AA Rankings for 12/8/24

[karl(east)]

None of the top six lost this past week, though I did some reshuffling of the top few spots to reflect some feelings about how they’re playing. The interesting stuff is in the 7-14 range, where some upstarts are on the move and 2AA collectively has become a giant question mark. Your rankings:

1. St. Thomas Academy (5-0)
-The Cadets continued their blazing start to the season, performing unspeakable acts against Simley and thumping Centennial. We don’t know quite what their ceiling is yet, but we don’t have anything to critique them for yet, and it would take a significant performance from their opponent this week to change that.
This week: Thurs at Chanhassen

2. Hill-Murray (4-0)
-The Pioneers have won all their games by at least five goals, demolishing Holy Family and Maple Grove this past week; while those opponents aren’t elite this season, blowing them out is still a statement, and I’m sliding them up accordingly. Say a prayer for Tartan this week.
This week: Thurs vs. Tartan

3. Edina (4-1)
-The Hornets pulled one out against Benilde, setting themselves up nicely in the 6AA seeding race. It doesn’t quite feel like they’re firing on all cylinders the way the top two are, but that’s hardly cause for concern for a team that is building for the playoffs. In a rare occurrence, they actually have a game the week before their Holiday Classic, though it doesn’t look like one that should trouble them too much.
This week: Sat vs. St. Louis Park

4. Moorhead (4-1)
-The Spuds kept up their winning ways by handling Andover and pulling one out late against Minnetonka, and as bodies of work take on more meaning I’m sliding them ahead of Rogers since their wins now look a bit better. Their game this week isn’t a huge one on paper, but it certainly matters to them after last season’s ignominious end.
This week: Sat vs. Elk River

5. Rogers (4-1)
-Took apart Armstrong/Cooper in their only action this past week, which doesn’t tell us much. Both of their opponents this week, on the other hand, are interesting, as they take on a section rival with an emerging Mr. Hockey contender and a Stillwater team that has looked quite good so far.
This week: Thurs at Champlin Park, Sat vs. #7 Stillwater

6. Cretin-Derham Hall (3-0-1)
-The Raiders marched along with wins over Woodbury and Lakeville South and have held opponents to two goals in their last three games. A meeting with Holy Angels highlights the week ahead.
This week: Thurs vs. Forest Lake, Sat at #9 Holy Angels

7. Stillwater (5-0)
-The Ponies found some defense in a shutout win over Eden Prairie and obliterated Mounds View, too, continuing their gradual climb. They should be undefeated headed into their biggest test yet on this young season, which could tell us just how seriously to take this group.
This week: Thurs at Park of Cottage Grove, Sat at #5 Rogers

8. Rosemount (6-0)
-The Irish are rolling, putting up gaudy scores in South Suburban play, and they have a solid win over Minnetonka to their name, too, so that’s enough to inch into the top ten. Their December may not be on par with those of some of the top teams, but this week’s opponents aren’t bad and give them another chance to show how dominant they can be.
This week: Tues at Lakeville South, Thurs at Delano

9. Holy Angels (4-0)
-The Stars took care of business against St. Paul Academy and Woodbury and slide up as others in this territory stumble. Now it’s time for their first test against front-line competition, as they get a crack at Cretin on home ice. It has the potential to be a big game for program direction.
This week: Thurs at Chaska, Sat vs. #6 Cretin-Derham Hall

10. Wayzata (4-1-1)
-The Trojans put up some goals against Centennial, but did not against White Bear, and settle back a few spots in the rankings. The Eden Prairie game this week is an interesting kickoff to Lake Conference play, and while wounded, Andover isn’t a free pass, either.
This week: Tues at Eden Prairie, Sat at Andover

11. White Bear Lake (2-1-1)
-The Bears handled Forest Lake easily enough and earned a tie against Wayzata to nudge themselves upward a bit. They should be able to boost the record this week against a couple of conference opponents.
This week: Thurs vs. Mounds View, Sat at East Ridge

12. Grand Rapids (5-1)
-The Thunderhawks kept up some steady progress with wins against two visitors from the northwest, with the 6-1 performance against Warroad being the highlight. If their power play continues to perform the way it did in that one, they’ll be building into the tough out they want to be. Maple Grove comes up to visit on Friday night.
This week: Fri vs. Maple Grove

13. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (2-1)
-The Red Knights haven’t exactly been explosive to start the season and had a bit of an adventure with Robbinsdale Armstrong/Cooper, but they did hang right there with Edina, suggesting they are very much in the 6AA picture.
This week: Thurs at Andover

14. Shakopee (4-2)
-Time for some alarm for the Sabers? The loss to Holy Family is a big red flag, and with all the talent here, they should probably be beating Prior Lake by more than a goal, too. Games this week against Eden Prairie and Lakeville South will be telling as they try to show they really are a top tier team, and not one down in a messy 2AA soup. (I couldn’t tell you the last time these rankings didn’t have a 2AA team in the top ten, if it’s ever happened.)
This week: Tues at Eagan, Thurs at Eden Prairie, Sat vs. Lakeville South

15. Minnetonka (2-3)
-The Skippers gave Moorhead a good fight in a losing cause, so I don’t see any reason to drop them. They dive into section action this week, including a key one with a Prior Lake team that is right there in the cloudy 2AA picture.
This week: Thurs vs. Prior Lake, Sat at Chaska

The Next Ten

Eden Prairie (2-1)
-The Eagles got shut down by Stillwater in their first tough game of the season, but they rebounded by burying Duluth East. We’ll learn a lot more now with Wayzata and Shakopee up next; a win against the Sabers could blow 2AA wide open.

Champlin Park (4-0)
-In an emotional week for the program, the Rebels took down two traditional powers in 7AA (albeit ones that have fallen on hard times) and are on the rise here. A huge section clash with Rogers looms.

Maple Grove (2-3)
-That win against Wayzata is doing a lot of work for this team right now, as they now have rough losses to Edina, Stillwater, and Hill-Murray. All those teams are great, but a program with their depth should be able to hang in there against quality teams. They pack in three games in a row this week, including a road trip north to face Grand Rapids and Hermantown.

Lakeville South (2-1)
-The Cougars got shut down by Cretin in their first game against serious competition. A tough week ahead features Rosemount and Shakopee, giving them a chance to make a dent against the South Suburban’s best.

Bemidji (4-1)
-The Lumberjacks continue to do positive things, as they blasted Thief River Falls and survived a battle with one of North Dakota’s better offerings. They dive into section play this week with Brainerd and Buffalo.

Prior Lake (3-1-1)
-It was a 1-1-1 week for the Lakers. A narrow loss to Shakopee isn’t bad, though it loses some luster after the Sabers’ latest loss, and a tie with Mahtomedi, given some other scores out there, isn’t cause for celebration either. They therefore don’t move much. Another three-game week ahead has Minnetonka as the headliner.

Rock Ridge (3-2)
-Couldn’t hang with Warroad, which leaves them floating around in here. St. Cloud Cathedral this week provides some grounds for comparison with other teams in this neighborhood.

Gentry Academy (3-3)
-Lost a barnburner to St. Cloud Cathedral; while not a bad result, they haven’t done much to suggest they belong anywhere higher than this yet. Holy Family highlights the week ahead.

Roseville (4-2)
-The Raiders make an appearance here for the first time a while after a big win over Holy Family and some good results in other games that matter. I’ll reward that quality win, especially after Holy Family took down Shakopee. They’ll try to keep things going against Blake and Mankato West this week.

Holy Family (1-2)
-Which team is the real Fire, the one that loses to Roseville, or the one that beats Shakopee? One big win can only do so much here, but it does show some potential to climb. Games against Gentry and Totino can help give more context.

We'll do our first circuit of the sections after next week's games.

[Sparlimb]

East-Side Rankings

1. Saint Thomas Academy
2. Edina
3. Hill-Murray
4. Rosemount
5. Stillwater
6. Moorhead
7. Cretin-Derham Hall
8. Rogers
9. Wayzata
10. White Bear Lake
11. Holy Angels
12. Grand Rapids
13. Bemidji
14. Champlin Park
15. Benilde-St. Margaret
16. Minnetonka
17. Prior Lake
18. Lakeville South
19. Eden Prairie
20. Shakopee

[SEC Scotty]

East-Side Rankings

1. Saint Thomas Academy
2. Edina
3. Hill-Murray
4. Rosemount
5. Stillwater
6. Moorhead
7. Cretin-Derham Hall
8. Rogers
9. Wayzata
10. White Bear Lake
11. Holy Angels
12. Grand Rapids
13. Bemidji
14. Champlin Park
15. Benilde-St. Margaret
16. Minnetonka
17. Prior Lake
18. Lakeville South
19. Eden Prairie
20. Shakopee

Agree both Rosemount and Stillwater deserve to be ranked above Cretin. Stillwater has played better teams than Rosemount.
Thanks to both for your rankings. Sucks to be Rosemount come sections.

[Sparlimb]

Agree both Rosemount and Stillwater deserve to be ranked above Cretin. Stillwater has played better teams than Rosemount.
Thanks to both for your rankings. Sucks to be Rosemount come sections.

Rosemount needs to pile up wins and get the #1 seed and let CDH and STA have a semi-final game against each other. Will be hard to do, but that would be key. I am real curious to keep an eye on Stillwater. They have been playing really well.

[Brodziak Fan Club]

Great job as always, Karl! Not a huge deal, but I’m interested in why you have Moorhead behind Edina considering Moorhead’s head to head victory.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Great job as always, Karl! Not a huge deal, but I’m interested in why you have Moorhead behind Edina considering Moorhead’s head to head victory.

Great reason to listen to the YHH podcast.

[Brodziak Fan Club]

Never heard of it.

[Sparlimb]

Never heard of it.

Its one of those deep conspiracy theory podcasts where the bloviate endlessly about the lake conference. They generally rank it second, right after Hockey East.

[SEC Scotty]

Old guys like me don’t listen to podcasts and still read newspapers. Youth Hockey Hub and this high school Elite league are putting stars in the eyes of parents who think little Johnny is going to play in the NHL.

[elliott70]

Old guys like me don’t listen to podcasts and still read newspapers. Youth Hockey Hub and this high school Elite league are putting stars in the eyes of parents who think little Johnny is going to play in the NHL.

[O-townClown]

East-Side Rankings

20. Shakopee

I'm not sure what East-Side Rankings are. I will take Shakopee to fare well this season. How many times have you seen them play, this season and last?

[Sparlimb]

East-Side Rankings

20. Shakopee

I'm not sure what East-Side Rankings are. I will take Shakopee to fare well this season. How many times have you seen them play, this season and last?

I have not seen them this year. Probably watch them on Saturday so I can see Lakeville South too.

[SEC Scotty]

Agree both Rosemount and Stillwater deserve to be ranked above Cretin. Stillwater has played better teams than Rosemount.
Thanks to both for your rankings. Sucks to be Rosemount come sections.

Rosemount needs to pile up wins and get the #1 seed and let CDH and STA have a semi-final game against each other. Will be hard to do, but that would be key. I am real curious to keep an eye on Stillwater. They have been playing really well.

Gonna get my first look at Stillwater Thursday.
In other section 3 thoughts Park had their best player defect to St. Thomas in his senior year. He is currently leading the team in scoring. Gotta be some sour grapes there.

[headsupsticksdown]

Curious to hear Karl's take on what's going on up in Duluth... Their only competitive game has been against Blaine, who has a respectable record, but it's Blaine. Defense and goaltending seem to be an issue, but we've been singing the same tune for years now. How warm is Pit's seat up there?

[O-townClown]

I have not seen them this year. Probably watch them on Saturday so I can see Lakeville South too.

I saw Lakeville South beat Rogers last Christmas. It was obviously their high water mark. Not many seniors. I liked what I saw. Hoping they are strong this year.

Enjoy the games. I saw enough of Shakopee as they dominated Holy Family to know they'll be a problem for just about everyone.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Old guys like me don’t listen to podcasts and still read newspapers. Youth Hockey Hub and this high school Elite league are putting stars in the eyes of parents who think little Johnny is going to play in the NHL.

Pro tip: You can't download it on your flip phone.

[ryguyMN]

I feel that Stillwater is too low. After seeing them against EP, they have a solid core and with Conway in goal, this could be a team playing on Saturday night at the X. Definitely a top 5 team for me.

Shakopee's ceiling is high, but they are a ways from hitting their full potential. Too much of a middling team right now.

Tonka is a team that can steal the Section 2AA title this year. Probably not as bold of a statement considering the chaos during sections last season.

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

And yet another country heard from: https://www.si.com/high-school/top-25-m ... jepfbnwm3x

I'm calling for the re-constitution of the Central Catholic Conference. (Think we can get De La Salle to field a team again?)

[Smooth]

Does Duluth Cathedral still have a team? They were always the best in the catholic conference.

[Sparlimb]

Does Duluth Cathedral still have a team? They were always the best in the catholic conference.

They are now Duluth Marshall.

[headsupsticksdown]

Gotta be a bit of a shocker for the Hawks to end in a draw against Marshall, no?