It's Time! - Preseason Top 20

[hockeywild7]

1. Hill-Murray
2. Eden Prairie
3. Maple Grove
4. Wayzata
5. Edina
6. Minnetonka
7. Cretin
8. Lakeville South
9. Mounds View
10. Hopkins
11. Dodge County
12. Stillwater
13. Centennial
14. Lakeville North
15. Blaine

[mnhockeyguy2014]

That's how old goalie gets 620 posts per year! Double post!

[MN_Bowhunter]

I think Eastview needs to be in this top 20 somewhere. They've got a player on the national team and a decent supporting cast.

[36Guy]

38guy-Boy your a nutjob! someone said they didn't deserve, I just knew two years ago we had them down to our place [U12] played them/had a dinner with them and coach[ Ruglund ??] and we thought they were the top team we played that year !!!

Easy Mr Remington, 3,500 posts you should have learned to take a little constructive criticism. Besides, bring something new, everyone already knows I'm a nut job!

[old goalie85]

Wrong again - Not Remington. Only one daughter/Four boys that play.

[36Guy]

Wrong again - Not Remington. Only one daughter/Four boys that play.

Dokay!!

[massalsa]

Hopkins must be getting some good new talent from their 12A program!!??? .. Oh that's right they don't have one... Maybe new recruits then???... oh that's right the Master recruiter coach "resigned" after last season....Good luck Chris Erickson keeping this years squad comparable to last!

They do have a good but young goalie in the younger Bizal and their JV team was one of the better ones last year!

Agree it will be tough to replace Rodgers & O'Neill. The 3 seniors (Bizal, Boyd, & St. Claire) are 1 year better and so are a couple of their younger players like Haberman & Hanley.

The Hopkins girls 12A team from last year was 4 girls playing on their Peewee A team that lost the section final to go to state (Goalie, 2 D, & 1 F)! Take those girls and throw them with 8 B girls and they would have beaten many above average girls teams last year.

Bizal will be in the mix for Ms Hockey and altho they should not contend for the Lake Conference title they still should be good enough to hang around the top 10 this year. And they might be a favorite to win any section in the state other than their own, the Eagle/Hornet section, and HM's section. Blah blah blah on sections...

I think that Edina will be better than people think (outside of Williamson carrying them or whatever).

Looking forward to the season to see how all of this speculation works out.

Breck picks up arguably one of the best 8th graders in the state in Sid Breza (sp?) but I can't imagine they will be able to hang with Blake...they will be the best of A but the 2nd best of the privates this year to HM.

[alcloseshaver]

Hopkins must be getting some good new talent from their 12A program!!??? .. Oh that's right they don't have one... Maybe new recruits then???... oh that's right the Master recruiter coach "resigned" after last season....Good luck Chris Erickson keeping this years squad comparable to last!

They do have a good but young goalie in the younger Bizal and their JV team was one of the better ones last year!

Agree it will be tough to replace Rodgers & O'Neill. The 3 seniors (Bizal, Boyd, & St. Claire) are 1 year better and so are a couple of their younger players like Haberman & Hanley.

The Hopkins girls 12A team from last year was 4 girls playing on their Peewee A team that lost the section final to go to state (Goalie, 2 D, & 1 F)! Take those girls and throw them with 8 B girls and they would have beaten many above average girls teams last year.

Bizal will be in the mix for Ms Hockey and altho they should not contend for the Lake Conference title they still should be good enough to hang around the top 10 this year. And they might be a favorite to win any district in the state other than their own, the Eagle/Hornet district, and HM's district. Blah blah blah on districts...

I think that Edina will be better than people think (outside of Williamson carrying them or whatever).

Looking forward to the season to see how all of this speculation works out.

Breck picks up arguably one of the best 8th graders in the state in Sid Breza (sp?) but I can't imagine they will be able to hang with Blake...they will be the best of A but the 2nd best of the privates this year to HM.

Districts? Do you mean sections?

[massalsa]

sorry for the mistake...of course I meant sections but spaced it...just changed it...thanks.

[royals dad]

Hopkins must be getting some good new talent from their 12A program!!??? .. Oh that's right they don't have one... Maybe new recruits then???... oh that's right the Master recruiter coach "resigned" after last season....Good luck Chris Erickson keeping this years squad comparable to last!

They do have a good but young goalie in the younger Bizal and their JV team was one of the better ones last year!

Don't know who you are or what your connection to Hopkins is but Vin retired after giving Hopkins 20 years of coaching (boys and girls). I know him very well and have been around the program for the last 7 years if he was recruiting I would have know about, it just didn't happen. We had one senior last year that played youth in Wayzata but lived in the Hopkins district. Every other player from last years team played in HYHA and by the way the senior class last year played U12B because we didn't have a U12A when they were first year U12s (I know because I was one of the coaches).

Have not seen many coaches that put more time or effort into a program then Vin did, whether you like how he coached or not there is absolutely no reason to trash him here. People post lies and rumors and then others think its true.

[mnhockeyguy2014]

Hopkins must be getting some good new talent from their 12A program!!??? .. Oh that's right they don't have one... Maybe new recruits then???... oh that's right the Master recruiter coach "resigned" after last season....Good luck Chris Erickson keeping this years squad comparable to last!

They do have a good but young goalie in the younger Bizal and their JV team was one of the better ones last year!

Don't know who you are or what your connection to Hopkins is but Vin retired after giving Hopkins 20 years of coaching (boys and girls). I know him very well and have been around the program for the last 7 years if he was recruiting I would have know about, it just didn't happen. We had one senior last year that played youth in Wayzata but lived in the Hopkins district. Every other player from last years team played in HYHA and by the way the senior class last year played U12B because we didn't have a U12A when they were first year U12s (I know because I was one of the coaches).

Have not seen many coaches that put more time or effort into a program then Vin did, whether you like how he coached or not there is absolutely no reason to trash him here. People post lies and rumors and then others think its true.

I did not trash anybody. Your coach has done an outstanding job attracting girls to the program. Can you name another program as successful without a girls 12A program?
Go Royals!

[Hansonbrother]

Hopkins must be getting some good new talent from their 12A program!!??? .. Oh that's right they don't have one... Maybe new recruits then???... oh that's right the Master recruiter coach "resigned" after last season....Good luck Chris Erickson keeping this years squad comparable to last!

They do have a good but young goalie in the younger Bizal and their JV team was one of the better ones last year!

Don't know who you are or what your connection to Hopkins is but Vin retired after giving Hopkins 20 years of coaching (boys and girls). I know him very well and have been around the program for the last 7 years if he was recruiting I would have know about, it just didn't happen. We had one senior last year that played youth in Wayzata but lived in the Hopkins district. Every other player from last years team played in HYHA and by the way the senior class last year played U12B because we didn't have a U12A when they were first year U12s (I know because I was one of the coaches).

Have not seen many coaches that put more time or effort into a program then Vin did, whether you like how he coached or not there is absolutely no reason to trash him here. People post lies and rumors and then others think its true.

So what you're saying is, those years when Hopkins was going to the state tournament, all those kids were Hopkins grown kids, no transfers, just all kids that CP and Vin found/developed in the Hopkins feeder system...

[royals dad]

So what you're saying is, those years when Hopkins was going to the state tournament, all those kids were Hopkins grown kids, no transfers, just all kids that CP and Vin found/developed in the Hopkins feeder system...

Not sure I said anything about that, but if you want me to...on the Becky Kortum led team it was very home grown, the goalie did transfer from Wayzata but did so before 9th grade and played U12 for HYHA. The 2nd trip to state had a few players who were transfers one from North Metro and one from Armstrong, I think one of those was a WhiteCap. The sisters from Coon Rapids were another story altogether and I wouldn't really call it a transfer. So during CPs time there were two transfers that you can point to neither went D1 although one scored some big goals in that season. I knew every parent involved, my daughter was on the team, and can say I am 100% certain none were recruited by Vin.

The Hopkins teams have never been that deep often leaning heavily on one or two lines, but the program has remained competitive in the lake and had something like 27 kids go one to play beyond high school. Including 3 on the USA 18s last year. With a youth program that has around 10 girls per birth year that is pretty amazing. Much of that goes back to having a coaching staff that did a great job and got the kids to buy in and work for it. Summer, fall, or winter I dont think any team has practiced or worked out with more intensity over the last ten years then Hopkins. Hopefully they can keep it going.

And yes when you put resigned in quotes and accuse a HS coach of recruiting you are ripping them.

[goaline]

Anyways, the rankings... Are there any dark horses out there for the top 15/20 we can hope for? I heard FL & Eastview so far -- not sure on the merits of either

So what you're saying is, those years when Hopkins was going to the state tournament, all those kids were Hopkins grown kids, no transfers, just all kids that CP and Vin found/developed in the Hopkins feeder system...

Not sure I said anything about that, but if you want me to...on the Becky Kortum led team it was very home grown, the goalie did transfer from Wayzata but did so before 9th grade and played U12 for HYHA. The 2nd trip to state had a few players who were transfers one from North Metro and one from Armstrong, I think one of those was a WhiteCap. The sisters from Coon Rapids were another story altogether and I wouldn't really call it a transfer. So during CPs time there were two transfers that you can point to neither went D1 although one scored some big goals in that season. I knew every parent involved, my daughter was on the team, and can say I am 100% certain none were recruited by Vin.

The Hopkins teams have never been that deep often leaning heavily on one or two lines, but the program has remained competitive in the lake and had something like 27 kids go one to play beyond high school. Including 3 on the USA 18s last year. With a youth program that has around 10 girls per birth year that is pretty amazing. Much of that goes back to having a coaching staff that did a great job and got the kids to buy in and work for it. Summer, fall, or winter I dont think any team has practiced or worked out with more intensity over the last ten years then Hopkins. Hopefully they can keep it going.

And yes when you put resigned in quotes and accuse a HS coach of recruiting you are ripping them.

[hockeywild7]

Some teams may be considered dark horses to make state because their sections are weaker.

[alcloseshaver]

Some teams may be considered dark horses to make state because their sections are weaker.

Nice troll. It is almost time for the annual weak section debate.

[mnhockeyguy2014]

Anyways, the rankings... Are there any dark horses out there for the top 15/20 we can hope for? I heard FL & Eastview so far -- not sure on the merits of either

I believe a merit was given for Eastview earlier. 1 word SNODGRASS! Possibly miss Hockey in 2 years and playing for the college of her choice after that IMO!

[nu2hockey]

Snodgrass has been very good at times in Elite League ...

Don't know if Eastview has enough to go with her
and make them contenders

[ZamMan91]

High School Girls AA 2014-15 PRESEASON 
1 Hill Murray
2 Eden Prairie
3 Edina
4 Minnetonka
5 Blaine 
6 Wayzata 
7 Maple Grove 
8 Lakeville North 
9 Hopkins 
10 Stillwater Area 
11 Burnsville 
12 Benilde St Margaret's
13 Irondale 
14 Cretin-Derham Hall 
15 Lakeville South 
16 Roseau 
17 Dodge County 
18 Buffalo
19 Andover 
20 Forest Lake


High School Girls A 2014-15 PRESEASON 
1 Blake
2 Mound Westonka 
3 Thief River Falls 
4 Breck 
5 Proctor/Hermantown 
6 South St. Paul 
7 Warroad 
8 Red Wing 
9 Alexandria 
10 East Grand Forks 
11 St. Paul United 
12 Totino-Grace 
13 Hibbing/Chisholm 
14 Mankato East/Loyola 
15 New Prague 
16 New Ulm 
17 Orono 
18 Moose Lake Area 
19 Chisago Lakes Area
20 Princeton 

Blaine moves up from #12 to #5 after they graduated their top 4 players who produced 87 goals (and 178 points) last year? Yet, Mounds View's top 4 only loses Sutton to graduation, and that core scored 60 goals (136 points). Interesting that Blaine moves up, but MV drops out from #11. Did MV lose Brodt, Thompson, or Unterseher to the privates? If not, what am I missing here?

Answer to your question is nope. Sutton is gone. However last year's top line for much of the year was 2 sophomores and a freshman. The second line was mostly all sophomores. Sutton's defense partner was a sophomore. Point is that the have lots of fast and experienced kids coming up. Probably not a top ten, but close.

Goalie Dad. I'm a little confused by your make up of Blaine's top lines last season. The two times my daughter's team played them last year their top line was the Swanstrom twins and Kirsten Falk. They were all seniors who are now all playing D-1 hockey. There's no doubt that they are a deep talented team but don't see them ranked that high after losing all that offensive output.

[itsfoilcoach]

High School Girls A 2014-15
1 Thief River Falls
2 East Grand Forks
3 BLAKE
4 South St. Paul
5 Warroad
6 Red Wing
7 Orono
8 Breck
9 Mound Westonka
10 St. Paul United
11 Proctor/Hermantown
12 Totino-Grace
13 Hibbing/Chisholm
14 Alexandria
15 Mankato East/Loyola
16 New Prague
17 New Ulm
18 Princeton
19 Moose Lake Area
20 Chisago Lakes

High School Girls AA 2014-15
1 Eden Prairie
2 HILL-MURRAY
3 Minnetonka
4 Hopkins
5 Benilde-St. Margaret's
6 Lakeville North
7 Wayzata
8 Edina
9 Dodge County
10 Mounds View
11 Burnsville
12 Blaine
13 Irondale
14 Stillwater Area
15 Andover
16 Maple Grove
17 Lakeville South
18 Cretin-Derham Hall
19 Roseville Area
20 Roseau

[Nevertoomuchhockey]

At a glance -
A - EGF and SSP.... Whhaaatttt???? Warroad and PRINCETON? So confused please explain.
AA - not AS surprising but "Stillwater area" and Andover - don't see it.

[Coachk]

At a glance -
A - EGF and SSP.... Whhaaatttt???? Warroad and PRINCETON? So confused please explain.
AA - not AS surprising but "Stillwater area" and Andover - don't see it.

Maybe you don't know what players SSP has this year.

[Nevertoomuchhockey]

Obviously none of us really knows what each team will look like. That's why we are posting on a thread debating and questioning the top 20s before tryouts are even over. Feel free to explain what your team, or any other, "has." Honestly I promise no one is taking offense or counting teams in or out based on this thread. Pretty sure SSP and every other team I think is over ranked here are not paying any attention to the hype. Or lack of hype.

Actually, most of them are probably playing in big Midwest tournament a few states to the East.

[alcloseshaver]

Trying to rank anything outside the top ten in preseason is senseless. Give it a month to play out.

[itsfoilcoach]

East grand forks has to get through TRF... But EGF has returning player that have combined total of a 100 goals(lost a goalie though). Decent numbers and is why they should be watched at least. Thats against some northern teams, but one to watch. They did however lose the head coach, but the system is in place. SSP picked up a few quality transfers. One if them being, and I would suspect if I heard right one of the bigger goalies you'll ever see in girls hockey, and she is supposed to be very good. SSP has all returning defensemen and a good goalie/s. When I look at team I start from the back to forwards most of the time. (Just my rational)Defense wins championships in my eyes. Look at a few hot NHL goalies in a playoff see how they win games. Not saying SSP is on the road to state, but will be a team to watch develop. Redwing lost there main scoring punch, that being Nicole Schammel -48 goals. Hard to recover from so I dropped them down a notch. Stillwater is deep in all three lines. A class of 1000 kids and most returning deserves a top 20. BSM has graduated 2/3 of there team from last year so I dropped them down. I don't expect much from them this year. HM is deep, but I expect them to fall short this year with some stronger older returning teams. Hopkins being one of them. Thanks for a fun discussion.