AA Rankings for 1/13/13

[karl(east)]

A tumultuous season filled with parity continues; to give an idea of how convoluted AA is this year, six of the teams in the top ten lost a game this past week, while another had a tie against a team outside the top twenty. We’re going to have some much weaker records than we’re used to at State this year, but that should make for plenty of exciting hockey down the stretch. Lake Conference play kicks off this week, and most of the bigger Metro conferences are now into the second round of games their home-and-home series. Without further ado:

1. Wayzata (13-2)
-After a steady march upward, a win over Hill-Murray pushes the Trojans to the top. Like the team they beat to slip to #1, they haven’t been winning in explosive fashion. But they are playing very smart hockey, and it’s hard to argue with the heap of quality wins they now have. The stakes only get higher now, as their next three games are against Section 6AA foes. A strong run here will go a long way toward solidifying this position.
This week: Thurs vs. #14 Holy Family Catholic, Sat at Eden Prairie

2. Hill-Murray (12-2-1)
-The Pioneers drop from the top spot after losing to Wayzata, but with wins over the two teams immediately below them, they won’t go any lower than #2. The schedule from here on out is significantly easier than it has been, with St. Thomas being the only real elite team left. Their first opponent this week, Lakeville North, has given some good teams decent games throughout the season.
This week: Thurs at Lakeville North, Sat vs. South St. Paul

3. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (10-4)
-It was the sort of week that showed both the Red Knights’ flaws and their great potential; they were shut down effectively by St. Thomas Academy, but thumped Minnetonka in a key 6AA contest. The secondary scoring this season hasn’t been what it was last season, though that may simply be a function of the independent schedule, which doesn’t let third line players pile up points in garbage time. The good news is that, with the explosiveness of their top four forwards in transition, they don’t need a lot of secondary scoring to win, especially with the defense showing signs of improvement. By the standards of their schedule, this week looks pretty easy, though Mounds View is completely untested against good teams, and who knows what the conditions will be like in Grand Rapids.
This week: Tues at Mounds View, Thurs vs. Rochester Century, Sat at Grand Rapids

4. Edina (12-3)
-A 2-1 win over White Bear Lake does little to suggest the Hornets have fixed their recent offensive struggles, and with Wayzata and Benilde picking up big wins, they slide back two spots. It isn’t anything too concerning at this point, but it’s something to watch as they head into Lake play. The Minnetonka game will be an interesting match-up between two teams that haven’t exactly been setting the world on fire lately.
This week: Thurs vs. #7 Minnetonka, Sat at Holy Angels

5. Eagan (10-3-1)
-While we can quibble about the order, the top four are pretty clear; #5, on the other hand, is not an easy spot to fill. The Wildcats lost to Eastview this past week, but with a train wreck in the rankings behind them and no other bad results on their record, this will have to do. It appears they were just unable to bury, and that hasn’t been a consistent problem for this team, so it’s a bit easier to write off than some other teams’ struggles. Still, their hold on this spot is not exactly commanding. They play an important game against Jefferson this week before heading outdoors to face Hibbing.
This week: Tues vs. Apple Valley, Thurs at #12 Bloomington Jefferson, Sat at Hibbing (in Grand Rapids)

6. Duluth East (10-4)
-The loss to Denfeld sets the Hounds back a spot, but they rebounded well with wins over Grand Rapids and Eden Prairie. The consistently strong defense is their obvious strength; they’ve given up exactly one goal in six straight games against top AA teams. Still, their scoring woes came out in the Denfeld game, and in turn affected the defense, as they pressed too far forward and were burned on breakaways. The Hounds have a second straight three-game week, though they’ll be favored comfortably in all three; White Bear should give them their best competition, and the Superior game is never an automatic. They’ve proven they can beat anyone when they’re on; now, they need to show they can take care of business against some of these less daunting teams that have given them some trouble this year.
This week: Tues at White Bear Lake, Thurs vs. Apple Valley, Sat vs. Superior (WI)

7. Minnetonka (9-4-1)
-Losing to Benilde in itself isn’t awful, but the way the Skippers lost certainly raises some eyebrows, as the Red Knights blew them out early on. They were burned far too often on defense, and that is supposed to be this team’s strength; they also struggled to finish, making it difficult to find many positives. Sure, it’s just one game, but the past few weeks have been pretty rocky. We’ll see if they can right the ship in Lake play, beginning with a big trip to Edina on Thursday.
This week: Thurs at #4 Edina, Sat vs. Hopkins

8. Centennial (11-3-1)
-A tie against Andover is not an ideal result, but they have beaten the Huskies twice this season, and there’s just enough uncertainty around them to keep the Cougars from moving. This week’s game against Jefferson is a big one, and will give some clarity among the Northwest Suburban and South Suburban teams battling for positioning in the 8-13 spots.
This week: Thurs at #12 Bloomington Jefferson, Sat at Robbinsdale Armstrong

9. Prior Lake (10-5)
-Pumped out three more low-scoring wins against mid-level competition, which is enough to get the Lakers their first ever top ten appearance. They aren’t flashy about it, but like East they’ve been very consistent with their strong defense; they haven’t given up more than two goals since a mid-December loss to Eagan. Only one game this week, as they pay a visit to a suddenly dangerous Eastview team.
This week: Tues at Eastview

10. Burnsville (7-7-1)
-This is one of the worst records you’ll ever see in the top ten, but all of their losses are to teams ahead of them, they’ve beaten the two teams immediately below them, and they are now done with their brutal nonconference schedule. Most importantly, the win over Jefferson improves their standing in 2AA. Now it’s time to see if they can solidify that record against some South Suburban teams, beginning with the two Lakevilles this week.
This week: Tues vs. Lakeville South, Sat at Lakeville North

11. Blaine (9-4-1)
-Scraped out a narrow win over Elk River, which is a decent sign that they belong right about here in the rankings. They face a streaking Maple Grove team this week, which will probably be their last real test before the all-important rematch with Centennial in early February.
This week: Thurs vs. #15 Maple Grove, Sat at Champlin Park

12. Bloomington Jefferson (10-4)
-The Jaguars’ loss to Burnsville drops them from the top ten for the time being, though they turned around and got a solid win over a decent Lakeville South team. With two top-ten teams on the docket, this week will be a big chance for the Jags to show what they can do.
This week: Tues vs. #8 Centennial, Sat vs. #5 Eagan

13. Elk River (9-7)
-More of the same from the Elks, as they lost a narrow contest to Blaine, but came back with a win over Osseo. This week’s battle with Andover is a big one for a team looking to lock up a seed toward the top of 7AA; it’s also their last game against a section opponent this season.
This week: Tues vs. Andover, Thurs vs. Champlin Park

14. Holy Family (8-3)
-After another narrow win against a middling conference opponent, I’m still not wildly convinced this team deserves to be here, but no one in the next tier of teams is doing much to suggest they belong, so the Fire hold steady at #14. Their schedule finally starts to get going this week, including a huge one against Wayzata.
This week: Tues at Waconia, Thurs at #1 Wayzata, Sat vs. Orono

15. Maple Grove (9-7)
-This week’s game of #15 roulette turns up a surprise in the surging Crimson, who have won six straight. All seven of those losses have been against teams ranked ahead of them, and they have a win over Jefferson as well. Some of the losses have been lopsided, and they’re not wowing anyone with their margins of victory, but there is something to be said for consistency. We’ll see if they can give Blaine a good run, or if we’re rotating someone new through this spot next week.
This week: Thurs at #11 Blaine

The Next Ten

Grand Rapids (9-4-2)
-The Thunderhawks picked up a quality win against Hermantown this past Tuesday, and though they didn’t generate much offense against Duluth East, they kept the game close enough to suggest a rematch in sections could certainly go the other way. The week ahead, meanwhile, is about as big as it gets in Grand Rapids: all three games are at home, and they play a huge section seeding game against Cloquet, their biggest Iron Range Conference rival in Hibbing, and then confront third-ranked Benilde on Pokegama Lake.

Eden Prairie (6-7-1)
-Lost to Duluth East, continuing a recent trend of tight games against good teams, but the results aren’t quite there yet. The game against Wayzata this week is a great chance for them to jump right back into the hunt against a section rival, but they’ll need to find more balance if they want to pull it off.

Mounds View (10-2-2)
-Seem to have recovered from the ugly Stillwater loss, as they’re back to beating Suburban East competition by comfortable margins. The week ahead is a big one; they face their first top ten team in Benilde, a Roseville team that gave them one of their ties, and improving Cretin-Derham Hall.

Cloquet (10-4-1)
-Beat Hibbing, but their game with Eden Prairie got washed out by the January rain, depriving the Jacks of a timely test against a Metro power. That means they’ll hold their ground in the rankings, and now have an interesting week ahead of them, with road trips to face section foe Grand Rapids and surging Duluth Denfeld, whom they defeated in December.

Eastview (10-6)
-A win over Eagan pulls the Lightning into the top twenty conversation, and makes it obvious they’ll be relevant in 3AA as well. There are some sloppy losses on the schedule—Apple Valley, East Ridge, Rosemount—but they’ve also beaten the Lakevilles, and had a couple of close losses to teams in the top 15.

Lakeville South (7-7)
-Continue to plug along at .500, which is enough to keep them atop 1AA. They visit Burnsville this week.

Andover (5-7-1)
-Tying Centennial is a step in the right direction, and all of their losses are to teams in the top 15. Still need to get a quality win, though; a trip to Elk River gives them a chance, and could also have implications in section seeding.

Stillwater (7-5-1)
-Losing to Cretin sets back a team that had been playing well lately. We’ll see if they can regain any momentum against SEC rivals Hastings and Forest Lake; both of whom handed them a loss at the start of the season.

Roseau (9-4-1)
-Lost to rival Warroad in overtime, but got a narrow win over Bemidji, which, coupled with Moorhead’s ugly week, suddenly has the Rams looking pretty good in 8AA. The week ahead will be a major test, with three road games; they take on undefeated East Grand Forks, plus two aspiring 8AA contenders in Brainerd and St. Cloud Tech.

Moorhead (7-8-1)
-The Spuds are taking some real lumps, as they gave up eight in a loss to Brainerd, and fell to Breck in a competitive game. They’ve shown some flashes of potential, but it’s been more bad than good lately. The week ahead is an interesting one, as they play 8A frontrunners East Grand Forks and Warroad.

On the bubble: Brainerd, Cretin-Derham Hall, White Bear Lake

Here’s a trip through the sections; as always, key section games over the next two weeks are listed after the write-up.

1AA
(21) Lakeville South
Lakeville North
-No real movement here since we last checked in on 1AA. A strong end to the season and a win over South could still tip the top seed in North’s favor; they have been consistently decent against good teams this season, despite a 5-9 record. But beyond that, I would expect little to no movement before the end of the season. Mayo remains the class of the Rochester teams, and Farmington should get a decent seed, but it’s hard to expect much more.
Key section games: None

2AA
4 Edina
9 Prior Lake
10 Burnsville
12 Bloomington Jefferson
-After the win over Burnsville, Edina is nearly assured of the top spot here. The race for the 2-4 seeds, on the other hand, could go down to the wire; right now, all three teams are 1-1 against each other, and will all play again before the season is out. Because of that, I’ve put them in the order that they’re ranked for now.
Key section game: 1/22 Jefferson at Prior Lake

3AA
5 Eagan
(20) Eastview
Cretin-Derham Hall
-This section got a bit more interesting this week, with Eastview knocking off Eagan. If the season ended today I’d still give the Wildcats the top spot due to their overall body of work; Eastview does have three losses to other teams in the section, two of which are rather ugly. But if Eastview wins the rematch on February 12, it would be interesting to see which direction the voting goes. Meanwhile, off in the SEC, Cretin is really starting to pick up some steam, and has created some separation from the rest of the pack.

4AA
2 Hill-Murray
(23) Stillwater
(18) Mounds View
Roseville
White Bear Lake
Tartan
-No surprise in the top spot, but there is some healthy intrigue beyond that. Stillwater’s big win over Mounds View has them in position for the 2-seed, but the two meet again in early February, and Mounds View has a strong résumé outside of that loss. Roseville is quietly having a pretty good year, and is currently on pace for the fourth spot, and White Bear, which has had somewhat better results lately, remains capable of making a run. With at least one game between each of those teams left in SEC play (two, for Stillwater-White Bear), nothing is set here. And then there’s Tartan, who has no games against the SEC teams, and a strong record against a weak schedule. They could fall anywhere in spots 2-6, though given their placement in the more comprehensive computer rankings, I’d err on the low side.
Key section games: 1/17 Mounds View at Roseville, 1/22 Stillwater at White Bear Lake, 1/26 White Bear Lake at Mounds View

5AA
11 Blaine
8 Centennial
15 Maple Grove
-Even though Centennial has the better record, Blaine’s win over the Cougars should keep the Bengals in the top spot for seeding purposes, at least for now. Both teams face improving Maple Grove over the next two weeks, which should help tell us if the Crimson are going to be contenders or not. Beyond the top three, this section is very thin.
Key section games: 1/17 Maple Grove at Blaine, 1/24 Centennial at Maple Grove

6AA
1 Wayzata
3 Benilde-St. Margaret’s
7 Minnetonka
14 Holy Family
(17) Eden Prairie
-Benilde’s win over Minnetonka leaves them 2-1 against the other top ten teams here, though they have games with Eden Prairie and Holy Family left on the schedule. The beginning of Lake Conference play will have major implications for this one. There are so many games left among teams in this section that nothing is set in stone; for now we’ll just assume the seedings will line up with the rankings and see where things go from there.
Key section games: 1/17 Holy Family at Wayzata, 1/19 Wayzata at Eden Prairie, 1/24 Minnetonka at Wayzata, 1/26 Eden Prairie at Minnetonka

7AA
6 Duluth East
13 Elk River
(16) Grand Rapids
(19) Cloquet
(22) Andover
-East took another step toward locking up the top seed with the win over Grand Rapids, while the Rapids-Cloquet tie makes for a very important second round this coming week. Despite the loss to Rapids, I’d keep Elk River at #2 if they beat Andover this week and avoid anything too ugly down the stretch. At this point Rapids-Cloquet would seem to decide #3 vs. #4, though a late-season run by Andover or Forest Lake could still complicate things in that part of the seedings, and Cloquet, with three section games remaining, could still move a few spots in either direction.
Key section games: 1/15 Cloquet at Grand Rapids, 1/15 Andover at Elk River, 1/22 Andover at Cloquet, 1/22 Forest Lake at Duluth East

8AA
(24) Roseau
(25) Moorhead
Brainerd
St. Cloud Tech
Bemidji
-Moorhead’s loss to Brainerd blows this section wide open, and though it is a bit deeper, it the 8AA champion will probably be on par with the 1AA champion at State. Brainerd could certainly steal a top two seed with a strong close to the season, though I want to see them back up the Moorhead win before I get too excited about them. The biggest beneficiary of the Spuds’ struggles is probably Roseau, and they have four section games over the next two weeks, including the Moorhead rematch, a trip to St. Cloud, and a home-and-home series with Brainerd. After that stretch, we should be able to make a much more definitive statement. Further down, St. Cloud Tech does have a win over Brainerd and a pretty good record, so they have a shot at a good seed; Bemidji does not have a good record, but has beaten Tech, and lost by only one to Moorhead and Roseau, so they can’t be written off, either.
Key section games: 1/18 Roseau at Brainerd, 1/19 Roseau at St. Cloud Tech, 1/22 Moorhead at Roseau, 1/24 St. Cloud Tech at Brainerd, 1/26 Brainerd at Roesau

There you go...let me know what you think, and enjoy the week ahead.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

when was the last time East lost to the Hunters?

[Usthockey13]

1995 and then they went on to win a state championship

when was the last time East lost to the Hunters?

[Ogie]

Them plucky Lakers clawing their way into the top 10.

They keep it up and they'll usurp Mounds View as my season's favorite dark horse.

[gitter]

Karl, I would have kept East at #5 and Eagan at #6 - as your last weeks ranking had them. I think the East loss to Denfeld was almost identical to the Eagan loss to Eastview. Both Eagan and East essentially dominated their opponents with shots on goal, yet just couldn't finish. Combined with East's wins over GR and EP, I just don't see Eagan moving ahead at this point.

Are you trying a reverse jinx for East?

[almostashappy]

Karl, I would have kept East at #5 and Eagan at #6 - as your last weeks ranking had them. I think the East loss to Denfeld was almost identical to the Eagan loss to Eastview. Both Eagan and East essentially dominated their opponents with shots on goal, yet just couldn't finish. Combined with East's wins over GR and EP, I just don't see Eagan moving ahead at this point.

Are you trying a reverse jinx for East?

First, thanks for another great update, Karl.

Second, in great scheme of things, doesn't matter that much if DE/Eagan are 5/6 or 6/5, and Karl did qualify Wildcat's ranking appropriately. Just like he qualified his ranking last week, after he dropped Eagan a notch even though they'd won their only game by a lot.

Third, I don't think you can put Denfeld and Eastview on equivalent pedestals. As was noted alsewhere, Eastview was a "next 10" team even before the win, and Denfeld is a "next 10" team in single A.

As for Eagan's loss to Eastview...sucks to lose to your high school's fiercest rival (whether it's sports, or debate team, or MSHSL sanctioned one-act play competitions). It's been 4 or 5 years since Wildcats have lost to another ISD196 team (i.e. EV, AV, Rsmt). But on the other hand...if you are going to lose like that to a section opponent, better that it's in January rather than end of February. And it's a good wake up call...I hope it's equivalent to the 6-6 tie against Jefferson last year as a motivator. Speaking of the Jags...Thursday's game at BIG just got bigger for the Cats (not that they'll be taking AV for granted tomorrow night).

[gitter]

Karl, I would have kept East at #5 and Eagan at #6 - as your last weeks ranking had them. I think the East loss to Denfeld was almost identical to the Eagan loss to Eastview. Both Eagan and East essentially dominated their opponents with shots on goal, yet just couldn't finish. Combined with East's wins over GR and EP, I just don't see Eagan moving ahead at this point.

Are you trying a reverse jinx for East?

First, thanks for another great update, Karl.

Second, in great scheme of things, doesn't matter that much if DE/Eagan are 5/6 or 6/5, and Karl did qualify Wildcat's ranking appropriately. Just like he qualified his ranking last week, after he dropped Eagan a notch even though they'd won their only game by a lot.

Third, I don't think you can put Denfeld and Eastview on equivalent pedestals. As was noted alsewhere, Eastview was a "next 10" team even before the win, and Denfeld is a "next 10" team in single A.

As for Eagan's loss to Eastview...sucks to lose to your high school's fiercest rival (whether it's sports, or debate team, or MSHSL sanctioned one-act play competitions). It's been 4 or 5 years since Wildcats have lost to another ISD196 team (i.e. EV, AV, Rsmt). But on the other hand...if you are going to lose like that to a section opponent, better that it's in January rather than end of February. And it's a good wake up call...I hope it's equivalent to the 6-6 tie against Jefferson last year as a motivator. Speaking of the Jags...Thursday's game at BIG just got bigger for the Cats (not that they'll be taking AV for granted tomorrow night).

In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter who is 5/6 nor does it matter who is 1/2. But rankings are rankings and they cause debate.

You may be right, Denfeld may not be as good a hockey team as Eastview, but they don't play so we won't know for sure. One could argue LPH has a better handle on teams - Eastview hasn't been in the top 20 AA all year, and Denfeld has been anywhere from 12-17 A to unranked. But cherry picking mediocre teams regardless of class doesn't tell us anything. What we do know is that both East and Eagan should have won their games against a lesser opponent and failed to do so.

So take away a couple black eyes for both teams and what do you have left - quality wins - which favors the Greyhounds in my opinion. That is why I would put East above Eagan. But to each their own, as you and Karl have proved

[almostashappy]

So take away a couple black eyes for both teams and what do you have left - quality wins - which favors the Greyhounds in my opinion. That is why I would put East above Eagan. But to each their own, as you and Karl have proved

But the thing is...if you were to take away one black eye for each team, Duluth East would still have a roughed up mug, having also suffered "black eye" losses against Centennial and Breck. Eagan, on the other hand, would only have half of a black eye (tie against Hermantown).

"Quality wins" is a good basis of comparison, but so is "Ugly losses." I think that Karl's emphasis on consistency is important. What good is a big win against a high-ranking team if you can't count on that winning team to play just as well against lesser competition?

Perhaps quality wins might better determine how a team will match up at the Tourney against other top teams...while ugly losses might be a better predictor of whether the team will get to St. Paul in the first place?

[karl(east)]

"Quality wins" is a good basis of comparison, but so is "Ugly losses." I think that Karl's emphasis on consistency is important. What good is a big win against a high-ranking team if you can't count on that winning team to play just as well against lesser competition?

Perhaps quality wins might better determine how a team will match up at the Tourney against other top teams...while ugly losses might be a better predictor of whether the team will get to St. Paul in the first place?

I think almostashappy has me pegged pretty well here. Consistency is the key. There are some things I really, really like about this East team--defensively, they're one of the best I've seen, and they've proven they can shut down just about anyone. (Even in the two games where they've given up more than two goals, almost all of that was the result of ill-advised pinching or otherwise correctable mistakes.) But the offensive output has been hit-or-miss, and if the top line has an off night, the other team is going to be in the game. Add in the psychological factor (other team says "hey, we're being outshot 18-2, but we're still tied; we have a chance!" while East says "why the **** aren't we winning by more when we're dominating play like this?"), and you can see why East has dropped a few. Hence my comment on East, saying they need to prove they can consistently take care of business against these good-but-not-great teams. If both East and Eagan win out, East (with some higher-quality wins) would probably slip ahead of Eagan at some point. But for now, I think they've had one too many off nights.

This isn't the easiest comparison, as I'm judging the team I see most often with the one top AA team I haven't seen yet (someone get Eagan on TV on a night when East isn't at home!). But I like Eagan's apparent balance, and lack of obvious flaws. On paper they don't blow you away with any one part of their team, but they have a couple of lines that can score, a pretty strong defensive corps, and a pretty good goalie. They had one bad night, but I'd say pretty much every team has had one of those by now, and unless it starts to become a trend, we can excuse this a bit more easily. They just seem like a very steady, balanced team. So for now, Eagan's season narrative is, I think, a (tiny!) bit more reassuring than East's.

Side note on Denfeld vs. Eastview: for judging results against Class A teams, I tend to lean on the computerized rankings--and those did largely have Denfeld in the top ten in Class A, even before the East win. In fact, in this week's PS2, Eastview is only two spots ahead of Denfeld, which for practical purposes is utterly insignificant. And while I don't want to disrespect the Eagan-Eastview rivalry, I'm not sure I've ever seen a group of players or a fan base as excited over a single regular season win as Denfeld's was this past Tuesday. Especially when you look at the broader context: not only East's utter dominance of hockey in this city over the past 20 years, but players moving from west to east, and the socioeconomic factors at play, with a shrinking, post-industrial, allegedly neglected west side versus the wealthier, stable, politically powerful east side. I don't think there's any way to quantify that stuff, so I don't really make it a factor in the rankings, but it's worth mentioning. For Denfeld, this was an awful lot more than a run-of-the-mill upset, like their win over Hermantown earlier in the season.

[eagles137]

If EP goes 2-0 this week with a win over Wayzata on Saturday night do you see them moving back into the top 10? Or would it still be too early for them to make a jump like that.

[sandstrom]

Karl, I would have kept East at #5 and Eagan at #6 - as your last weeks ranking had them. I think the East loss to Denfeld was almost identical to the Eagan loss to Eastview. Both Eagan and East essentially dominated their opponents with shots on goal, yet just couldn't finish. Combined with East's wins over GR and EP, I just don't see Eagan moving ahead at this point.

Are you trying a reverse jinx for East?

First, thanks for another great update, Karl.

Second, in great scheme of things, doesn't matter that much if DE/Eagan are 5/6 or 6/5, and Karl did qualify Wildcat's ranking appropriately. Just like he qualified his ranking last week, after he dropped Eagan a notch even though they'd won their only game by a lot.

Third, I don't think you can put Denfeld and Eastview on equivalent pedestals. As was noted alsewhere, Eastview was a "next 10" team even before the win, and Denfeld is a "next 10" team in single A.

As for Eagan's loss to Eastview...sucks to lose to your high school's fiercest rival (whether it's sports, or debate team, or MSHSL sanctioned one-act play competitions). It's been 4 or 5 years since Wildcats have lost to another ISD196 team (i.e. EV, AV, Rsmt). But on the other hand...if you are going to lose like that to a section opponent, better that it's in January rather than end of February. And it's a good wake up call...I hope it's equivalent to the 6-6 tie against Jefferson last year as a motivator. Speaking of the Jags...Thursday's game at BIG just got bigger for the Cats (not that they'll be taking AV for granted tomorrow night).

In the grand scheme of things it doesn't matter who is 5/6 nor does it matter who is 1/2. But rankings are rankings and they cause debate.

You may be right, Denfeld may not be as good a hockey team as Eastview, but they don't play so we won't know for sure. One could argue LPH has a better handle on teams - Eastview hasn't been in the top 20 AA all year, and Denfeld has been anywhere from 12-17 A to unranked. But cherry picking mediocre teams regardless of class doesn't tell us anything. What we do know is that both East and Eagan should have won their games against a lesser opponent and failed to do so.

So take away a couple black eyes for both teams and what do you have left - quality wins - which favors the Greyhounds in my opinion. That is why I would put East above Eagan. But to each their own, as you and Karl have proved

not that this matters at all but denfeld is a better team than eastview

[green4]

to be fair to Duluth Denfield they did beat Hermantown earlier in the year too. they seem to play well in big games

[karl(east)]

If EP goes 2-0 this week with a win over Wayzata on Saturday night do you see them moving back into the top 10? Or would it still be too early for them to make a jump like that.

It's not impossible, but not likely. Beating Wayzata would probably get them into the 11-13 range. To go any higher, they'd need to have a couple of the teams that are currently in the 8-12 range get upset, too.

[hockeyjunkie2]

As for Eagan's loss to Eastview...sucks to lose to your high school's fiercest rival (whether it's sports, or debate team, or MSHSL sanctioned one-act play competitions). It's been 4 or 5 years since Wildcats have lost to another ISD196 team (i.e. EV, AV, Rsmt). But on the other hand...if you are going to lose like that to a section opponent, better that it's in January rather than end of February. And it's a good wake up call...I hope it's equivalent to the 6-6 tie against Jefferson last year as a motivator. Speaking of the Jags...Thursday's game at BIG just got bigger for the Cats (not that they'll be taking AV for granted tomorrow night).

Not sure if anyone noticed, Eagan outshot Eastview 66-25 in this game. I wasn't at the game, but it appears Eastview's goalie may have just played a heck of a game. I do not see them dropping another like this.

[BodyShots]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a group of players or a fan base as excited over a single regular season win as Denfeld's was this past Tuesday.

Reading this brought to my attention something that happened several years ago when my oldest was playing "A" Bantams for WBL. It was the first game (very early in the morning - as usual) of the round robin portion of the tournament. Blaine scored a couple early and hung on to win the game. Their players and fans went nuts and the celebration continued off the ice. As I was walking from the stands to the lobby, I had to walk past the Blaine players as they waited for the coach to unlock the locker room door. I asked a Blaine player why he was so excited. It's not like this was the championship game. He replied with: "This is the first time we have ever beaten WBL in all the years we have played hockey!"

It's amazing what a little motivation can do for kids, and how they react when they accomplish something. The excitement on their face and their reaction will be something I never forget.

[OneMoreYear]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a group of players or a fan base as excited over a single regular season win as Denfeld's was this past Tuesday.

Reading this brought to my attention something that happened several years ago when my oldest was playing "A" Bantams for WBL. It was the first game (very early in the morning - as usual) of the round robin portion of the tournament. Blaine scored a couple early and hung on to win the game. Their players and fans went nuts and the celebration continued off the ice. As I was walking from the stands to the lobby, I had to walk past the Blaine players as they waited for the coach to unlock the locker room door. I asked a Blaine player why he was so excited. It's not like this was the championship game. He replied with: "This is the first time we have ever beaten WBL in all the years we have played hockey!"

It's amazing what a little motivation can do for kids, and how they react when they accomplish something. The excitement on their face and their reaction will be something I never forget.

Exact same reaction from Eastview as they left the ice against Eagan Saturday. One of their parents said it may have been the first time an EV team had beaten a Top 10 team, let alone a conference rival with the that stature. I guess it's true - that's why they play the games. As previous post suggests, however, EV would be hard-pressed to duplicate that outcome - 66 shots against will usually do you in.

Driscoll (goalie) stole that game from Eagan. Credit to him and their D who literally threw themselves headfirst into slapshots in the 3rd to preserve the lead. Add in a great crowd for both teams (youth hockey night for Eagan) and yes, a little motivation did create some really great moments for those kids.

[karl(east)]

I'm not sure I've ever seen a group of players or a fan base as excited over a single regular season win as Denfeld's was this past Tuesday.

Reading this brought to my attention something that happened several years ago when my oldest was playing "A" Bantams for WBL. It was the first game (very early in the morning - as usual) of the round robin portion of the tournament. Blaine scored a couple early and hung on to win the game. Their players and fans went nuts and the celebration continued off the ice. As I was walking from the stands to the lobby, I had to walk past the Blaine players as they waited for the coach to unlock the locker room door. I asked a Blaine player why he was so excited. It's not like this was the championship game. He replied with: "This is the first time we have ever beaten WBL in all the years we have played hockey!"

It's amazing what a little motivation can do for kids, and how they react when they accomplish something. The excitement on their face and their reaction will be something I never forget.

It really is an amazing thing. Especially if we're fans of the team that usually wins, we don't realize just how big finally breaking through and getting that upset can be. Most of the Denfeld players weren't even alive last time Denfeld beat East, so when you consider how locked-in their mindset has to have been. Once Denfeld had pulled ahead in the 3rd period, I heard someone sitting near me say "I went to East, but just tonight, I'm rooting for Denfeld." Any East fan capable of gaining some distance from the situation could see just how big this was. And then there's the other side of the coin...I don't think anyone who was at the press conference after East lost at State last year will be forgetting it anytime soon.

Other levels of hockey may offer higher quality of play or longer seasons or other such things, but when it comes to raw emotion, it's hard to beat what we have going here.

[TheJet]

Eastview follows up w/ 1-0 OT win over #9 Prior.

[almostashappy]

Not sure if anyone noticed, Eagan outshot Eastview 66-25 in this game. I wasn't at the game, but it appears Eastview's goalie may have just played a heck of a game. I do not see them dropping another like this.

Eastview goalie did play a heck of a game, and it looks like he had another gem tonight against PL, but...his brick wall had little to do with the 3 goals + empty net that Eagan gave up on Saturday.

Tonight Wildcats looked better in a running time thrashing of AV that had the same kind of shot differential. Still gave up a bad goal on a defensive miscue, but passes were better and they got to the rebounds and put a few in net.