Final 2011 AA Rankings
Posted: Sun Mar 13, 2011 10:34 am
One last time in 2010-2011.
1. EDEN PRAIRIE
-Congratulations to one of the most impressive senior classes we’ve seen in a long time on their second state championship in three years. For the first time in a while, we can say the team with the most top-end talent won, and that is definitely worth something. Mike Randolph’s congratulatory remarks to the Eagles after the game say it all…by sticking together and playing as a team through high school, this group has shown us the meaning of greatness.
2. Duluth East
-I was mildly tempted to go re-post all of the gripes that appeared when I first ranked them #2 this year, but I’m not feeling that vindictive. The Hounds showed off their strong defense, depth, and perseverance at this tourney, and put us on edge with four straight brilliant overtime games to close out their season. I hope these young players stick around, because they have a real chance to do something special next year. Barring drastic changes, I expect they will be the preseason #1.
3. Eagan
-No program took as big a step forward this year as Eagan, who brought home some hardware for the first time ever. They fell flat against EP, but they showed a lot of promise in their other two state tourney games. We’ll see them near the top again next season.
4. Wayzata
-Took EP to the wire in one of the finest quality section finals you’ll ever see, but this program still can’t quite get over the hump. They’re going to miss a number of the top seniors, but if Lucia sticks around they’ll have the preseason Mr. Hockey favorite in addition to one of the deepest programs in the state.
5. Edina
-The ending fell a little flat, but the Hornets had a strong season, beat the state champs 2 out of 3 times, and took Duluth East to the wire in their semifinal. They lose quite a bit, but then, they are Edina, so they won’t be going too far away.
6. Grand Rapids
-Much like Wayzata, the Thunderhawks gave a finalist all they could handle. It’s great to see them back on the state scene after a brief hiatus, and they should be very dangerous for several years to come. I’m still stunned by the way their season ended.
7. Hill-Murray
-The Pioneers spent the latter portion of the season at #1, but their experience reminds us of the limitations of rankings. There was no way a ranking could predict what happened in that section final, despite my sneaking suspicions that something just might happen. Some have said they were overrated; in all honesty, I might still take my chances with this squad in a game against anyone. That’s what great rivalries do--they simply render rankings meaningless. But this is Hill, and with some of the young talent they’ve got, they’ll be right back up there next season.
8. Burnsville
-Won a highly competitive SSC without incredible difficulty, and then gave Edina a great run before ultimately succumbing. They lose quite a bit, but the program has some good young talent on the way that should keep them relevant in 2AA.
9. Maple Grove
-The Crimson took many steps forward this past season, winning the conference, the #1 seed in the section, and knocking off several top teams. But in the end, it was more of the same when it came to a game against Blaine in the playoffs. I suspect we’ll become more and more accustomed to seeing this team amongst the top ten in the coming years.
10. Benilde-St. Margaret’s
-A strong regular season, but the Red Knights fell flat in the 6AA semifinals. They lose a couple top players, but return the core of the team; they will have to work to avoid the pitfalls that this past year’s team fell into.
11. Apple Valley
-The season had its ups and downs, but fell a bit flat after the waves they made towards the end of last season. (Badly timed sicknesses certainly didn’t help.) Barring any defections they will return one of the most dangerous cores of talent in the state, though once again they have the question of who they’ll be surrounding them with.
12. White Bear Lake
-The regular season was strong but not really top-15, and the closing loss to Lakeville North wasn’t a high note to end on, either. But the upset of Hill simply made this team’s season, and their first two state tourney games showed just how much momentum and sheer will can carry a team. The Bears won themselves a nice bandwagon this season
13. Minnetonka
-Looked competitive throughout most of the season, but the season soured towards the end. Still, it was a pretty young team trying to rebuild in the toughest conference in the state, and they do return a lot of quality talent for next season. They should be in the thick of the race once again next year, and should avoid a semifinal blowout.
14. Blaine
-Reminded us they’re not going away, as they upset Maple Grove in the section final. They gave Edina a good run in the opening game of the Tourney as well. Another team to look to in the future.
15. Lakeville North
-Why not? North represented 1AA well at state and brought home a well-earned consolation trophy. Sure, the regular season was below .500, but with Lindgren in nets they had a shot in just about every game. He’ll be back to take another shot at a quality South team next season.
Also Worth Mentioning
Moorhead. They got by a strong Bemidji team to make the tourney, and should be good again next year.
Bemidji. Jumped back onto the map with a very impressive regular season; someday we’ll see them break through in 8AA.
Bloomington Jefferson. Came on strong towards the end of the season to make up for some early disappointments.
Lakeville South. For the second year in a row they made us think we’d get a relatively strong 1AA representative before going down, and North then stole their thunder. So we’ll say the same thing once again: they have the top end talent to be a strong representative for 1AA next year.
Beyond that, in no particular order: Cloquet, Elk River, Prior Lake, Stillwater, Roseville, Centennial, Holy Angels, Osseo.
Looking through that list, it sure seems like there’s an awful lot of returning talent on many of these top teams. Of course some may bolt for other opportunities in the coming months, but there’s a ton of potential there.
What we learned
Above all, ranking is a humbling business; one has to correct for tons of things one doesn’t know every single week. Even when I think I have it all figured out, things can blow up in an instant. Despite some upsets, I think my general ideas about what make teams good are still pretty accurate. I kept a list of a few of the things that prompted a lot of dissent, or in which I differed from other rankings:
-Putting East up at #2. I think we can agree on that one now.
-Benilde (in both directions). I think I found middle ground pretty well there.
-I was a bit harsher on Apple Valley than some for most of the year, though I did perhaps over-compensate towards the end.
-Roseville and Stillwater; some people jumped on those bandwagons early on, but I think they showed they weren’t quite up there with the others.
-How to handle Bemidji and their weak schedule. I think I handled that pretty well.
-Hill at #1. In 20/20 hindsight, I probably should have given EP’s experience a little more credit. But I had my reasons, and I don’t think they were without merit.
Looking back at the preseason rankings, I think most teams are within a reasonable margin of error from where I had them. The ones that did a bit better were (once again) primarily young teams--Duluth East, Eagan, Grand Rapids. The big misses were almost all northern teams--Grand Rapids, Bemidji, Roseau; the only other team I’d add to that list is Forest Lake. This is a bit unfortunate for a northerner, and something I’ll look at in the future. The only other notable differences are due to dramatic playoff upsets, and I don’t fault myself for those ones.
Acknowledgments
My list of several sites and media outlets that make these rankings possible:
-MN Hockey Hub. The steps taken in centralizing information over the past few years have been a huge step forward for the sport in this state. I appreciate everyone’s effort over there, and I hope this forum and the Hub can continue to work together to inform the hockey community.
-FollowThePuck. As always, a wonderful collection of information, some of the fastest score-reporting, and a very nice format. Thanks again to Doug for all his work.
-MyFoxHockey. Any out-of-state fan’s lifeline to big AA games; a huge part of the subjective portion of my rankings rely on what I see there. The product gets steadily better every year. Thanks to Pete and Bart and the behind-the-scenes crew who let me experience some great games.
-MSBN. For great radio and some video broadcasts throughout the year, and of course a superb performance during sections.
-The various radio stations out there that are forward-thinking enough to get their broadcasts up on the internet.
-Lee and Mitch for their computer rankings, which are always a nice reference tool, and Lee and the Hill-Murray website for their great archives on MN HS hockey history.
-But above all, thanks to the people of the forum for their many contributions, criticisms, and opinions throughout the year. The interaction and chatter these rankings create is something the others don’t have, and they’re what makes this forum worth having as well. As I’ve said before, I will never claim to be an expert; I’m merely a student of high school hockey, and I welcome any contribution that adds to my knowledge in some way. Thanks for making my first year as a moderator on here relatively pain-free and entertaining, and thanks for the many compliments given to these rankings.
See you all next season…though I suspect we’ll find plenty to discuss in the next few months as well.
1. EDEN PRAIRIE
-Congratulations to one of the most impressive senior classes we’ve seen in a long time on their second state championship in three years. For the first time in a while, we can say the team with the most top-end talent won, and that is definitely worth something. Mike Randolph’s congratulatory remarks to the Eagles after the game say it all…by sticking together and playing as a team through high school, this group has shown us the meaning of greatness.
2. Duluth East
-I was mildly tempted to go re-post all of the gripes that appeared when I first ranked them #2 this year, but I’m not feeling that vindictive. The Hounds showed off their strong defense, depth, and perseverance at this tourney, and put us on edge with four straight brilliant overtime games to close out their season. I hope these young players stick around, because they have a real chance to do something special next year. Barring drastic changes, I expect they will be the preseason #1.
3. Eagan
-No program took as big a step forward this year as Eagan, who brought home some hardware for the first time ever. They fell flat against EP, but they showed a lot of promise in their other two state tourney games. We’ll see them near the top again next season.
4. Wayzata
-Took EP to the wire in one of the finest quality section finals you’ll ever see, but this program still can’t quite get over the hump. They’re going to miss a number of the top seniors, but if Lucia sticks around they’ll have the preseason Mr. Hockey favorite in addition to one of the deepest programs in the state.
5. Edina
-The ending fell a little flat, but the Hornets had a strong season, beat the state champs 2 out of 3 times, and took Duluth East to the wire in their semifinal. They lose quite a bit, but then, they are Edina, so they won’t be going too far away.
6. Grand Rapids
-Much like Wayzata, the Thunderhawks gave a finalist all they could handle. It’s great to see them back on the state scene after a brief hiatus, and they should be very dangerous for several years to come. I’m still stunned by the way their season ended.
7. Hill-Murray
-The Pioneers spent the latter portion of the season at #1, but their experience reminds us of the limitations of rankings. There was no way a ranking could predict what happened in that section final, despite my sneaking suspicions that something just might happen. Some have said they were overrated; in all honesty, I might still take my chances with this squad in a game against anyone. That’s what great rivalries do--they simply render rankings meaningless. But this is Hill, and with some of the young talent they’ve got, they’ll be right back up there next season.
8. Burnsville
-Won a highly competitive SSC without incredible difficulty, and then gave Edina a great run before ultimately succumbing. They lose quite a bit, but the program has some good young talent on the way that should keep them relevant in 2AA.
9. Maple Grove
-The Crimson took many steps forward this past season, winning the conference, the #1 seed in the section, and knocking off several top teams. But in the end, it was more of the same when it came to a game against Blaine in the playoffs. I suspect we’ll become more and more accustomed to seeing this team amongst the top ten in the coming years.
10. Benilde-St. Margaret’s
-A strong regular season, but the Red Knights fell flat in the 6AA semifinals. They lose a couple top players, but return the core of the team; they will have to work to avoid the pitfalls that this past year’s team fell into.
11. Apple Valley
-The season had its ups and downs, but fell a bit flat after the waves they made towards the end of last season. (Badly timed sicknesses certainly didn’t help.) Barring any defections they will return one of the most dangerous cores of talent in the state, though once again they have the question of who they’ll be surrounding them with.
12. White Bear Lake
-The regular season was strong but not really top-15, and the closing loss to Lakeville North wasn’t a high note to end on, either. But the upset of Hill simply made this team’s season, and their first two state tourney games showed just how much momentum and sheer will can carry a team. The Bears won themselves a nice bandwagon this season
13. Minnetonka
-Looked competitive throughout most of the season, but the season soured towards the end. Still, it was a pretty young team trying to rebuild in the toughest conference in the state, and they do return a lot of quality talent for next season. They should be in the thick of the race once again next year, and should avoid a semifinal blowout.
14. Blaine
-Reminded us they’re not going away, as they upset Maple Grove in the section final. They gave Edina a good run in the opening game of the Tourney as well. Another team to look to in the future.
15. Lakeville North
-Why not? North represented 1AA well at state and brought home a well-earned consolation trophy. Sure, the regular season was below .500, but with Lindgren in nets they had a shot in just about every game. He’ll be back to take another shot at a quality South team next season.
Also Worth Mentioning
Moorhead. They got by a strong Bemidji team to make the tourney, and should be good again next year.
Bemidji. Jumped back onto the map with a very impressive regular season; someday we’ll see them break through in 8AA.
Bloomington Jefferson. Came on strong towards the end of the season to make up for some early disappointments.
Lakeville South. For the second year in a row they made us think we’d get a relatively strong 1AA representative before going down, and North then stole their thunder. So we’ll say the same thing once again: they have the top end talent to be a strong representative for 1AA next year.
Beyond that, in no particular order: Cloquet, Elk River, Prior Lake, Stillwater, Roseville, Centennial, Holy Angels, Osseo.
Looking through that list, it sure seems like there’s an awful lot of returning talent on many of these top teams. Of course some may bolt for other opportunities in the coming months, but there’s a ton of potential there.
What we learned
Above all, ranking is a humbling business; one has to correct for tons of things one doesn’t know every single week. Even when I think I have it all figured out, things can blow up in an instant. Despite some upsets, I think my general ideas about what make teams good are still pretty accurate. I kept a list of a few of the things that prompted a lot of dissent, or in which I differed from other rankings:
-Putting East up at #2. I think we can agree on that one now.
-Benilde (in both directions). I think I found middle ground pretty well there.
-I was a bit harsher on Apple Valley than some for most of the year, though I did perhaps over-compensate towards the end.
-Roseville and Stillwater; some people jumped on those bandwagons early on, but I think they showed they weren’t quite up there with the others.
-How to handle Bemidji and their weak schedule. I think I handled that pretty well.
-Hill at #1. In 20/20 hindsight, I probably should have given EP’s experience a little more credit. But I had my reasons, and I don’t think they were without merit.
Looking back at the preseason rankings, I think most teams are within a reasonable margin of error from where I had them. The ones that did a bit better were (once again) primarily young teams--Duluth East, Eagan, Grand Rapids. The big misses were almost all northern teams--Grand Rapids, Bemidji, Roseau; the only other team I’d add to that list is Forest Lake. This is a bit unfortunate for a northerner, and something I’ll look at in the future. The only other notable differences are due to dramatic playoff upsets, and I don’t fault myself for those ones.
Acknowledgments
My list of several sites and media outlets that make these rankings possible:
-MN Hockey Hub. The steps taken in centralizing information over the past few years have been a huge step forward for the sport in this state. I appreciate everyone’s effort over there, and I hope this forum and the Hub can continue to work together to inform the hockey community.
-FollowThePuck. As always, a wonderful collection of information, some of the fastest score-reporting, and a very nice format. Thanks again to Doug for all his work.
-MyFoxHockey. Any out-of-state fan’s lifeline to big AA games; a huge part of the subjective portion of my rankings rely on what I see there. The product gets steadily better every year. Thanks to Pete and Bart and the behind-the-scenes crew who let me experience some great games.
-MSBN. For great radio and some video broadcasts throughout the year, and of course a superb performance during sections.
-The various radio stations out there that are forward-thinking enough to get their broadcasts up on the internet.
-Lee and Mitch for their computer rankings, which are always a nice reference tool, and Lee and the Hill-Murray website for their great archives on MN HS hockey history.
-But above all, thanks to the people of the forum for their many contributions, criticisms, and opinions throughout the year. The interaction and chatter these rankings create is something the others don’t have, and they’re what makes this forum worth having as well. As I’ve said before, I will never claim to be an expert; I’m merely a student of high school hockey, and I welcome any contribution that adds to my knowledge in some way. Thanks for making my first year as a moderator on here relatively pain-free and entertaining, and thanks for the many compliments given to these rankings.
See you all next season…though I suspect we’ll find plenty to discuss in the next few months as well.
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