Overall record and 7A record are given for each team.
1. Hermantown- 12-1-1 (2-0) The Hawks continued to beat good AA teams this week, including WBL, the only team to beat Stillwater indoors this season. Utter madness that last year’s and this year’s Hawk teams weren’t given the opportunity to play AA…
2. Greenway- 11-3-1 (5-2) The Raiders took Lourdes to the woodshed 5-1 in their only game this week. Hibbing’s loss to Superior and to an EGF team Greenway beat essentially seal up #2 for the Greenies. Greenway plays Virginia and I-Falls this week, two games they should win.
But looming Friday is a big matchup at GR. Not that many people expect the Raiders to win the game, but the resumption of the longtime rivalry is exciting for many locals. I don’t give Greenway much of a chance to win, but I expect them to produce a better showing than Hibbing did.
3. Hibbing- 10-7 (4-1) The Bluejackets had a terrible week. Getting beat down by GR 8-1 and losing in the last minute to EGF 4-3 aren’t that big of a deal, but losing to Superior 4-3 is bad. Hibbing completely disappeared in the 2nd period and took a major with 5 min left in the game, allowing Superior to get the winner on the pp.
With the bad Superior loss and a loss to EGF, Hibbing can forget about the #2 seed and now they have to start worrying about holding onto the #3 seed. They have beaten Virginia twice already, so as long as they beat Eveleth, they should hold onto the #3.
It’s been a frustrating season for Hibbing, as they have one goal losses to Roseau, Greenway, Alexandria, EGF, and Superior. In most of these games , I thought Hibbing was the better team (I didn’t see the Greenway loss), but some defensive breakdowns and increasingly shaky goaltending have cost them. They’ll have to find more consistency if they hope to win two playoff games and be crowned the “Play Single A at Both Youth and High School Champs” of 7A. (Thanks for the idea, Bruce.)
This week Hibbing travels to Denfeld before heading northwest to play 8A foes TRF and Warroad. The Bluejackets aren’t good enough to take anyone lightly, so hopefully they are focused, angry, and come with intensity from the start in all these games.
4. Eveleth- 10-7 (5-3) Big win for the Golden Bears this week as they took down I-Falls 4-2, outshooting them 55-31. They have now won 6 of their last 7, and have a huge 7A week coming up.
They host North Shore and then go to Virginia in the Swerinski Brothers Plumbing and Heating 7A Game of the Week looking to avenge their narrow 3-2 defeat earlier in the season. A sweep this week locks Eveleth in the #4 spot with a chance to get up to #3 if they can beat Hibbing near the end of the season.
5. Virginia- 7-11 (4-4) The Blue Devils ended their seven game losing streak this week, as they won a critical 7A game vs North Shore. They lost big to SC Cathedral 11-1, but then beat Sauk Rapids 4-2. While the North Shore victory was nice, the best news of the week is that top forward Seitz has returned. If the Hub is to be believed, Seitz got an assist in the Sauk Rapids game. Hopefully it won’t take long for him to get his game legs back.
Seitz returns just in time for a gigantic 7A week for Virginia. They first have to go to Greenway in a game they will be heavy underdogs, but later in the week they host Eveleth in what is sure to be a heated rematch in the Swerinski Brothers Plumbing and Heating 7A Game of the Week. Virginia won 3-2 last time on the road without Seitz, so one would expect the Devils to be favorites, especially if Murray is also back from injury. A win over Eveleth would give Virginia a stranglehold on the #4 spot.
I have to admit I was rooting for North Shore to beat Virginia this past week, not because I hate Virginia (it’s just a mild dislike), but because I think Virginia as a #6 seed would make the 7A playoffs far more interesting. If you’re a Virginia fan, would you rather face Eveleth and Hermantown in the first two rounds or Hibbing and Greenway? A healthy Virginia squad could go into the latter scenario with a conceivable shot at two wins, one of which would be at a neutral site.
6. North Shore- 9-5-1 (3-1) The Storm lost a heartbreaker to Virginia 5-4 despite outshooting them 40-28, but they rebounded to handle I-Falls with relative ease 6-2. Even though they lost to Virginia, North Shore still has a chance to make some 7A hay this week, as they take on Eveleth and I-Falls. A win over Eveleth would really toss a wrench in seeds 4-6.
7. Denfeld- 3-16 (2-3) The Hunters’ death march of a schedule continued this week, as they lost to Duluth Marshall 8-1 and Cloquet 5-1, but they did manage to move up this week by beating I-Falls 7-2.
Things get easier this week as they face three decent teams in Hibbing, TRF, and Warroad.
8. I-Falls- 6-11 (2-7) A week ago, the Broncos were on a roll with a juicy 7A opportunity awaiting them. Sadly, they lost to Eveleth 4-2, North Shore 6-2, and Denfeld 7-2, despite outshooting them by a 43-27 margin.
The Broncos have a rematch against North Shore and a trip to Greenway this week, so there are chances to move up, but it seems unlikely given this week’s results.
9. Proctor-8-8-1 (1-3) The Rails tied Mora 4-4 in their only game of the week. This week they play Ely and then Hermantown, which is the high school hockey equivalent of cuddling your housecat one day and being devoured by a lion the next.
10. Ely- 8-6 (0-3) In a rare weekend two game series, the Wolves beat Red Lake Falls twice. This week they will get their best chance at a 7A win, as they travel to Proctor.
The Swerinski Brothers Plumbing and Heating 7A Game of the Week*: Eveleth at Virginia. A month ago, Virginia won the first meeting 3-2 in Eveleth. The game featured an astounding 59 total penalty minutes, so it’s clear these rivals won’t be having a tickle fight once the puck is dropped. Up for grabs is the #4 seed, which may very well just mean home ice for a 3rd meeting in the 7A quarterfinals.
A top 4 seed isn’t the only thing on the line, however. This game could serve as a watershed moment for Eveleth, as they are an improving program with young talent and a strong bantam team poised to inject even more skill. A win would be a clear signal to the rest of 7A that change has arrived and that skating at Amsoil in February isn’t a hope, but rather an expectation. That said, I’ll take a Seitz-containing Virginia squad to win 4-3, but I hope I’m wrong.
*Brought to you by Swerinski Brothers Plumbing and Heating :"Getting you hot and snaking your drain since 1937."