Class A Ranking Week #8 (1/16/2022)
1- Hermantown (7A) (12-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 8-0 St Cloud Cathedral, W 2-1 OT Warroad
Upcoming Schedule: 1/17 @ Greenway, 1/18 vs. Hibbing, 1/20 vs Superior
The Hawks dominated St Cloud Cathedral to get their weekend started. They outshot the Crusaders 50-5 and Zam Plante returned from his injury absence nicely as he racked up three points. The Hawks then took on the Warriors in a game that definitely lived up to the hype. The back and forth affair went into OT when senior Gavin Blomdahl’s shot from the side wall somehow snuck through the Warroad goalie and gave the Hawks the #1 seed as we get closer to March. This week they will look to roll over 3 local opponents including two Section 7A teams.
2- Warroad (8A) (15-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 16-0 Crookston, L 1-2 OT Hermantown
Upcoming Schedule: 1/21 vs Duluth Denfeld, 1/22 vs Wayzata
The Warriors embarrassed Crookston to start their week by scoring at least five goals in all three periods. Senior defender Todd Powassin hada career night as his Hattrick and 4 point night helped the Warriors rout their 8A foes. Warroad then headed to Hermantown and gave the Hawks all they wanted; they actually had the better of play as the game wore on. However, in OT the Hawks snuck one past Hampton Slukynsky that I am sure he wants back. This week they have a challenging slate again as they Host Denfeld and Wayzata which both should be good tests.
3- Mahtomedi (4A) (7-7-1)
Past Week Results: W 2-1 Simley, L 2-3 OT Hill Murray
Upcoming Schedule: 1/19 vs Two Rivers
The Zephyrs found themselves in a slugfest on the road vs. 4A Simley. Similar cracks in the Zephyrs armor appeared as Mahtomedi really struggled generating offense in this one. While they controlled the pace of play they didn't threaten much until David Wolsfeld was able to sneak behind the Spartans D and bury a breakaway in the middle of the 3rd period and they hung on for a big 4A win from there. The Zephyrs were then just 30 seconds away from securing a big win over Hill Murray before the Pioneers were able to tie the game and win it in OT. Mahtomedi moves up this week after the Flyers got waxed on the road and they just have one game this week vs 4A Two Rivers.
4- Little Falls (5A) (15-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-0 Princeton, L 1-5 Fergus Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/21 vs Thief River Falls, 1/22 vs Crookston
The Flyers kept up their Section 5A dominance as they went into Princeton, a place where they have struggled in the past, and picked up a solid 5–0 win. It was the second line that provided the key offense in this one as Isaiah Jendro led the way with a solid three point night. The Flyers then saw their unbeaten season come to a crashing end as they were thoroughly beaten by the Otters over the weekend 5-1. The game exposed some questions moving forward but I don't want to drop them too far as no one below them did much either this week to improve their stock.
5- Delano (2A) (10-4-0)
Past Week Results: L 4-8 Holy Family, W 6-0 Hutchinson
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs Minneapolis, 1/20 @ LDC
The Tigers historic struggles vs long time WCC Conference foe Holy Family continued. In a rarity the Tigers gave up EIGHT goals in a game that they never led despite outshooting and outplaying the Fire for stretches of the game. Delano was able to pick up a good Section and Conference road win over Hutchinson. In a game that was tight after two periods the Tigers behind Andres Peterson and Jesse Peterson two goals each the Tigers were able to blow open the game and cruise to the win. Now comes a huge Section 2A week facing Minneapolis for the number 1 seed and then playing redhot LDC who has been knocking off section opponents of late.
6- Minneapolis (2A) (10-3-1)
Past Week Results: W 1-0 OT Orono
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Delano, 1/20 vs St Paul Academy
Minneapolis picked up a crucial Section 2A win over Orono on the road. In a game where they controlled the pace of play and dominated the Spartans in the shot category outshooting them 50-21. It wasn't until overtime that they were able to solve the Orono goalie as Hank Davis played the hero with the GWG in OT and Alex Lamont was stout again in net picking up the shoutout. Now they have their biggest game of the year as they travel to fellow top Section 2A Contender Delano on Tuesday with the Secton’s #1 seed on the line.
7-Duluth Denfeld (7A) (12-4-0)
Past Week Results: L 1-8 Grand Rapids, W 7-0 Dodge County
Upcoming Schedule: 1/21 @ Warroad
The Hunters were dominated on their home ice by a good AA Grand Rapids team. Connor McClure’s 21st goal of the season was not nearly enough as Denfeld was blown out. Cooper McClure’s four goal night helped the Hunters rebound in a big way as they blew out Dodge County to get back in the win column to end their week. This week they have a tremendous test as they only have one game, a trip to Warrod to test themselves against one of the state’s top teams regardless of class.
8- Detroit Lakes (8A) (10-4-0)
Past Week Results: W 2-1 Thief River Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/20 vs Prairie Centre, 1/21 @ Red Lake Falls
The Lakers won a crucial Section 8A game at home they took down the Prowlers 2-1. In a game that that was tied 1-1 after two periods of play it was the Lakers that were able to find the big goal in the third period to help secure their #3 seed in Section 8A and will now avoid 8A powerhouse Warroad until the Section Final. This week provides an interesting trip up to Section 8A Red Lake Falls on Friday night. The Lakers have been known to let inferior teams stick around in games and that one could be dangerous for them.
9- Alexandria (6A) (7-5-1)
Past Week Results: W 3–2 OT Brainerd, L 1-7 Totino Grace
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs. St. Cloud Cathedral, 1/21 vs. Sartell
The Cards found themselves in a battle with struggling Brainerd on the road. Luckily for them Brycen Berg played the hero as he had a two goal night including the GW in OT to survive the upset scare from the Warriors. Alexandria then got hammered on their home ice by Totino Grace. It's a head-scratching loss but they really can't drop as they own wins over two of the three teams, Fergus & EGF, right below them. They have a big week with old Section 6A foes coming to town in SCC and Sartell. We will see if the TG game was a hiccup or sign of bad play to come quickly.
10- Fergus Falls (6A) (10-5-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-1 Little Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs. Crookston, 1/20 vs Sartell
Welcome back to the TOP 10 Fergus Falls. The Otters delivered what may end up being the Game that turned around their season as they got revenge on the Flyers and won 5-1. Senior Michael DeBrito who was injured during last season’s Section Final made his presence known in this one as his big four point night led the way. This Game could jump start the Otters to live up to the pre season expectations. This week they have an easy one vs Crookston before getting a good test from Sartell to see if the Otters are truly a top 10 team or not.
11- Providence Academy (2A) (12-3-1)
Past Week Results: L 1-6 Blake, T 3-3Rock Ridge
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs St Paul Academy, 1/20 vs Minnehaha Academy, 1/22 @ Armstrong/Cooper
The Lions had a very bad week as they saw their stock drop as their ten game winning streak came to a crashing halt as Blake scored two goals in all three periods and took out Providence soundly on their home ice. They then followed that up with an eye opening tie to Rock Ridge. They will look to get back on track this week as they play 3 games they should win easily but this week showed they might not be the top 10 team we thought.
12- East Grand Forks (8A) (5-9-0)
Past Week Results: L 2-8 Moorhead, Fargo Davies
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs. Roseau, 1/20 vs. Bemidji, 1/22 vs. Prior Lake
The Greenwave got smacked by the Spuds on the road Jaksen Panzer’s two goals were nice but not nearly enough as EGF’s goaltending and defensive nightmares continued. East Grand Forks took on a good North Dakota Fargo Davies club and for the sixth straight game their defense and goaltending allowed at least five goals and Greenwave was shut out at home. I will keep EGF ranked in the Top 15 but obviously I have to move them down from the Top 10. Their schedule is incredibly tough and I am not sure any team in the lower five would have a better record and they own a dominant win over St Cloud Cathedral so I will leave them right above the Crusaders for now. This week is highlighted by the HDMN Spotlight between the State’s Most Disappointing team in each class as they take on Prior Lake at the end of another very tough week.
13- Orono (2A) (7-8-1)
Past Week Results: L 2-5 Chanhassen, L 0-1 OT Minneapolis, W 8-2 Bloomington Kennedy
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Chaska, 1/22 vs Bloomington Jefferson
Orono hung around with a very good young and up and coming AA Chanhassen team for two periods as they were tied 1-1. However, the Storm wore the Spartans out and scored four third period goals to win the game 5-2. The Spartans then dropped a critical Section 2A game at home in overtime to Minneapolis despite Brock Peyton’s heroic effort in the net and that loss dashes most likely any hope of #1 seed. They were able to finish the week with a positive by hammering 2A Kennedy. This week they face a tough Chaska crew and then play Jefferson to finish their week.
14- St. Cloud Cathedral (5A) (9-6-0)
Past week: W 7-1 Pine City, L 0-8 Hermantown
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Alexandria, 1/20 @ Dodge County, 1/22 vs. Holy Angels
The Crusaders young guns continued to shine as freshman John Hirschfeld’s 3 point night led the way as Cathedral won a game they should have over Section 5A Pine City. The good vibes were short lived as the Crusaders were blown out at home not only did they get beat 8-0 by the Hawks but they were only able to muster five shots in the game. I kept them ahead of Cambridge just because of the common opponent of Pine City the Crusaders crushed them while Cambridge struggled. This week is going to really test SCC as they have three tough games and why on earth are they taking a three hour plus venture south on a Thursday night to Dodge County talk about bad scheduling. It will be good to see how this young team responds after a slow start to the 2022 version of their schedule.
15- Cambridge- Isanti (5A) (12-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 10-3 Becker Big Lake, W 3-2 Northern Edge, Pine City W 3-2 OT
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs St Paul Highland Park, 1/20 @ Monticello
Cambridge routed fellow Section 5A Becker Big Lake 10-3 behind Treyten Green’s big 5 point night. The next night on a rare Tuesday/Wednesday back to back the Bluejackets were able to pick up another tight 3-2 win behind Junior Finn Overby’s hat trick. Cambridge finished their week by finding themselves in a battle with Pine City not an ideal game to be in but the Blue Jackets found a way as Peyton Andrews played hero with the GWG and they have now won twelve in a row. This week they have a big test with Monticello, a team they beat earlier this year but as we saw with the Dragons every game is going to be a battle for low scoring Cambridge as they look to continue their unbeaten streak since 9th Grader Sibell took the Starting Goaltender job.
16- Northfield (1A) (7-4-1)
Past Week Results: W 6-2 Owatonna, W 7-1 Rochester Century
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 vs Mankato West, 1/22 @ Winona
Northfield’s stock is rising back up after a few bad showings this week they showed signs of life vs AA Owatonna led by Sophomore Kamden Kaiser’s four point night the Raider were able to pull away and get a convincing win over the Huskies. They followed that up by crushing a Rochester Century team that Mankato East has lost too. The Raiders have two easy Big Nine games this week to continue their recent roll. They take on struggling Mankato West and Winona both games they should win.
17- Mankato East (3A) (10-5-0)
Past Week: W 2-1 OT Dodge County, L 2-5 Rochester Mayo
Upcoming Schedule: 1/21 Mankato West
The Cougars won their 10th game of the year on the road vs their southern rivals Dodge County. Shea Gavin had the big game winning OT goal to give Mankato East a nice road win. Mankato East jumped out to a 2-1 lead in the first period against Rochester Mayo but then it was all Spartans after that as they scored four unanswered goals for the 5-2 win. The Cougar now turn their attention to their struggling cross town rivals as they will meet up with West on outdoor ice Friday night to kick off the HDMN Mankato celebration.
18- Chisago Lakes (4A) (9-3-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-1 Northern Edge, W 3-1 Monticello
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Princeton, 1/20 vs. Becker Big Lake
The Wildcats found themselves in a battle against a struggling Northern Edge program tied 1-1 after 2 periods of play However, behind their Super Senior duo Nicholas Helland & Ryan Schmidt Chisago Lakes was able to score three straight late 3rd period goals and get back in the win column. The Wildcats followed that up with a very nice home win over the Moose to secure a rare series sweep for them. Now they turn their attention to Princeton who handed them an embarrassing loss early this year and look for Chisago Lakes to redeem themselves this coming week and keep their current winning ways going.
19- Thief River Falls (8A) (6-8-0)
Past Week Results: W 7-1 Lake of the Woods, L 1-2 Detroit Lakes, W 6-1 Bemidji
Upcoming Schedule: 1/18 @ Kittson Central, 1/21 @ Little Falls, 1/22 @ Northern Lakes
Thief River Falls had a good week as always they are improving steadily as the season goes on they did pick up a nice win over Bemidji yesterday. They have found some more offense behind the Tysen Loeffler & Brendan Bottem duo of late. As always they play a very structured game and have a good goalie in Brett Holmer to hold them in every game. They have a big game this week at Little Falls on Friday night. I won't be shocked if the Prowlers win that one but I know it will be close like all their games.
20- Simley (4A) (11-6-0)
Past Week Results: L 1-2 Mahtomedi, L 1-7 Hill Murray, L 3-7 Hastings
Upcoming Schedule: 1/20 vs Tartan, 1/22 @ Mound Westonka
Simley had a very nice showing to start their week as they stuck with Section 4A favorite Mahtomedi throughout the game. They fell 2-1 but they learned in the process they can compete with the section top team come March. After that though things went south for the Spartans who were dominated on their home ice by a very good AA Hill Murray team they fell behind early and were never really in the game. They finished the week getting beat up by Hastings for an (0-3-0) week. I will leave them in the rankings this week due to their good performance vs Mahtomedi but they must win both games this week or they will most likely drop out of the Top 20.
The Next Five Notable Class A Teams-
Southwest Christian (2A) (8-5-1)- The Stars picked up two more Section 2A wins but also got beat handily by Roseville. The Stars look to be the 5 seed in 2A. Is that worthy of a top 20 spot?
Albert Lea (1A)- (10-3-0)- Dropping the game to Red Wing was a massive loss as not only do they drop out of the Top 20 but they have no chance at the #1 seed anymore in Section 1A.
New Ulm (3A) (10-4-0)- The Eagles lost their only game this week 2-6 to AA Holy Family. A big week for New Ulm as they take on 1A Struggling New Prague and 2A SWC to get a better gauge of this group.
Litchfield Dassel Cokato (2A) ( (8-5-1)- The Dragons returned nearly everyone from their State Tournament team this year but got off to a terrible start. The DC Football team winning the Prep Bowl and half their team not getting on the ice till December may have had something to do with it. However, in their last eight games they are (6-1-1) and appear to be getting better each time out.
Proctor (7A) (10-5-1)- I know the Rails don’t have any big wins but they are having one of their best seasons in a long time and with all the messy things that happened at that school this fall its nice to see them doing well and thought they should get mentioned.
A Rankings for 1/16/22
Moderators: Mitch Hawker, east hockey, karl(east)
Re: A Rankings for 1/16/22
My take for the week...........
1- Hermantown
2- Warroad
3- Mahtomedi
4- Duluth Denfeld
5- Little Falls
6- Delano
7- Minneapolis
8- Alexandria
9- Detroit Lakes
10- Fergus Falls
11- East Grand Forks
12- St. Cloud Cathedral
13- Orono
14- Providence Academy
15- Cambridge-Isanti
16- Chisago Lakes
17- Mankato East
18- Northfield
19- Thief River Falls
20- SW Christian
1- Hermantown
2- Warroad
3- Mahtomedi
4- Duluth Denfeld
5- Little Falls
6- Delano
7- Minneapolis
8- Alexandria
9- Detroit Lakes
10- Fergus Falls
11- East Grand Forks
12- St. Cloud Cathedral
13- Orono
14- Providence Academy
15- Cambridge-Isanti
16- Chisago Lakes
17- Mankato East
18- Northfield
19- Thief River Falls
20- SW Christian
Re: A Rankings for 1/16/22
Class A Section by Section Breakdown
Section 1A (11 Teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Northfield (16)- (7-4-1)
2- New Prague (5-6-1)
3- Albert Lea- (10-3-0)
4- Rochester Lourdes- (10-5-0)
5- Red Wing (6-8-0)
6- La Crescent (7-5-0)
7- Waseca (4-8-1)
8- Winona (3-8-1)
9- Faribault- (3-9-0)
10- Austin (0-9-0)
11- Cotter (0-7-0)
Section 1A Overview- After some jumbling from week to week here we are back where we started in 1A with Northfield & New Prague looking like the top two seeds. Albert Lea dropped a bad one to Red Wing but stayed at three for now and they have a head to head win over Rochester Lourdes. La Crescent has a winning record and win over Winona who has a win over the Wingers. Waseca owns a win over the Winhawks and Faribault owns a win over Austin who along with Cotter still have zero wins.
Section 2A (11 Teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Delano (5)- (10-4-0)
2- Minneapolis (6)- (10-3-1)
3- Providence Academy (11)- (12-3-1)
4- Orono (13)- (7-8-1)
5- Southwest Christian- (8-5-1)
6- Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato- (8-5-1)
7- Mound Westonka- (6-9-0)
8- Breck- (3-8-0)
9- Hutchinson- (8-8-0)
10- Bloomington Kennedy- (3-8-1)
11- Waconia- (4-9-0)
Section 2A Overview- Section 2A is a puzzle to breakdown. Right now the winner of the Delano & Minneapolis game this week should clear up the one seed. Providence Academy had a bad week but stayed above Orono for now. Southwest Christian is solidly at the five seed. Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato is rising after a brutal start to the year they dominated Mound Westonka. Breck does own a win over LDC but not much else. Hutchinson doesn’t have any big wins and Bloomington Kennedy owns the head to head win over Waconia.
Section 3A (10 Teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Mankato East (17)- (10-5-0)
2- New Ulm- (10-4-0)
3- Luverne- (7-6-0)
4- Windom- (7-8-1)
5- Marshall- (7-9-0)
6- Worthington- (8-4-0)
7- Fairmont- (4-7-0)
8- Minnesota River- (3-10-1)
9- Mankato West- (5-9-0)
10- Redwood Valley-(2-12-0)
Section 3A Overview- Mankato East & New Ulm are the clear top two seeds still as we move forward. After that, Luverne had a brutal loss to Waseca but they still are unbeaten in 3A. Windom moves up to the 4 seed with their nice win over Lourdes and they own the head to head over Marshall. Worthington lost to the Tigers to stay stuck at six. Fairmont swept Minnesota River who owns the head to head win over Mankato West. Redwood Valley is clearly the ten seed.
Section 4A (8 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Mahtomedi (3)- (7-7-1)
2- Chisago Lakes (18)- (9-3-1)
3- Simley (20) (11-6-0)
4- St Paul Highland Park (4-7-1)
5- Two Rivers- (7-7-0)
6- St Paul Johnson- (4-6-0)
7- South St. Paul - (3-10-0)
8- St Paul Academy (4-8-0)
Section 4A Overview- Mahtomedi’s tight win over Simley opened some eyes but the Zephyrs are locked at the one seed. Chisago Lakes gets the edge for better play of late then the Spartans but that's a toss up at the two and three seed. St Paul Highland Park owns the Head to head win over Two Rivers. St Paul Johnson beat the Scots, but South St Paul won't the crucial 2nd meeting with the Govs and St Paul Academy owns zero 4A wins.
Section 5A (10 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Little Falls (4)- (15-1-0)
2- St. Cloud Cathedral (14)- (9-6-0)
3- Cambridge Isanti (15)- (12-2-0)
4- River Lakes- (7-7-0)
5- Monticello (5-11-0)
6- Princeton (6-7-0)
7- Mora (10-4-2)
8- Sauk Rapids (4-11-0)
9- Pine City (5-11-0)
10- Becker/Big Lake- (2-12-0)
Section 5A Overview- Little Falls is the clear one seed for now. St Cloud Cathedral has a better SOS than Cambridge Isanti. River Lakes & Monticello are four and five the Moose do own the head to head but also lost to the Storm who the Stars beat. Princeton owns wins over everyone below them in 5A for the solid six seed. Mora just beat Sauk Rapids and both Pine City & Becker Big Lake round out the nine and ten seed.
Section 6A (8 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Alexandria (9)- (7-5-1)
2- Fergus Falls (10)- (10-5-0)
3- Wadena Deer Creek- (11-5-0)
4- Northern Lakes- (7-6-0)
5- Willmar- (4-8-0)
6- Morris Benson- (6-7-1)
7- Prairie Centre- (4-10-0)
8- Breckenridge/Wahpeton- (0-11-0)
Section 6A Overview- This Section’s top 4 seeds will play out according to whoever wins the second meeting of Alexandria and Fergus Falls will get the one seed and whoever gets the win of Wadena Deer Creek and Northern Lakes gets the three seed. The 5-8 seeds got some added intrigue. Willmar took out Morris Benson and Prairie Centre took the Lighting to OT but lost. Breckenridge/Wahpeton is the clear bottom.
Section 7A (10 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Hermantown (1)- (12-1-0)
2- Duluth Denfeld (7)- (12-4-0)
3- Hibbing (6-7-0)
4- Proctor (10-5-1)
5- Greenway- (5-4-0)
6- Rock Ridge- (5-7-1)
7- International Falls- (2-7-0)
8- North Shore- (3-9-0)
9- Ely- (2-11-0)
10- Moose Lake- (1-14-0)
Section 7A Overview-. Hermantown & Duluth Denfeld look to be locked at one and two. Hibbing owns the Head to Head win over Proctor for the three and four seed. Greenway doesn't play the Rails this year? WHY!?! Rock Ridge is improving but lacks section wins. International Falls looks like the best of the rest followed by North Shore, Ely & Moose Lake.
Section 8A (10 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Warroad (2)- (15-1-0)
2- East Grand Forks (12)- (5-9-0)
3- Detroit Lakes (8)- (10-4-0)
4- Thief River Falls (19)- (6-8-0)
5- Red Lake Falls- (10-6-0)
6- Bagley/Fosston- (8-7-1)
7- Crookston- (1-11-1)
8- Park Rapids- (5-8-0)
9- Lake of the Woods (4-6-0)
10- Kittson Central- (3-10-1)
Section 8A Overview- The top four seeds look locked in for now Warroad followed by East Grand Forks and then Detroit Lakes and Thief River Falls. Red Lake Falls is the best of the rest for the five seed and Bagley/Fosston is the six seed for now. Crookston beat Park Rapids for their only win. Lake of the Woods owns the Head to Head over Kittson Central.
Section 1A (11 Teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Northfield (16)- (7-4-1)
2- New Prague (5-6-1)
3- Albert Lea- (10-3-0)
4- Rochester Lourdes- (10-5-0)
5- Red Wing (6-8-0)
6- La Crescent (7-5-0)
7- Waseca (4-8-1)
8- Winona (3-8-1)
9- Faribault- (3-9-0)
10- Austin (0-9-0)
11- Cotter (0-7-0)
Section 1A Overview- After some jumbling from week to week here we are back where we started in 1A with Northfield & New Prague looking like the top two seeds. Albert Lea dropped a bad one to Red Wing but stayed at three for now and they have a head to head win over Rochester Lourdes. La Crescent has a winning record and win over Winona who has a win over the Wingers. Waseca owns a win over the Winhawks and Faribault owns a win over Austin who along with Cotter still have zero wins.
Section 2A (11 Teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Delano (5)- (10-4-0)
2- Minneapolis (6)- (10-3-1)
3- Providence Academy (11)- (12-3-1)
4- Orono (13)- (7-8-1)
5- Southwest Christian- (8-5-1)
6- Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato- (8-5-1)
7- Mound Westonka- (6-9-0)
8- Breck- (3-8-0)
9- Hutchinson- (8-8-0)
10- Bloomington Kennedy- (3-8-1)
11- Waconia- (4-9-0)
Section 2A Overview- Section 2A is a puzzle to breakdown. Right now the winner of the Delano & Minneapolis game this week should clear up the one seed. Providence Academy had a bad week but stayed above Orono for now. Southwest Christian is solidly at the five seed. Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato is rising after a brutal start to the year they dominated Mound Westonka. Breck does own a win over LDC but not much else. Hutchinson doesn’t have any big wins and Bloomington Kennedy owns the head to head win over Waconia.
Section 3A (10 Teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Mankato East (17)- (10-5-0)
2- New Ulm- (10-4-0)
3- Luverne- (7-6-0)
4- Windom- (7-8-1)
5- Marshall- (7-9-0)
6- Worthington- (8-4-0)
7- Fairmont- (4-7-0)
8- Minnesota River- (3-10-1)
9- Mankato West- (5-9-0)
10- Redwood Valley-(2-12-0)
Section 3A Overview- Mankato East & New Ulm are the clear top two seeds still as we move forward. After that, Luverne had a brutal loss to Waseca but they still are unbeaten in 3A. Windom moves up to the 4 seed with their nice win over Lourdes and they own the head to head over Marshall. Worthington lost to the Tigers to stay stuck at six. Fairmont swept Minnesota River who owns the head to head win over Mankato West. Redwood Valley is clearly the ten seed.
Section 4A (8 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Mahtomedi (3)- (7-7-1)
2- Chisago Lakes (18)- (9-3-1)
3- Simley (20) (11-6-0)
4- St Paul Highland Park (4-7-1)
5- Two Rivers- (7-7-0)
6- St Paul Johnson- (4-6-0)
7- South St. Paul - (3-10-0)
8- St Paul Academy (4-8-0)
Section 4A Overview- Mahtomedi’s tight win over Simley opened some eyes but the Zephyrs are locked at the one seed. Chisago Lakes gets the edge for better play of late then the Spartans but that's a toss up at the two and three seed. St Paul Highland Park owns the Head to head win over Two Rivers. St Paul Johnson beat the Scots, but South St Paul won't the crucial 2nd meeting with the Govs and St Paul Academy owns zero 4A wins.
Section 5A (10 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Little Falls (4)- (15-1-0)
2- St. Cloud Cathedral (14)- (9-6-0)
3- Cambridge Isanti (15)- (12-2-0)
4- River Lakes- (7-7-0)
5- Monticello (5-11-0)
6- Princeton (6-7-0)
7- Mora (10-4-2)
8- Sauk Rapids (4-11-0)
9- Pine City (5-11-0)
10- Becker/Big Lake- (2-12-0)
Section 5A Overview- Little Falls is the clear one seed for now. St Cloud Cathedral has a better SOS than Cambridge Isanti. River Lakes & Monticello are four and five the Moose do own the head to head but also lost to the Storm who the Stars beat. Princeton owns wins over everyone below them in 5A for the solid six seed. Mora just beat Sauk Rapids and both Pine City & Becker Big Lake round out the nine and ten seed.
Section 6A (8 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Alexandria (9)- (7-5-1)
2- Fergus Falls (10)- (10-5-0)
3- Wadena Deer Creek- (11-5-0)
4- Northern Lakes- (7-6-0)
5- Willmar- (4-8-0)
6- Morris Benson- (6-7-1)
7- Prairie Centre- (4-10-0)
8- Breckenridge/Wahpeton- (0-11-0)
Section 6A Overview- This Section’s top 4 seeds will play out according to whoever wins the second meeting of Alexandria and Fergus Falls will get the one seed and whoever gets the win of Wadena Deer Creek and Northern Lakes gets the three seed. The 5-8 seeds got some added intrigue. Willmar took out Morris Benson and Prairie Centre took the Lighting to OT but lost. Breckenridge/Wahpeton is the clear bottom.
Section 7A (10 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Hermantown (1)- (12-1-0)
2- Duluth Denfeld (7)- (12-4-0)
3- Hibbing (6-7-0)
4- Proctor (10-5-1)
5- Greenway- (5-4-0)
6- Rock Ridge- (5-7-1)
7- International Falls- (2-7-0)
8- North Shore- (3-9-0)
9- Ely- (2-11-0)
10- Moose Lake- (1-14-0)
Section 7A Overview-. Hermantown & Duluth Denfeld look to be locked at one and two. Hibbing owns the Head to Head win over Proctor for the three and four seed. Greenway doesn't play the Rails this year? WHY!?! Rock Ridge is improving but lacks section wins. International Falls looks like the best of the rest followed by North Shore, Ely & Moose Lake.
Section 8A (10 teams)
Team- (Overall Record)
1- Warroad (2)- (15-1-0)
2- East Grand Forks (12)- (5-9-0)
3- Detroit Lakes (8)- (10-4-0)
4- Thief River Falls (19)- (6-8-0)
5- Red Lake Falls- (10-6-0)
6- Bagley/Fosston- (8-7-1)
7- Crookston- (1-11-1)
8- Park Rapids- (5-8-0)
9- Lake of the Woods (4-6-0)
10- Kittson Central- (3-10-1)
Section 8A Overview- The top four seeds look locked in for now Warroad followed by East Grand Forks and then Detroit Lakes and Thief River Falls. Red Lake Falls is the best of the rest for the five seed and Bagley/Fosston is the six seed for now. Crookston beat Park Rapids for their only win. Lake of the Woods owns the Head to Head over Kittson Central.
Re: A Rankings for 1/16/22
QRF as of 1-17-22
1 Hermantown (12-1) 108.2
2 Warroad (14-1) 87.2
3 Duluth Denfeld (11-4) 73.7
4 Little Falls (15-1) 72.2
5 Minneapolis (10-3-1) 70.6
6 Providence Academy (12-3-1) 64.0
7 Delano (10-4) 63.7
8 Cambridge-Isanti (12-2) 60.0
9 Fergus Falls (10-5) 59.6
10 Mahtomedi (6-7-1) 55.3
11 Southwest Christian/Richfield (8-5-1) 54.8
12 Detroit Lakes (10-4) 54.7
13 Proctor (9-5-1) 53.7
14 St. Cloud Cathedral (9-6) 53.4
15 Simley (11-5) 52.4
16 Wadena-Deer Creek (11-5) 52.3
17 Albert Lea (10-3) 52.2
18 Chisago Lakes Area (8-3-1) 51.6
19 Alexandria (7-5-1) 51.4
19 Mankato East/Loyola (10-5) 51.4
21 Northfield (7-4-1) 51.2
22 New Ulm (10-4) 49.4
23 Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato (8-5-1) 48.5
24 La Crescent-Hokah (4-1) 47.5
25 River Lakes (7-7) 47.0
1 Hermantown (12-1) 108.2
2 Warroad (14-1) 87.2
3 Duluth Denfeld (11-4) 73.7
4 Little Falls (15-1) 72.2
5 Minneapolis (10-3-1) 70.6
6 Providence Academy (12-3-1) 64.0
7 Delano (10-4) 63.7
8 Cambridge-Isanti (12-2) 60.0
9 Fergus Falls (10-5) 59.6
10 Mahtomedi (6-7-1) 55.3
11 Southwest Christian/Richfield (8-5-1) 54.8
12 Detroit Lakes (10-4) 54.7
13 Proctor (9-5-1) 53.7
14 St. Cloud Cathedral (9-6) 53.4
15 Simley (11-5) 52.4
16 Wadena-Deer Creek (11-5) 52.3
17 Albert Lea (10-3) 52.2
18 Chisago Lakes Area (8-3-1) 51.6
19 Alexandria (7-5-1) 51.4
19 Mankato East/Loyola (10-5) 51.4
21 Northfield (7-4-1) 51.2
22 New Ulm (10-4) 49.4
23 Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato (8-5-1) 48.5
24 La Crescent-Hokah (4-1) 47.5
25 River Lakes (7-7) 47.0
Re: A Rankings for 1/16/22
Youth Hockey Hub Class A Ranking (1/17/22)
1- Hermantown (7A)
2- Warroad (8A)
3- Mahtomedi (4A)
4- Delano (2A)
5- Minneapolis (2A)
6- Alexandria (6A)
7- Detroit Lakes (8A)
8- Fergus Falls (6A)
9- Little Falls (5A)
10- Cambridge-Isanti (5A)
YHH Commentary- The big game was better than advertised. Hermantown and Warroad needed extra time to decide a winner. Gavin Blomdahl's wrister in OT gives the Hawks the #1 ranking, for now. Cambridge-Isanti enters the top-10 for the first time in 10-year YHH history. The Bluejackets have won 12 straight - circle January 27 on your calendar. They head to Little Falls for a shot at the #1 seed in 5A.
1- Hermantown (7A)
2- Warroad (8A)
3- Mahtomedi (4A)
4- Delano (2A)
5- Minneapolis (2A)
6- Alexandria (6A)
7- Detroit Lakes (8A)
8- Fergus Falls (6A)
9- Little Falls (5A)
10- Cambridge-Isanti (5A)
YHH Commentary- The big game was better than advertised. Hermantown and Warroad needed extra time to decide a winner. Gavin Blomdahl's wrister in OT gives the Hawks the #1 ranking, for now. Cambridge-Isanti enters the top-10 for the first time in 10-year YHH history. The Bluejackets have won 12 straight - circle January 27 on your calendar. They head to Little Falls for a shot at the #1 seed in 5A.
Re: A Rankings for 1/16/22
Page Stat 1-16-22
1 to 25 (with overall rank)
Top 10
1 HERMANTOWN 7A 12 1 0 0.923 62 20 22.56
14 WARROAD 8A 15 1 0 0.938 102 17 20.60
23 MAHTOMEDI 4A 7 7 1 0.500 51 31 19.61
37 DULUTH DENFELD 7A 12 4 0 0.750 82 46 18.22
38 DELANO 2A 10 4 0 0.714 53 34 17.87
39 MINNEAPOLIS 2A 10 3 1 0.750 50 31 17.59
45 ALEXANDRIA 6A 7 5 1 0.577 52 40 16.93
46 LITTLE FALLS 5A 15 1 0 0.938 100 40 16.92
49 PROVIDENCE ACADEMY 2A 12 3 1 0.781 85 53 16.77
50 THIEF RIVER FALLS 8A 6 8 0 0.429 49 39 16.71
Top 11-20
57 FERGUS FALLS 6A 10 5 0 0.667 72 41 16.43
58 NORTHFIELD 1A 7 4 1 0.625 51 33 16.39
59 EAST GRAND FORKS 8A 5 9 0 0.357 49 59 16.27
61 ORONO 2A 7 8 1 0.469 48 47 16.20
63 SOUTHWEST CHRISTIAN/RICHFIELD 2A 8 5 1 0.607 44 33 16.11
67 ST CLOUD CATHEDRAL 5A 9 6 0 0.600 55 42 15.78
68 DETROIT LAKES 8A 10 4 0 0.714 63 31 15.78
69 CHISAGO LAKES 4A 9 3 1 0.731 64 30 15.70
72 SIMLEY 4A 11 6 0 0.647 70 41 15.67
74 ROCK RIDGE 7A 5 7 1 0.423 41 37 15.63
21-25
77 CAMBRIDGE 5A 12 2 0 0.857 57 34 15.43
78 MOUND WESTONKA 2A 6 9 0 0.400 52 58 15.31
79 LITCHFIELD 2A 8 5 1 0.607 53 51 15.31
80 MANKATO EAST 3A 10 5 0 0.667 63 39 15.26
81 HIBBING 7A 6 7 0 0.462 44 43 15.15
1 to 25 (with overall rank)
Top 10
1 HERMANTOWN 7A 12 1 0 0.923 62 20 22.56
14 WARROAD 8A 15 1 0 0.938 102 17 20.60
23 MAHTOMEDI 4A 7 7 1 0.500 51 31 19.61
37 DULUTH DENFELD 7A 12 4 0 0.750 82 46 18.22
38 DELANO 2A 10 4 0 0.714 53 34 17.87
39 MINNEAPOLIS 2A 10 3 1 0.750 50 31 17.59
45 ALEXANDRIA 6A 7 5 1 0.577 52 40 16.93
46 LITTLE FALLS 5A 15 1 0 0.938 100 40 16.92
49 PROVIDENCE ACADEMY 2A 12 3 1 0.781 85 53 16.77
50 THIEF RIVER FALLS 8A 6 8 0 0.429 49 39 16.71
Top 11-20
57 FERGUS FALLS 6A 10 5 0 0.667 72 41 16.43
58 NORTHFIELD 1A 7 4 1 0.625 51 33 16.39
59 EAST GRAND FORKS 8A 5 9 0 0.357 49 59 16.27
61 ORONO 2A 7 8 1 0.469 48 47 16.20
63 SOUTHWEST CHRISTIAN/RICHFIELD 2A 8 5 1 0.607 44 33 16.11
67 ST CLOUD CATHEDRAL 5A 9 6 0 0.600 55 42 15.78
68 DETROIT LAKES 8A 10 4 0 0.714 63 31 15.78
69 CHISAGO LAKES 4A 9 3 1 0.731 64 30 15.70
72 SIMLEY 4A 11 6 0 0.647 70 41 15.67
74 ROCK RIDGE 7A 5 7 1 0.423 41 37 15.63
21-25
77 CAMBRIDGE 5A 12 2 0 0.857 57 34 15.43
78 MOUND WESTONKA 2A 6 9 0 0.400 52 58 15.31
79 LITCHFIELD 2A 8 5 1 0.607 53 51 15.31
80 MANKATO EAST 3A 10 5 0 0.667 63 39 15.26
81 HIBBING 7A 6 7 0 0.462 44 43 15.15
Re: A Rankings for 1/16/22
Early State Tourney Projection (w/out upsets)
QF
1 Hermantown
8 (random draw - giving it to section 1) Northfield
4 Little Falls
5 Delano
2 Warroad
7 Mankato East
3 Mahtomedi
6 Alexandria
SF
Hermantown
Little Falls
Warroad
Mahtomedi
F
Hermantown
Warroad
QF
1 Hermantown
8 (random draw - giving it to section 1) Northfield
4 Little Falls
5 Delano
2 Warroad
7 Mankato East
3 Mahtomedi
6 Alexandria
SF
Hermantown
Little Falls
Warroad
Mahtomedi
F
Hermantown
Warroad
Re: A Rankings for 1/16/22
One thing I will be curious on is the race for the 2, 4 and 5 seeds at State. If Little Falls loses the 2nd time up in Alex which the way both are playing seems likely. The Flyers wont get seeded at State and they may only have like 3 losses but they would be to Fergus and Alex the 2nd time. Delano still has a game with Mahtomedi left to cause a jumble there and if Minneapolis or even like a Orono Providence get in from 2A where do they fall.
The Seeded vs Un-seeded are so critical to avoid a Quarterfinal with the Hawks, Warrior or Dardis...
Last year even though Dodge County and Nothern Lakes BOTH beat Little Falls the Flyers were still awarded the 5 seed ahead of them. The coaches vote is always a mystery but usually it falls in line with.... Yep the awesome LPH Poll...
Be interesting to see play out. We are all assuming a Chalk Sectional which never happens. But if we get the top seeds from each Sectional we could end up with TWO good games instead the normal one on Wednesday and an interesting Semi between Dardis and the Warriors and what we hope would be a rematch of last weeks awesome Match-up in the Championship.
Great topic Elliott! Lots of interest as we get closer and closer to Sectionals teams right now are just trying to get through the dog days of January and get their games as good as they can be in about 4 weeks!
Re: A Rankings for 1/16/22
Tuesday Night (1/19/22) Class A Recap-
Games of the Night-
#1 Hermantown 7 Hibbing 0
Hermantown continued their Section 7A domination as they blew out Hibbing 7-0 using a big five goal second period. The Plante brothers led the way as they each had three point nights.
#6 Minneapolis 2 #5 Orono 1
Minneapolis picked up a huge Section 2A win over Delano. Delano had a slow start and fell behind 2-0 in the 1st period as Minneapolis's Will Pankratz and Evan Grimm each scored first-period goals as Minneapolis secured a 2-1 upset win over the Tigers. The win gives Minneapolis the edge for the #1 seed in seeding in Section 2A.
#9 Alexandria 3 #14 St. Cloud Cathedral 1
Alexandria jumped out to 2-0 lead after 1 period at home assistant Cathedral and dominated the game from there. They outshot the Crusaders 43-19 but Sophomore Crusader goaltender Nick Hansen's 40 saves kept it interesting but eventually the Cards were able to put the game away in the third period and pick up a nice rebound win after the stinker vs. TG on Saturday.
Other Notable Class A Games
#11 Providence Academy 8 SPA 1- The Lions got back to their winning and high scoring ways as they blew out a struggling SPA team. Louie Wehmann and Johnny Hendrickson led the way as they each had big four point nights..
Chaska 2 #13 Orono 0- Orono hung around with Chaska but despite Brock Peyton’s 50 save effort in the net they still eventually were unable to score and lost another game.
#16 Northfield 7 Mankato West 0- Northfield’s offense appears to be back as they continue to feast upon the bottom tier of the Big Nine. Against a struggling Mankato West team the Raiders were led by Cayden Monson’s two goal night.
#18 Chisago Lakes 4 Princeton 2- The Wildcats got revenge for their worst loss of the season earlier this year as they dispatched Princeton 4-2. They jumped out to a 4-0 behind Cullen Dorcas’s 2 point night and cruised to victory from there on the road.
Games of the Night-
#1 Hermantown 7 Hibbing 0
Hermantown continued their Section 7A domination as they blew out Hibbing 7-0 using a big five goal second period. The Plante brothers led the way as they each had three point nights.
#6 Minneapolis 2 #5 Orono 1
Minneapolis picked up a huge Section 2A win over Delano. Delano had a slow start and fell behind 2-0 in the 1st period as Minneapolis's Will Pankratz and Evan Grimm each scored first-period goals as Minneapolis secured a 2-1 upset win over the Tigers. The win gives Minneapolis the edge for the #1 seed in seeding in Section 2A.
#9 Alexandria 3 #14 St. Cloud Cathedral 1
Alexandria jumped out to 2-0 lead after 1 period at home assistant Cathedral and dominated the game from there. They outshot the Crusaders 43-19 but Sophomore Crusader goaltender Nick Hansen's 40 saves kept it interesting but eventually the Cards were able to put the game away in the third period and pick up a nice rebound win after the stinker vs. TG on Saturday.
Other Notable Class A Games
#11 Providence Academy 8 SPA 1- The Lions got back to their winning and high scoring ways as they blew out a struggling SPA team. Louie Wehmann and Johnny Hendrickson led the way as they each had big four point nights..
Chaska 2 #13 Orono 0- Orono hung around with Chaska but despite Brock Peyton’s 50 save effort in the net they still eventually were unable to score and lost another game.
#16 Northfield 7 Mankato West 0- Northfield’s offense appears to be back as they continue to feast upon the bottom tier of the Big Nine. Against a struggling Mankato West team the Raiders were led by Cayden Monson’s two goal night.
#18 Chisago Lakes 4 Princeton 2- The Wildcats got revenge for their worst loss of the season earlier this year as they dispatched Princeton 4-2. They jumped out to a 4-0 behind Cullen Dorcas’s 2 point night and cruised to victory from there on the road.
Re: A Rankings for 1/16/22
Thursday Night (1/20/22) Class A Recap-
Games of the Night-
#1 Hermantown 8 Superior 0
The Hawks finished their week using another 5 goal 2nd period outburst to rout Wisconsin’s Superior 8-0 Dominic Thomas’s three point night led the way.
#5 Orono 3 LDC 0
The Tigers were able to rebound from losing out on the #1 seed in 2A by using 3 powerplay goals to get past LDC for a 3-0 win Drew Dorsey was big in the net picking up the shut out.
#6 Minneapolis 6 SPA 2
Jack Hanson’s three points were all Minneapolis needed as they continued to stay unbeaten vs Class A teams by beating SPA 6-2 to finish another good week for them
#10 Fergus Falls 4 Sartell 3 OT
Carter Thielke's overtime game winning goal capped off an incredible 4-3 comeback win over Sartell. The Otters trailed 3-0 after two periods before starting its comeback when Cole Zierden scored a power-play goal with 11 minutes remaining. Fergus Falls then got goals from Isaac Johnson and Michael DeBrito tied the game with 1:17 left in regulation.
Other Notable Class A Games
#8 Detroit Lakes 8 Prairie Centre 0- The Lakers blew out Prairie Centre in a Mid-State Conference game. They outshot the North Stars 46-2 and Cole Larson’s five point night was more than enough to lead them to a big victory.
#11 Providence Academy 12 Minnehaha Academy- Providence continued its high offensive output as they routed Minnehaha Academy 12-2 and Johnny Hendrickson’s five point night highlighted what was a good night in the stat column for the Lions.
Dodge County 5 #14 St Cloud Cathedral 1 - St Cloud Cathedral struggled surprisingly on the road as they were beaten up by Dodge County in a game they never led. The loss dropped them to (1-5) since the start of 2022.
#18 Chisago Lakes 18 Becker Big Lake 0- The Wildcats routed Becker Big Lake by an ugly score for both programs.
#20 Simley 6 Tartan 4- Simley was able to get back to its winning ways as they dug themselves out of an early 2-0 hole vs. Tartan. Josh Painter led the comeback effort with a nice three point night and the Spartans picked up anice conference home win.
UPSET OF THE NIGHT
Monticello 3 #15 Cambridge 2
The Moose snapped Cambridge’s 12-game win streak and dealt freshman goaltender Jaxon Sibell his first varsity loss. Cambridge-Isanti never led in the game but Finn Overby scored two goals to twice get the game tied up. However, it was Monticello who scored late in the third to win the crucial 2nd match up for Section 5A seeding.
Games of the Night-
#1 Hermantown 8 Superior 0
The Hawks finished their week using another 5 goal 2nd period outburst to rout Wisconsin’s Superior 8-0 Dominic Thomas’s three point night led the way.
#5 Orono 3 LDC 0
The Tigers were able to rebound from losing out on the #1 seed in 2A by using 3 powerplay goals to get past LDC for a 3-0 win Drew Dorsey was big in the net picking up the shut out.
#6 Minneapolis 6 SPA 2
Jack Hanson’s three points were all Minneapolis needed as they continued to stay unbeaten vs Class A teams by beating SPA 6-2 to finish another good week for them
#10 Fergus Falls 4 Sartell 3 OT
Carter Thielke's overtime game winning goal capped off an incredible 4-3 comeback win over Sartell. The Otters trailed 3-0 after two periods before starting its comeback when Cole Zierden scored a power-play goal with 11 minutes remaining. Fergus Falls then got goals from Isaac Johnson and Michael DeBrito tied the game with 1:17 left in regulation.
Other Notable Class A Games
#8 Detroit Lakes 8 Prairie Centre 0- The Lakers blew out Prairie Centre in a Mid-State Conference game. They outshot the North Stars 46-2 and Cole Larson’s five point night was more than enough to lead them to a big victory.
#11 Providence Academy 12 Minnehaha Academy- Providence continued its high offensive output as they routed Minnehaha Academy 12-2 and Johnny Hendrickson’s five point night highlighted what was a good night in the stat column for the Lions.
Dodge County 5 #14 St Cloud Cathedral 1 - St Cloud Cathedral struggled surprisingly on the road as they were beaten up by Dodge County in a game they never led. The loss dropped them to (1-5) since the start of 2022.
#18 Chisago Lakes 18 Becker Big Lake 0- The Wildcats routed Becker Big Lake by an ugly score for both programs.
#20 Simley 6 Tartan 4- Simley was able to get back to its winning ways as they dug themselves out of an early 2-0 hole vs. Tartan. Josh Painter led the comeback effort with a nice three point night and the Spartans picked up anice conference home win.
UPSET OF THE NIGHT
Monticello 3 #15 Cambridge 2
The Moose snapped Cambridge’s 12-game win streak and dealt freshman goaltender Jaxon Sibell his first varsity loss. Cambridge-Isanti never led in the game but Finn Overby scored two goals to twice get the game tied up. However, it was Monticello who scored late in the third to win the crucial 2nd match up for Section 5A seeding.