AA Rankings for 12/30/18

[karl(east)]

Well, that wasn’t easy. My guide here, as usual, is a team’s record against quality opponents, and at this point in the season, one result in a certain direction can be a fluke, while two is a trend. Rankings:

1. Minnetonka (12-0)
-While carnage unfolds beneath them, the Skippers simply plug along and rack up the quality wins, including a convincing one over previously unbeaten Maple Grove. They don’t have the explosive scoring power of Edina, but given the choice between that and the Skippers’ relentlessness, I’ll continue to ride this wave until given reason not to. The tests continue this week, as they face surging Benilde and a state title game rematch against some sputtering Greyhounds.
This week: Thurs vs. #14 Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Sat at #7 Duluth East

2. Andover (9-0-1)
-The Huskies enjoyed a frolic against a few lesser opponents while most of the rest of the state was beating up on itself. I have some reservations over putting a team that hasn’t beaten a top 20 opponent in regulation this high, but they are taking care of business while others are not. This week they’ve got two of their conference opponents that fall into the outside upset chance category, including one that gave them a one-goal game not too long ago.
This week: Thurs vs. Elk River, Sat at Centennial

3. Edina (9-1-1)
-The Hornets were rolling along until the Chaska setback. They have a frequent tendency to give up goals in bunches, and while the offensive skill can often cover for that, those questions that I’ve raised in recent seasons about the Hornets in tight games late still do not have good answers. They now head into a relative lull in their schedule before Lake Conference play begins.
This week: Thurs at Lakeville South, Sat vs. St. Louis Park

4. Maple Grove (8-1-1)
-The Crimson had a respectable showing in St. Louis Park, but the loss to Minnetonka shows they’re still a step behind the Skippers. They have the top-end talent to compete with anyone, but don’t have the experience of some of the other contenders. This week includes a section game and a visitor from up north.
This week: Thurs at Centennial, Sat vs. Grand Rapids

5. Eden Prairie (8-3-1)
-The Eagles took a rough loss to Chaska, but bounced back with a couple of solid wins to round out their Hockey for Life experience. They’ve had their down moments, but those have come against quality teams, and they have enough quality wins to emerge from an ugly muddle of teams to take this spot. We’ll see if it lasts.
This week: Sat at Blake

6. Rosemount (10-1)
-This feels aggressive, but the Irish just keep on winning, and we’re at the point where a single iffy loss can be forgiven as long as it’s backed up by quality results elsewhere, and the Chaska and Hermantown wins give them that. They’ll either back this up quickly with a good result against St. Thomas or go tumbling back out.
This week: Thurs at #13 St. Thomas Academy, Sat at Apple Valley

7. Duluth East (7-2-1)
-The Hounds did not have a happy trip to the north Metro, as they were upset by Champlin Park and tied Blaine, mustering just one goal in each. The lack of offensive output is a sign of how much they’ve adjusted to cover for a lack of experience in back; historically there have been plenty of East teams that have had similar plodding Decembers before coming to life down the stretch. This team will have to prove it can do the same thing, and a big upcoming weekend will be their chance to either start that or lapse further back into the pack.
This week: Fri vs. Stillwater, Sat vs. #1 Minnetonka

8. Blaine (5-2-2)
-A tie with Duluth East is another quality result against a good team for the Bengals, though they have yet to log a real quality win in spite of all of that. It’s back into conference play this week.
This week: Thurs vs. Anoka, Sat at Elk River

9. White Bear Lake (9-1-1)
-Didn’t exactly make a play a higher ranking with a narrow win over Grand Rapids, but they continue to plug along. The stakes get higher this week when they play another big section game.
This week: Thurs at Stillwater

10. Chaska (7-5)
-This week marks the tenth anniversary of my first set of rankings, and in all those years of doing this, I don’t think I’ve had a single ranking that’s a bigger ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ than this one. After looking highly questionable for much of the month, the Hawks came out in the Hockey for Life and took down two Lake teams, one convincingly, and also blitzed a Prior Lake team that has at least been competitive otherwise. Their ranking here goes between those two poles, though I’ve pushed it toward the high end based on momentum. Now we’ll see if they’ve legitimately turned a corner or if they’re just maddeningly inconsistent—though they are now done with the meat of their schedule, with Benilde as the only top 25 AA team left on it.
This week: Fri vs. Greenway, Sat vs. St. Cloud

11. Hill-Murray (8-2-1)
-The Cretin tie is a mild setback for the Pioneers, but nothing extreme. Their game with Benilde this week could be an interesting one.
This week: Sat at #14 Benilde-St. Margaret’s

12. Moorhead (7-5)
-The Spuds have had flashes of quality against some top teams, including good battles with the top three, but have yet to break through, and have also thrown up some clunkers, as in this week’s loss to Eden Prairie. Wins over Benilde and Stillwater keep them well-positioned overall here. Saturday’s contest with Wayzata will be instructive.
This week: Thurs at Rogers, Sat vs. #15 Wayzata

13. St. Thomas Academy (7-3-1)
-Gave up six in a loss to Edina and scraped out wins in their other two Hockey for Life games. For what is probably the first time since their move to AA, they head into a regular season section game as a lower-ranked team this week, and their second game isn’t a free pass either.
This week: Thurs vs. #6 Rosemount, Sat at Mahtomedi

14. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (9-3)
-The Red Knights are on a bit of a roll after a three-win showing in their tournament that included a valuable section win over Wayzata. In traditional Benilde fashion they’re showing they can score plenty, though also give up a few goals when facing quality competition. The schedule doesn’t let up here, as they take on #1 and another ranked rival.
This week: Thurs at #1 Minnetonka, Sat vs. #11 Hill-Murray

15. Wayzata (7-3-2)
-The Trojan roller coaster is back in full force following a loss to Benilde and a tie against a Holy Family team they’d previously beaten, plus the loss of one of their better offensive weapons. They head up I-94 this week for a chance to restore some order.
This week: Fri at Alexandria, Sat at #12 Moorhead

The Next Ten

Stillwater (7-2)
-After playing some respectable competition, the Ponies are who we thought they were: good enough to compete with some quality teams, but still not quite in the top tier. A huge week awaits them, as they host White Bear in a 4AA battle and then swing north for Duluth East and Cloquet.

Eagan (7-3)
-The Cats were sailing along until a clunker against Hastings in the South St. Paul Premier Tournament’s title game. As I noted last week, they can look great when they’re rolling offensively, but also seem capable of throwing up ugly results at any moment. This week’s games against Eastview and Lakeville South are the sort they need to take care of convincingly to be a top 15 contender.

Cretin-Derham Hall (4-4-1)
-Baby steps for the Raiders in the Schwan Cup, as they beat the teams they should have beaten and got a decent tie against Hill. They now dive into conference play, where they really should go on a run.

Blake (6-3)
-Have a win over Holy Family and no bad losses, so they stick around here. Breck and Eden Prairie await this week.

Lakeville South (5-4)
-Both Lakevilles are very similar right now, with best wins coming against teams somewhere in the 20s and a lot of losses to good teams. South’s have been somewhat more competitive, so they get the nod for the higher ranking. A tough week looms with Edina and Eagan coming up.

Lakeville North (6-5)
-Got a needed win over Prior Lake, but fell to Stillwater and Eden Prairie, so it’s more of the same for the Panthers. Just one game this week, but it has some section implications as they face Farmington.

Roseau (8-2-1)
-Rolled through their holiday tournament to keep up the momentum. They’ll look to stay undefeated in the section when they host Brainerd on Friday.

Champlin Park (4-3)
-One win does not a season make, but two of the Rebels’ losses are to top five teams, and the East win counteracts a not-awful loss to Totino. They’ve taken care of everyone else, and for now, I’m more inclined to reward that than a lot of the teams scuffling about with mediocre records just behind them. They’re in the softer division of the Northwest Suburban and are done with all of their games against currently ranked teams save Blaine, so they have a chance to go on a real run now; if they don’t, they’ll drop out.

Hastings (8-2)
-Like Champlin, the Raiders have one quality win that helps make up for a bad loss, an acceptable loss to Mahtomedi, and then a whole heap of wins against weaker teams. Are they actually better than a Cloquet or a Brainerd? I’m skeptical, as are the better computerized rankings out there. But at this point in the season, they deserve some recognition for what they’ve achieved. Owatonna is their only game this week.

Holy Family (5-6-1)
-A tie to Wayzata saves the Fire’s place in the rankings for now. They’ve been competitive in all of their losses save the Edina game and have killed their weaker competition, but have yet to beat a AA team all season. They have a chance to fix that against Grand Rapids this week.

Sections:

1AA
24 Hastings
20 Lakeville South
21 Lakeville North
Rochester Century
-This section got a whole lot more interesting in the past two weeks. Hastings, with its win over Eagan who beat Lakeville North, now has a legitimate transitive argument for the top seed, and the coaches in this section have traditionally been willing to reward southern teams with strong records, even if something like PageStat may not think much of their overall body of work. Rochester Mayo and Century, who meet Thursday, have just one loss between them; while neither has anything resembling a quality win and each has a blemish (Century with a loss to Duluth Marshall, and Mayo with ties to Anoka and Mankato West), that’s worth keeping an eye on. South and North, meanwhile, could use some quality results against those tougher schedules.

2AA
1 Minnetonka
10 Chaska
5 Eden Prairie
25 Holy Family
-After the obvious #1, this one is starting to take shape. Chaska’s big win over Eden Prairie is huge in seeding, especially if the Prior Lake experience last season is any guide; despite a mediocre overall ranking, the coaches valued that head-to-head win, which has to be good news for the Hawks. Holy Family and Prior Lake may well wind up battling for home ice in the 4/5 game in their February meeting.

3AA
6 Rosemount
13 St. Thomas Academy
17 Eagan
Burnsville
-Not many games of note have happened here yet, but that all changes in the next two weeks, as Rosemount visits St. Thomas and Eagan on consecutive Thursdays. We’ll learn quickly how real the Irish are, and get some seeding clarity as well. Burnsville only has two wins, but they are over Eagan and Eastview, so that still has the Blaze in contention for a top four seed.

4AA
9 White Bear Lake
11 Hill-Murray
16 Stillwater
Irondale
-White Bear got the all-important win over Hill, which makes it hard to see the Pioneers having a shot at the top seed in a three-team race. The first White Bear-Stillwater meeting is on Thursday, and the winner will be on track for the top seed, pending the second meeting in early February. With a win over Tartan, Irondale is in good shape for the 4-seed.

5AA
4 Maple Grove
8 Blaine
23 Champlin Park
Centennial
-Everything makes sense here so far based on initial results, with Maple Grove beating Blaine and Blaine beating Centennial. Maple Grove plays Centennial this coming week to wrap up the first round of games between the traditional big three, though Centennial has had enough struggles against other teams that they probably need to beat the Crimson twice for any shot at a higher seed. Champlin edges ahead of Centennial for now based on a transitive argument involving Duluth East, but will get cracks at both Blaine and the Cougars in February.

6AA
3 Edina
14 Benilde-St. Margaret’s
15 Wayzata
19 Cretin-Derham Hall
20 Blake
-Benilde’s win over Wayzata and Wayzata’s win over Cretin may have those three locked in order relative to one another, though if Wayzata can do anything against Edina in Lake play, that could throw a wrench in things. Blake also still has a chance to make a move, as they face the two Lake teams and Cretin down the stretch.

7AA
2 Andover
7 Duluth East
Cloquet
Elk River
-Under the more traditional seeding format, this would be pretty straightforward right now, if not basically locked in; under QRF, it may take a bit longer to make any sense, as Cloquet has a long way to climb to make up for many of their early losses. Still, the rest of the section is mediocre enough that they could pull it off, and they’ve had no shortage of moments where they’ve been ever so close. Elk River is the best of a muddy rest.

8AA
22 Roseau
12 Moorhead
Brainerd
St. Michael-Albertville
-Brainerd got a useful win over Buffalo in their holiday tournament; those two will turn around and play again this coming week, and Brainerd will collide with Roseau as well as they look to dislodge the undefeated-in-section Rams. Buffalo and St. Michael-Albertville have the first of two meetings on the 10th, which could help decide the 4-seed.

[7TIMECHAMPS]

In my opinion STA should be higher than Moorhead. STA has a stronger schedule(Pagestat) and a better record. They beat the same two teams that you gave Moorhead the 12 spot based on (Benilde and Stillwater), but their body of work after that is better (including tying an EP team that just beat Moorhead 6-1). Moorhead may have kept the score close against some top teams but I am not sure the outcome was ever really that in question as they got outshot by an almost 2-1 margin in each of those games.

[ryguyMN]

I commend you for sorting through the madness and publishing rankings this week. Chaska at 10 is bold, but I like it if you’re looking at their current state, and having a résumé that consists of taking down two top ten teams in the span of three days.

[O-townClown]

Chaska at 10 is low

Watched all three games and it is clear whatever caused the bizarre start has been figured out. Very good team. They are who I thought they were. (before the season)

[Section 8 guy]

In my opinion STA should be higher than Moorhead. STA has a stronger schedule(Pagestat) and a better record. They beat the same two teams that you gave Moorhead the 12 spot based on (Benilde and Stillwater), but their body of work after that is better (including tying an EP team that just beat Moorhead 6-1). Moorhead may have kept the score close against some top teams but I am not sure the outcome was ever really that in question as they got outshot by an almost 2-1 margin in each of those games.

Of the four games against the top 6 I’ve only seen a few periods on the live streams.......but didn’t Moorhead take #2 Andover into overtime and lose on a major penalty? The box scores would show the Minnetonka game was 2-1 with 10 to go and the Spuds were leading Edina with 7 minutes left and the game was tied with 5 to go. To say the games were never in doubt doesn’t seem very accurate does it?

A Roseau guy taking issue with one rating spot and going way out of his way to argue for a Metro private to be rated ahead of a fellow Northern team? C’mon man. Really?

[WestMetro]

Nice work!

Bout the only sure thing is Tonka at No. 1 !

[HShockeywatcher]

They've only played 1 AA team this season, but it's at least cool to see Rochester Mayo still hasn't lost a game at 7-0-2.

This week they play 9-1 Rochester Century.

[TheHockeyDJ]

Going to be fun to see the upsets that happen in sections.

[hockey59]

Nice work!

Bout the only sure thing is Tonka at No. 1 !

DE next Saturday at Heritage will try to win a low scoring game, they simply lack the scoring ability to play an up & down game against Tonka. DE is still fiddling with their goaltending situation, playing 3 different guys, which is a tough situation,(I’d hate to be a goalie Dad). Tonka will brush aside BSM, they are not defensively sound enough to challenge the Skippers, but coming off a loss, where Boynton stole the show & a tie to Blaine, I look for the Hounds to rally and play Tonka toughThat said, this DE team doesn’t really resemble last years team & against top teams will always have to grind out close score wins, you can’t graduate Worth, Mageau & LaMaster and not take a MAJOR hit offensively when your returning STAR is having a tough time finishing his chances & lacks chemistry with his line mates (who speed wise have a tough time keeping up with his pace)

[O-townClown]

Going to be fun to see the upsets that happen in sections.

For who?

[7TIMECHAMPS]

In my opinion STA should be higher than Moorhead. STA has a stronger schedule(Pagestat) and a better record. They beat the same two teams that you gave Moorhead the 12 spot based on (Benilde and Stillwater), but their body of work after that is better (including tying an EP team that just beat Moorhead 6-1). Moorhead may have kept the score close against some top teams but I am not sure the outcome was ever really that in question as they got outshot by an almost 2-1 margin in each of those games.

Of the four games against the top 6 I’ve only seen a few periods on the live streams.......but didn’t Moorhead take #2 Andover into overtime and lose on a major penalty? The box scores would show the Minnetonka game was 2-1 with 10 to go and the Spuds were leading Edina with 7 minutes left and the game was tied with 5 to go. To say the games were never in doubt doesn’t seem very accurate does it?

A Roseau guy taking issue with one rating spot and going way out of his way to argue for a Metro private to be rated ahead of a fellow Northern team? C’mon man. Really?

Way out of my way? Is that what we call a simple comment? Make your case why they should by higher than STA then.

Maybe I didn’t word that how I wanted to. I didn’t mean to say that they weren’t in the game and couldn’t have won. What I meant was they were fortunate some of those games were that close. If they play each of those teams three more times I don’t know that they get one win. What I am saying is they may have had close scores but they aren’t closely matched in talent. They got outshot roughly 2-1 in those three games.

And following that same logic didn’t they win a 1-0 nail biter in Rapids in the third? And been blown out twice?

I think Moorhead is too high period not just relative to STA. Pagestat has them at 18 (which is around where I feel they should be) so Karl’s gap of 6 spots is one of the largest in the top 25.

And you don’t have to point out that I am biased. I’ll readily admit that. But arent you the same guy that got all worked up about me putting Moorhead in the “has top end talent but not a lot of depth group?” (Which by the way seemed to bear itself out in the Edina and EP scores). It seems like you just can’t handle anything negative pertaining to Moorhead. Maybe a little biased yourself?

Finally, I don’t draw a lot of distinction between Moorhead and the metro. Moorhead draws talent from an area of about 170,000. They’re closer to metro than “northern”.

[Section 8 guy]

Two questions.

Did you watch the games you’re commenting on? If not, you’re opinions on them are pretty strong.

Which kids on their roster aren’t from Moorhead? From what I’ve been told every kid but one played squirts in Moorhead and the other one played both years of Bantams in Moorhead. Is that not right? If it is, they are drawing from a population of 30,000 not 170,000.

Interesting how shots matter in some games but not in others. I never referenced anything about Moorhead in tne depth conversation. I said your assessment was off target. The rest is you assuming. Clearly you’re biased. That’s cool. Whatever floats your boat. Just realize what that does to your credibility on the topic.

[ThatMNHockeyGuy62]

Well, that wasn’t easy. My guide here, as usual, is a team’s record against quality opponents, and at this point in the season, one result in a certain direction can be a fluke, while two is a trend.

Karl, when can we expect another podcast episode? Feels like it’s been a long time!

[7TIMECHAMPS]

Two questions.

Did you watch the games you’re commenting on? If not, you’re opinions on them are pretty strong.

Which kids on their roster aren’t from Moorhead? From what I’ve been told every kid but one played squirts in Moorhead and the other one played both years of Bantams in Moorhead. Is that not right? If it is, they are drawing from a population of 30,000 not 170,000.

Interesting how shots matter in some games but not in others. I never referenced anything about Moorhead in tne depth conversation. I said your assessment was off target. The rest is you assuming. Clearly you’re biased. That’s cool. Whatever floats your boat. Just realize what that does to your credibility on the topic.

I did watch part of the Edina game on leave stream so not a lot. However, we are talking about weekly rankings. About 90% of the input to the rankings is based on results, box scores, and observations of others. Using your logic if you are saying I am wrong then are you saying that you have seen all of the teams ranked behind them play several times and therefore can draw a conclusion that they are in fact better?

There is no way I can prove this but I have always wondered if serious hockey families in the area move to Moorhead. It would only make sense with no real strong programs in Fargo. Obviously can’t prove that but something I’ve wondered about. A recent one from Fargo would be Lance Leonard though. And as a side the note the population is over 40,000.

Also Randklev moved in from not too far Fergus. Guessing they chose the closest power hockey program.

I never said they don’t matter in some games. I think shots tell part of the story for every game. My point was if you are going to weigh close losses to good teams heavily then you have to give close wins against mediocre teams equal weight.

Everyone has bias in some capacity. If somebody says they don’t they are only kidding themselves. There are no absolutes. However, my point was judging by how excited you get when someone mentions Moorhead you may in fact be more biased on the Moorhead subject than me. That is my impression anyway. And I believe my assessment has aged well.

[karl(east)]

Well, that wasn’t easy. My guide here, as usual, is a team’s record against quality opponents, and at this point in the season, one result in a certain direction can be a fluke, while two is a trend.

Karl, when can we expect another podcast episode? Feels like it’s been a long time!

We're recording one tomorrow morning! It has been too long, thanks to holiday schedule complications (in which I have been the chief culprit). We'll be back on the weekly schedule after this.

[goldy313]

Moorhead draws from a population base of 170,000. Moorhead is smaller than Fargo but is largely the size it because of Fargo. To not acknowledge that is beyond moronic. Jobs attract people, people live where they think is best. Bloomington Jefferson dominated because of Minneapolis and St. Paul... not because of Bloomington. Same with Edina, Burnsvile, etc. they don’t exist in a bubble.... Grand Rapids Duluth East or maybe eve John Marshall do. Moorhead not so much.

[between_the_pipes]

Agree on the difficulty with the rankings and could very well be a complete toss-up for most of the top 10 teams. I'd disagree with MG at #4 though. Only loss is to #1 skips and even though they only had 15 SOG vs. Tonka, the quality of the scoring chances were solid. Few big saves by Glockner including a 4 on 1 and breakaway. The disallowed goal in the 3rd should of been a goal and another pipe would of had a tie game.

Should most definitely get a better sense of rankings after the next few weeks. Some very exciting games coming up. Oh my, MN high school hockey never gets old

[Section 8 guy]

Moorhead draws from a population base of 170,000. Moorhead is smaller than Fargo but is largely the size it because of Fargo. To not acknowledge that is beyond moronic. Jobs attract people, people live where they think is best. Bloomington Jefferson dominated because of Minneapolis and St. Paul... not because of Bloomington. Same with Edina, Burnsvile, etc. they don’t exist in a bubble.... Grand Rapids Duluth East or maybe eve John Marshall do. Moorhead not so much.

The comment is about where hockey players come from. Not Jobs or population. If all of the players on a team are born and raised in that town.......what’s going on around it or why grandma and grandpa moved there in the first place 50 years ago is irrelevant from a hockey purity standpoint. If 95% of your roster is born into and plays Mites in your Association and every kid played Bantams as I've been told by people That live there.........that's about as pure as it gets. Go ahead and name the metro team, or competitive non metro team, that can say the same. Good luck.

[Green and White Fan]

Great rankings again. Is Moorhead rated too high, maybe? I have to believe they are the only team who has had running time against them this year in the top 15 and by a team not ranked. Bad night, probably, but that still shouldn't happen. They may be the team in St. Paul in March though, time will tell.

[Cobber]

I think it is funny every year all the hype about some teams bringing in players from other towns or schools. I think almost every school has had someone move in to play hockey even some of the traditional self proclaimed home grown teams.The only thing different now days is you see it all the way down to peewees.

[elliott70]

Great rankings again. Is Moorhead rated too high, maybe? I have to believe they are the only team who has had running time against them this year in the top 15 and by a team not ranked. Bad night, probably, but that still shouldn't happen. They may be the team in St. Paul in March though, time will tell.

Which game was running time...??
Eden Prairie..
game was 1-1 going into the third and the Spuds had a minute and half lapse of hockey where EP got 3 and at 4-1 they gave up 2 late (I am sure Ammerman gave them a lecture) for 6-1 loss.
The Roseau game started that way in the third but did not finish that way. The same thing - they had a bad 5 minute stretch in the first and went into the second
down 4.

Roseau had a bad two game stretch losing to Grand Rapids and Centennial (not bad teams, but)...

And Brainerd, what happened with Alex (again, not a bad team, but should they get beat like they did)...

And outside of section 8 (other than Tonka and Andover, I may have missed someone else) teams are lacking a consistent drive to win.
Point is which teams are going to step up and challenge and scare Tonka in St. Paul.

Where they are ranked I don't really care.
Just as long as Roseau or Brainerd plays in the X in March.
(I don't hate Moorhead would just like to see one of these tow make a little splash.)

[Green and White Fan]

The Roseau game was running time in the 3rd period. Just saying, being ranked in the top 15 but having running time against by a team not ranked makes you say hmmmm. They may very well be the 12th best team, but my point is that they are most likely the only team put into running time that is ranked. Shows some vulnerability this year.

[northwoods oldtimer]

Great rankings again. Is Moorhead rated too high, maybe? I have to believe they are the only team who has had running time against them this year in the top 15 and by a team not ranked. Bad night, probably, but that still shouldn't happen. They may be the team in St. Paul in March though, time will tell.

Which game was running time...??
Eden Prairie..
game was 1-1 going into the third and the Spuds had a minute and half lapse of hockey where EP got 3 and at 4-1 they gave up 2 late (I am sure Ammerman gave them a lecture) for 6-1 loss.
The Roseau game started that way in the third but did not finish that way. The same thing - they had a bad 5 minute stretch in the first and went into the second
down 4.

Roseau had a bad two game stretch losing to Grand Rapids and Centennial (not bad teams, but)...

And Brainerd, what happened with Alex (again, not a bad team, but should they get beat like they did)...

And outside of section 8 (other than Tonka and Andover, I may have missed someone else) teams are lacking a consistent drive to win.
Point is which teams are going to step up and challenge and scare Tonka in St. Paul.

Where they are ranked I don't really care.
Just as long as Roseau or Brainerd plays in the X in March.
(I don't hate Moorhead would just like to see one of these two make a little splash.)

New Sheriff in town

[elliott70]

Great rankings again. Is Moorhead rated too high, maybe? I have to believe they are the only team who has had running time against them this year in the top 15 and by a team not ranked. Bad night, probably, but that still shouldn't happen. They may be the team in St. Paul in March though, time will tell.

Which game was running time...??
Eden Prairie..
game was 1-1 going into the third and the Spuds had a minute and half lapse of hockey where EP got 3 and at 4-1 they gave up 2 late (I am sure Ammerman gave them a lecture) for 6-1 loss.
The Roseau game started that way in the third but did not finish that way. The same thing - they had a bad 5 minute stretch in the first and went into the second
down 4.

Roseau had a bad two game stretch losing to Grand Rapids and Centennial (not bad teams, but)...

And Brainerd, what happened with Alex (again, not a bad team, but should they get beat like they did)...

And outside of section 8 (other than Tonka and Andover, I may have missed someone else) teams are lacking a consistent drive to win.
Point is which teams are going to step up and challenge and scare Tonka in St. Paul.

Where they are ranked I don't really care.
Just as long as Roseau or Brainerd plays in the X in March.
(I don't hate Moorhead would just like to see one of these two make a little splash.)

New Sheriff in town

I don't think you get enough credit for your, er, uh,
wisdom!

[elliott70]

The Roseau game was running time in the 3rd period. Just saying, being ranked in the top 15 but having running time against by a team not ranked makes you say hmmmm. They may very well be the 12th best team, but my point is that they are most likely the only team put into running time that is ranked. Shows some vulnerability this year.

I agree, just took a long way of saying that,

AND

I think most teams this year have shown vulnerability in staying focused.