falls- I love everything about the Otters this winter. I think they will be a team to watch in Class A all year. Unfortunately it will be hard to know as their schedule doesn't have a ton of good indicators but this group is the Defending CLC Conference Champs a AA conference and they are an incredible double OT Section Final loss away from making a statement last spring. They return a Dangerous Trio up front in Johnson, DeBrito and Zierden along with some great supporting cast members who will only be better this year. My hesitation with this team is on the Blue Line but they do return players like Young and Becker who saw good minutes last year. Why they are my sleeper is because Junior stand out Ben Swanson is capable of winning a game by himself every night. The two year starter already will make the Otters a serious contender in Class A all year.

6-Duluth Denfeld- Duluth Denfeld has been talking about this group for the last few years. Unfortunately COVID really wrecked this group's season last year with extended shutdowns and they never really got their stride. The Hunter have everything you want up front led by Davidson and the Mcclure Twins the Hunters have 6 of their top 8 scorers back. However, their D core is questionable and they will need to answer a major question of who will be the goaltender to stop a ton of shots in a Section Final vs. the Hawks. Denfeld is going to be very good, they just might not be good enough though to get over the top with the Giant in their Section. It's now or never for the Hunters and I think they are going to be very good all year.

7-Alexandria- Last year was an odd year for a rising Class A program. They lost some great talent to the emerging in town rival NorthStar Academy, also a new coach last year and they just never seemed to find consistency. Those growing pains though have created what looks to be a very tough squad with experience all over the lineup this year. They return Senior standouts Gronholz and Berg up front along with dynamic juniors Kludt and Lamski. They return the majority of the defensive core and they have Pfeffer back in the net. They also have a great youth program that will bring in some good young players ready to fill holes. Alexandria could be considered underrated at seven in all honesty they have depth and balance in all areas and should be back to the normal Top 10 team we have been accustomed to seeing that past decade.

8- Delano- I am going with a proven track record here. The program is seriously becoming the WBL of Class A. They are both Orange and Black colored, they both have a hated private rival in their Section (Beck=Hill) and they both get to state and lose in the Quarters. For 3 straight years that has been the Tigers demise and this year it's looking like the 2A champ will be in 4 vs 5 game and they very well could see the deja vu continue. This version will have Scoring Peterson, Brown and Paulson are legit Talent and they will have depth. The Halonen boys will add good depth up front and to the blueline. They will need a few D to step up but Delano’s structure and solid play has become a staple of this regime’s teams. They have their starter back in the net in Huontari there is a lot to like about Delano. They are next in line of the Class A Blue Blood programs looking for a state title. Can this group be the one to break the Quarters Curse?

9- Northern Lakes- I will take the gamble here that last year was not a fluke rather a welcome to regular contenders of Class A for the Northern Lights. They do have some serious talent returning and their youth program will keep supplying these groups with new fresh talent. Why I like them is that upfront they have Trio Seeling, Craig and St. Clair is ready to lead the charge again. They also have super talented sophomore Isaac Peterson back with others to lead the blueline. However, why I am not sold on them being legit top 10 is they need to replace an absolute stud in the net from last year. He won them more than a few games where he was facing 50 shots plus. If they have an answer in the net Northern Lakes could be a serious contender this winter again.

10-Little Falls- The Flyers benefitted big time by section realignment leaving Fergus and Alex and entering a very winnable and weak Section 5A. This Flyers group may have just enough to make a run to State again this winter. They will need to replace the Father and Son duo of the Couture’s. However, they return some good Scoring punch up front in Johnson and Filippi to carry the load with other ready to fill in and play the Flyers Grinding style. They also return 3 regulars on the Blue line lead by George Moore III. The question will be do they have a goalie and is there enough depth. I think they may have just enough forwards and Defense if they have a goalie they should win 5A and be in the conversation all winter.

11- Rock Ridge- The biggest mystery team in Class A. I might have them way too high at 11 or I may have them way too low. The new Co-opt of Iron Range giants should make for a very tough hockey team. Forwards will have a punch with Schef, Peterson, Laugen to lead what should be a very deep Crew. Their defense will have Troutwine and Nemanich to lead and Kangas in the nets is one of many that could see time in the nets. Will they get along? How quickly can they mesh? They will have serious depth and I think we will be talking about Rock Ridge all winter.

12- Southwest Christian- Senior heavy roster with experience all over the lineup could make the Stars an interesting pick. They had some success last year but they flopped in Sections. However, they return Bendell, Michelizze, Erhart and others for offense. They have their top Defenseman in Hardacare back and they return two goalies who saw time. This could be a very sneaky good team in 2A. Time will tell but I am going to list them for now in my Top 15 poll.

13- Monticello- The Moose should be the other prime contender as always in 5A. Last year they never seemed to play the way we are accustomed to seeing them play. This year they could be better. They return their top player in Dahlhiemer and he has led their scoring engine since he was a sophomore. After that they have a bunch of returners who they will need to have better seasons then they did last year. I am going on track record and a weak section that the Moose will be a team we are talking about all year.

14- Thief River Falls- TRF is just a very well coached solid program. They have two heavyweights at the top of 8A but the Prowlers should be very solid this winter. They return their leading scorer in Bottem and they have some depth coming back their. They don't have anything flashy on the Blue line but they do have maybe the best coach in Class A on their bench and they have a game changer in the nets in Holmer. The Prowlers will compete in a Down Class A field all year; they just won't be at the same level as their Section counterparts Warroad or EGF.

15- Minneapolis- This could be too low. Minneapolis is a nice squad this year and they return a ton of depth. They will be led by the Hanson brothers who both played Elite League this fall. They have both of their goalies back and they have a bunch of other nice pieces that will play Coach Dziedzic tough nose in your face style. They have been a tough out for years in Section 2A and this year’s team looks to be no different.

Other Notable Team in Class A:
Providence Academy: Lots of hype for this group for good reason they have some good experience coming back in all areas will be interesting to see how they respond this year could easily jump in the top 15.

Breck- They lost a ton but they look to be bringing in a bunch of good sophomores. I am holding out to see how good they are before putting them in my top 15.

Orono- Could be really good but they seem to be losing their top end talent of late to the Privates again like the old days. Orono will be an interesting one to watch if they can regain some momentum there.

Northfield- Would have been a lock in Section 1A and the Top 15 team but then the news of Monson’s departure put a damper there. Will need to find some more scoring but should still be the favorite in Section 1A.

Simley- Return two good goalies and some good veterans all over the lineup. Play in a tough conference and look to be the best of the rest in Section 4A.

Mound Westonka- Will be young but they do return Doshen and Krebsbach and will be as always one of the toughest teams to rank. They are known for some great upsets and then head scratching losses. This younger group looks to be no different.

Mankato East- Will be young but should be the favorite to win a very weak Section 3A. Have a ton of scoring to replace but with Hockeyday going to Kato thought they deserved to be mentioned.

Class A Section by Section Outlook-

Section 1A-
Favorite- Northfield
1- Northfield
2- New Prague
3. Lourdes
4- Waseca
Summary- This should be Northfields to win. New Prague plays with the big boys all year and will be a challenge for 1A teams. Lourdes brings back a nice crew and Waseca has super star scorer Kyle Aschlager to lead them.

Section 2A-
Favorite- Delano
1- Delano
2- Southwest Christian
3- Minneapolis
4- Breck
5- Providence Academy
6- Orono
Summary- Very deep Section the deepest in Class A by far. Will take Delano’s track record here but any of the top 6 to 7 teams can win this section, be a great section playoff and seeds will be important.

Section 3A-
Favorite- Mankato East
1- Mankato East
2- New Ulm
3- Mankato West
4- Windom
Summary- Yuck this Section now is weaker than ever. Mankato East is my pick but Watch out for New Ulm or Mankato West to challenge. My sleeper is Windom. They return EVERYONE and had a great run last year. It was fun to see a small town program but again a Semi’s appearance would be great for them.

Section 4A
Favorite- Mahtomedi
1- Mahtomedi
2- Simley
3- Chisago Lakes
4- South St Paul
Summary- Zephyrs will dominate this section and I really don't see anyone else that will challenge them. Simley or South St Paul bring back experience. Chisago Lakes moving from 5A hurt them could have contended there.

Section 5A
Favorite - Little Falls
1- Little Falls
2- Monticello
3- St Cloud Cathedral
4- Mora/Milaca
Summary- This one looks to be between the Moose and Flyers and who will have enough to pull it off. I have SCC at 3 which may be high but they will rebound from last year as they have a good sophomore bunch. Mora/Milaca returns everyone and could be sneaky as well.

Section 6A
Favorite- Fergus Falls
1- Fergus Falls
2- Alexandria
3- Northern Lakes
Summary- The Big 3 will be battling all year for seeds as the 1 seed will have a much easier path. I like the Otters here. I think they are going to be very good and should be challenging for the Semis at State. Alex and Northern Lakes though are no push overs and it will be a good battle all winter.

Section 7A
Favorite- Hermantown
1- Hermantown
2- Duluth Denfeld
3- Rock Ridge
Summary- Can the Hunters take down the Hawks… Time will tell but right now it looks like the Hawks are heads and shoulders above the rest in 7A and in Class A in general.

Section 8A
Favorite- Warroad
1- Warroad
2. East Grand Forks
3- Thief River Falls
Summary- The Warroad vs EGF rivalry has been amped up in recent years this year looks no different both of these squads are very good and the winner will be the Hawks main contender at State.

[Stang5280]

Breck at 14?

Oh ye of little faith!

I’m tempering my early expectations again because that seemed to work well last year. Just don’t let the athletic department know that I am doubting the team

[Stang5280]

We differ a bit on our rankings - but that is what makes it fun.

Nice write-up. Great detail and a lot of research done here.

Sidebar: Ben Dardis and Grant Dardis are part of a triplet crew (I believe the non-hockey playing triplet's name is Jack).

Thanks, I appreciate the compliments. I intentionally haven’t listened to the Class A portion of the preseason podcast yet so it wouldn’t influence my rankings, though I may have missed out on a few nuggets of inside information.

I knew that Ben and Grant were at least brothers, but was unaware of the triplet situation. Fun random fact!

[Stang5280]

Great rankings Stang. We look to be identical on the top 8 teams and then after that its like you said and I think everyone would agree its anybody's guess.

You went really high on SW Christian over traditional teams like (Little Falls, TRF, Monticello) I too like the core of veterans they return still though they have not even been to a Section Semifinal which in Section 2A will hurt them I am not seeing a top 10 team but Top 20 agree. I am not as sold on Providence as you again a program with some promise though. I was surprised to see you have Breck so high do you think the Mustangs will be that solid. I have heard they have a number of sophomores but nothing like the old days or even a Beau Cornyea type.

Orono.... I dunno they should be good be they are starting to lose their top end kids to privates pretty regularly like the old days but they should have enough to be in the discussion.

Why no mention of Northern Lakes? It's a youth program on the rise they return good scoring punch and some good veterans on the blue line they had kids in the elite league this fall. They are going to be top 3 in 6A and I think be a thorn in the side of the top 2 up there. I went high but to not even have them in the top 20 with all they return i thought interesting....

I might be overlooking Northern Lakes, but my initial instinct was that they lost just about everyone from last year's squad. The top two forwards graduated (and 6 of the top 8 scorers), as did the top defenseman and both goalies. I plead ignorance as to their youth program. Being out of state I only have a vague idea of that type of information.

Yeah, I was pretty high on the Section 2A teams overall, which may or may not turn out to be a mistake. A lot of my philosophy was to look at returning points and goaltending, and weight that heavily among relatively equal teams. You could probably just throw my 9 through 13 teams into a hat, but that was my main differentiator. Southwest Christian has seemed like they have been on the verge of a breakthrough the past few seasons, and they have a lot of solid, experienced players compared to the teams just behind them. Breck may be an overreach, but then again it is my alma mater and I am often either too optimistic or too harsh on them.

In the end we are mainly quibbling over teams that will not have any impact on the statewide level, and before we have even seen a shift of hockey. I fully expect to be shuffling teams in, out, and around the back half of my rankings all season.

[ClassAGuy]

I might be overlooking Northern Lakes, but my initial instinct was that they lost just about everyone from last year's squad. The top two forwards graduated (and 6 of the top 8 scorers), as did the top defenseman and both goalies. I plead ignorance as to their youth program. Being out of state I only have a vague idea of that type of information.

In the end we are mainly quibbling over teams that will not have any impact on the statewide level, and before we have even seen a shift of hockey. I fully expect to be shuffling teams in, out, and around the back half of my rankings all season.

[/quote]

Great points as always Stang. Not quibbling just respect your opinion a great deal and the only team we were way off on was Northern Lakes. Just so we have our information correct and double checking myself....

Northern Lakes actually returns 5 of their top 10 scorers. Seeling, Craig, St Clair and Bernu all played quite a bit and were double digit in scoring. They do return 3 Defenseman and one could argue that current Sophomore defenseman Isaac Peterson, who was 11th in scoring as a freshman defenseman and played Elite League this Fall as sophomore, may have been their top D last year but will be even more effective this year. The goalie question is huge and I don't see them beating Fergus Falls or Alex in 6A. Just a program that is on the rise in Class A. Thought be good to note.

Like you said after the top 8 its messy but interesting.

Thanks as always for your great insight look forward every year to your post to compare my notes with.

[ClassAGuy]

Let's Play Hockey MN HS Hockey Coaches Poll Class A
1. Hermantown
2. East Grand Forks
3. Warroad
4. Mahtomedi
5. Delano
6. Duluth Denfeld
7. Alexandria
8. Fergus Falls
9. Breck
10. Northern Lakes
11. Thief River Falls
12. Orono
13. Monticello
14. Southwest Christian
15. Rock Ridge
16. Minneapolis
17. Northfield
18. Little Falls
19. Mound Westonka
20. Providence Academy

Interesting poll as always... Usually this one goes off of previous years and brand name. However, it appears the top 8 are the same different order and the top 20 have been covered above just another poll of interest. This one is usually how state seeds go come tourney time in March so good to add it throughout the year.

[Stang5280]

Great points as always Stang. Not quibbling just respect your opinion a great deal and the only team we were way off on was Northern Lakes. Just so we have our information correct and double checking myself....

Northern Lakes actually returns 5 of their top 10 scorers. Seeling, Craig, St Clair and Bernu all played quite a bit and were double digit in scoring. They do return 3 Defenseman and one could argue that current Sophomore defenseman Isaac Peterson, who was 11th in scoring as a freshman defenseman and played Elite League this Fall as sophomore, may have been their top D last year but will be even more effective this year. The goalie question is huge and I don't see them beating Fergus Falls or Alex in 6A. Just a program that is on the rise in Class A. Thought be good to note.

Here are the top eight scorers from Northern Lakes last year. It is a bit of a cherry picked number, to be sure, since the next few are underclassmen.
Nybakken (39 pts)
Seeling (30) Back
Couture (29)
Craig (22) Back
Larsen (22)
St. Clair (17)
Holtzleicer (12)

St. Clair wasn’t on the postseason roster, so that might be the discrepancy.

The LPH poll… woof. They always have some strange outliers in their rankings.

[ClassAGuy]

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

High School Hockey is BACK!! There are some good Matchups this weekend. Below are my Class A Games of the Weekend:

CLASS A GAMES OF THE WEEKEND
Friday Nov. 26th
#8 Delano @ #14 Thief River Falls
Two of the state's most structured teams battle at the beautiful Mini Ralph. Delano and TRF both have two of the better goalies in Class A and two of the better coaching staffs as well. This should be a battle and would not be surprised to see the Prowlers get a win here. Delano is a slow starter most years and the long roadie after the holiday will make this a good one to watch.

Orono vs. #10 Little Falls @ TRIA's "Class A Turkey Premier"
Another good battle here between two squads searching for identity. The Flyers bring back their big guns up front in Senior Johnson and Big Junior Filippi who has played regular shift since 8th grade. They also return 3 defenseman who played good minutes after that though lots of question marks. Orono does return Walker up front who has been a star since 9th grade and has a ton of depth. This one will be a good barometer game for the lower end of Class A’s Top 20 early in the year.

#4 Mahtomedi vs. #13 Monticello @ TRIA's "Class A Turkey Premier"
Ben Dardis begins his fourth year in the net for Mahtomedi and they will lean on him a ton this year. What schedule they play but this one is a big game playing potential 5A favorite Monticello. The Moose Return Dahlheimer and they will go as he goes. Both teams have been State Tourney Regulars over the years and this is a fun Class A opener.

Saturday Nov. 27th
#13 Monticello vs. #10 Little Falls @ TRIA's "Class A Turkey Premier"
HUGE Section 5A match-up early on. Seeds at stake and a good indicator of who looks to be the frontrunner in a new revamped section. Moose and Flyers have always played tight great contests in the past; this looks to be no different.

Orono vs. #4 Mahtomedi @ TRIA's "Class A Turkey Premier"
Mahtomedi playing another traditional Class A power from 2A. This one should be a good match up and one that each will want to win for possible implications down the road. These two have played some good ones in recent years. See how real the Spartans of Orono are after a good openining weekend for them.

Mound Westonka @ Providence Academy
Sneaky good early Section 2A matchup. Lots of hype for Providence this year be a good one for them on home ice to prove they a top tier team in there section against an always Pesky and well coached Mound Westonka team.

GAME OF THE WEEKEND
#8 Delano @ #3 East Grand Forks
Great Class A matchup here as the Green Wave Host the Tigers. Panzer and company may feel a bit slighted by the bombshell of the return of Superstar Gardner to Warroad. Don't ever forget about the Greenwave. They have some serious talent. A great young core coming up and always well coached and tough. This will be a tough on the back end of 2 game roadie for Delano but bravo for scheduling it! Should be a good one to watch for all Class A fans!

SHOULD BE A GREAT START TO CLASS A HOCKEY!

[MNHockeyFan]

Excellent. Thank you for putting the time needed to put your analysis together on all of these upcoming matchups.

[goldy313]

To Class A guy…….please explain how 3A is worse than ever with the addition of East and West. For myself you lost all credibility with that statement.

[Teak]

To Class A guy…….please explain how 3A is worse than ever with the addition of East and West. For myself you lost all credibility with that statement.

Goldy, we'll let ClassA guy respond to this himself, but it could be that he sees Mankato East and West as less competitive than Hutchinson and Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato. That is how I interpreted it. If Hutch and Litch had not left 3A, and the two Mankato schools were added, then I would see 3A getting stronger.

[ClassAGuy]

To Class A guy…….please explain how 3A is worse than ever with the addition of East and West. For myself you lost all credibility with that statement.

Section 3A Lost LDC who would have been the HEAVY favorite this year coming back. The return 10 seniors who played major minutes last year and 11 of their top 13 scorers. This is one of the best versions of the Dragons. The next best team would have been Hutchinson who returns some good pieces including their two leading scorers. Neither will be a factor in Section 2A.

The bringing Minnesota River in for Wilmar leaving swap really does nothing as both programs are not contenders at that moment.

Mankato West Lost their stud goalie, Lost almost all of their Defenseman, and 3 of their top 5 leading scorers. They also lost a very good coach who always made them compete at higher level then their talent. New Coach, New Goalie and need a bunch of newcomers to play well has me looking at one of the weaker Mankato West team in the last decade. They do return Brunmeier and Schmidt up front but not much after that.

Mankato East lost thier core group of 5 super star seniors last year who did everything for them. I picked them to win Section 3A because they do at least return 4 players who had double digits in scoring and their main goaltender is back. However, this is not nearly as strong of group as in years past for East. They might sneak into the X this year but they are way down from the previous years which is expected when you lose the 5 main stays they lost last year.

Marshall a normal tough program of traditional 3A is coming of their worst year in program history. While they will be improved and should win more then 5 games this year they are not at the level we normally see.

New Ulm returns their leading scorer Hoffman but they also lost the lost 14 Seniors and beyond Hoffman and we will need to find a new core to rely on and I they also lost both of their starting goalies.

Luverne not sure what happened there but they have not been nearly s good as they once were... Windom and Worthington are both primed to have great years but still they are very small programs

With WEST and EAST being down from normal standards, MARSHALL and NEW ULM being down from normal standards... Losing LDC and HUTCH who would of been the favorites....

In my mind this year 3A is the weakest its been in a long time. I am sure the Mankato's will rebound but with both of them being down this year it makes this years version look Weaker then ever.

[goldy313]

Thanks, a really logical explanation that I was looking for.

My own opinion is that it makes 1A worse than 3A.

[bardown27]

and their main goaltender is back.

Kind of. Brueske logged a ton of minutes (almost all_ for East two years ago as a sophomore when they went to state, quit last year, came back LATE in the season and only played one game (section loss to La Crescent), while Riley Burnett played almost all the minutes last year. Burnett is now at SSM.

[ClassAGuy]

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

High School Hockey is BACK!! There are some good Matchups this weekend. Below are my Class A Games of the Weekend:

CLASS A GAMES OF THE WEEKEND
Friday Nov. 26th
#8 Delano @ #14 Thief River Falls
Two of the state's most structured teams battle at the beautiful Mini Ralph. Delano and TRF both have two of the better goalies in Class A and two of the better coaching staffs as well. This should be a battle and would not be surprised to see the Prowlers get a win here. Delano is a slow starter most years and the long roadie after the holiday will make this a good one to watch.

Orono vs. #10 Little Falls @ TRIA's "Class A Turkey Premier"
Another good battle here between two squads searching for identity. The Flyers bring back their big guns up front in Senior Johnson and Big Junior Filippi who has played regular shift since 8th grade. They also return 3 defenseman who played good minutes after that though lots of question marks. Orono does return Walker up front who has been a star since 9th grade and has a ton of depth. This one will be a good barometer game for the lower end of Class A’s Top 20 early in the year.

#4 Mahtomedi vs. #13 Monticello @ TRIA's "Class A Turkey Premier"
Ben Dardis begins his fourth year in the net for Mahtomedi and they will lean on him a ton this year. What schedule they play but this one is a big game playing potential 5A favorite Monticello. The Moose Return Dahlheimer and they will go as he goes. Both teams have been State Tourney Regulars over the years and this is a fun Class A opener.

Well Opening Night in Class A gave us some interesting results.

Surprise of the Night-
#2 Warroad barley getting by St. Cloud Cathedral 3-1. Cathedral led this one 1-0 late into the second period. Warroad was able to put the game away in the last 2 minutes but this one was much tighter then I think any expected.

Top Class A Matchups
#8 Delano 4 #14 TRF- The Tigers jumped out to a 2-0 lead after two periods and did not look back. A good convincing win early for a program known for slow starts. They take on #3 EGF today should be interesting. Also, #14 TRF takes on a not be overlooked St Cloud Cathedral Today both games will have interest for Class A Fans

#4 Mahtomedi 6 #13 Monticello 0- Mahtomedi was outshot and out played in the first for segments however some leaky goaltending by the new Moose Tender allowed the Zephyrs to build a 3-0 lead. After that Ben Dardis said game over and Mahtomedi cruised to a shutout win.

#10 Little Falls 6 Orono 5 OT- Wild one at TRIA as the Flyers dominated the first two periods and built a 4-2 lead only to see Orono charge back and take the lead in the third. The Flyers top line though would not let this one be lost as they accounted for all SIX goals and Fyers get a very nice opening 6-5 OT win.

Other Class A Scores of Interest
#6 Duluth Denfeld 7 Woodbury 6- The Hunters as we predicted can score wow! But can they defend? Another AA challenger today as they take on Champlin Park.

Simley 10 Minnehaha Academy 0- Nice win for Simley who appears to be the 2nd best team in Section 4A a bigger test today as they take on a Solid AA Park squad.

MORE GREAT GAMES TODAY!!