AA Rankings for 12/23/18

[karl(east)]

As we hit the holidays things are making decent sense here, but there are a ton of games between quality teams this week, so I don’t expect that to last. Rankings:

1. Minnetonka (8-0)
-The beat goes on for the top-ranked Skippers, who have now rattled off 22 wins in a row dating back to last season. Their venture into St. Louis Park will feature one bona fide top team and two 7AA lurkers that have shown occasional flashes of quality against other top teams, but have also struggled to find any rhythm.
This week: Tradition at the Park—Thurs vs. Cloquet, Fri vs. #3 Maple Grove, Sat vs. Elk River

2. Edina (7-0-1)
-The Hornets finished off Cretin with a 7-3 win. While there may be less talent and the scoring may be more dependent on the control of the elite defensemen, the actual offensive output so far is not showing any signs of a drop-off from a season ago. Their opponents in the Hockey For Life tournament in Prior Lake run the gamut in terms of depth, front-end talent, and performance relative to preseason expectations.
This week: Hockey for Life Classic—Thurs vs. #12 Moorhead, Fri vs. #11 St. Thomas Academy, Sat vs. Chaska

3. Maple Grove (6-0-1)
-No games for the Crimson this past week, but they edge up on the strength of their tie relative to Andover’s. After the early tie with Edina they now get a crack at Minnetonka, and will face two other teams that are capable of an upset, at the very least.
This week: Tradition at the Park—Thurs vs. Lakeville South, Fri vs. #1 Minnetonka, Sat vs. Cloquet

4 Andover (7-0-1)
-While the Huskies remain undefeated, the tie with Blaine does hurt their standing a little. This team is deep and solid defensively, but they don’t exactly pile up the goals against high-quality competition. While many of the other teams have some serious opponents over the next week, the Huskies stay home to play two teams they should beat with some comfort.
This week: Thurs vs. Bloomington Jefferson, Sat vs. Armstrong/Cooper

5. Duluth East (7-1)
-The Hounds found some offense this past week, and collected a couple of respectable wins in the process. At this point they’re pretty clearly the best team with a loss on their record, and as other teams’ schedules intensify they’re in a good place to climb. Champlin Park is a potential trap game ahead of another top ten showdown on Saturday.
This week: Fri at Champlin Park, Sat at #7 Blaine

6. Eden Prairie (6-2-1)
-While not without their blemishes, the Eagles appear to be the leader among the teams chasing the top five at this point following their dramatic win over Blaine. On paper they should win all of their games in Prior Lake, but an upset in any one of them wouldn’t be a total surprise, either.
This week: Hockey for Life Classic—Thurs vs. Chaska, Fri vs. #12 Moorhead, Sat vs. Lakeville North

7. Blaine (5-2-1)
-The Bengals had a strong week despite not winning a game, as they earned a tie with Andover and pushed Eden Prairie to the brink in a back-and-forth affair. The two games were very different stylistically, leaving some questions as to whether they can lock down defensively in these big games or should simply play run and gun hockey. They’ve got another shot to prove their mettle against a top-end team this week.
This week: Sat vs. #5 Duluth East

8. White Bear Lake (8-1-1)
-The Bears notched their all-important win over Hill, and are now in position to claim the top seed in 4AA. That’s not nothing in a section that looks like a three-team race, but they’ll have to show they can improve over the second half, or else it will be an all too familiar script. Just one game this week, and it should be a win.
This week: Sat vs. Grand Rapids

9. Wayzata (6-2-1)
-A tie with Buffalo raises some doubts about the Trojans, but with a head-to-head win over Hill they stay ahead of the up-and-down Pioneers. If they repeat that sort of questionable result, the effects will be more drastic. Their St. Louis Park slate is all teams ranked behind them, though they won’t be a walk in the park, either.
This week: Classic in the Park—Thurs vs. Elk River, Fri vs. Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Sat vs. Holy Family

10. Hill-Murray (6-2)
-The Pioneers had a mixed bag of a rivalry week as they put a beating on St. Thomas but came up short against White Bear. The potential is clearly here; how much can they improve over the course of a season? They are the class of a diminished Schwan Cup Gold, and should have a chance to prove they belong in the top ten.
This week: Schwan Cup Gold—Thurs vs. Burnsville, Fri vs. Cretin-Derham Hall, Sat vs. Centennial

11. St. Thomas Academy (5-2-1)
-The Cadets crashed and burned against Hill. That raises some questions heading into one of the more interesting holiday tournament slates of anyone out there, as they face completely untested Stillwater, the high-flying Hornets, and a solid Moorhead club. They draw the short straw in terms of rankings this week, but it’s not hard to imagine this all changing if things go their way in the next few days.
This week: Hockey for Life Classic—Thurs vs. #15 Stillwater, Fri vs. #2 Edina, Sat vs. #12 Moorhead

12. Moorhead (6-3)
-The Spuds had some challenges with Grand Rapids, but got out of their Itasca County visit with a pair of wins. Nothing comes easy with their holiday tournament draw as they head on a third straight weekend road trip; we’ll see how they hold up defensively against the firepower of Edina and Eden Prairie.
This week: Hockey for Life Classic—Thurs vs. #2 Edina, Fri vs. #6 Eden Prairie, Sat vs. #15 Stillwater


13. Eagan (5-2)
-The Wildcats snatched some headlines this past week when they put presumed conference frontrunner Lakeville North into running time. Their two losses (Burnsville and Cloquet) aren’t great, but they also appear to be one of the more explosive teams out there, as they’ve scored at least five in all of their wins. As usual, they head to South St. Paul for their holiday tourney, where they should be the class of the field.
This week: South St. Paul Premier Tournament—Wed vs. Hopkins, Thurs and Fri vs. TBD

14. Rosemount (7-1)
-Rolling along against mid-tier opponents; the record is great, but the best team they’ve played is Lakeville South, which currently sits at 20 in these rankings. They got a pleasant opening draw against Chanhassen in their holiday tournament, and on paper should be able to at least make the final.
This week: Hilltopper Holiday Classic—Thurs vs. Chanhassen, Fri and Sat vs. TBD

15. Stillwater (6-0)
-Undefeated, but still basically untested. That all changes this week, as they face three teams that all currently sit between 11 and 16. We’ll know if they belong here or not very quickly.
This week: Hockey for Life Classic—Thurs vs. #11 St. Thomas Academy, Fri vs. Lakeville North, Sat vs. #12 Moorhead

The Next Ten

Lakeville North (5-3)
-The Panthers had a rough week, as they were not terribly competitive against Eagan and Duluth East. Hockey for Life games against Stillwater and Prior Lake give them a chance to climb back into the top 15, and they get another crack at a front-line team when they close their tournament against Eden Prairie.

Blake (4-2)
-Beat St. Louis Park in their lone game this past week. They’re an interesting wild card in the Hilltopper Holiday Classic, where they open with a good one against Hermantown.

Cretin-Derham Hall (2-4)
-Showed some signs of fight in the early stages against Edina, but it got away from them, and the package really just hasn’t come together yet here. They play in the Schwan Cup Gold round robin, where Hill will be their biggest test, but this team also has to prove it can take care of the likes of Burnsville and Centennial right now.

Benilde-St. Margaret’s (6-3)
-Cruised against two teams they should beat. Their performance in the St. Louis Park tournament will be a valuable proving ground, as they play one ranked team in Wayzata and the two teams that are immediately below them here.

Lakeville South (4-2)
-A 4-0 shutout of Burnsville boosts the Cougars a bit, and in conjunction with North’s loss has them looking more intriguing. Maple Grove this week will be their first front-line AA opponent, and they follow that up with games against two private schools in a similar area to them in the rankings, Holy Family and Benilde.

Holy Family (5-4)
-The Fire are having no problem burning through a string of Class A opponents, but the stakes will get a bit higher this week. On paper they should have the talent to beat Benilde and Lakeville South, but nothing is assured, and the Wayzata game gives them a chance to avenge an earlier loss and prove something against a top ten team.

Prior Lake (5-3)
-The Lakers’ two encounters with currently ranked teams, Eden Prairie and Eagan, have both ended in 5-1 losses, but they do have a win over Rosemount. Their other quality win is over Lakeville North, whom they’ll see again in the Hockey for Life Classic this week, along with Chaska and St. Thomas.

Roseau (6-2-1)
-Marched past Bemidji in their only action this past week to stay perfect against 8AA competition. They now host their annual holiday tournament, opening with a game against Lake of the Woods.

Brainerd (4-4)
-A solid win over Centennial nudges the Warriors back into the top 25. They’re the rare predictable team: none of their losses are bad, and they’ve beaten the teams they should beat, often convincingly. They head to the Hilltopper Holiday Classic now, where they’ll look to back up their earlier 9-2 win over Bemidji in the first round.

Burnsville (2-5)
-The win over Eagan is keeping the Blaze going here, but only barely. A good performance in the Schwan Cup Gold could strengthen their record and help them hold off a bunch of teams nipping at their heels here.

Merry Christmas!

[WestMetro]

Nice work.! Looks about right to me!

Agree with moving Blaine up, quality team with quality players. They should be right there with MG in a one goal game for 5AA title,

Also WBL and Hill for 4AA. Fun to finally see a Bear win over Hill at Vadnais, great game on the Horn!

Tonka vs MG this Friday on neutral ice, that should be interesting.

[O-townClown]

...and a Merry Christmas to you! Good - no, check that - GREAT work. As always.

[hockey59]

It’s become fairly obvious that if (Haider, Faber & Kelley) had stayed one more season at MG, they’d of most likely been the #1 team in AA But they didn’t...& players are entitled to do what they believe is best for their own development

[kniven]

It’s become fairly obvious that if (Haider, Faber & Kelley) had stayed one more season at MG, they’d of most likely been the #1 team in AA But they didn’t...& players are entitled to do what they believe is best for their own development

Osseo/Maple Grove has been a juggernaut in youth puck for as long as I’ve been around. Crazy to think a team has 3 talents choose to leave early, and the high school team is still dominant.

[CakeScout17]

It’s become fairly obvious that if (Haider, Faber & Kelley) had stayed one more season at MG, they’d of most likely been the #1 team in AA But they didn’t...& players are entitled to do what they believe is best for their own development

Osseo/Maple Grove has been a juggernaut in youth puck for as long as I’ve been around. Crazy to think a team has 3 talents choose to leave early, and the high school team is still dominant.

And the O/MG youth teams coming up are right at or near the top as well. Big numbers. Lots of potential talent. MG solid and legit top 5 squad this year and w/ those 3 aforementioned? Whoa. #1 probs and trip to state.

Imagine Tonka, having won state last year but would that have shined even brighter with Ke'Andre Miller and Hanus? Even more dominant defensively.
Edina '18-'19? All things being equal add in Brinkman, Jensen & Silianoff? Those three and this current Edina team once won 59 games in a row as PW's and into Bantams (correct?)...shoulda, woulda, coulda? who knows, but sure would be fun to watch. MG would be off the charts entertaining.

Yet, there's Tonka, Edina & MG all still in the mix. There's no rebuilds here, just reloading. Huge associations numbers. On flip side, it gives rivals and 'smaller programs' that much more motivation and as tough as upsets are to take, it's still fun to see it happen as a fan. Good luck to all in 2019!

[HockeyonFire]

Couple corrections: Tonka is 9-0 also Prior Lake did not beat Lakeville North, they lost 2-1. PL wins are against Chanhassen, Shakopee, Apple Valley 2x and Rosemount.

[GoldenBear]

Looks as if Wayzata will be without Mulrenin the rest of the season...and next season. Hopefully addition by subtraction. GB

[ryguyMN]

The rankings I came up for this week. I don't have Wayzata in the top 10 because of the tie to Buffalo was a bit of a red flag despite defeating Hill. Blaine deserves credit for the showing they have put forth so far with the tie to Andover and taking EP nearly to OT, but would like to see more results against top teams to place them any higher. Although the order varies from ranker to ranker, the top five are no brainers.

1 Minnetonka 9-0
2 Edina 7-0-1
3 Andover 7-0-1
4 Duluth East 7-1
5 Maple Grove 6-0-1
6 White Bear Lake 8-1-1
7 Eden Prairie 6-2-1
8 Hill-Murray 6-2
9 Blaine 5-2-1
10 St. Thomas Academy 5-2-1

[Slap Shot]

It’s become fairly obvious that if (Haider, Faber & Kelley) had stayed one more season at MG, they’d of most likely been the #1 team in AA But they didn’t...& players are entitled to do what they believe is best for their own development

Tonka lost Brink and Hanus is the same age as Brink. It happens.

[hockey59]

It’s become fairly obvious that if (Haider, Faber & Kelley) had stayed one more season at MG, they’d of most likely been the #1 team in AA But they didn’t...& players are entitled to do what they believe is best for their own development

Tonka lost Brink and Hanus is the same age as Brink. It happens.

I knew that take would eventually get you to bite on the line SS...courtesy of your ole pal “Cubby” from GPL. Difference is Hanus has been out of the picture longer than the MG trio

[Green and White Fan]

Great work as always with your rankings. Hard to argue with you on any of it. I would be curious to know though, how many teams in your top 20 have had running time against them this year and by a team not in the top 20? Merry Christmas everyone!!

[Slap Shot]

It’s become fairly obvious that if (Haider, Faber & Kelley) had stayed one more season at MG, they’d of most likely been the #1 team in AA But they didn’t...& players are entitled to do what they believe is best for their own development

Tonka lost Brink and Hanus is the same age as Brink. It happens.

I knew that take would eventually get you to bite on the line SS...courtesy of your ole pal “Cubby” from GPL. Difference is Hanus has been out of the picture longer than the MG trio

No bite (cubby?)? Those aren't the only 2 teams that have lost players. Wayzata often loses as much (or more) than any program and they're still competing. Point is it happens.

[hockey59]

No...it was a BIG BITE (bearpaw) You have the same moniker on both forums, mine is different

[Slap Shot]

No...it was a BIG BITE (bearpaw) You have the same moniker on both forums, mine is different

No bite cubby and I see you're consistently a ****.

[TheMayor]

Looks as if Wayzata will be without Mulrenin the rest of the season...and next season. Hopefully addition by subtraction. GB

This tweet would indicate that he's found a new home. Subtraction by addition?

https://twitter.com/WayzataJGA/status/1 ... 0085706754

[TheNightman]

Looks as if Wayzata will be without Mulrenin the rest of the season...and next season. Hopefully addition by subtraction. GB

This tweet would indicate that he's found a new home. Subtraction by addition?

https://twitter.com/WayzataJGA/status/1 ... 0085706754

Very odd, you'd think he could play in the NAHL or something.

[WestMetro]

Will this be the first time in Karls ranking career that a preseason top 10 team drops out of the top 25 and then returns to the top 10 before the New Year?

[blueblood]

Top 15, but not Top 10 with 5 losses, two to Class A teams.

[WestMetro]

BB, will be interesting to see what Karl has to say on Chaska

Will he keep Edina at 2, or move Andover up to 2?


BSM should move up

Rosemount should move up

[between_the_pipes]

After holiday play here is my thoughts on rankings for AA.

1. Tonka
2. Maple Grove
3. Andover
4. Edina
5. Blaine
6. DE
7. WBL
8. Rosemount
9. EP
10. BSM

On the edge of top 10 (no particular order) Hill Murray, Wayzata, STA, Chaska.

[CakeScout17]

I've now seen 8 out of the top 10 from last weeks rankings. Tonka? Start sizing their rings now. Any given Saturday in early March, of course, but most complete, deepest, well-coached team I've seen to date. And all that backed by a top 3 goalie in the state w/ sectional and bright lights of the X under his belt. Andover schedule starting to soften but they keep rolling, relentless team of hustlers and Fritsinger in net but DE will be there at the end and up for the challenge in their backyard in late Feb. Edina absolutely gassed on Saturday afternoon...first time in 2 years I've seen them heavy-legged and seemed to regress this past wknd in terms of grit and & hustle...their young, soph goalie continues to show flashes of brilliant saves yet mixed in w/ over-committing and leaving weak side, back-door opportunities. A team of experienced snipers? (see: MG, Chaska) will compete with and beat Edina. Edina was due for a loss and hopefully the lesson learned will stay w/ the Hornets. DE w/ a weekend stumble as well, but we all know how their story will end - section Finals and or state-bound, however...Champlin Park? Uh, Karl? Whoa.

Outside of the top 5? Flip a coin. Not sold on Blaine depth (yet) but some promise there. BSM? Lets slow down. Chaska, when rolling - has the talent/snipers to make a go of it but after their top 3-4 players depth is concerning and goalie is average. Warnert truly impressed me. High ceiling kid to be sure (hey Motzko, can you flip this kid?) Great Chaska fan support over this past wknd at Dakotah!

1 Tonka
2 Andover
3 Maple Grove
4 Edina
5 Blaine
6 EP (lost to Chaska, but otherwise strong showing and based on their schedule its hard to drop them lower)
7 DE (could flip DE and EP here, but that Champlin Park loss?)
8 WBL
9 H-M
10 Rosemount (based on overall record and prev 5-2 vic over Chaska. If not for Chaska's early losses they slide into 10th spot. Talent is there, but
depth/G leaves questions. Chaska jumps up tho after a 3-0 run at Hockey for Life tourney. Beating EP and Edina? Message sent. Chaska keeps this rolling and they will be #5-#8 within 2 weeks).

**where is Cretin? **

[ThatMNHockeyGuy62]

After holiday play here is my thoughts on rankings for AA.

1. Tonka
2. Maple Grove
3. Andover
4. Edina
5. Blaine
6. DE
7. WBL
8. Rosemount
9. EP
10. BSM


On the edge of top 10 (no particular order) Hill Murray, Wayzata, STA, Chaska.

BSM and Rosemount each had great weekends, and they’re both slowly putting away good victories. With the parity right now in top 20, I’d say 8-10 looks pretty close with them!

[between_the_pipes]

I've now seen 8 out of the top 10 from last weeks rankings. Tonka? Start sizing their rings now. Any given Saturday in early March, of course, but most complete, deepest, well-coached team I've seen to date. And all that backed by a top 3 goalie in the state w/ sectional and bright lights of the X under his belt. Andover schedule starting to soften but they keep rolling, relentless team of hustlers and Fritsinger in net but DE will be there at the end and up for the challenge in their backyard in late Feb. Edina absolutely gassed on Saturday afternoon...first time in 2 years I've seen them heavy-legged and seemed to regress this past wknd in terms of grit and & hustle...their young, soph goalie continues to show flashes of brilliant saves yet mixed in w/ over-committing and leaving weak side, back-door opportunities. A team of experienced snipers? (see: MG, Chaska) will compete with and beat Edina. Edina was due for a loss and hopefully the lesson learned will stay w/ the Hornets. DE w/ a weekend stumble as well, but we all know how their story will end - section Finals and or state-bound, however...Champlin Park? Uh, Karl? Whoa.

Outside of the top 5? Flip a coin. Not sold on Blaine depth (yet) but some promise there. BSM? Lets slow down. Chaska, when rolling - has the talent/snipers to make a go of it but after their top 3-4 players depth is concerning and goalie is average. Warnert truly impressed me. High ceiling kid to be sure (hey Motzko, can you flip this kid?) Great Chaska fan support over this past wknd at Dakotah!

1 Tonka
2 Andover
3 Maple Grove
4 Edina
5 Blaine
6 EP (lost to Chaska, but otherwise strong showing and based on their schedule its hard to drop them lower)
7 DE (could flip DE and EP here, but that Champlin Park loss?)
8 WBL
9 H-M
10 Rosemount (based on overall record and prev 5-2 vic over Chaska. If not for Chaska's early losses they slide into 10th spot. Talent is there, but
depth/G leaves questions. Chaska jumps up tho after a 3-0 run at Hockey for Life tourney. Beating EP and Edina? Message sent. Chaska keeps this rolling and they will be #5-#8 within 2 weeks).

**where is Cretin? **

Cake Scout, enjoy the additional insight. Top 5 teams seem to be somewhat easier to identify. No doubt Tonka is best team in state. Their schedule only thickens in back half of year. Expectations are high and will see if they can continue to execute. Strong defensive play and elite goaltending will be crucial in coming games. No doubt Glockner is top 3 in state, arguably the best. Tough to see them not going back to back with the setup they have.

Even though MG lost to Tonka, the game could of easily been 4-4 and with 15 shots, the chances were there. Couldn’t believe how solid Janicke looked. Wonder how long he’ll stay in MN high school. Andover continues to get the job done but schedule is a bit softer. Should have a better idea where they shake out when they square off against MG/Tonka in coming weeks. Fritsinger on his game remains a vital component to Andover’s ability to win games. Another top 3 goalie in the state.

Edina always bounces back from losses and wouldn’t expect anything else this year. Chaska going 3-0 in holiday play isn’t as surprising as how slow the hawks started things off.

Agree with Champlin upset on DE. Wasn’t in attendance of the game but clearly Boynton stole the show. Perfect example of how important goaltending is and should only fire up the hounds from here til end of the season. For now a minor set back back in the rankings, in my view but don’t expect it to be for long. Looking forward to the state championship rematch vs. Tonka on Saturday.