AA Rankings Update for 2/26/12

[karl(east)]

Here’s a quick update on the rankings with all 20 remaining teams--all eliminated teams have been left out. We’ll re-visit them in the final set of rankings. For now, this is a look at who’s left, and what implications this week’s games might have for State seeding.

1. Duluth East (26-1) 7AA
-The Hounds didn’t have their finest game against Elk River, but they got the job done and are set to take on Andover in the final. There are some question marks surrounding their defense, but they have enough of a cushion that they’ll be the top seed if they make it to State.

2. Minnetonka (24-3) 6AA
-The Skippers are off to a strong start to their postseason, shutting out Minneapolis and Wayzata to cruise into the section final. They probably won’t keep Benilde off the board, but if they keep on playing defense like this, they’ll be in great shape.

3. Maple Grove (22-2-2) 5AA
-Beat up North Metro as expected, and with two shutout wins over Osseo already, they’re on a collision course for a grudge match against Blaine. Time to see if the Crimson can finally get it done and lock up a top-3 seed in the process.

4. Edina (22-5) 2AA
-The Hornets survived an early scare against Bloomington Jefferson and now aim to claim their sixth straight 2AA title. They’ve had the upper hand against Burnsville lately, but nothing has come easy. Not guaranteed a top 4 seed with a win; it could come down to a tight vote between them and Eagan.

5. Eagan (23-3-1) 3AA
-The Wildcats took their time in getting going against Park, but erupted in the third period to get it done in the end. It will take a monumental upset from Hastings to keep them from State. It would be tough to deny this team a seed, but if all the teams above them win, that could end up happening.

6. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (21-6) 6AA
-Eden Prairie’s loss gave the Red Knights an easy road to the section final. Now it’s time to learn if they’ve shored up their defense, and if they can live up to the preseason hype around this squad. The 6AA final should be fantastic, but even with a win they may have trouble getting seeded at State without an upset.

7. Hill-Murray (20-6) 4AA
-Methodically took care of Tartan in their quarterfinal, and their road to State got a bit easier when rival White Bear went down. If there are multiple upsets in sections 2, 3, 5, or 7, they could end up having a shot at a seed at State.

8. Lakeville South (19-8) 1AA
-The Cougars destroyed two weaker 1AA opponents in their first two games; now, they finally should have a challenge on their hands when they face North. They have a very distant shot at a seed, but it will take a bunch of upsets.

9. Burnsville (17-9-1) 2AA
-The Blaze got by Prior Lake without too much stress and earned themselves a rematch with Edina. They’ve been on the losing end of these battles for a while now, but the games are always close. Is it time for a breakthrough, or more of the same?

10. Moorhead (20-6) 8AA
-The Spuds fought past rival Roseau to earn a spot in the 8AA title game for a twelfth consecutive year. With two wins already over Brainerd this season, things seem to be lining up for a second straight trip to state, as well. They struggled some down the stretch, but they have shown they can knock off some very good teams this year.

11. Blaine (17-9) 5AA
-The Bengals had a little more trouble with Coon Rapids than expected, and though they have beaten Anoka twice this year, both games were relatively close. They can’t overlook the Tornadoes, though they have a good shot at yet another 5AA title game. Earning a seventh straight Tournament berth will be a bigger challenge.

12. Andover (19-6-2) 7AA
-Beating Forest Lake sure wasn’t easy, but they’re through to their first ever section final. With a strong game from Chase Perry and a little luck, they’ll have a shot at East.

13. Lakeville North (14-13) 1AA
-The Panthers cruised to two section wins; now it’s crunch time, as they take on a better-than-ever South team in their effort to defend their title. Can they pull off the upset for a third year in a row? Crazier things have happened.

14. Brainerd (23-4) 8AA
-A big win over Bemidji has the Warriors gunning for their first ever berth in the Tourney. They haven’t matched up particularly well with Moorhead this year, but if the defense holds up and the first line produces enough chances, it is possible.

15. Roseville (16-8-2) 4AA
-North St. Paul gave the Raiders all they could handle, but they pulled it out in the end. Johnson’s win over White Bear increases their odds at a section final considerably.

16. Stillwater (13-11-2) 4AA
-A narrow win over Mounds View gives the Ponies a shot at Hill, though they are going to need the finest game of their season to pull it off.

17. Anoka (9-17) 5AA
-The record may be bad, but the Tornadoes have a handful of quality wins now, including the quarterfinal upset of Centennial. We’ll see if they can capture that magic again when they take on Blaine at the Coliseum.

18. Hastings (14-12-2)
-The Raiders pulled an upset over Cretin and scraped by East Ridge, earning them a return to the section final for the first time since 2001. They face a tall order to go any further, though.

19. Osseo (11-15)
-The Orioles had been struggling lately, but a minor upset over Champlin Park gets them a shot at rival Maple Grove.

20. St. Paul Johnson (14-11-1) 4AA
-The Governors scored a dramatic upset in their win over defending section champion White Bear Lake. We’ll see if Jay Dickman can carry them on to the final; it will take another stellar performance against Roseville to move on.

There you go…enjoy the ride, and see you at the X next week!

[Slap Shot]

Be nice if HM and Edina could get challenged in sections one of these years. Maybe move BSM to one or the other but not sure you could shore up both without making another section equally as weak.

[gopherpuck516]

Be nice if HM and Edina could get challenged in sections one of these years. Maybe move BSM to one or the other but not sure you could shore up both without making another section equally as weak.

Edina's section is unusually weak this year. Both AHA and Jefferson were down this year compared to their normal standards. Most years there's about 4 teams in that section with a legitimate chance at winning.

[O-townClown]

Be nice if HM and Edina could get challenged in sections one of these years.

Seems like the Hornets are challenged every year! Jefferson with Caleb Herbert was considered a top team. Holy Angels was a power up until recently. Burnsville has been very consistent. It ain't Section VI, but it's certainly one of the strongest.

Is your comment just because Edina comes out on top regularly?

[Slap Shot]

Jefferson has sucked for a decade, AHA hasn't been relevant consistently and when was the last time Burnsville was in the tournament? Give me a break, no section that is strong is represented by the same team 6 straight years.

[xy]

Jefferson has sucked for a decade

Jefferson obviously isn't the program they once were, but let's not get carried away here:

2003-04 20 5 2 Section 6AA semifinals
2004-05 24 6 1 State Class AA Tournament 6th Place
2005-06 21 5 2 Section 6AA finals
2006-07 9 14 3 Section 6AA quarterfinals
2007-08 17 7 3 Section 2AA semifinals
2008-09 26 2 0 Section 2AA finals
2009-10 20 6 3 Section 2AA finals
2010-11 15 9 3 Section 2AA semifinals

In what world is that "sucking" for 10 years? Obviously they're down, and judging from the bantam and peewee rankings it might not get a lot better, but let's not rewrite history.

[karl(east)]

Not sure what, if anything, could be done to give Hill more competition in 4AA. The next-best AA program on the east side is already in their section (WBL); they just have their own issues to deal with. Centennial was in that section for a bit and moving them back could help, but it's no guarantee.

The two west metro sections both have (in most years) a bunch of very good teams and a bunch of teams that cannot compete with them at all. In the two east metro sections, aside from Hill and White Bear (sort of), it's pretty open, with a lot of mid-level teams that can beat each other on any given night. Eagan this year is an exception, of course; we'll see if they can continue that.

Edina may win 2AA pretty often, but it's been a very competitive section. During their current run of section titles:
2007: they were in 6AA
2008: beat Burnsville in OT to go to state
2009: Jefferson was the top seed (and in some people's minds, #1 in the state) before Edina pasted them in the final
2010: I had Burnsville ranked 4th, but Jefferson upset them, giving Edina a pretty easy road
2011: Burnsville was very close to winning

[Rich Clarke]

Let's see. This year, the no. 2 seed is Burnsville, who is a borderline top ten team. Prior Lake is top 25, and Jefferson just beat Eagan. And this is the worst section two in years. What section is stronger? Obviously not section one, or three, or four, or eight. Section six is the strongest obviously. But unless your goal is to keep Edina from making state, it would make more sense to strengthen one of those sections. Even sections five and seven have only one top ten team (the no. 1 seeds). Jefferson (not Edina) was the top seed in 2009, and the top ranked team in the state most of the year. I guess that since Edina beat them, they must not have been a good team. In 2010, both Burnsville and Jefferson were ranked in the top ten. And Holy Angels beat some top teams last year (like State Champion Eden Prairie) and had pretty good years in 2008 and 2009. The fact that they didn't beat Edina doesn't mean they weren't a strong team. Your complaint is more that Edina had had a consistently strong program, and unlike similarly strong teams, hasn't been upset in the playoffs recently. Other sections may or may not be deeper in any given year, but any section that forces the top seed to face two dangerous teams is tough. Section two has been that, as have section five, six, and seven. If you see the playoffs as a vehicle to simply eliminate the successful teams you personally dislike, then throw them all into one section so your joy over seven failures will give you consolation over the fact that one of those teams won. Otherwise, give credit where credit's due. Edina has been a top eight team in each of the last six years and deserves to be there. The fact that they haven't suffered an upset is a credit to them, and not the result of an easy section. Unless your team is from section six, where two or even three top ten teams are deprived of a chance at state each year, your complaint should be with the quality of your own team (whether as a fan or a player), not with the success of those who earn it each year. (and even the strong section six teams that don't make it can't say that they were better than Edina in any of the the last six years--just that they were better than a lot of the teams that made state). And when was Burnsville last at state? 2007 when they upset no. 1 ranked Holy Angels. In the last ten years, Holy Angels has made it to state numerous times, and Burnsville and Jefferson have each made it once or more. And one of Edina's section championships recently (2007) came in section six against Eden Prairie, who only has been as successful as any in the last decade. I can't see any team in the state having a chance to change sections voluntarily moving to section two, except possibly section six teams. And even then, I doubt it would be an easy decision. I'd be interested to see if you can name a non-section six team that would voluntarily make that change.

[Zamman]

Jefferson has sucked for a decade, AHA hasn't been relevant consistently and when was the last time Burnsville was in the tournament? Give me a break, no section that is strong is represented by the same team 6 straight years.

Why should we give you a break?

The best teams in the section go to state, for the most part.


Here are some facts:

AHA won section 5AA in 1999
runner-up in section 5AA in 2000, lost to Jefferson
Lost in the Semis for Section 5AA in 2001
Section 5AA champs - 2002 - State Champs
Section 5AA champs - 2003 - Third place in state
Section 5AA champs - 2004 - Consolation Champs in state
Section 5AA champs - 2005 - State Champs
Lost in Semis for section 5AA in 2006
Lost in section finals for section 5AA in 2007
Lost in section 2AA semis for 08, 09 and 10 to Edina first year of the new section 2AA
went 5 of 7 years not bad....

Jefferson went to state in 2000
2002 - Jefferson took 4th place in state
2005 - Jefferson took 6th place in state

Burnsville was there in 2007 and took 4th place.

Check the facts before you take aim at teams. Edina has been the best team in this section for at least the last four years since they remade the sections.

So Edina has only went from this section for 4 years, the same as AHA in the first half of the decade.

Edina prior to section 2AA, was 2006 for Section 6AA and prior to that was 2000.

This section has only been a section since 2008.... and to top it all off. Edina has not won yet this year.....

[almostashappy]

Let's see. This year, the no. 2 seed is Burnsville, who is a borderline top ten team. Prior Lake is top 25, and Jefferson just beat Eagan. And this is the worst section two in years. What section is stronger? Obviously not section one, or three, or four, or eight. Section six is the strongest obviously. But unless your goal is to keep Edina from making state, it would make more sense to strengthen one of those sections. Even sections five and seven have only one top ten team (the no. 1 seeds). Jefferson (not Edina) was the top seed in 2009, and the top ranked team in the state most of the year. I guess that since Edina beat them, they must not have been a good team. In 2010, both Burnsville and Jefferson were ranked in the top ten. And Holy Angels beat some top teams last year (like State Champion Eden Prairie) and had pretty good years in 2008 and 2009. The fact that they didn't beat Edina doesn't mean they weren't a strong team. Your complaint is more that Edina had had a consistently strong program, and unlike similarly strong teams, hasn't been upset in the playoffs recently. Other sections may or may not be deeper in any given year, but any section that forces the top seed to face two dangerous teams is tough. Section two has been that, as have section five, six, and seven. If you see the playoffs as a vehicle to simply eliminate the successful teams you personally dislike, then throw them all into one section so your joy over seven failures will give you consolation over the fact that one of those teams won. Otherwise, give credit where credit's due. Edina has been a top eight team in each of the last six years and deserves to be there. The fact that they haven't suffered an upset is a credit to them, and not the result of an easy section. Unless your team is from section six, where two or even three top ten teams are deprived of a chance at state each year, your complaint should be with the quality of your own team (whether as a fan or a player), not with the success of those who earn it each year. (and even the strong section six teams that don't make it can't say that they were better than Edina in any of the the last six years--just that they were better than a lot of the teams that made state). And when was Burnsville last at state? 2007 when they upset no. 1 ranked Holy Angels. In the last ten years, Holy Angels has made it to state numerous times, and Burnsville and Jefferson have each made it once or more. And one of Edina's section championships recently (2007) came in section six against Eden Prairie, who only has been as successful as any in the last decade. I can't see any team in the state having a chance to change sections voluntarily moving to section two, except possibly section six teams. And even then, I doubt it would be an easy decision. I'd be interested to see if you can name a non-section six team that would voluntarily make that change.

Cue the Jefferson student section....

[HappyHockeyFan]

Let's see. This year, the no. 2 seed is Burnsville, who is a borderline top ten team. Prior Lake is top 25, and Jefferson just beat Eagan. And this is the worst section two in years. What section is stronger? Obviously not section one, or three, or four, or eight. Section six is the strongest obviously. But unless your goal is to keep Edina from making state, it would make more sense to strengthen one of those sections. Even sections five and seven have only one top ten team (the no. 1 seeds). Jefferson (not Edina) was the top seed in 2009, and the top ranked team in the state most of the year. I guess that since Edina beat them, they must not have been a good team. In 2010, both Burnsville and Jefferson were ranked in the top ten. And Holy Angels beat some top teams last year (like State Champion Eden Prairie) and had pretty good years in 2008 and 2009. The fact that they didn't beat Edina doesn't mean they weren't a strong team. Your complaint is more that Edina had had a consistently strong program, and unlike similarly strong teams, hasn't been upset in the playoffs recently. Other sections may or may not be deeper in any given year, but any section that forces the top seed to face two dangerous teams is tough. Section two has been that, as have section five, six, and seven. If you see the playoffs as a vehicle to simply eliminate the successful teams you personally dislike, then throw them all into one section so your joy over seven failures will give you consolation over the fact that one of those teams won. Otherwise, give credit where credit's due. Edina has been a top eight team in each of the last six years and deserves to be there. The fact that they haven't suffered an upset is a credit to them, and not the result of an easy section. Unless your team is from section six, where two or even three top ten teams are deprived of a chance at state each year, your complaint should be with the quality of your own team (whether as a fan or a player), not with the success of those who earn it each year. (and even the strong section six teams that don't make it can't say that they were better than Edina in any of the the last six years--just that they were better than a lot of the teams that made state). And when was Burnsville last at state? 2007 when they upset no. 1 ranked Holy Angels. In the last ten years, Holy Angels has made it to state numerous times, and Burnsville and Jefferson have each made it once or more. And one of Edina's section championships recently (2007) came in section six against Eden Prairie, who only has been as successful as any in the last decade. I can't see any team in the state having a chance to change sections voluntarily moving to section two, except possibly section six teams. And even then, I doubt it would be an easy decision. I'd be interested to see if you can name a non-section six team that would voluntarily make that change.

Actually Jefferson tied Eagan...just sayin

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

At least the two sections in question have been sending quality teams to the state tournament.

I think Section 1 is more of a concern.

Moorhead is in the Section 8 final for 12 years running. Is that a problem, too?

[keepyourheadup]

Have to agree that sec1aa will be a concern for the next couple years. The north/south game is a toss up but both these teams are being carried by seniors. 2013 and 2014 look to be pretty lean years as far as finding a team in this section that will be able to compete at the x. Its been a very fortunate situation for Lakeville but I'm not sure it will last to much longer.

[Rich Clarke]

[/quote]Actually Jefferson tied Eagan...just sayin[/quote]

True. I misspoke. But it raises an interesting point. Burnsville beat Eagan, Hill Murray, and Benilde. Jefferson tied Eagan. Prior Lake beat Wayzata. That's the 2-3 seeds each beating top ten teams, and the fourth seed tying a top ten team. In sections one, three, and four, not even the second seeds beat or tied any top ten teams all year. In section five, no. 2 Blaine beat Moorhead, but Centennial and Champlin Park beat no top ten teams. In section six, the 2-4 seeds EP, Benilde, and Wayzata all beat top ten teams, and in section seven, Andover tied Maple Grove, Grand Rapids beat Moorhead, and Elk River beat Maple Grove. In section eight, Moorhead is the only team who beat a top ten team all year.

Sections two, six, and seven, are at least four strong teams deep. Even section five drops off a bit from there, and sections one, three, and eight each have one strong team. That doesn't mean the top seeds will win their sections because strange things happen. But the other top seeds will face much more dangerous opposition.

[seek & destroy]

Jefferson has sucked for a decade, AHA hasn't been relevant consistently and when was the last time Burnsville was in the tournament? Give me a break, no section that is strong is represented by the same team 6 straight years.

The strength of a section isn't always determined by who comes out of the section each year. Sections are a one and done tournament which means any team can sneak up and make it interesting (just ask EP).

The strength of a section is determined by the teams competing and how they stack up against teams in other sections. Section 6 has the strongest section because they have teams that have a proven track record against many of the best teams in other sections. The same can be said about Section 2 although everyone would agree that this year Section 2 is a little weaker then in past years.

Just about every year there are at least 2 or 3 big contenders in those 2 sections that have had major wins over the best teams from other sections during the season. Section 6 has 4 top teams this year, Minnetonka, EP, BSM & Wayzata. Each of these teams has major wins over the best teams from other sections. The fact that EP lost early doesn't mean this section is a weaker section it just means that Armstrong had a fantastic game and beat them.

Section 2's Edina is a young team that has improved regularly throughout the season but still had numerous big wins over several top teams. Burnsville, the next best in Section 2, had big victories over Eagan, BSM and Hill Murray. Normally, Jefferson or Holy Angels is strong but this year they are down. The fact that Edina has come out of this section doesn't mean that it isn't a tough section.

I think this year we have a great chance to have one of the best overall state tournament fields because every section has at least one top team. If the favored teams all win (a big if), you have #1 Duluth E out of Section 7, #2 Tonka out of Section 6, #3 Maple Grove out of Section 5, #4 Edina out of Section 2, #5 Eagan out of Section 3, #9 HM out of Section 4, #10 Moorhead out of Section 8. The only team likely to make the state tournament that isn't in the top 10 is Section 1's Lakeville South with Kloos & company who will give anyone a run for their money.

[Doc Holliday]

You have to forgive Slap Shot; he's just bitter that Edina has prevented Minnetonka from hanging a banner for the past 40+ years...

But I'll bite on his post anyway: Are you angry at Blaine as well for having gone to state from '06-'11? The bottom line is that it can go in cycles. Edina started their run in 6AA in '07. EP was good, but Tonka wasn’t what they are now and BSM was good, but were considered below Holy Angels. I remember the talk being more about Edina having to go through Holy Angels and an up & coming Burnsville program to now get to state. 2AA was good in ’08 with Burnsville easily one of the top 8 teams in the state and ’09 with Jefferson being among the top 5 teams all year long. And in 2010, Edina’ s toughest games to winning state were a one goal win over Holy Angels in the 2AA semis and what was a 3 goal 2AA final win over Jefferson mostly because Jefferson didn’t have a good goalie. Both games that were more in doubt that the state championship.

6AA has no doubt been stronger than 2AA the past two years, but they’ve been stronger than everyone. That proves nothing. I could see an argument for Eden Prairie going to 2AA when taking geography into account, but then who goes to 6AA? Chanhassen? Makes no sense with it being right next to EP. Edina? You’re right back to square one. If Breck ever gets the guts to go to AA, perhaps put them in 6AA & BSM in 2AA. Perhaps put Burnsville in 3AA and BSM or EP in 2AA? Possibly would work as you’d suddenly would take a little strength out of 6AA and strengthen 3AA while keeping 2AA strong. But it goes in cycles. I don't see Tonka taking a dip anytime soon, but who’s to say BSM doesn’t start to go more like Holy Angels and not be “as” tough as what AHA was 3-6 years ago?

Summary: 2AA really should be one of the last few sections you should attack for being weak, taking recent history into account. If you’re going to make changes, make sure it’s a sound decision, and “making it tougher for Edina to get to St. Paul” doesn’t qualify.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Obviously it's a subjective term, but I'm not aware of four "strong" teams in Section 2AA. And I'm not aware of any in Section 1AA for a long time.

I'm not sure how I'd define "strong". Maybe ranked in the top ten. Or a significant threat to be a semi-finalist. That may be a stricter definition than some. To me there are around 8 teams any year that I'd consider strong.

If a team looks like they're headed to Mariucci (if they win their section), they ain't strong.

I wouldn't quite consider the Pioneers strong this year. Not when looking at the teams that are ahead of them.

[Slap Shot]

Dammit Doc!!

I was trolling regarding Edina's section - it definitely has been stronger than at least few others, but I have to take my shots when I can - even when illegitimate.