2025-26 Section 2A

[ClassAGuy]

2025-26 Section 2A Preseason Preview

The depth of Section 2A changed dramatically both figuratively and literally when the MSHSL came out with new section assignments this past offseason. The section size shifted as it went from 8 to 11 teams, and the overall depth of teams makes this look like the deepest in Class A. Orono was able to three-peat as Section 2A Champions last season. However, the offseason brought changes for the Spartans as they graduated a large senior class and lost their two top returning players to early departures, but they will still look to be as competitive as ever and try to 4-peat this winter. The challengers are there as Delano brings back most of its pieces from a Top 10 team a year ago that will be looking to get back to St Paul. Two former 6AA teams in Blake, who have a loaded roster of veterans from a 19-win team, and St Louis Park, who have been a thorn for many AA West Metro powers, now drop into this section to be instant contenders. Providence Academy has one of the scariest offenses in Class A, and Breck has a new coach and some new players to be contenders as well. Heck, even Minneapolis & Westonka would contend for a top seed in some other Class A section, which shows what a gauntlet Section 2A will be this winter.

BHS 2025-26 Section 2A Preseason Ranking
1- Delano Tigers
2- Blake Bears
3- St Louis Park Orioles
4- Orono Spartans
5- Providence Academy Lions
6- Breck Mustangs
7- Minneapolis
8- Westonka White Hawks
9- Waconia Wildcats
10- Southwest Christian/Richfield Stars
11- Hutchinson Tigers


1- Delano Tigers
Head Coach- Gerrit van Bergen 12th year, (206-95-6)
Last Year's Record and Finish: (15-11-1) Lost in Section 2A Semifinals
Tigers Outlook- Delano has become a Class A blueblood program over the last decade, and when it comes to the preseason rankings, the Tigers always seem like a program that needs to be included in the annual Top 10 Rankings. Coach van Bergen and his staff can always be counted on to build a well-coached unit that will be playing its best hockey come playoff time, and they will generally be able to make a good playoff run. However, it's now been four years since their last Section 2A Title, but this group of Seniors did take 2nd in State in A Bantams, and they look to have a very deep and talented lineup. Offensively, they bring back loads of talent led by Seniors Daniel Halonen, Brody Geislinger, Brady Kangas & Jacob Perlich, all of whom played good minutes the last two years to have a good core of veterans to build around. Add to them Sophomore Lance Halonen, who had a huge 9th grade campaign, and look for Juniors Mason Mattson & Jonny McCabe, and Sophomore Grant Bruett to add to their offensive depth, and they have Sophomores Griffin Priebe & Austin Kazin ready to push for minutes from the Bantams for a deep offense. On defense, Senior Connor Oja, Junior Bennett Halonen & Sophomore Jackson Wollak return with experience and look for Junior Dylan Nelson, a forward converting to defense, and Sophomores Ryan Rousu & Blake Pietila, from the Bantams, to be ready to jump into the defensive core rotation this winter and make the Tigers solid as always in their own end. In net, Senior Evan Geyen is back, and he has been the main guy the last two winters and has all kinds of experience to build off. Looking at this year’s version of Delano on paper, they have experience and depth in all three phases of their lineup, and they will be the favorite to start the year to win an ultra-tough Section 2A.

2- Blake Bears
Head Coach- JT Wyman 1st season, (0-0-0)
Last Year's Record and Finish: (19-7-1) Lost in Section 6AA Quarterfinals
Bears Outlook- Blake was another big news maker this past offseason when they decided they would no longer opt up to AA after doing so for the last eight seasons. The Bears return to Class A and become an instant contender as they return the majority of their roster from a group that won 19 games, which included going (11-1-0) vs Class A competition last winter. They have a roster that is loaded with upperclassmen and experience, and they should have a very good Class A team this winter and will be a Top 10 Team, and should push to make state for the first time since 2019. Up front they return tons of talent and scoring as Seniors Joe Erickson & Landon Bell are after both back after having huge seasons last year and they will have plenty of help with classmates Seniors Jack Mark, Eli Crosby, Charlie Moore & Liam Brink and Junior Theo Liddicoat all having varsity experience and bring back good depth scoring from last year to give Blake a very deep and dangerous offense. They will also look to get a boost from new transfers Senior Cooper Simmons & Junior Blake Biglebach, who should step in and contribute as well. Add to that deep offense that they return the majority of their defensive unit, as well, as Seniors Max Vinar & Jimmy Hughes, along with Juniors Axel Bisbee, Connor Briand, Drew Cheng, Ian Jaehn, and Sophomore George Mark, all return with varsity experience this winter and will be counted on early to help break in a new goalie this season behind them. As noted, the only big question mark for this team that returns just about everyone will be in net as they will look to Junior Jake Iwan to improve being a year older, as he will look to grow off of the limited experience that he got last winter. With all the talent and depth returning both up front and on the back end, it should be a big year for 1st year Head Coach JT Wyman, who takes the lead at his alma mater, and Blake will be a serious contender all season long in their return to Class A and will be a major player within Section 2A.

3- St Louis Park Orioles
Head Coach: Tyler Brodersen 4th Year, (42-35-1)
Last Year’s Record and Finish: (16-10-0) Lost in Section 6AA Quarterfinals
Orioles Outlook- If you are looking for a sleeper team to make some serious noise in Class A this year, look no further than St Louis Park. Another program that got a jolt of life this offseason when they had their appeal granted to get down into Class A. The Orioles did graduate a good amount of production from last year's 16 win team but they do return some very good pieces and their Junior class, while some ended up at Benilde, the majority of the core from that team are on this squad, which placed 4th place at A Bantam State two years ago. Meaning this group has experienced success and they come down from 6AA to be an immediate contender within Section 2A and within Class A overall. Up front, Seniors Marty Hirte, Ollie Culp, Teddy Rich & Grant Haggerty, along with Junior Liam McCoy, all have varsity experience and should be a very strong core to build their new goal scoring production around. They will look for offensive depth to come from Juniors Nick Moran & Braden Neudecker, from the JV, and Michael Hudick, a transfer from California, and Sophomore Finn Rider, from the Bantams, who all appear ready to step up and contribute to the offense this winter. On defense, they return Senior Owen Anklam & Junior Leo Schmoll, who are both excellent and productive players on the blueline. Look for Senior Brian Duncan, who has some varsity experience, and Junior Cam Jackson, from the JV, as players to step in and play big minutes. In net, they graduated their main starter, but they do return Senior Parker Jirik, who saw some limited action last year but did well in those games to give the Orioles faith in him. This is a team to keep an eye on this year as they have been competitive within 6AA over the last few years and now back in Class A they could definitely make run in Section 2A and be a surprise entrant to get back State for the first since 2003 as this is a team that could definitely be a surprise contender and climb up the Class A rankings all winter long.

4- Orono Spartans
Head Coach- Mitch Hall 2nd year, (17-11-3)
Last Year's Record and Finish: (17-11-3) Section 2A Champion and took 3rd Place in Class A
Spartans Outlook- Orono last season was able to overcome the graduation of a large Senior class and a Coaching Change, and despite all that turnover, the Spartans ended up not only winning the Section 2A Championship for the third straight year but placing 3rd in Class A by season's end. This year, though, does feel like the challenge will be much more daunting for Orono, who were again hit hard by graduation this offseason, but also in addition to that, came the news early departures of their star forward and defenseman, which has this traditional Class A power with some big questions to answer heading into this season. Offensively, they lost star forward Jackson Knight to an early departure, but they do return Senior Rory Kvern, who has been one of the leading goal scorers the last two seasons, and Sophomore Ryan De Lange, who had a strong freshman campaign. For depth, they return Seniors Boston Foster, Winfield Stephens & Blake Tichy, who played varsity minutes last year to add to the depth. Also, look for a solid crew of players to make the jump up from a good JV team last year and push for playing time this winter to allow for Coach Hall to build a typical tough nosed Spartan team around, as always. Defensively, they lost stud Luca DeCubellis to an early departure as well, but they will look to players like Senior Nick Nugent & Connor Mallak and Junior Jake Bradstock who all have some varsity experience to build another solid defensive unit around and they have done well in past seasons developing players as the season goes along to play their tough defensive brand of hockey. A bright spot looks to be Senior Maxwell Lewin who returns in net, as he was strong when he got limited action last year, and he should be ready to take over the starter role full time this season. It all adds up to some big questions for this Orono team to answer but they will look to fill holes from within to be a contender as always within Section 2A and have a chance to get back to State for a 4th straight year.

5- Providence Academy Lions
Head Coach: Chris Lewis 6th Year, (65-52-4)
Last Year’s Record and Finish: (12-12-3) Lost in Section 2A Semifinals
Lions Outlook- Providence Academy was one of the surprise teams in Class A last year, as they went from a preseason low seed in 2A prediction to being a Top 25 team by the season's end. While injuries really derailed their season at the end of the year, they were still able to win a playoff game and reach the Semifinals, and they return loads of talent and experience from that team and should be a team to watch this year as they could make a splash in a very deep and tough Section 2A. Up front, they return their leading scorers in Juniors Gavin Sattler, who is an elite forward, & William Stricker, who both had big Sophomore seasons and both should only be more dangerous this winter. Add to them that the Lions also return Senior Jay Anderson and Juniors Eliot Carlson, Mason Carlson & Kaden Farner, who all have varsity experience to build some good depth around in what should be a strong Lions offense. On defense, Senior Josh Wilson & Junior Chase Carlson both return with experience, but after that, there are some question marks and they will need players like Junior Fox Huffman, who saw some varsity ice, and incoming Sophomore Ellis Martin to add to the defensive core which will need to develop as the year goes for them to be a true contender this season. The biggest question mark for this team and why they started the year just outside the top 20 is in the net, as they struggled to find consistent goaltending last year. They do return options in Seniors Owen Villagomez, Kaden Martin & Noah Duerr, who all have varsity experience, and the hope is that one can take the starter role and run with it this season and provide more stability this year. If they can get good goaltending and be better in their own end, watch out, because the talent is here for Providence Academy to be a good sleeper pick in Class A, as they have a very good core of Juniors, and they will be able to score with any team in the state.

6- Breck Mustangs
Head Coach: Joe Dziedzic 14th Year, (182-141-16)
Last Year’s Record and Finish: (11-12-2) Lost in Section 2A Quarterfinals
Mustangs Outlook- Breck made some big shock waves this offseason as they went out and hired one of the top coaches in all of Class A, hiring Joe Dziedzic away from Minneapolis, and this appears to be a move within the school to begin to focus back on hockey after going away from that model for the last few years. Breck is a blueblood program within Class A, and they appear to now be restocking the pipeline to get back to that status. This could be an interesting team to pay attention to this winter as they have some good returning top-end talent along with a few transfers that could help make them a surprise contender. Up front, they return Senior Garrett Trench, who put up big numbers last year, and they brought in transfer Eli Milinkovich, a very talented player from MPLS, who they hope will anchor their offensive attack. They will need depth, and they will look to Seniors Nick Downing, Wesley Robbins, Owen Van Horn, George MacBean & Sawyer Malkinson, who all have varsity experience and they hope will add to the scoring more this year, and look for transfer Sophomore Colten Crook to make an immediate impact. On defense, they should be strong as they will be led by Seniors Cooper Klinck, who is a high-end defenseman, and Rocco Zoia, and Sophomores Joey Abrams & Ryan Pierce, who all have varsity experience. Add to them the transfer of Senior Erik Larson, who will add an immediate impact to this group, and the Mustangs should be good in their own end. In net, Seniors Mac West & Danny Paster do return with some limited experience, and they have some others who will be contending for time in the net as well. If they can find some depth and they buy into their new coach's system and structure quickly, this could be a sneaky good team that will climb up the 2A and Class A rankings all winter, and Breck appears to be back in the hockey business.

7- Minneapolis
Head Coach- Cris Grassel 1st year, (0-0-0)
Last Year's Record and Finish: (17-8-3) Lost in Section 2A Championship Game
MPLS Outlook- The boys from the 612 had another outstanding season last winter that came up just short of getting back to the Tourney as they had their season ended by section rival Orono for the 3rd straight year. The offseason has been one of change for Minneapolis as they saw the majority of their roster graduate, and they lost their long-time head coach and top returning scorer to a section rival. Now, Coach Grassel takes the reins of his alma mater in his first season, and he hopes to lead a young 612 crew back to their normal standards. Up front, they lost a lot of production to graduation as 5 of their leading scorers graduated, and their top returner, Eli Milinkovich, transferred to Breck. They will have to remake their offense, but look for leadership from Seniors Milo Black, Owen Deyoung & Aaron Murphy, who return with varsity experience. They will also look for Juniors Will Ackerman & Emmitt Anderson to provide some depth a year older, and also look for Sophomores Evan Swenson & Ryan Mullen, and 9th grader Bodhi Hayne to push for minutes and contribute coming up from the Bantams. The strength of this team will be on the blueline as they return loads of experience at defense as Sophomore Wilson Lamberty, is one of the top young defenseman in Class A, and Seniors Jack Shroat & Oliver Kutzer and Junior Owen Christensen are all strong defenders with experience and look for Sophomore Theodore Gustin to contend for ice time and they should be very good in their own end. In net, they lost both of their starters who rotated last year to graduation, but look for Junior Aiden Skotterud from the JV to step in there. Overall, there is plenty of change happening at Minneapolis, and they may take some time to figure out their new style of play, but there is still plenty of talent here for the 612 boys to be contenders as normal by season's end.

8- Westonka White Hawks
Head Coach: Jeff DeGree 4th Year, (24-52-1)
Last Year’s Record and Finish: (11-15-0) Lost in Section 2A Quarterfinals
White Hawks Outlook- Last season the White Hawks were one of the picks in Class A to have a breakout year with all the offense they brought back after a few rebuilding years, Westonka though was plagued with injuries and struggled to defend and they finished the season below .500. Now this season they return with a potent lineup filled with skill that gives them lots of optimism they can rebound from last year's disappointment and have a big year this season but how they play in their own end will determine their season’s fate. Up front, they return their leading scorers as the dangerous duo of Seniors Liam Grant & Collin Hagen are back after each having 50-point seasons last year, and Seniors Logan Hill & Wesley Foley, and Junior Beckett Poikonen return as well, all having double-digit points last year to provide depth. They will also have transfer Senior Colton Decker and Sophomore Killian Mulleady ready to step in to add to the point production as well. They are also bringing up early 9th grader Ronan Childers, who is an elite forward in the youth program, to make the offense even scarier. The big question mark on this team is the back end, as they graduated a good chunk of their defensive core, and they will look to Senior Theo Karr & Junior Griffin Olson to build on their varsity experience to build a new core around. They do bring back experience in net as Senior Kaleb Halonen is back, and they hope that him being a year older will provide more stability there. If they can shore up the team defense and be better at keeping the puck out of their own net, this could be a team to watch with all they have returning and are bringing in offensively as they will be a challenge to contain all winter long.

9- Waconia Wildcats
Head Coach: Steve Maciosek 2nd Year, (16-10-0)
Last Year’s Record and Finish: (16-10-0) Lost in Section 2AA Quarterfinals
Wildcats Outlook- Welcome back to Class A hockey, Waconia. The Wildcats were another team this offseason that was able to get back into Class A after spending the past two seasons in the deep and tough Section 2AA. The last time we saw Waconia in Section 2A, they were making program history as they reached the Section Semifinal for the first time in program history. They hope the move back down will spark more program growth like that moving forward, and they are coming off a 16-win season a year ago. However, they graduated a large senior class, and they will be young in many areas, making this look like a rebuilding year, but the young talent is there for this to be another dangerous team in Section 2A. Offensively, they did graduate the majority of their scoring, but Sophomore Kylar Cox is back after a good freshman campaign, and look for Seniors Maxwell Kelley, McCullen Mayo & Connor Rieck, along with Junior Grant Zieman, who all have varsity experience to provide the building blocks of a new offense. Also look for Sophomores McCoy Archambault, Carter Remme & Isaiah Stifter coming up from a good Bantam team to contend for minutes. Defensively, they should be strong as Seniors Devon Stifter, Carter Dietz & Nick Gleason, along with Juniors Brendan Clemens & Karsen Herman, all return with experience and production, and look for Sophomore Maguire Knorr to come in and contribute immediately from the youth program. In the net, they graduate their main starter but look for Junior Anthony Simons & Sophomore Marek Wozniak, who both got limited action to contend for more time this year. While there are plenty of new roles that need to be filled, it is an exciting time for a young Waconia team to be back in Class A as they look to build their program.

10- Southwest Christian/Richfield Stars
Head Coach- Hunter Warner 1st year, (0-0-0)
Last Year's Record and Finish: (9-15-2) Lost in Section 4A Quarterfinals
Stars Outlook- The Stars had a tough season last year as they fell below expectations, and they were an upset victim in the first round of the playoffs. Then came the offseason where plenty of change happened at Southwest Christian/Richfield as they saw a coaching change, a few top returners transferred, and they moved from the friendly home of Section 4A back to ultra-tough Section 2A. Yet despite all that change, there is reason for optimism as they do return some nice pieces, and they have a feeling of excitement within the program as they head into this season. Offensively, they return Senior Christian Greer, who had a good year on the Stars' top line last winter. They also have Seniors Carter Miedema, Vinny Ferrara & Dylan Trebil, and Junior Rowan Forpahl, who all have varsity experience to add to the depth up front, and also look for Sophomore Henry Feltmann to provide impact after being one of the top forwards on the JV last year. Defensively, they did take a big hit with the transfer of Tate Hardacre, and they will have some holes to fill there, but look for leadership from Senior Luke Dore, who is back with good varsity experience to build a new blueline around. In net, they have Sophomore Hudson Tucker back with good experience, and look for him to be pushed by Sophomore Lance Dore to have some good competition there. Looking at what is returning and all the new excitement around this program, they will look to have a positive year and work to be contenders in a deep Section 2A.

11- Hutchinson Tigers
Head Coach: Matt Telecky 22nd year, (229-302-21)
Last Year’s Record and Finish: (11-13-2) Lost in Section 2A Quarterfinals
Tigers Outlook- Hutchinson last year had its typical slow start to the season as the prep football power doesn't normally get all its skaters on the ice till a week or two into the season. Yet the Tigers were one of the better teams in the second half of the year last winter as they worked their way out of an early-season hole and became a very tough team to play by the end of the year. However, the offseason saw a large senior class and most of the team's production leave, and on paper, this appears to look like a rebuilding year as they will be counting on many new and young faces to step into large roles this winter. Offensively, they lost their 5 leading scorers to graduation, as only Junior Grady Campbell returns with double-digit points, and they also have Senior Clayton Witte & Junior Jack Hantge back with some varsity experience, and look for Senior Griffin Neppl coming off an injury to compete for minutes. There will be plenty of spots open for competition for the youth, and look for Sophomores Austin Carter, Kolton Plombon, Talan Struthers & Ben Van Marel coming up from the Bantams to contend for minutes and contribute as well. On defense, they will be led by Senior Hudson Lien, who has a wealth of experience and is their top returning scorer as well. They also have Senior Griffin Hutchins & Junior Charlie Wacek back with varsity experience, and look for Sophomore Reggie Murphy to contend for minutes coming in from the youth program. In net, they graduated their long-time starter, so they will need a new face there as well, but look for Senior Konnor Winn & Junior Weston Borstad to compete to be a main guy this year. Overall, there are lots of holes to fill, and while we can expect the Tigers to start slowly, they will look to build throughout the year to try and be a contender by the end of the season in very deep and tough Section 2A.