AA Rankings for 1/5/25

[karl(east)]

Another week, another very uneventful top six, but things do liven up a bit after that as a couple of teams that had been just outside the top ten had quality weeks.

1. Moorhead (13-1)
-The Spuds backed up their win over St. Thomas in Prior Lake with an overtime victory at home over the Cadets, further sealing their number one status with a 4-0 record against teams in the top four. While the week ahead may not involve opponents who are quite as talented, they are still no pushovers, with an interesting section rival on the rise and a Benilde team that had a good holiday tournament in their last action.
This week: Tues vs. Bemidji, Sat vs. #14 Benilde-St. Margaret’s

2. Hill-Murray (10-0-1)
-The Pioneers got past Minnetonka to keep the undefeated season going. Their schedule has been easier than those of the other top teams, so this week’s collision with St. Thomas is huge for determining their standing here.
This week: Tues vs. #3 St. Thomas Academy, Thurs at Two Rivers, Sat vs. Hastings

3. St. Thomas Academy (11-2)
-The Cadets fought Moorhead to overtime but came up short for a second time; given the tight margin against the state’s top team and Edina’s adventure against Lakeville South, it doesn’t change anything in the rankings. The gauntlet continues this week as they face their conference archrival and get a rematch of a tight holiday tournament win over Edina. The pecking order in the top four should be pretty clear for a while after these two games.
This week: Tues at #2 Hill-Murray, Sat at #4 Edina

4. Edina (10-3)
-The Hornets took care of Holy Family but had themselves a near miss against Lakeville South, which has them staying put. They’ve only lost to Moorhead and St. Thomas, and they get a second shot at the Cadets this week.
This week: Thurs at Buffalo, Sat vs. #3 St. Thomas Academy

5. Rogers (11-1-1)
-The Royals had the week off, so they hold steady. They are into the underbelly of their schedule now, as any losses in January would be a major upset, though it does ramp up again with a couple of big ones in February. They’re in position to rise if anyone above them gets bloodied by someone outside that top four group.
This week: Thurs vs. Osseo, Sat at Elk River

6. Cretin-Derham Hall (10-2-1)
-The Raiders needed overtime to escape East Ridge before rolling against Roseville, keeping up the trend with these rather uneventful rankings. They go on the road to face two of the three next-best teams in the Suburban East this week, with the Stillwater clash being the highlight.
This week: Thurs at #9 Stillwater, Sat at Park of Cottage Grove

7. Rosemount (14-1)
-The Irish picked up wins against a couple of decent South Suburban opponents, turning the screws against Lakeville South but allowing Prior Lake to hang around. This doesn’t really tell us much, but a test against Shakopee, the only top 25 team left on their schedule, certainly could. This spot in the rankings has been tough for teams to hold; can the Irish claim it, or am I fumbling for a new #7 next week?
This week: Tues vs. Shakopee, Fri at Farmington

8. White Bear Lake (8-2-1)
-A huge win over Stillwater boosts the Bears, who have collected a couple of good ones since the shutout loss to Hill. It’s a welcome sight to see someone actually asserting themselves for a spot here, with the non-Edina Lake Conference teams puttering along with a consistent string of respectable-but-not-great results. Their next few games give them a chance to stick, though Park is probably capable of causing some trouble.
This week: Thurs at Park of Cottage Grove, Sat vs. Woodbury

9. Stillwater (9-2)
-The Ponies tumble a bit after their loss to White Bear. While they still have some very nice wins to their credit, they are trending down a little right now, and they could use a good result against a quality team. Cretin this week gives them a chance to get one.
This week: Thurs vs. #6 Cretin-Derham Hall, Sat vs. East Ridge

10. Grand Rapids (9-3)
-Like their orange brethren in White Bear Lake, the Thunderhawks are trending upward after a win over Wayzata. They aren’t going to blow any quality teams out, but with their goaltending and team defense, they can trouble just about anyone when they’re on. They stick with northern opponents this week, but the renewal of that historical rivalry with Hibbing on Saturday is probably the juiciest it’s been in decades.
This week: Thurs vs. Superior (WI), Sat at Hibbing

11. Holy Angels (11-2)
-Had an adventure with St. Louis Park, and I’m revising downward as other teams collect more quality wins while they play their easier schedule. Elk River is decent, but the smooth sailing should nonetheless continue this week.
This week: Thurs at Elk River, Sat vs. Breck

12. Eden Prairie (6-6-1)
-A shutout loss to up-and-down Hermantown is a listless result for the Eagles, whose record is starting to get a little rough for a top 15 team. The week ahead has the feeling of a make-or-break one for their top 15 status, as they face the two teams immediately below them here.
This week: Thurs at #14 Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Sat at #13 Wayzata

13. Wayzata (8-5-1)
-The Trojans came up short against Grand Rapids, dropping them a couple spots here. They seem pretty well locked into the 10-15 range right now, and while a win in the Eden Prairie rematch would be nice, it won’t materially change much, either.
This week: Thurs at St. Michael-Albertville, Sat vs. #14 Eden Prairie

14. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (7-3)
-Had the week off. We’ll see if they can build on their nice run through their holiday tournament when they collide with two teams ahead of them now, including the top-ranked team in the state.
This week: Tues vs. Waconia, Thurs vs. #12 Eden Prairie, Sat at #1 Moorhead

15. Minnetonka (6-6-1)
-Another game, another competitive showing against a top team, and another loss for the Skippers, as they fell to Hill. They remain close, but have not gotten the big result yet, and like Eden Prairie (who at least has a few quality wins), at a certain point a .500 record is a .500 record. The schedule does lighten up a bit over the next two weeks, which may be a welcome relief for that record.
This week: Wed at Mahtomedi, Sat vs. Buffalo

The Next Ten

Shakopee (9-4-1)
-Rolled against Farmington, but was nice but doesn’t really move the needle here. Doing something against Rosemount this week, on the other hand, certainly would. Prior Lake and Lakeville North follow that, making for a busy week.

Bemidji (10-2-1)
-The Lumberjacks took care of one of the better 8AA teams in their only action this past week, fending off St. Michael-Albertville. Now we get the true measuring stick of this team’s quality: how well do they stack up with the top-ranked Spuds?

Rock Ridge (10-3-1)
-The Wolverines continue to creep upward as they got a quality win by knocking off Hermantown, and they shut out a section opponent in Duluth Denfeld, too. Another section game, this one with Duluth Marshall, headlines a three-game week.

Holy Family (7-5)
-Lost to Edina but responded with a tight win over Delano, which doesn’t change a whole lot here. They should rack up a couple of wins facing Litchfield and Rochester Century/John Marshall this week.

Maple Grove (6-6-1)
-A scoreless tie with Totino is one of the bigger head-scratching results of the season. Their opponents this team, Blaine and Andover, should be very telling, as both have put up some decent results lately and are hungry to climb here.

Roseville (8-5)
-Got a nice win over Park of Cottage Grove, though they couldn’t keep pace with Cretin. Woodbury and Forest Lake await them in conference play.

Champlin Park (7-5)
-Fought past Elk River in a shootout at Furniture and Things. Mounds View, Anoka, and Centennial give them a chance to accumulate some wins this week.

Blaine (8-3)
-A team moving in the right direction with convincing wins over middling opponents in Lakeville North and Centennial. If they can do anything with Maple Grove this week, it’ll be time to start paying attention here.

Lakeville South (5-8)
-Got creamed by Rosemount, but rescued their top 25 status by taking Edina to overtime. Their record is approaching Andover status, but none of them are bad losses, and they now get a chance to take care of some business, starting with Delano this week.

Andover (3-10)
-Yeah, I’m doing it: they’re a top 20 team in PageStat, and you just can’t convince me that St. Louis Park or Park of Cottage Grove or any other contender for this spot is a better hockey team right now, given the quality of two of those Husky wins. Centennial is up first this week, and they get a chance to really signal they’re back if they can do something against a Maple Grove team that hasn’t been terribly compelling of late.

[Sparlimb]

East-Side Rankings for 01/05/2025

1. Moorhead (13-1)
2. Hill-Murray (10-0-1)
3. Saint Thomas Academy (11-2)
4. Edina (10-3)
5. Cretin-Derham Hall (10-2-1)
6. Rogers (11-1-1)
7. Rosemount (14-1)
8. White Bear Lake (8-2-1)
9. Stillwater (9-2)
10. Holy Angels (11-2)
11. Grand Rapids (9-3)
12. Bemidji (10-2-1)
13. Benilde-St. Margaret (7-3)
14. Shakopee (9-4-1)
15. Wayzata (8-5-1)
16. Rock Ridge (10-3-1)
17. Blaine (8-3)
18. Holy Family (7-5)
19. Eden Prairie (6-6-1)
20. Minnetonka (6-6-1)

Also Receiving Votes: Park of Cottage Grove (8-4), Roseau (8-6-1), Two Rivers (10-2-1), Minot (ND) (3-0)

[CrimsonCakeEater]

Good stuff, still think it’s silly to punish STA for losing two close games to the #1 team and dominating the rest of their schedule while HM has been playing and beating—too often unconvincingly—against a much softer schedule. Doesn’t really matter, 2–4 will work itself out with those teams playing each other 5 more times this year.

[GoldenBear]

Karl
Well done as usual. As my usual read—-after Sunday Morning mass as I wait in the lot so traffic dies down I open up and enjoy your rankings. Thanks One thought this week—I anticipated your first three way tie in the rankings—wayzata/Tonka/ EP. Have you ever said …screw it ..no clue who is better and ranked them the same and moved on? GB

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

I believe STA is Hill's most common opponent. They been in at least 4 different conferences together. This is the biggest contest I can ever recall between them, barring the state semifinal in 2020.

And what's with the late starts for Edina Saturday home games? Some of us Esst Siders are getting a little long in the tooth to be getting home so late. Although it does allow for a nice dinner at Tavern 23.

[SEC Scotty]

Great job guys!
Cretin is should be around 8 or 9.

[Sparlimb]

Good stuff, still think it’s silly to punish STA for losing two close games to the #1 team and dominating the rest of their schedule while HM has been playing and beating—too often unconvincingly—against a much softer schedule. Doesn’t really matter, 2–4 will work itself out with those teams playing each other 5 more times this year.

That is kind of the beauty of high school hockey. Rankings mean nothing. Everyone gets to sections and has their shot. Hill still has 2 with Edina and 2 with STA and one with Moorhead. And while it seems those are the top 4 teams, where they belong is anyone's guess. Moorhead has a strong argument with 4 wins over Edina and STA though.

[ryguyMN]

Good stuff, still think it’s silly to punish STA for losing two close games to the #1 team and dominating the rest of their schedule while HM has been playing and beating—too often unconvincingly—against a much softer schedule. Doesn’t really matter, 2–4 will work itself out with those teams playing each other 5 more times this year.

The game Tuesday will be to see who’s number 2.

I see the double entendre there…

[East Side Pioneer Guy]

Karl
Well done as usual. As my usual read—-after Sunday Morning mass as I wait in the lot so traffic dies down I open up and enjoy your rankings. Thanks One thought this week—I anticipated your first three way tie in the rankings—wayzata/Tonka/ EP. Have you ever said …screw it ..no clue who is better and ranked them the same and moved on? GB

You should come to my parish. Instead of waiting in the parking lot, you can join us for coffee and donuts, We even serve the diet kind, with the hole in the middle.

[karl(east)]

Karl
Well done as usual. As my usual read—-after Sunday Morning mass as I wait in the lot so traffic dies down I open up and enjoy your rankings. Thanks One thought this week—I anticipated your first three way tie in the rankings—wayzata/Tonka/ EP. Have you ever said …screw it ..no clue who is better and ranked them the same and moved on? GB

Nope, I never have! No ties in these rankings, even if teams are virtually indistinguishable. I'd rather try something and see if it's right or not. The Lake Conference (behind Edina) definitely seems like a coin flip at this point, though...

[BlueLineSpecial]

Good stuff, still think it’s silly to punish STA for losing two close games to the #1 team and dominating the rest of their schedule while HM has been playing and beating—too often unconvincingly—against a much softer schedule. Doesn’t really matter, 2–4 will work itself out with those teams playing each other 5 more times this year.

That is kind of the beauty of high school hockey. Rankings mean nothing. Everyone gets to sections and has their shot. Hill still has 2 with Edina and 2 with STA and one with Moorhead. And while it seems those are the top 4 teams, where they belong is anyone's guess. Moorhead has a strong argument with 4 wins over Edina and STA though.

Agreed with both statements. Hill plays Moorhead, STA (x2), Edina (x2) and Rogers in the coming weeks. That should help provide clarity on the top teams. However, it wouldn't surprise me to see some wins/losses/ties mixed into those games, so it may just end up being a short-term shuffling and re-shuffling of the top 5.

I'm guessing Hill expected their schedule would have been tougher to date, but it just hasn't played out that way. All you can do is win the games you're in, and they've done that. From PageStat (primarily because it includes A & AA): Hill has played 6 top-25 teams to date. They're 5-0-1 and have outscored those 6 opponents by a combined 29-10. Sure, it'd be great if they put #10 Tonka into running time, or destroyed Lakeville North by more than 3 goals (they were up 5 well into the 3rd). I guess I have more realistic expectations for 17 year olds lol. Tomorrow's tilt against STA will be a better measuring stick on where this team is at. I hope it's a good one!

[GoldenBear]

Karl
Well done as usual. As my usual read—-after Sunday Morning mass as I wait in the lot so traffic dies down I open up and enjoy your rankings. Thanks One thought this week—I anticipated your first three way tie in the rankings—wayzata/Tonka/ EP. Have you ever said …screw it ..no clue who is better and ranked them the same and moved on? GB

You should come to my parish. Instead of waiting in the parking lot, you can join us for coffee and donuts, We even serve the diet kind, with the hole in the middle.

I could use some diet donuts as well as shorter sermon on Sundays, please provide the parish name and I may make the trip to the Promise Land--after a Saturday night Pioneer victory of course. GB

[karl(east)]

test

[east hockey]

test

Let's see if the message went away

(nope, still there. It also won't let an admin permanently delete a post, only temporarily--I think the post disappears from the "regulars" but not us "elitest admins" :green:

Lee

[karl(east)]

test

Let's see if the message went away

(nope, still there. It also won't let an admin permanently delete a post, only temporarily--I think the post disappears from the "regulars" but not us "elitest admins" :green:

Lee

I tried deleting it permanently too, but with no luck. Tough times for us elitists!

Is there a parade in Proctor after tonight's tie, Lee?

[east hockey]

test

Let's see if the message went away

(nope, still there. It also won't let an admin permanently delete a post, only temporarily--I think the post disappears from the "regulars" but not us "elitest admins" :green:

Lee

I tried deleting it permanently too, but with no luck. Tough times for us elitists!

Is there a parade in Proctor after tonight's tie, Lee?

I don't know, but I might start one!

Lee