A Rankings for 1/1/23

[ClassAGuy]

Class A Rankings Week #6 (1/1/2023)

Happy New Year! The Class A holiday tournaments blitz showed two things there is a large gap between the top few team and the rest as we know, but from 6-30 in Class A parity and chaos loom on a nightly bases. After what seemed like an abundance of upsets from 6-20 in the A rankings over the Holiday Break here is my best attempt to order it out beyond the Top 5, also my weekly section breakdown which includes every team in Class A and where they sit at the midway mark of the season as we enter 2023!

1- Hermantown (7A) (7-0-1)
Past Week Results: W 8-0 #7 Delano, W 3-0 #5 East Grand Forks, W 4-3 Shakopee
Upcoming Schedule: 1/3 @ Rosemount, 1/7 @ Eden Prairie
The Hawks started their holiday break by blitzing Delano as they routed the Tigers in their home opener taking a quick three goal lead and did not look back and eventually put a good Class A team into run time. The Hawks then woke up the next day headed across the state and they got pushed hard by the Greenwave but showed some character and pulled away to win late. The Hawks finished the week by hanging on to beat Shakopee in a game they were in full control up 4-0 midway through the second they let Sabres back in and it almost cost them. They will need to play a more complete game this week as they take on two more AA teams when they head to Rosemount and Eden Prairie.

2- Warroad (8A) (9-0-0)
Past Week Results: W 9-1 #16 Providence Academy, W 5-2 #4 Orono, W 6-0 International Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/6 vs #11 Detroit Lakes, 1/7 vs #9 Fergus Falls
The Warriors got their holiday classic off to a roaring start when they put up nine goals on a decent Providence Academy team to rout the Lions. The Warriors then picked up a key Class A win when they broke open a tie game in the third period scoring 4 straight goals to put away a good Orono team. Warroad then rolled past International Falls to head into 2023 unbeaten. They also enter the new year with maybe the state best PK unit ever they are currently at 100% and now have ten shorthanded goals in just 9 games.This week they have two more Class A contenders coming to town when they get visits from ranked Detroit Lakes and Fergus Falls.

3- Mahtomedi (4A) (6-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 8-2 Chisago Lakes
Upcoming Schedule: 1/3 @ Benilde St Margrets, 1/7 @ St. Thomas Academy
The Zephyrs dominated the rematch of Section 4A Final from last year when they routed Chisago Lakes at home in their only game of the week. This group has serious depth up front and they showed that as they look to be too much for any competitor in 4A at this point. Now they turn to the AA portion of their schedule as they will take on Benilde and St Thomas Academy this week. While they may lose twice they will learn to play a style that they will need to be able to give the top two Class A fits come Semifinal Friday at the Xcel in March.

4- Orono (2A) (9-1-0)
Past Week Results: W 7-0 International Falls, L 2-5 #2 Warroad, W 3-1 #16 Providence Academy
Upcoming Schedule: 1/6 vs Gentry Academy
The Spartans got great news this week as Senior Brock Peyton returned and went (2-0) and picked up a shutout in his first start of the year as Orono breezed past International Falls. Orono’s unbeaten season hopes came to an end against a very good Warroad team in the second game of the Holiday Tournament. In a game where they were tied the Spartans just could not answer the Warriors third period push and lost a tough one to a team they hope to see again in March. Orono finished the holiday classic with a big win over 2A Providence Academy to feel good about the trip. This week just one game which will be a good test vs. AA Gentry Academy.

5- East Grand Forks (8A) (5-5-0)
Past Week Results: L 0-3 #1 Hermantown
Upcoming Schedule: 1/3 vs Grand Forks Red River, 1/5 @ #15 Thief River Falls, 1/7 vs Holy Family
The Greenwave showed against Hermantown, even though it was in a loss, that they can play with anyone in Class A and they are in the top group of five category, which seems to be a step ahead of the rest of Class A. East Grand Forks came out and played a physical brand of hockey and outplayed the Hawks for stretches and had Hermantown on their heels. However, they were unable to score and never got that lead they needed but still an impressive showing as they pushed the number 1 team in Class A unlike anyone else so far in Class A. This week they get right back to their tough schedule taking on Grand Forks Red River before hitting the road against Thief River Falls and finishing by hosting a good AA Holy Family. The record won't be pretty due to a very tough schedule but they are a team to keep an eye on come section time.

6- Northfield (1A) (7-2-0)
Past Week Results: Idle
Upcoming Schedule: 1/3 @ Rochester Mayo, 1/5 @ Rochester John Marshall, 1/7 vs #7 Delano
The Raiders sat back during the busy Holiday Tournament blitz and took a true Holiday Break as they did not play this past week. However, they will jump back into action in the first week of 2023 with some serious tests as big matchups loom. First vs one of the other main contenders for the Big Nine Conference crown in Rochester Mayo before traveling to Rochester John Marshall and then finishing up the week hosting a big Class A matchup with the team ranked right below them in Delano.

7- Delano (2A) (5-4-0)
Past Week Results:L 0-8 #1 Hermantown, W 3-1 Greenway, W 6-3 #10 Hibbing
Upcoming Schedule: 1/5 vs #8 Litchfield Dassel/Cokato, 1/7 @ #6 Northfield
Delano was no match for the Hawks to start their trip up to the 218 as they got blitzed by Hermantown and fell behind in the blink of an eye and were never really able to get into the game. The Tigers did rebound to take down Greenway 3-1 the next day and while it was not a blow out the Tigers got back to playing their low scoring structured game. Delano then picked up a nice win over ranked Hibbing battling back to beat the Bluejackets and suddenly the Tigers have won 4 of their 5 games. They can solidify their ranking this week as they play the team just ahead of them and behind them in these rankings when they take on Litchfield Dassel Cokato and Northfield this week.

8- Litchfield Dassel/Cokato (2A) (8-1-1)
Past Week Results: W 5-2 River Lakes, L 4-7 Sartell, W 6-4 Sauk Rapids
Upcoming Schedule: 1/3 vs Minneapolis, 1/5 @ #7 Delano, 1/7 vs Hutchinson
The Dragons got off to a bit of a slow start against River Lakes but found their groove during a 4 goal second period to take down River Lakes to start off the Granite City Classic. The Dragons did suffer their first loss of the year when they went up against a solid AA Sartell in day 2 of the GCC but they avoided a big upset the following day taking down Sauk Rapids, behind Senior Calvin Jones 4 straight goals, to improve to 8 wins on the young season. This week though we will find out about how real this Dragon team is in 2A when they take on Defending 2A Champion Minneapolis team, then head to traditional 2A power Delano, before finishing up with their 2A rival Hutchinson talk about an important seeding week.

9- Fergus Falls (6A) (5-2-1)
Past Week Results: T 3-3 #12 New Ulm, W 8-3 Fort Frances, W 5-1 #11 Detroit Lakes
Upcoming Schedule: 1/6 @ #15 Thief River Falls, 1/7 @ #2 Warroad
The Otters had a great holiday tournament as they played New Ulm to a tie to start their tournament in a funky format design. Instead of playing the normal 8 minute overtime to try and decide a true winner they went to a shootout which the Otters won but for record keeping purposes the game was a tie. The Otter then turned a close game into a blow out with a big third period when they took down Fort Frances. They wrapped up with a statement 5-1 win to get revenge against Detroit Lakes and show they should be the favorite to represent 6A this winter. This week they take a very tough trip up north to face two tough 8A teams with a shiny new Top 10 ranking.

10- Hibbing (7A) (8-4-1)
Past Week Results: W 1-0 #20 Rock Ridge, W 6-3 Cambridge, L 3-6 #7 Delano
Upcoming Schedule: 1/5 vs Greenway
Hibbing picked up a key Section 7A win when they took down Rock Ridge 1-0 to open their week in a game that was not exactly thrilling but the Bluejackets picked up an important section win. They followed up the big section win by jumping all over Cambridge Isanti to take a 4-1 lead into the third period and while it did get close Hibbing was ultimately able to pick up another Class A win. Hibbing though dropped the finale to Delano in the third game, losing a third period lead and then giving up 2 empty net goals to end it. Nothing flashy about this team but they do control the #2 seed in 7A and have an important section game this week to keep that spot when they take on Greenway.

11- Detroit Lakes (8A) (8-2-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-1 Fort Frances, W 3-2 #12 New Ulm, L 1-5 #9 Fergus Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/3 vs #17 Wadena Deer Creek, 1/6 @ #2 Warroad
The Lakers got their holiday break off to a good start as they jumped out to quick big lead and then took care of business vs. Fort Frances. The Lakers then got a good test from ranked New Ulm in a game that was tightly contested and tied late. The Lakers found a win to pick up yet another good win on the season. However, the good roll came to halt to end the week when they were taken down by an Otter squad seeking revenge; the Lakers fell behind early and were never able to get into the game. This week they need to rebound but they face two hot teams when they take on suddenly ranked Wadena Deer Creek and then head to Warroad for a huge Section 8A Game.

12- New Ulm (3A) (8-1-1)
Past Week Results: T 3-3 #9 Fergus Falls, L 2-3 #11 Detroit Lakes, W 4-2 vs Fort Frances
Upcoming Schedule: 1/3 vs Redwood Valley, 1/5 @ Marshall, 1/7 vs Minnesota River
The Eagles had a good week up north when they played a strong game against solid Fergus Falls in the opener of the Holiday Tournament up there. In a game that would end in a tie with the Otters winning a shootout the Eagles showed again they are a team to watch in 3A. They followed up the Fergus game with another good showing taking a ranked Detroit Lakes to the wire before losing by one goal. They finished strong by taking down Fort Frances to complete an impressive showing, now they return to the Big South Conference where they have three 3A games they should win to continue to solidify their spot as the top seed in 3A.

13- Duluth Denfeld (7A) (6-5-1)
Past Week Results: L 2-3 Irondale, W 7-1 Owatonna, W 3-2 Apple Valley/Burnsville
Upcoming Schedule: 1/5 @ Proctor, 1/6 @ North Shore
The Hunters lost a shocking game to open their Holiday Tournament in a game which they were dominating up 2-0 with 5 minutes to go. However, Irondale shocked Denfeld and scored 3 unanswered goals, including the game winner with 2 seconds remaining, and the Hunters suffered by far their worst loss of the year. To the Hunters credit they did rebound nicely beating two AA squads on their way to taking the Consolation Title. This week they have two games they need to take care of in terms of 7A seeding when they hit the road to take on Proctor and North Shore on back to back nights.

14- Albert Lea (1A) (8-3-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-2 Bloomington Kennedy, W 5-3 Windom, W 6-3 Luverne
Upcoming Schedule: 1/3 @ Mankato West, 1/5 vs Winona
The Tigers come roaring into the Top 20 this week after completing the 2022 portion of their schedule on a six game winning streak. Albert Lea was a team on the radar as they went to the Section 1A Finals last year with a huge Junior core that are all Seniors this winter and we are starting to see them take off. I couldn't quite figure out where to put them in the rankings so I put them below Denfeld, the Hunters have beaten Owatonna and tied Hibbing, which are teams that have both beat Albert Lea. This week they have two more winnable games to keep the win streak rolling, the important one being a Section 1A game vs. Winona as Albert Lea looks primed to be the 2 seed in Section 1A.

15- Thief River Falls (8A) (3-6-1)
Past Week Results: W 6-2 Tartan, L 0-3 Fargo North
Upcoming Schedule: 1/3 @ Crookston, 1/5 vs #5 East Grand Forks, 1/6 vs #9 Fergus Falls, 1/7 vs Northern Lakes
The Prowlers showed some scoring power when they took care of struggling AA Tartan squad putting up six goals in the process. However, they must have used up all their goals as they followed up the big scoring output by getting shut out by Fargo North. They hit 2023 playing a ridiculous 4 games in 5 days, who ever scheduled this wow, that includes 3 straight games against good Class A teams to end the week. This week will be a good barometer to determine if the Prowlers should be still getting ranked in the Top 20.

16- Providence Academy (2A) (6-5-0)
Past Week Results: L 1-9 #2 Warroad, W 10-0 International Falls, L 1-3 #4 Orono
Upcoming Schedule: 1/3 vs. St Paul Academy, 1/5 @ #19 Monticello
The Lions went north for their Holiday break and did get routed by Warroad but so has everyone else in the bottom of these rankings. They did put up ten goals on International Falls and did push Orono tied late into the 3rd period to show they can still make a run in Section 2A. They also did rout Wadena Deer Creek by nine goals and I am just going to put them here and see how it goes this week. They have two important games that they should be favored to win, the one vs Monticello at the end of the week I have my eye on to help sort through the mess that is ranking the lower portion of Class A this winter.

17- Wadena Deer Creek (6A) (7-2-0)
Past Week Results: W 5-4 #18 Little Falls
Upcoming Schedule: 1/3 @ #11 Detroit Lakes, 1/6 vs Lake of the Woods
Hello Wolverines, yes this is a big stretch, but hey with the way Class A is this winter so far, with no one putting together good back to back week’s in the lower portion of the rankings, I thought why not give a program having its best season in nearly 20 years some love. Wadena Deer Creek shocked the Class A world this past week when they went into Little Falls and took down the Flyers, a team who has beaten 6A Alexandria & Northern Lakes, for the first time in 19 years. They have won five straight games and right now look like the 2 seed in a thin Section 6A. This is a senior heavy team and Coach Woods has them rolling. We will see how long they stick as they have a big clash at Detroit Lakes this week to move up even further, possibly, before finishing the week with Lake of the Woods.

18- Little Falls (5A) (4-4-1)
Past Week Results: W 4-0 Northern Lakes, L 4-5 #17 Wadena Deer Creek
Upcoming Schedule: 1/3 @ Bemidji, 1/6 @ Hutchinson
The Flyers started the Holiday Break by hitting the road and picking up a very nice shutout win over a decent Northern Lakes squad. However, they followed that up by losing to Wadena Deer Creek for the first time in 19 years and what was a disaster at home for their program. Now they enter 2023 trying to pick up the pieces and figure out the identity of this inconsistent team. It won't be easy this week facing two more road tests as Bemidji has given most Class A teams 6-20 fits and then they head to a dangerous Hutchinson to end the week.

19- Monticello (5A) (5-4-1)
Past Week Results: L 1-4 St Cloud, W 4-1 Sauk Rapids, W 4-2 River Lakes
Upcoming Schedule: 1/5 vs #16 Providence Academy
The Moose dropped a tough one to open the Granite City Classic against a solid but not great AA St Cloud Public team. However, all was not lost over the holidays as they rebounded to pick up two more important Section 5A wins when they took down both Sauk Rapids and River Lakes. They are currently sitting as the 2 seed in 5A and with an OT loss to the Flyers in the first game of the year being the only Section blemish keep an eye on this team as we head to 2023. Only one game but a big one as they take on a Providence Academy team at home who beat them last year.

20- Rock Ridge (7A) (5-4-1)
Past Week Results: L 1-0 #10 Hibbing, W 5-3 Cambridge Isanti
Upcoming Schedule: 1/6 vs Minneapolis
The Wolverines had another solid week of late; they pushed Hibbing but lost by a goal and then beat a decent Cambridge squad. Rock Ridge came on strong late last year and that appears to be happening this year again. A good test in their only game of the week this week when they take on a tough Minneapolis team.

The Next 5 in Class A Week #6-
Two Rivers (4A) (10-1-1)- The Warriors got their holidays off to a bad start getting beat by Princeton 5-1 to open the Herb Brooks Classic which is a hideous loss. However, to their credit they did rebound and dominate their way to 5th place. They are the first Class A team to 10 wins and they should win 11 before a mighty test vs Hill Murray to end their week.

New Prague (1A) (5-4-0)- The Trojans had a decent week winning 2 of 3 up north. They drop a game to Superior, who Rock Ridge just beat, to kind of give a feel where they may be at. They will be the 3 seed in Section 1A and will be dangerous even though the record won't be pretty but playing the Metro West Conference will have them ready to make a run in Sections.

Northern Lakes (6A) (4-3-0)- The Lightning flopped in their first game after beating Alexandria when they got shut out by Little Falls they did beat Becker Big Lake but again a tough team to get a read on. Big test this week when they travel to Thief River Falls for a team still looking for consistency.

Minneapolis (2A) (4-5-1)- The boys from the 612 had very good Holiday Break going (3-1-0) in their 4 games including picking up two key Section 2A wins. The defending 2A champs are looking better every time out and they have a big week upcoming when they take on ranked Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato and Rock Ridge to show how serious they should be taken.

St Cloud Cathedral (5A) (4-5-0)- The Crusaders are still my pick to win Section 5A. They had been terribly disappointing up until this last week. The win over rival St Cloud Public AA was big and shows they are still I believe the favorite to win 5A. They need to back up the good week with another and they should as they play a weird home and home with Mankato East.

Class A 2022-23 Section Break Downs Week #6 (1/1/23)

Section 1A Rankings (1/1/23)
1- Northfield (7-2-0)
2- Albert Lea (8-3-0)
3- New Prague (5-4-0)
4- Dodge County (7-4-0)
5- Rochester Lourdes (5-5-0)
6- Faribault (3-5-0)
7- Winona (2-4-1)
8- La Crescent (7-3-0)
9- Waseca (4-5-0)
10- Red Wing (1-10-2)
11- Austin (0-5-0)

Section 1A Outlook- Northfield took the holiday break off but enters 2023 the leader and favorite to win 1A. Albert Lea picked up three wins over the Holiday Break and is red hot with six straight wins. New Prague went (2-1) up north to continue their up and down play but they do own the head to head win over Dodge County. However, the Wildcats did win the Kiwanis Blue Division over the holiday break. Rochester Lourdes won the last 2 games of their tournament to get back to 500. Winona picked up a Section 1A win over Waseca and now owns the critical head to head over them and La Crescent. Red Wing got a tie and loss in their holiday tournament. Faribault & Austin both were idle as well over the Holiday Break.

Section 2A Rankings (1/1/23)
1- Orono (9-1-0)
2- Delano (5-4-0)
3- Litchfield Dassel-Cokato (8-1-1)
4- Providence Academy (6-5-0)
5- Minneapolis (4-5-1)
6- Hutchinson (4-4-0)
7- Waconia (5-4-0)
8- Southwest Christian (4-2-3)
9- Breck (3-7-0)
10- Mound Westonka (2-6-0)
11- Bloomington Kennedy (1-8-0)

Section 2A Outlook- Orono had a solid week up in Warroad while they lost their first game of the year to the host Warriors they picked up a big 2A win over Providence Academy. Delano had a solid week; they were blitzed by Hermantown but they rebounded with two good wins and have a big matchup with the Dragons this week. Litchfield Dassel Cokato dropped its first game of the year in non section action and have three critical 2A games in row this week to either move up or down in the rankings. Minneapolis picked up two more big 2A wins this past week over Breck & Hutchinson to move just behind the Lions, who beat them by four, in the 2A rankings. Southwest Christian did the incredible over the holidays and went to three consecutive shootouts all recorded as ties. Bloomington Kennedy went winless down Rochester over the holiday break. Waconia & Mound Westonka both took the Holidays off and did not play last week.

Section 3A Rankings (1/1/23)
1- New Ulm (8-1-1)
2- Mankato East (4-7-0)
3- Luverne (4-3-1)
4- Mankato West (4-4-1)
5- Windom (3-6-0)
6- Marshall (3-6-1)
7- Minnesota River (2-4-0)
8- Worthington (1-3-0)
9- Fairmont (1-6-0)
10- Redwood Valley (0-8-0)

Section 3A Outlook- New Ulm had a great showing up in Fergus Falls to cement their top ranking in 3A for now. Mankato East & Mankato West went north as well over the Holidays and the Cougars went winless while the Scarlets won once. Luverne & Windom both struggled at the Kiwanis Tournament in Rochester. Marshall took 6th place at the Herb Brooks Classic but did go (1-1-1) overall. Meanwhile, Fairmont picked up its first win of the year over Mora/Milaca. Redwood Valley continues to struggle. Worthington & Minnesota River took the Holiday Break off and were idle.

Section 4A Rankings (1/1/23)
1- Mahtomedi (6-2-0)
2- Two Rivers (10-1-1)
3- St Paul Highland Park (6-5-0)
4- Chisago Lakes (0-4-1)
5- Simley (3-6-1)
6- St Paul Academy (3-5-1)
7- South St Paul (2-8-1)
8- St Paul Johnson (1-8-0)

Section 4A Outlook- Mahtomedi showed how wide the gap may be in 4A when they routed Chisago Lakes. Two Rivers dropped their first game of the year to Princeton but did rebound to take 5th. St. Paul Academy went (1-1-1) at the Herb Brooks Classic and Simley took 2nd place. South St Paul, St Paul Highland Park, & St Paul Johnson all played in the South St. Paul Premier Tournament with the Govies placing 8th, Packers taking 6th and Scots taking 4th.

Section 5A Rankings (1/1/23)
1- Little Falls (4-4-1)
2- Monticello (5-4-1)
3- Cambridge Isanti (4-5-0)
4- St Cloud Cathedral (4-5-0)
5- Pine City (4-4-0)
6- Princeton (5-4-0)
7- River Lakes (1-7-1)
8- Mora (3-5-1)
9- Becker/Big Lake (4-4-0)
10- Sauk Rapids (1-8-0)

Section 5A Outlook- Little Falls got beat by WDC for the first time in 19 years when they were shocked at home but own the critical head to head win over the Moose. Monticello picked up two more Section 5A wins over River Lakes & Sauk Rapids. Cambridge Isanti won the first game but dropped the last 2 of their Iron Range trip but owns the head to head win over the Crusaders. St Cloud Cathedral picked up a 5A win over the Stars and a big win over in town rival St Cloud. Princeton won the Herb Brooks Classic Silver Division but still have the head to head loss to Pine City who placed 7th. Becker/Big Lake & Mora suffered losses over the Holiday Break and continue to look to improve as we enter 2023.

Section 6A Rankings (1/1/23)
1- Fergus Falls (5-2-1)
2- Wadena Deer Creek (7-2-0)
3- Northern Lakes (4-3-0)
4- Alexandria (1-7-0)
5- Morris Benson (3-6-0)
6- Prairie Centre (3-5-0)
7- Willmar (4-3-0)
8- Breckenridge/Wahpeton (0-8-0)

Section 6A Outlook- Fergus Falls had a great week holiday break winning their holiday classic and avenging their previous loss to ranked Detroit Lakes. Wadena Deer Creek topped the Otters week when they went on the road and beat a Flyers team for the first time in 19 years. Northern Lakes went .500 getting soundly beat by the Flyers before taking care of the Becker Big Lake. Alexandria picked up its first win of the year just before the New Year and looks to slowly get back on track now. Morris/Benson got the big second win of the series vs Prairie Centre to move past them for now but they play the rubber match game for who gets the better seed this week. Willmar took the holidays off and was idle and Breckenridge/Wahpeton still is in search of their first win and unfortunately never recorded a win the year of 2022.

Section 7A Rankings (1/1/23)
1- Hermantown (7-0-1)
2- Hibbing (8-4-1)
3- Duluth Denfeld (6-5-1)
4- Rock Ridge (5-4-1)
5- Greenway (2-6-0)
6- Proctor (4-7-0)
7- International Falls (3-7-0)
8- Ely (4-8-0)
9- Moose Lake (3-6-0)
10- North Shore (1-6-1)

Section 7A Outlook- Hermantown picked up two wins against Top 10 Class A teams. Hibbing picked up an important 7A head to head win over Rock Ridge. Duluth Denfeld was shocked in their home tournament 1st round game but recovered to take 5th place. Greenway took losses in both their games vs non Section 7A teams but own the head to head win over the Rails. Proctor had a decent showing in their Holiday Tournament winning 2 of 3 games. International Falls got beat up in the Warroad Holiday Classic. Ely picked up a big head to head win in the 2nd meeting with Moose Lake. North Shore got beat up over Holidays taking three lopsided losses.

Section 8A Rankings (1/1/23)
1- Warroad (9-0-0)
2- East Grand Forks (5-5-0)
3- Detroit Lakes (8-2-1)
4- Thief River Falls (3-6-1)
5- Kittson County Central (5-4-0)
6- Red Lake Falls (6-2-0)
7- Crookston (1-8-0)
8- Bagley/Fosston (5-4-0)
9- Park Rapids (2-3-0)
10- Lake of the Woods (1-5-0)

Section 8A Outlook- Warroad won their Holiday Classic and remained unbeaten the year. East Grand Forks put a good scare into #1 Hermantown to show they can't be overlooked. Detroit Lakes won the first two games over the holiday break but dropped the rematch to Fergus Falls. Thief River Falls went .500 in their holiday tournament. Kittson County Central picked up a Section 8A win over Lake of the Woods. Red Lake Falls won all three of their games over the holiday break. Bagley/Fosston picked up two wins of their own to move above .500 on the year. Crookston continued to struggle and Park Rapids took the Holiday Break off.

[ClassAGuy]

PageStat Top 25 Rankings (1/1/23)
1- Hermantown
2- Warroad
3- Mahtomedi
4- Orono
5- Northfield
6- East Grand Forks
7- Hibbing
8- Providence Academy
9- Delano
10- Minneapolis
11- Duluth Denfeld
12- Little Falls
13- Thief River Falls
14- St Cloud Cathedral
15- Fergus Falls
16- Rock Ridge
17- Detroit Lakes
18- Litchfield Dassel Cokato
19- New Prague
20- Waconia
21- Monticello
22- New Ulm
23- Cambridge
24- Proctor
25- Chisago Lakes

[ClassAGuy]

Legacy Hockey Top 20 Rankings (1/1/23)
1. Hermantown
2. Warroad
3. Mahtomedi
4. Orono
5. East Grand Forks
6. Northfield
7. Hibbing/Chisholm
8. Fergus Falls
9. Delano
10. Detroit Lakes
11. Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato
12. Duluth Denfeld
13. Providence Academy
14. Little Falls
15. Thief River Falls
16. New Ulm
17. Albert Lea
18. New Prague
19. Minneapolis
20. Two Rivers.

[east hockey]

Cool that Legacy and PageStat agree on the top 7, other than flipping East Grand Forks and Northfield.

Lee

[raidergrad72]

Thief River Falls being scheduled for 4 games in 5 days IS ridiculous in my opinion. I don't think I've ever seen this before. I've seen 3 games in 5 days outside the state tournament lots of times but not this.
Those guys can't be blamed for missing church next Sunday.
Great job and analysis Mr. Class A! Always an enjoyable read.

[OtterPuck]

Thief River Falls being scheduled for 4 games in 5 days IS ridiculous in my opinion. I don't think I've ever seen this before. I've seen 3 games in 5 days outside the state tournament lots of times but not this.
Those guys can't be blamed for missing church next Sunday.
Great job and analysis Mr. Class A! Always an enjoyable read.

It’s actually 5 games in 7 days.

[ClassAGuy]

Lets Play Hockey Class A Rankings (1/1/23)
1. Warroad
2. Hermantown
3. Orono
4. Mahtomedi
5. Northfield
6. Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato
7. Providence Academy
8. East Grand Forks
9. Detroit Lakes
10. Two Rivers
11. New Ulm
12. Fergus Falls
13. Delano
14. Hibbing-Chisholm
15. Duluth Denfeld
16. Albert Lea
17. Wadena-Deer Creek
18. Monticello
19. Rock Ridge
20. Little Falls

Other teams receiving votes: Breck, Minneapolis, Kittson County Central, Mankato East/Loyola, Minneapolis, St. Paul Highland Park/Central, St. Cloud Cathedral, Thief River Falls, Chisago Lakes Area

[ClassAGuy]

Lets Play Hockey Class A Rankings (1/1/23)
1. Warroad
2. Hermantown
3. Orono
4. Mahtomedi
5. Northfield
6. Litchfield/Dassel-Cokato
7. Providence Academy
8. East Grand Forks
9. Detroit Lakes
10. Two Rivers
11. New Ulm
12. Fergus Falls
13. Delano
14. Hibbing-Chisholm
15. Duluth Denfeld
16. Albert Lea
17. Wadena-Deer Creek
18. Monticello
19. Rock Ridge
20. Little Falls

Other teams receiving votes: Breck, Minneapolis, Kittson County Central, Mankato East/Loyola, Minneapolis, St. Paul Highland Park/Central, St. Cloud Cathedral, Thief River Falls, Chisago Lakes Area

Ok Seriously this poll how? They reward Wadena for beating Little Falls I get that but they rank Detroit Lakes ahead of Fergus who just beat the Lakers by 4 goals.... The Two Rivers at 10 is generous .... Providence Academy SEVEN they are (6-5-0) why on earth are they 7.... They put Monticello ahead of the Flyers eventhough Little Falls beat the Moose. They have the 20 teams pretty close to right but the order just baffles me.

Again this is the official ranking and state seeds usually go off of this ranking I just dont get things and I love Breck being 21 its like the coaches vote think its 2013 and not 2023

[ClassAGuy]

Cool that Legacy and PageStat agree on the top 7, other than flipping East Grand Forks and Northfield.

Lee

I get Pagestat having Hibbing at 7 over Delano because its a computer system with variables and what not but for the Legacy ranking it was disappointing to see they didnt take into account Delano played in Hibbing just a few days ago. Delano gave their backup goalie the start, who was shaky giving up 3 goals on 17 shots. The Tigers outshot Hibbing 36-17 and controlled the 2nd half of the game and won 6-3 on the road and still ended up ranked lower then Hibbing. That confused me otherwise Loren's (Legacy) poll is as always really well done.

[raidergrad72]

Thief River Falls being scheduled for 4 games in 5 days IS ridiculous in my opinion. I don't think I've ever seen this before. I've seen 3 games in 5 days outside the state tournament lots of times but not this.
Those guys can't be blamed for missing church next Sunday.
Great job and analysis Mr. Class A! Always an enjoyable read.

It’s actually 5 games in 7 days.

I went by the info. in Class A guy's posting.

[elliott70]

Tue Jan 3 - @ Crookston Crookston Sports Center 7:30 PM CST
Thu Jan 5 - East Grand Forks Ralph Engelstad Arena 7:30 PM CST
Fri Jan 6 - Fergus Falls Ralph Engelstad Arena 7:30 PM CST
Sat Jan 7 - Northern Lakes Ralph Engelstad Arena 7:00 PM CST
Tue Jan 10 - @ Lake of the Woods International Arena 6:00 PM CST

Looks like 5 games in 7 days,
but also 4 games in 5 days.

[cjmhockey19]

Isn't Northern Edge AA

[ClassAGuy]

Isn't Northern Edge AA

Yes! 7AA looked at MSHSL! I had incorrect information they had gotten an approval to move down like Dodge County, will remove them from 4A

[ClassAGuy]

Tue Jan 3 - @ Crookston Crookston Sports Center 7:30 PM CST
Thu Jan 5 - East Grand Forks Ralph Engelstad Arena 7:30 PM CST
Fri Jan 6 - Fergus Falls Ralph Engelstad Arena 7:30 PM CST
Sat Jan 7 - Northern Lakes Ralph Engelstad Arena 7:00 PM CST
Tue Jan 10 - @ Lake of the Woods International Arena 6:00 PM CST

Looks like 5 games in 7 days,
but also 4 games in 5 days.

I saw they play 5 in 7 when putting together for my sheet for this upcoming week and previewing next week.

My bold prediction by the end of this 5 games in 7 day stretch Thief River Falls will be (7-7-1) and in the Top 10 of Class A.

[OtterPuck]

Tue Jan 3 - @ Crookston Crookston Sports Center 7:30 PM CST
Thu Jan 5 - East Grand Forks Ralph Engelstad Arena 7:30 PM CST
Fri Jan 6 - Fergus Falls Ralph Engelstad Arena 7:30 PM CST
Sat Jan 7 - Northern Lakes Ralph Engelstad Arena 7:00 PM CST
Tue Jan 10 - @ Lake of the Woods International Arena 6:00 PM CST

Looks like 5 games in 7 days,
but also 4 games in 5 days.

I saw they play 5 in 7 when putting together for my sheet for this upcoming week and previewing next week.

My bold prediction by the end of this 5 games in 7 day stretch Thief River Falls will be (7-7-1) and in the Top 10 of Class A.

So only losing to the Otters?

[ClassAGuy]

Tue Jan 3 - @ Crookston Crookston Sports Center 7:30 PM CST
Thu Jan 5 - East Grand Forks Ralph Engelstad Arena 7:30 PM CST
Fri Jan 6 - Fergus Falls Ralph Engelstad Arena 7:30 PM CST
Sat Jan 7 - Northern Lakes Ralph Engelstad Arena 7:00 PM CST
Tue Jan 10 - @ Lake of the Woods International Arena 6:00 PM CST

Looks like 5 games in 7 days,
but also 4 games in 5 days.

I saw they play 5 in 7 when putting together for my sheet for this upcoming week and previewing next week.

My bold prediction by the end of this 5 games in 7 day stretch Thief River Falls will be (7-7-1) and in the Top 10 of Class A.

So only losing to the Otters?

I think they spilt in the games against EGF and FF not sure who they beat but don't see them sweeping and dont see them getting swept and a win against either would solidify them as a top 10 team.

[OtterPuck]

I saw they play 5 in 7 when putting together for my sheet for this upcoming week and previewing next week.

My bold prediction by the end of this 5 games in 7 day stretch Thief River Falls will be (7-7-1) and in the Top 10 of Class A.

So only losing to the Otters?

I think they spilt in the games against EGF and FF not sure who they beat but don't see them sweeping and dont see them getting swept and a win against either would solidify them as a top 10 team.

JK! Should be a good game on Friday night in TRF’s between the Fergus Falls Otters and the Thief River Falls Prowlers. TRF’s beat FF’s at the Ralph Engelstad Arena last year, 4-2 with an empty net goal.

[elliott70]

As of 1-6-2023
1 HERMANTOWN
2 WARROAD
3 ORONO
4 MAHTOMEDI
5 NORTHFIELD
6 EAST GRAND FORKS
7 Delano
8 Hibbing
9 Litchfield
10 Detroit Lakes
11 Fergus Falls
12 Thief River Falls
13 Providence
14 Denfeld
15 Alber Lea
16 Rock Ridge
17 New Ulm
18 Wadena
19 Little Falls
20 New Prague

[ClassAGuy]

As of 1-6-2023
1 HERMANTOWN
2 WARROAD
3 ORONO
4 MAHTOMEDI
5 NORTHFIELD
6 EAST GRAND FORKS
7 Delano
8 Hibbing
9 Litchfield
10 Detroit Lakes
11 Fergus Falls
12 Thief River Falls
13 Providence
14 Denfeld
15 Alber Lea
16 Rock Ridge
17 New Ulm
18 Wadena
19 Little Falls
20 New Prague

Excellent! We will see how Northfield holds up vs Delano tomorrow.

TRF vs FF is another helpful game in the rankings to see teams are

[defense]

Fergus Falls 4
Thief River Falls 2 final

[ClassAGuy]

Fergus Falls 4
Thief River Falls 2 final

Very nice win for Otters! Proving their Top 10 Status!