Class A 2-28-2021

[elliott70]

1 Hermantown
2 East Grand Forks
3 Gentry
4 Warroad
5 Mahtomedi
6 Denfeld
7 Fergus Falls
8 Little Falls
9 Delano
10 Alexandria
11 Sartell
12 Orono
13 Mankato East
14 Tartan
15 Thief River Falls
16 Hutchinson
17 Mankato West
18 St. Paul Johnson
19 Chisago lakes
20 St. Cloud Cathedral

Others: Lots - take your pick

[Corn Cobb]

1-Hermantown
2-Gentry Academy
3-Mahtomedi
4-Warroad
5-Duluth Denfeld
6-Little Falls
7-East Grand Forks
8-Little Falls
9-Breck
10-Orono
11-Delano
12-Alexandria
13-Mankato East
14-Providence Academy
15-Minneapolis
16-Hutchinson
17-Sartell-St. Stephen
18-Dodge County
19-Tartan
20-Thief River Falls

[ClassAGuy]

Bad week for the rest of Class A

Stang wanted to argue 3A or 1A getting a 5 seed over 2A winner

Well 1A Favorite- Dodge County lost to CATHEDRAL!!!! and 5A Favor Chisago Lakes got blown out vs NORTH BRANCH!! Top 3A Contending Team LDC lost to DL!!

I think the Stage is set for some epic blow outs in the State Class A QF Round Gentry, Hermantown and EGF/Warroad are going to rout the winners of Sections 1A,3A and wow is 5A BAD this year. Can you imagine the score if its the 5A winner vs Gentry .... ugh...

Anyways doing my Top 20 by State Contenders as this week proved we really done have 20 teams in Class A...

Its a Two team race in the top 3 Sections (4A, 7A and 8A) 4 teams in the middle of the Pack Sections (6A and 2A) and yuck with the other 3 sections try to pick the Section final for 5A !!! Northern Lakes!?!?!

Thats how I did my top 20 these are the contenders for State...

1- Hermantown (7A)
2- Gentry (4A)

HUGE GAP
3- EGF (8A)
4- Warroad (8A)
5- Mahtomedi (4A)
6- Denfeld (7A)

Battle for the 4 vs 5 Seed at State
7- Little Falls (6A)
8- Fergus Falls (6A)
9- Orono (2A)
10- Delano (2A)
11- Alexandria (6A)
12- Breck (2A)

The Rest ....
13- Hutch (3A)
14- Armstrong Cooper (2A)
15- Sartell (6A)
16- Dodge County (1A)
17- Mankato East (1A)
18- LDC (3A)
19- Northern Lakes (5A)
20- Chisago Lakes (5A)

[bardown27]

Bad week for the rest of Class A

Stang wanted to argue 3A or 1A getting a 5 seed over 2A winner

Well 1A Favorite- Dodge County lost to CATHEDRAL!!!! and 5A Favor Chisago Lakes got blown out vs NORTH BRANCH!! Top 3A Team LDC lost to DL!!

I think the Stage is set for some epic blow outs in the State Class A QF Round Gentry, Hermantown and EGF/Warroad are going to rout the winners of Sections 1A,3A and wow is 5A BAD this year. Can you imagine the score if its the 5A winner vs Gentry .... ugh...

Anyways doing my Top 20 by State Contenders as this week proved we really done have 20 teams in Class A...

Its a Two team race in the top 3 Sections (4A, 7A and 8A) 4 teams in the middle of the Pack Sections (6A and 2A) and yuck with the other 3 sections try to pick the Section final for 5A !!! Northern Lakes!?!?!

Thats how I did my top 20 these are the contenders for State...

1- Hermantown (7A)
2- Gentry (4A)

HUGE GAP
3- EGF (8A)
4- Warroad (8A)
5- Mahtomedi (4A)
6- Denfeld (7A)

Battle for the 4 vs 5 Seed at State
7- Little Falls (6A)
8- Fergus Falls (6A)
9- Orono (2A)
10- Delano (2A)
11- Alexandria (6A)
12- Breck (2A)

The Rest ....
13- Hutch (3A)
14- Armstrong Cooper (2A)
15- Sartell (6A)
16- Dodge County (1A)
17- Mankato East (1A)
18- LDC (3A)
19- Northern Lakes (5A)
20- Chisago Lakes (5A)

You should definitely change your name since you think LDC is the top team in 3A, considering Hutch is 1-0-1 against them this year.

[ClassAGuy]

Bad week for the rest of Class A

Stang wanted to argue 3A or 1A getting a 5 seed over 2A winner

Well 1A Favorite- Dodge County lost to CATHEDRAL!!!! and 5A Favor Chisago Lakes got blown out vs NORTH BRANCH!! Top 3A Team LDC lost to DL!!

I think the Stage is set for some epic blow outs in the State Class A QF Round Gentry, Hermantown and EGF/Warroad are going to rout the winners of Sections 1A,3A and wow is 5A BAD this year. Can you imagine the score if its the 5A winner vs Gentry .... ugh...

Anyways doing my Top 20 by State Contenders as this week proved we really done have 20 teams in Class A...

Its a Two team race in the top 3 Sections (4A, 7A and 8A) 4 teams in the middle of the Pack Sections (6A and 2A) and yuck with the other 3 sections try to pick the Section final for 5A !!! Northern Lakes!?!?!

Thats how I did my top 20 these are the contenders for State...

1- Hermantown (7A)
2- Gentry (4A)

HUGE GAP
3- EGF (8A)
4- Warroad (8A)
5- Mahtomedi (4A)
6- Denfeld (7A)

Battle for the 4 vs 5 Seed at State
7- Little Falls (6A)
8- Fergus Falls (6A)
9- Orono (2A)
10- Delano (2A)
11- Alexandria (6A)
12- Breck (2A)

The Rest ....
13- Hutch (3A)
14- Armstrong Cooper (2A)
15- Sartell (6A)
16- Dodge County (1A)
17- Mankato East (1A)
18- LDC (3A)
19- Northern Lakes (5A)
20- Chisago Lakes (5A)

You should definitely change your name since you think LDC is the top team in 3A, considering Hutch is 1-0-1 against them this year.

LDC tied and lost by 1 to Hutch I would say they are even. Also, I have Hutch ranked 1 in 3a but LDC is a very close 2 seed... Not sure what you are even getting mad about. Hutch will be the 1 seed and LDC the 2 seed. Thats why I have Hutch ranked 13 and LDC ranked 18...

Not sure why you are upset

[bardown27]

Bad week for the rest of Class A

Stang wanted to argue 3A or 1A getting a 5 seed over 2A winner

Well 1A Favorite- Dodge County lost to CATHEDRAL!!!! and 5A Favor Chisago Lakes got blown out vs NORTH BRANCH!! Top 3A Team LDC lost to DL!!

I think the Stage is set for some epic blow outs in the State Class A QF Round Gentry, Hermantown and EGF/Warroad are going to rout the winners of Sections 1A,3A and wow is 5A BAD this year. Can you imagine the score if its the 5A winner vs Gentry .... ugh...

Anyways doing my Top 20 by State Contenders as this week proved we really done have 20 teams in Class A...

Its a Two team race in the top 3 Sections (4A, 7A and 8A) 4 teams in the middle of the Pack Sections (6A and 2A) and yuck with the other 3 sections try to pick the Section final for 5A !!! Northern Lakes!?!?!

Thats how I did my top 20 these are the contenders for State...

1- Hermantown (7A)
2- Gentry (4A)

HUGE GAP
3- EGF (8A)
4- Warroad (8A)
5- Mahtomedi (4A)
6- Denfeld (7A)

Battle for the 4 vs 5 Seed at State
7- Little Falls (6A)
8- Fergus Falls (6A)
9- Orono (2A)
10- Delano (2A)
11- Alexandria (6A)
12- Breck (2A)

The Rest ....
13- Hutch (3A)
14- Armstrong Cooper (2A)
15- Sartell (6A)
16- Dodge County (1A)
17- Mankato East (1A)
18- LDC (3A)
19- Northern Lakes (5A)
20- Chisago Lakes (5A)

You should definitely change your name since you think LDC is the top team in 3A, considering Hutch is 1-0-1 against them this year.

LDC tied and lost by 1 to Hutch I would say they are even. Also, I have Hutch ranked 1 in 3a but LDC is a very close 2 seed... Not sure what you are even getting mad about. Hutch will be the 1 seed and LDC the 2 seed. Thats why I have Hutch ranked 13 and LDC ranked 18...

Not sure why you are upset

So say Hutch beats Delano again this Thursday and makes the state tournament, and either Mound or Delano wins 2A. How do you seed the state tournament?

[ClassAGuy]

Mound wont be at State.

If Hutch beats Delano a 2nd time yes you have a point. The stars could align for 5 seed.

Lets see how this week plays out. Also, Hutch will need to beat New Ulm yet which is not a total given that could mess up seeds yet in 3A.

But I do see your point and respect it. Again, as of today Hutch is the top seed for 3A. They have a big one vs Delano coming up and have had a very nice year again.

Point taken and as Stang pointed out 2A is so just even Orono, Minneapolis, Breck, Delano, Armstrong/cooper look like top 5 seeds any one could win it

[Stang5280]

The calendar is turning to March, and we are in the homestretch, kids! Just over two weeks left in the regular season, and we basically already know who will be squaring off in the state finals. OK, slight exaggeration, but there are definitely a lot of pretenders out there, and this Covid-covered season is not a stellar one for Class A hockey.

1. Hermantown (13-0-0) [LW 1]
W 9-3 @ Denfeld, W 12-0 vs Greenway
The Hawks basically squashed any notion of any of their section contests being competitive. Denfeld made things interesting early, trading tallies to go into the first intermission knotted 2-2. But Hermantown blew things open in the second with six scores, including three in the first three minutes. We won't speak of the Saturday game. The statistics are just absurd, with an average margin of victory of over seven goals. The only concern at this point is the health of Joey Pierce, who missed the Denfeld game due to injury. The Hawks have a Thursday tilt with a Rapids team who played them very evenly on Feb. 11.
Next: Tue @ Duluth Marshall, Thu @ Grand Rapids, Sat vs St. Cloud

2. Gentry Academy (12-0-0) [LW 2]
W 11-0 vs SPA, W 6-1 vs Minneapolis
Well, the Saturday game ended up being more of a fight than expected, as the Stars needed two goals in the second and three in the third to pull away from a game group from Minneapolis. Gentry is two steps closer to completing the regular season song and dance, and advancing to the nearly inevitable date with Mahtomedi. Johnson is one of the few teams to challenge Gentry in any manner, so that game may be worth keeping an eye on in the early stages.
Next: Tue vs Simley, Thu vs North Branch, Sat vs Johnson

3. East Grand Forks (7-6-0) [LW 3]
W 11-2 @ Crookston, L 2-3 (OT) @ Roseau
After clobbering poor Crookston, the Green Wave dropped another tough decision, with Max Strand sending them packing with his second overtime goal in three games (Warroad being the previous victim). This team is ultra-talented, yet continues to stumble against stronger competition. EGF has wins over Warroad and a depleted Roseau, but was 0-4 against the Grand Forks schools and also has a loss to Moorhead. At some point results matter, but other teams' bodies of work are even weaker. The Wave will have two more shots to bag quality wins, with the top seed in 8A on the line Thursday.
Next: Tue @ Moorhead, Thu @ Warroad

4. Warroad (7-4-2) [LW 5]
W 8-0 @ Virginia, L 3-4 @ Grand Rapids
Speaking of talented teams who can't buy a win against the meat of their schedule, the Warriors' trip to the Range was so close to being a rousing success. After easily vanquishing Virginia Friday, Warroad outplayed Rapids early, but couldn't survive the third period onslaught and watched victory slowly slip through their grasp. Orchard was great in goal, but the offense disappeared down the stretch. The Warriors have a crowded late-week dance card, though the EGF date is the main attraction.
Next: Thu @ EGF, Fri @ TRF, Sat @ SCC

5. Mahtomedi (7-5-1) [LW 4]
L 2-5 @ Eden Prairie, W 4-2 vs Hastings
Sensing a theme here? The Zephyrs are yet another talented team that hasn't been able to score a signature victory. Granted, Eden Prairie was a tall task, and they played well for two periods, but Dardis could only hold up for so long with limited support. The win over Hastings was a nice feather in their cap, but only moved them to1-5-1 against AA competition. At this point, the best Class A win Mahtomedi has is probably Delano. The scoring punch is very top-heavy, which leaves them little margin for error. It's a slow week ahead, but the Zephyrs get another shot at Hastings.
Next: Thu @ Hastings

6. Little Falls (8-1-1) [LW 7]
Idle
The Flyers spent the week in Covid confinement, depriving us of a second meeting with Alexandria, whom they battled to a stalemate in late January. Assuming Little Falls emerges unscathed, they will have a tuneup tilt Tuesday prior to weekend dates with two highly ranked opponents. Their stretch run will perhaps be the most challenging in all of Class A, with Them filled and Warroad looming on the horizon.
Next: Tue vs Northern Lakes, Fri vs Dodge County, Sat @ Denfeld

7. Fergus Falls (11-1-0) [LW 8]
W 4-3 @ Brainerd, W 6-5 (OT) vs Sartell
Whew, my strong "buy" recommendation from last week looked dicey at times. The Otters needed two spirited comebacks, including rattling off the final four goals against Sartell, to extend their winning streak to 11. In the process, Fergus Falls clinched the Central Lakes title, their first since joining in 2005, and most likely at least a #2 seed in 6A. It's a very one-sided coin, with a prolific, talented offense, and shaky defense and goaltending. The Otters will need to clean things up to make noise come playoff time, but the upcoming schedule is light ahead of a final week showdown with Little Falls.
Next: Thu @ Sauk Rapids, Sat @ Crookston

8. Duluth Denfeld (5-2-1) [LW 6]
W 4-2 vs Hibbing, L 3-9 vs Hermantown
Not the best week for the Hunters, who survived a late scare from Hibbing and were taken behind the woodshed by Hermantown, which does not bode well for their playoff chances. While Denfeld has good depth up front and normally strong goaltending, they lack the star power and solid back end of the Greenway groups from a few years back. Sophomore Kaden Postal was a bright point, burying two pucks against the Hawks. The Saturday date with Little Falls will provide one of the few cross-section data points between top teams during this strange season.
Next: Tue vs Virginia, Thu @ Proctor, Sat vs Little Falls

9. Delano (7-6-0) [LW 10]
W 5-2 vs LDC
The Tigers ended up with only a single game on the docket after the Orono clash was pushed back a week (for unclear reasons). Delano slowly strangled the life out of the Dragons, applying constant pressure until a three-goal outburst in one minute in the third period. There was five different goal scorers, though Adam Brown had a hand in all five (1G, 4A). The upcoming week will be a busy one, with Hutchinson and Orono providing stiff opposition.
Next: Tue vs New Prague, Thu @ Hutch, Sat vs Orono

10. Alexandria (6-5-1) [LW 17]
W 5-2 vs Sartell
As noted above, the Cardinals' contest with Little Falls was cancelled. However, Alex took advantage of their one opportunity to hit the ice by by smashing Sartell to sweep the season series. The Cards grabbed a first-period advantage behind two Josiah Gronholz just 13 seconds apart, and held the Sabres at bay with stifling defense and a huge advantage in zone time. Despite the midseason swoon, Alex finished at 4-1-1 in section play and secured at least the #3 seed. A weeknight trip down I-94 is at least mildly interesting this week.
Next: Tue @ Monticello, Sat vs Detroit Lakes

11. Breck (8-4-0) [LW 16]
W 6-1 vs SPA, W 5-2 vs Providence
The Mustangs trampled downtrodden SPA and pulled away from a plucky Providence crew, and have now won five of their past six outings, with the only loss coming at the hands of Gentry. The top defensive pairing has been excellent on both ends, with Theissen and Morgan each tickling the twine Saturday. Breck is now 3-1 in section play, and has Orono and Southwest Christian still to come. Before that, they will have to tackle a home-and-home against Johnson, followed by a visit to a solid Holy Angels squad.
Next: Tue @ Johnson, Thu vs Johnson, Sat @ Holy Angels

12. Hutchinson (8-3-1) [LW 18]
W 4-1 @ Mound, W 7-0 vs Marshall
The Tigers pounce up six spots thanks to a pair of convincing victories and the foibles of others. Hutchinson spreads around the scoring love well, and both goaltenders were rock solid, with backup Griffin Telecky pitching the shutout against Marshall. Hutch has a demanding slate ahead, featuring two of the better 2A teams; the all-Tiger Thursday tilt is especially tasty.
Next: Tue vs Waconia, Thu vs Delano, Sat vs SW Christian

13. Orono (7-4-0) [LW 9]
L 4-7 @ Chaska
The Spartans were stomped by a Chaska team that is good, but not THAT good. Orono added two late power play goals to make the final score slightly less ugly. After kicking the can down the road with Delano, Orono is now looking at a full menu of three section games. They defeated the Tigers back on Jan. 26, and will need a repeat performance to stay atop the mess of 2A.
Next: Tue vs Mound, Thu vs Waconia, Sat @ Delano

14. Tartan (7-5-1) [LW 14]
L 3-6 @ Hastings
Hastings took it to the Titans again, coasting to their second three-goal triumph over Tartan. I don't like having them here, but the alternatives are even worse. The goaltending situation will be something to watch, as sophomore Steven Kelley is starting to wrest control from Torii Greiskalns. Tartan faces one solid test each of the final two weeks, one of which will involve attempting to shut down Lamb & Co. this Saturday (though scoring on them is apparently not difficult).
Next: Thu vs Highland Park, Sat vs Dodge County

15. Mankato East (10-3-0) [LW 12]
L 3-6 vs Owatonna, W 6-0 vs Roch JM
The Cougars were overwhelmed by Owatonna, a team they defeated by three goals early in the seas. This team tends to stub its toes at random times, but I still believe they have the most upside of the 1A teams. The top line is more talented and productive than others in this range, making for a difficult matchup. East should roll over another Rochester school before a collision with their crosstown rival.
Next: Tue vs Century, Thu @ Mankato West

16. Minneapolis (7-4-0) [LW NR]
W 9-1 vs Kennedy, L 1-6 @ Gentry
Speaking of inconsistency, I present you the team with no nickname. When Minneapolis is on, you get results like the Orono win or giving Gentry a tough scrap, while off days produce losses to Chisago. The Gentry game was tied after one, and 3-1 after two, and the Stars actually had to sweat out the victory. Minneapolis is 3-1 in section, with wins over Orono and SW Christian, and a loss to Breck. A sweep of their final 2A opponents later this week would leave them sitting pretty.
Next: Tue vs Holy Angels , Thu @ Providence, Sat @ Red Wing

17. Sartell-St. Stephen (5-6-0) [LW 13]
L 2-5 @ Alex, L 5-6 (OT) @ Fergus Falls
The Sabres continue slip-sliding down the rankings after two tough losses. They were never in the game against Alexandria, but watched a three-goal lead over the Otters vanish before ultimately falling in the extra session. One bright spot was sophomore Tory Lund, who posted five points on the week and leads the team in scoring. Sartell has gone 0-5 versus the three best teams in 6A, and will have some work to do over the final two weeks to maintain their grip on the fourth seed.
Next: Mon vs River Lakes, Fri @ Brainerd

18. Dodge County (8-3-1) [LW 11]
W 14-1 vs La Crescent, L 7-8 (OT) @ SCC
Fraud alert! The loss to Cathedral raises all sorts of red flags, and in fact marks their second straight suspect Saturday setback (how about that alliteration?!). The Crusaders were coming off a four-game losing streak, only one of which was close, yet Dodge County surrendered a snowman to them. The Wildcats' defense and goaltending are quite questionable, and they may has well let Lamb and Cullen Hiltner play one-on-one, since each netted five goals. Dodge County will need to right the ship quickly to face a challenging weekend road trip.
Next: Tue vs Lourdes, Fri @ Little Falls, Sat @ Tartan

19. Mankato West (10-1-2) [LW 15]
T 2-2 vs Faribault, W 7-2 @ Red Wing
The Scarlet round out the 1A trash bin near the tail end of the rankings. The Faribault tie is pretty gross, but West's only loss on the season is to crosstown rival West, a blemish they will try to avenge Thursday. They will also face a decent Holy Angels team in their only nonconference opportunity of the season, so it will be a sink-or-swim week.
Next: Mon @ Holy Angels, Thu vs Mankato West, Sat vs Winona

20. Northern Lakes (12-1-0) [LW NR]
W 10-1 @ Park Rapids, W 6-1 vs Wadena
OK, the schedule has been Charmin soft, but let's give some recognition for largely avoiding land mines and compiling a nice season so far. Besides, reality is likely to come crashing down after an early week trip down to Little Falls.
Next: Tue @ Little Falls, Fri @ Breckenridge, Sat @ Cambridge

Out: St. Paul Johnson, Chisago Lakes

[Stang5280]

Stang wanted to argue 3A or 1A getting a 5 seed over 2A winner

Well 1A Favorite- Dodge County lost to CATHEDRAL!!!! and 5A Favor Chisago Lakes got blown out vs NORTH BRANCH!! Top 3A Contending Team LDC lost to DL!!

Chill out. I don’t mind eating crow when I’m wrong, but let’s treat one another with respect.

Besides, the coaches’ vote tends to follow the silly LPH poll, which last week had Delano unranked and Mankato East and West at 12 and 13, respectively. (Insert shrug emoji here) I wouldn’t bank on the seeds following our general consensus.

[ClassAGuy]

Stang wanted to argue 3A or 1A getting a 5 seed over 2A winner

Well 1A Favorite- Dodge County lost to CATHEDRAL!!!! and 5A Favor Chisago Lakes got blown out vs NORTH BRANCH!! Top 3A Contending Team LDC lost to DL!!

Chill out. I don’t mind eating crow when I’m wrong, but let’s treat one another with respect.

Besides, the coaches’ vote tends to follow the silly LPH poll, which last week had Delano unranked and Mankato East and West at 12 and 13, respectively. (Insert shrug emoji here) I wouldn’t bank on the seeds following our general consensus.

I am Chilled. It was not meant to make anyone eat crow. I respect your opinion and value your insight each week.

The point was that the divide between Section 1A, 3A, 5A still seems quite large as no team from those respective Sections have been seeded in Class A since well a long time since Hermantown left 5A and Lourdes program died in 1A...

As was pointed out earlier Hutch still does have a chance. But think the fact that coaches vote will continue with going with proven track record which could hurt a 3A champ. We will see as Stang has pointed out many occasions 2A is messy and record could be an issue.

Sorry again Stang didn't mean to get under your skin was just pointing out that results this week showed the divide between those sections is still large.

[Stang5280]

Best guesses at sections without too much research

1A
1. Dodge County
2. Mankato East
3. Mankato West
4/5. Minn River/Waseca

2A
1. Orono
2. Breck
3. Minneapolis
4/5. Delano/Mound Westonka

3A
1. Hutchinson
2. Litchfield
3. New Ulm
4. Windom

4A
1. Gentry
2. Mahtomedi
3. Tartan
4. Johnson

5A
1. Chisago Lakes
2. Monticello
3. Northern Lakes
4. North Branch

6A
1. Little Falls
2. Fergus Falls
3. Alexandria
4. Sartell

7A
1. Hermantown
2. Denfeld
3. Virginia
4. Eveleth

8A
1. EGF
2. Warroad
3. TRF
4/5. Detroit Lakes/Kittson

[MrBoDangles]

Northern Lakes 4
Little Falls 2

[BSUBeaver]

Alexandria 4, Monticello 1

[elliott70]

Northern Lakes 4
Little Falls 2

Yes Northern Lakes has to be considered.
Even if the game was one sided or so the result is what matters.

[Mite-dad]

Northern Lakes has a nice team. They are physical, have some kids with skill that can score, and they have a solid goalie. I'm not surprised they beat LF with one practice under their wing after a long layoff. NL has had some quality bantam teams for some time and some more talent coming next year and I think these teams are well coached as well. They know how to play.

[Stang5280]

Northern Lakes has a nice team. They are physical, have some kids with skill that can score, and they have a solid goalie. I'm not surprised they beat LF with one practice under their wing after a long layoff. NL has had some quality bantam teams for some time and some more talent coming next year and I think these teams are well coached as well. They know how to play.

From what I saw last night from NL, that is a very good assessment. There is also a book on stopping LF over the last few years: pack in the defense, protect the goalie, and let them fire away from the perimeter. LF has trouble cracking this strategy and does not shoot well. A disciplined team can just wait for mistakes and pounce on odd-man rushes the other way. (River Lakes really did this well last season.)

[ClassAGuy]

Northern Lakes has a nice team. They are physical, have some kids with skill that can score, and they have a solid goalie. I'm not surprised they beat LF with one practice under their wing after a long layoff. NL has had some quality bantam teams for some time and some more talent coming next year and I think these teams are well coached as well. They know how to play.

From what I saw last night from NL, that is a very good assessment. There is also a book on stopping LF over the last few years: pack in the defense, protect the goalie, and let them fire away from the perimeter. LF has trouble cracking this strategy and does not shoot well. A disciplined team can just wait for mistakes and pounce on odd-man rushes the other way. (River Lakes really did this well last season.)

Stang-
I stand corrected and will eat my crow... I dont think 2A or 6A are shoe in anymore for seeds at State. Orono losing to Mound handily on home ice ...Yuck... and wow Upest of the year in Class A so far with Northern Lakes beat Little Falls on their home ice.

I love the River Lakes reference above by Stang very good comparison to Northern Lakes. River Lakes also happens to be the 1 team to have beaten Northern Lakes so far. Great win by lightning but they are not gonna have a battle in 5A. This a way worse loss for the Flyers shocked but again you cant have 54 shots and muster only 2 goals. Flyers are entering dangerous skies ahead... They should be able to beat a one man Dodge County... But after that they could lose 4 in a row heading into sections and drop to a 3 seed which would mean a road Semi-final at Alexandria a place the Flyers have not won in very very very long time.....

[Stang5280]

Stang-
I stand corrected and will eat my crow... I dont think 2A or 6A are shoe in anymore for seeds at State. Orono losing to Mound handily on home ice ...Yuck... and wow Upest of the year in Class A so far with Northern Lakes beat Little Falls on their home ice.

I love the River Lakes reference above by Stang very good comparison to Northern Lakes. River Lakes also happens to be the 1 team to have beaten Northern Lakes so far. Great win by lightning but they are not gonna have a battle in 5A. This a way worse loss for the Flyers shocked but again you cant have 54 shots and muster only 2 goals. Flyers are entering dangerous skies ahead... They should be able to beat a one man Dodge County... But after that they could lose 4 in a row heading into sections and drop to a 3 seed which would mean a road Semi-final at Alexandria a place the Flyers have not won in very very very long time.....

I wouldn’t totally jump ship on Little Falls just yet, but they hit Covid pause at a bad time just before the stretch run. The Flyers were playing well before shutting down, and are now running into the nastiest part of their schedule. The three games outside of section are nice measuring sticks (I am really curious to watch the contrast in styles with Denfeld), but if LF can defeat River Lakes and Fergus, they are still golden for the top seed.

One other thing I meant to mention about LF is that their special teams are horrendous - they are 4 for 37 on PP chances for the season, and that is after scoring once last night. So you may as well be physical with them. A good team, don't get me wrong, but also very flawed.

[Mite-dad]

Northern Lakes has a nice team. They are physical, have some kids with skill that can score, and they have a solid goalie. I'm not surprised they beat LF with one practice under their wing after a long layoff. NL has had some quality bantam teams for some time and some more talent coming next year and I think these teams are well coached as well. They know how to play.

From what I saw last night from NL, that is a very good assessment. There is also a book on stopping LF over the last few years: pack in the defense, protect the goalie, and let them fire away from the perimeter. LF has trouble cracking this strategy and does not shoot well. A disciplined team can just wait for mistakes and pounce on odd-man rushes the other way. (River Lakes really did this well last season.)

Totally agree on the packing in the D, and also the comparison to RL. RL has done this to LF for a while now with success. Also, LF D give plenty of odd man rush opportunities. D want to get up into the offense way too much and it has led to many goals the other way this year.