FINAL AA Rankings

[karl(east)]

One last time for 2009-10. As with last year, I place heavy emphasis on performance in sections and state. I’m big into how teams perform under pressure.

1. EDINA
-Let them eat cake: the Hornets touched off celebration in Edina with their 7th/10th state title, depending on how you measure them. It was a roller coaster year, but I’m glad I stuck them as high as I did heading into sections, and that I picked them to win the tourney. I think it’s best if I bring back what I said after the Schwan Cup:

“It’s hard to think of Edina as sneaking up on anyone, but their overnight rebuilding project is worthy of admiration (or at least bitter envy). Who knows, maybe now that the incredible amount of hype surrounding last year’s senior class is off their shoulders, they can finally relax, play as a team, and capture the title that eluded them over the past three years. They don’t have a whole lot of front-end talent, and…on paper they remind me of the ‘08 Hill-Murray team--depth, quality goaltending, very physical, strong team defense.”

That about covers it. Props to Curt Giles and his squad for an incredible achievement.

2. Minnetonka
-They were #1 from the first set of in-season rankings through sections, but simply could not close the deal. I was pulling for them at the end; it’s unfortunate they came up short with all that talent on hand. They have little to be ashamed of with the effort they put forward, but their showing once again reminds us that all the talent in the world doesn’t guarantee anything. Best of luck to their seniors, and I expect this is only the beginning of many good things for this program.

3. Hill-Murray
-Gave Minnetonka a run for the ages and proved their strength by burying two very capable teams in the tourney. Even though they didn’t get many big wins during the regular season, anyone who knew anything about Bill Lechner and his teams in March knew just how dangerous they were. I may not root for Hill, but I have mountains and mountains of respect for his program and how it is run. They won’t be going away anytime soon, either.

4. Eden Prairie
-End of the Tonka game put a damper on the season, but they beat a strong Wayzata team in sections and were clearly a top team from start to finish. Their experience shows just how hard it is to repeat in AA these days. If everyone sticks around, they’ll be a serious threat once again next year.

5. Wayzata
-A fine regular season came to a crashing halt with a semifinal loss in the state’s toughest section. The good news is that they’re a very young team and will definitely be back with a vengeance next time around.

6. Duluth East
-The Hounds closed out on a very positive note, giving Hill a great run and marching through the consolation bracket with authority. They left this East fan pleased with the final result for the first time in 5 years and very hopeful for the future.

7. Bloomington Jefferson
-Got one big section win by knocking off Burnsville, but once again couldn’t close the deal against Edina. The Hornets’ state title makes the end result a little less painful, but the Jags have a bit of rebuilding to do now.

8. Burnsville
-Came on strong at the end of the year, but my bandwagon pick fell short at the end. Oh well; they return a pretty good core for next year and will clearly be dangerous in 2AA.

9. Holy Angels
-Gave Edina perhaps its hardest game of the title run, which raises their stock considerably. Still just a bit too much ugliness in the rest of their season to put them higher, though.

10. Blaine
-An ugly state tourney sends the Bengals falling in the rankings; they looked like a team that rode only a few forwards and little else, making their consistency in the regular season seem rather surprising to those of us who didn’t see them much. That shouldn’t completely invalidate a successful season, but it does hurt.

11. Apple Valley
-The regular season wasn’t the most impressive thing on earth, but they got through a pair of tough teams in sections, got a big upset in the first round, and did a good job of hanging with Edina and Hill in their last two losses.

12. Roseau
-Win over Blaine and successful run through 8AA lifts them in the rankings a bit, though they were clearly a step behind some of the other top teams in the state.

13. Maple Grove
-Getting to the section final was a step in the right direction for this program; I expect them to cause serious damage in 5AA next year; they may even be the section frontrunner.

14. Centennial
-Another promising season comes to a crashing halt in sections. Their section struggles are probably at the point where it’s all in their heads, which is unfortunate.

15. Eagan
-Came crashing down at the end, but all in all this season was a major success, as they firmly placed themselves on the statewide map. Should have some great races in 3AA over the next few years with Apple Valley; we’ll see if any of the SEC teams step up to challenge the Lake.

Others worthy of mention (not necessarily a strict list from #16 down)
Elk River. Had a pretty strong season, but it came to an abrupt end in the 7AA title game.
Benilde. Gave Tonka a good game; hard to judge if they were over- or underrated by that performance.
Moorhead. Couldn’t repeat last year’s run, but remain a pretty potent force.
Osseo. Improved significantly from past years and nearly pulled off a major section upset.
Lakeville South. Had a great season going until the clunker in the section final. Another team to watch over the next few years.
Lakeville North. Made state and kept things a little closer than some expected.
Woodbury. Got one big win in sections but couldn’t close the deal.
Forest Lake. Young team took some big strides forward this year.
Brainerd. Built up a gaudy record, if nothing else.
White Bear Lake. Same old story.

Lessons in ranking learned this year:
-Looking back at the preseason rankings, several top teams are significantly higher now: Edina, Wayzata, Duluth East, Apple Valley, Eagan. What do all of these teams have in common? Perhaps the best Bantam A teams two years ago. With EP winning the state title from a similar position last year, it’s probably time that we take note of this and adjust rankings accordingly.
-Just because a team is at the head of a conference doesn’t mean they deserve a high ranking. This was especially true in the SEC, and to some degree with Benilde also.
-In general, inertia is a very powerful force.
-We are, in my opinion, moving out of the era of the private school and into the era of the giant West Metro program. This isn’t to say AA privates won’t be good anymore; they’ll still reel in their share of great players and contend for section titles--especially Hill, which is a bit more established than the other three. But it looks as if the transfer rule is finally taking effect, as the other top privates seemed a bit thinner and younger this year. To compete for the top players, some now appear compelled to bring them in and give them playing time as freshmen. Though it might be a good strategy from a player development standpoint, it makes dominance on the state level a bit harder. The winners from the transfer rule are, of course, the programs that lost a lot to these and some of the big A privates over the years--mostly large West Metro teams. Not sure if dominance by the likes of Eden Prairie and Edina is what we were looking for when we implemented the transfer rule, but it’s what we’ve gotten so far. That’s how I see it, at least; we’ll see where things go from here.

That about does it. Some acknowledgments to those websites who make this possible:
-Followthepuck, for the most complete and reliable information out there when it comes to quick scores, scheduling, rosters, and so much more. Without it, these would take double the time.
-Minnesota Hockey Hub, which made some big strides this year in centralizing good information on the state and offered strong in-depth analysis and commentary throughout the season. Thanks to our friends and colleagues over there for their work.
-Myfoxhockey, for usually high-quality online feeds of so many big games during the regular season. It’s a valuable resource for us Minnesota expats, and thanks to Pete, Bart, Doug, and all the crew for their continually improving coverage.
-Minnesota Sports Broadcast Network, for radio and sometimes video coverage of many big games, particularly when sections roll around. The scope of your operations is admirable.
-Prep Hockey North, for being the best site on NE MN hockey.
-Minnhock, whose archives are incredibly valuable, and whose PS2 makes for an interesting comparison to what I do.
-The website I am inevitably forgetting.
-Everyone who contributed to the rankings throughout the year with comments, insights, criticisms, and so on. If these rankings have any value, you’re a huge part of the reason.

Have a lovely spring and summer. I’m sure I’ll be lurking around here to watch and see what comes up, so keep in touch and thanks once again for reading. Please continue to infuse this bored with your passion and insight; just remember, as always, to keep things in perspective.

[russiawithlove]

that is a great sum up of the season, the private school thing is right on. great job this season with the rankings too!

[StayAtHomeD]

I would put HM #2 even if they ended up #3 in the tourney. I think they were a better team than Tonka.

[halla]

I would put HM #2 even if they ended up #3 in the tourney. I think they were a better team than Tonka.

Maybe, except Tonka has Kruger, who stole the game from HM. He was the difference and the Skippers won the game. They deserve #2.

Thanks a ton, Karl, for doing this all year long!

[east hockey]

Many thanks for doing this during the season, Karl. Hope to see you at the Heritage next season if/when you can pull yourself away from the DC rat race.

Say hi to Hawaii's favorite son if you see him.

Lee

[Goldfishdude]

As always, Karl.....

Thanks.....

Behave, lad!!

[sachishi4]

I would put HM #2 and make a lesson learned (AGAIN) that a weak schedule does not mean a team isnt good!

[slapshot445]

just to clarify it is edina's 10th title not 7th, how can you not count the three that they won when it wasn't even the top 20 players' in edina and they still won. some people act like it is an advantage that they split the schools and won those 3 titles, it is a huge disadvantage because they lose many top players to edina west. THIS WAS INDEED THE 10TH STATE TITLE FOR THE HORNETS, NOT 7TH.

[sioux3]

well edina is the yankees of minnesota high school hockey lol

[Doglover]

karl - thank you for your complete coverage this season! Best rankings in town - we appreciate your analysis and time.

Huge congratulations to Edina who deserves the #1 ranking.

Good luck to the strong Tonka, AV and Hill players who made it a great tournament to watch! It will be fun to watch what they accomplish in the future with all that talent! The big one got away but the future is bright. Nothing better than the MN State HS Hockey Tournament!

[HappyHockeyFan]

Thanks Karl for all the time and effort into your rankings and for explaining why you thought teams belonged where you placed them. I agreed with the majority of your rankings and it always creates some interesting discussion. I would have put Applevalley at #7 based on their end season performance, I mean the rankings at this point should be heavily based on how teams finished in sections and the tournament. Just my opinion. Thanks again, have a great summer!!

[MNHockey75]

FINAL AA RANKINGS
1. Edina 23-6-2
2. Minnetonka 27-2-2
3. Hill-Murray 27-3-1
4. Eden Prairie 22-5-1
5. Wayzata 21-3-3
6. Duluth East 21-6-4
7. Blaine 21-6-3
8. Academy of Holy Angels 18-8-1
9. Bloomington Jefferson 19-6-3
10. Burnsville 17-7-3
11. Centennial 18-6-3
12. Roseau 23-7-1
13. Apple Valley 18-13
14. Eagan 21-5-1
15. Benilde-St. Margaret’s 17-7-3
16. Maple Grove 15-10-3
17. Osseo 15-9-3
18. Elk River 17-8-3
19. Andover 17-8-2
20. Moorhead 14-11-2

[blueblood]

Nice job karl, or as I referred to him in a pm, the Chris Berman of MN HS hockey!

One thing to note, last season I had posted to watch out for Wayzata based on their bantam results from 2009 and could they follow in the footsteps of EP in 2008. Well, I was right.

So, based on that, and to go along with Karl, the following 3 teams which were ranked #1 through #3 all season long at Bantam A (thru the regions), look to be in good shape for next season's HS jump:

East - had a great Bantam A season. Won just about everything but a trip to state.
Woodbury - top state qualifier this year
Tonka - lost in regions finals to Burnsville

Other teams to watch out for:

Edina
Burnsville
Apple Valley
Wayzata

The rich just keep getting richer.....

[Sykes]

Nice job karl, or as I referred to him in a pm, the Chris Berman of MN HS hockey!

One thing to note, last season I had posted to watch out for Wayzata based on their bantam results from 2009 and could they follow in the footsteps of EP in 2008. Well, I was right.

So, based on that, and to go along with Karl, the following 3 teams which were ranked #1 through #3 all season long at Bantam A (thru the regions), look to be in good shape for next season's HS jump:

East - had a great Bantam A season. Won just about everything but a trip to state.
Woodbury - top state qualifier this year
Tonka - lost in regions finals to Burnsville

Other teams to watch out for:

Edina
Burnsville
Apple Valley
Wayzata

The rich just keep getting richer.....

Unfortunately for the Woodbury kids, they are getting split between East Ridge and Woodbury so that prediction might not hold true. But I hope it bodes well for both schools.

[Roseauverrated]

Karl, thank you so much for the hard work you put into these ranking on a weekly basis this season. I looked forward to every Saturday night when you got the rankings up to see where you thought teams stacked up against each other.

Hats off to Edina, they really surprised me this year. If at the beginning of the season anyone would have told me they were going to be state champions after losing all that talent I would have thought they were crazy. They deserve it though, they worked hard and beat a lot of great hockey teams. Hope next season is just good as this one!

[maniago]

Just want to pass on a "way-to-go" to Karl and all of the followers of Minnesota High School Hockey. It is your unrivaled passion for this game that feeds people like myself, my broadcast partner, and all the important players behind the scenes that make the myfoxhockey engine run with enthusiasm. We will never claim to be perfect, but we will continue to strive to bring the best product possible to the loyal fans of high school hockey. Thanks again for your support.
Doug at myfoxhockey should get a serious tip of the cap for his efforts!
Emily, remember us when you are running the country someday!
Pete Waggoner on play-by-play is as good as it gets. His passion is the fuel, and his knowledge and opinions are invaluable. He certainly brings spice and credibility.
Bill Dallman, a special thanks for your support and also for allowing this resource to continue.
I, Bart A, appreciate all the nice comments and the support of our loyal followers. I hope that we, as a group, have enhanced your high school hockey experience. Looking forward to making more strides next year.

Congrats to all the players that played in the 2009-2010 chapter of HS hockey, your sacrifices and participation are appreciated!

Minnetonka, hold your heads up, I know you are disappointed, but you were a special group that will not soon be forgotten!

I am not a legend, never have been; but the myfoxhockey and mnhockeyhub supporters, from top to bottom, have made me feel like one! For that, I thank you.
See you in a long 9 months!

BA

[karl(east)]

Thanks once again to everyone for all the kind comments. I'm humbled that they get all the attention they do.

Still riding my high-on-life feeling after the tourney. Withdrawal will set in pretty soon, though.