AA Rankings for 12/18/11
Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2011 7:37 am
With the Edina tournament and some other big games now in the books, the state scene continues to take shape. The week ahead is a short one, but there are still enough important games out there that could shake things up, including two top-ten match-ups.
Programming note: as next Sunday is Christmas, the rankings will come out either later on that evening or early Monday morning. Enjoy your Holidays! Those rankings will include a preview of the various holiday tournaments involving top AA teams.
1. Duluth East (7-0)
-Continued smooth sailing for the Hounds, who took care of business at Lakeville North, then roughed up rival Cloquet. I get my first chance to see them in person this week, when they host a decent Centennial team. After that things get really interesting; as many as six of their next eight games could be against top-ten teams.
This week: Thurs vs. Centennial
2. Minnetonka (6-0)
-Two more wins this week as they continue their push toward the Schwan Cup. They struggled to put the puck in the net in their road trip to Hibbing, but came away with the win they needed and are now ready for a week that doesn’t look overly difficult on paper, though Stillwater did knock them off in this game last year.
This week: Tues at Robbinsdale Armstrong, Thurs vs. Stillwater
3. Maple Grove (6-0-1)
-Kept up their string of strong performances in conference play, including a comfortable win over a decent Centennial team. Their biggest test yet comes on Tuesday, when they take on Benilde in a game that could shake up the top five. The match-up between Gross, Aspinwall, and company and the Benilde forwards could be a great one. One of the few teams with two games this week, though the second one shouldn’t be too demanding.
This week: Tues at #6 Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Thurs vs. Robbinsdale Armstrong
4. Burnsville (5-1)
-Took care of business against Eastview and Bloomington Jefferson and continue to sit comfortably in the rankings. It’s a big week ahead, with a challenging contest against Eden Prairie followed by a game against Prior Lake, who isn’t beyond pulling an upset.
This week: Tues vs. #8 Eden Prairie, Thurs at Prior Lake
5. Eagan (4-1)
-Showed off their firepower in a pair of SSC games this past week, scoring 19 goals in the process. Their only game this week matches them against the team that probably has the best shot to disrupt their march through 3AA. I expect the Wildcats to win fairly comfortably, but stranger things have happened.
This week: Thurs at Apple Valley
6. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (5-1)
-If anyone still doubted this offense’s capabilities, they put those concerns to rest with a shock-and-awe performance against Holy Angels, then followed it up with a comfortable win over the only team that has any real shot of upsetting them in the conference, Totino-Grace. The stakes get higher this week, though, as they host Maple Grove. The winner will get to be the favorite in the following week’s St. Louis Park tournament. Time to see if they’ve corrected some of the issues that came up in the Burnsville loss.
This week: Tues vs. #3 Maple Grove
7. Edina (7-1)
-No team had a bigger week than the Hornets, who won their own holiday tournament and took down three pretty good teams in the process. They’ve reeled off six straight wins since the November loss to Maple Grove, and now get a week to prepare for the Schwan Cup. Another strong showing will catapult them back into the state title picture. Like the titlists two years ago, this group uses its remarkable depth to wear down other teams. They have the young talent, but will it be enough against deep, veteran teams?
This week: Idle
8. Eden Prairie (4-1-1)
-Their Edina tournament had a little bit of everything. The Elk River tie was a mild setback given the rankings coming in, and a bad stretch early in the second period cost them in the Edina loss. But they took care of Rapids with surprising efficiency, and they played Edina better than the final score reflected. They’re still coming together, but they can beat any team on any given night. They take a shot at another top team on Tuesday.
This week: Tues at #4 Burnsville
9. Blaine (5-1)
-Had a surprisingly difficult time with Coon Rapids, but bounced back some in an 8-3 win over Osseo. The win over Elk River the previous week now looks a bit better, and their only loss was to a very good team. Have one conference game this week to tune up for the Schwan Cup, which will give us a better idea of where they (and most of the NWSC) fits in the rankings.
This week: Tues vs. Anoka
10. Moorhead (5-0)
-A big win over Roseau has them right where they want to be at this point in the season. They’re still something of an unknown, and it’s hard to read too much into their two biggest wins--they beat Roseau by a larger margin than Blaine or Grand Rapids, but with Bemidji scuffling some, that win no longer looks quite as impressive, and they didn’t blow away Alexandria this week, either. I’m curious to see what they can do down in St. Louis Park.
This week: Thurs vs. St. Cloud Tech
11. Elk River (5-2-1)
-The Elks had a solid Edina tournament, pulling out a tie with Eden Prairie and then making some noise in the 7AA race with the win over Grand Rapids. There are some good young forwards on this team who may give them the scoring punch they’ve been missing for the past few years, though it seems they’re not on the level of the very best quite yet.
This week: Thurs vs. Osseo
12. Grand Rapids (5-3)
-This week’s ranking dilemma: how far do you drop a team that went 0-3 against three other top 15 squads while missing its star defenseman? The Edina tournament exposed some depth issues on this team, and they didn’t really stand out in any area. With or without Bischoff, they have some work to do.
Still, this is also a good time to recall the 2006-07 Thunderhawks. They had gone to the state title game the year before and had high expectations, but in part due to an injury to Patrick White, they scuffled some during the regular season, lost badly to East, and wound up the 3-seed in a deep 7AA. They finished second at State once again that year. They may have to aim to repeat that formula this time around.
This week: Thurs at Duluth Marshall
13. Wayzata (5-2-1)
-Got upset by a tough Prior Lake team, but bounced back with a dramatic overtime win over Hill-Murray in Aldrich. Those sorts of ups and downs are probably to be expected as they come together as a team this year. They have two games this week; they’ll be favored in both games, but as with Prior Lake, both could knock them off if they’re not careful.
This week: Tues at Bloomington Jefferson, Thurs at Roseville
14. Hill-Murray (3-3)
-A tough loss to Wayzata sets the Pioneers further back; like the team right above them, they’re in for some growing pains. This sets up their annual regular season meeting with White Bear, which will have a different flavor to it than in recent years. In addition to aiming for revenge from last year’s debacle, it’s their chance to assert themselves in the top spot in 4AA.
This week: Thurs vs. White Bear Lake
15. Lakeville South (2-2)
-Finding a #15 is not easy, so I’ll go with the team that we know has some talent and put up some big scores this week, albeit against weaker competition. If they want to separate themselves from this messy group of teams in the 15-25 range, they could do so with a couple of wins this week against opponents who are also in that group.
This week: Mon at White Bear Lake, Thurs at Bloomington Jefferson
In the Mix
Centennial (2-3-1)
-The record isn’t pretty, but they’re staying within a reasonable margin of some of the top teams they’ve played. The Cougars have a big week ahead, with a game against an Andover squad that’s making some noise in the conference, and then a road trip up to Duluth.
Brainerd (7-0)
-Continue to roll along against weak competition, and it’s still hard to measure how much these wins are worth. This week we’ll finally get a better idea of where they actually belong, when they host section rival Bemidji in the teams’ only meeting this season.
Andover (4-3)
-Two more wins in the conference keep them looking pretty sharp in the early going, lopsided loss to East aside. They can make a serious bid for a top-4 seed in 7AA. A game against Centennial this week will tell us if they’ll truly be among the top teams in the Northwest Suburban.
Bemidji (4-3)
-Rough week for the Lumberjacks, who drop from the rankings after mustering only one goal in games against Thief River Falls and Warroad. They can put all of that behind them if they take care of business in Brainerd this Thursday.
Apple Valley (3-2-1)
-The Eagles have been fairly steady since the rough opening loss to Minnetonka, and the 4-1 win over up-and-coming Prior Lake is a sign they can’t be taken completely for granted. On Thursday, we’ll learn if they have a prayer of making a run at Eagan.
White Bear Lake (4-2-1)
-Appear to be the team to beat in the SEC, if there is such a thing in such a balanced conference. They have a pair of non-conference games this week, which will give us a better idea of where they fit in with the rest of the state. Time to see if they can make it two in a row against Hill; the top spot in the section is there for the taking.
Prior Lake (3-2)
-They’ve been all over the map so far; the upset of Wayzata was another big step forward for this program, but losses to Woodbury and Apple Valley keep them from really moving any higher in the rankings. A big test against Burnsville this week will tell us how much of a factor they might be in 2AA.
Bloomington Jefferson (0-3-2)
-How long can a winless team stay in the picture? A lot will depend on how well they handle Wayzata and Lakeville South, both of whom they face this week.
Roseville (6-1)
-Lost in brutal fashion to Stillwater--they scored on themselves with the goalie pulled on a delayed penalty--but otherwise are clipping along at a decent rate in the SEC. The Wayzata game this week will be their first real test.
Roseau (1-3-1)
-The lopsided loss to Moorhead was not a good early sign, but they have time to climb back into the 8AA race as they gain experience.
Stillwater (4-0-1)
-It hasn’t exactly been pretty, but the Ponies are still undefeated. Their game against Minnetonka gives them a chance to make a statement. For now, they’re at the head of the muddle of SEC teams that comes next in the rankings.
Programming note: as next Sunday is Christmas, the rankings will come out either later on that evening or early Monday morning. Enjoy your Holidays! Those rankings will include a preview of the various holiday tournaments involving top AA teams.
1. Duluth East (7-0)
-Continued smooth sailing for the Hounds, who took care of business at Lakeville North, then roughed up rival Cloquet. I get my first chance to see them in person this week, when they host a decent Centennial team. After that things get really interesting; as many as six of their next eight games could be against top-ten teams.
This week: Thurs vs. Centennial
2. Minnetonka (6-0)
-Two more wins this week as they continue their push toward the Schwan Cup. They struggled to put the puck in the net in their road trip to Hibbing, but came away with the win they needed and are now ready for a week that doesn’t look overly difficult on paper, though Stillwater did knock them off in this game last year.
This week: Tues at Robbinsdale Armstrong, Thurs vs. Stillwater
3. Maple Grove (6-0-1)
-Kept up their string of strong performances in conference play, including a comfortable win over a decent Centennial team. Their biggest test yet comes on Tuesday, when they take on Benilde in a game that could shake up the top five. The match-up between Gross, Aspinwall, and company and the Benilde forwards could be a great one. One of the few teams with two games this week, though the second one shouldn’t be too demanding.
This week: Tues at #6 Benilde-St. Margaret’s, Thurs vs. Robbinsdale Armstrong
4. Burnsville (5-1)
-Took care of business against Eastview and Bloomington Jefferson and continue to sit comfortably in the rankings. It’s a big week ahead, with a challenging contest against Eden Prairie followed by a game against Prior Lake, who isn’t beyond pulling an upset.
This week: Tues vs. #8 Eden Prairie, Thurs at Prior Lake
5. Eagan (4-1)
-Showed off their firepower in a pair of SSC games this past week, scoring 19 goals in the process. Their only game this week matches them against the team that probably has the best shot to disrupt their march through 3AA. I expect the Wildcats to win fairly comfortably, but stranger things have happened.
This week: Thurs at Apple Valley
6. Benilde-St. Margaret’s (5-1)
-If anyone still doubted this offense’s capabilities, they put those concerns to rest with a shock-and-awe performance against Holy Angels, then followed it up with a comfortable win over the only team that has any real shot of upsetting them in the conference, Totino-Grace. The stakes get higher this week, though, as they host Maple Grove. The winner will get to be the favorite in the following week’s St. Louis Park tournament. Time to see if they’ve corrected some of the issues that came up in the Burnsville loss.
This week: Tues vs. #3 Maple Grove
7. Edina (7-1)
-No team had a bigger week than the Hornets, who won their own holiday tournament and took down three pretty good teams in the process. They’ve reeled off six straight wins since the November loss to Maple Grove, and now get a week to prepare for the Schwan Cup. Another strong showing will catapult them back into the state title picture. Like the titlists two years ago, this group uses its remarkable depth to wear down other teams. They have the young talent, but will it be enough against deep, veteran teams?
This week: Idle
8. Eden Prairie (4-1-1)
-Their Edina tournament had a little bit of everything. The Elk River tie was a mild setback given the rankings coming in, and a bad stretch early in the second period cost them in the Edina loss. But they took care of Rapids with surprising efficiency, and they played Edina better than the final score reflected. They’re still coming together, but they can beat any team on any given night. They take a shot at another top team on Tuesday.
This week: Tues at #4 Burnsville
9. Blaine (5-1)
-Had a surprisingly difficult time with Coon Rapids, but bounced back some in an 8-3 win over Osseo. The win over Elk River the previous week now looks a bit better, and their only loss was to a very good team. Have one conference game this week to tune up for the Schwan Cup, which will give us a better idea of where they (and most of the NWSC) fits in the rankings.
This week: Tues vs. Anoka
10. Moorhead (5-0)
-A big win over Roseau has them right where they want to be at this point in the season. They’re still something of an unknown, and it’s hard to read too much into their two biggest wins--they beat Roseau by a larger margin than Blaine or Grand Rapids, but with Bemidji scuffling some, that win no longer looks quite as impressive, and they didn’t blow away Alexandria this week, either. I’m curious to see what they can do down in St. Louis Park.
This week: Thurs vs. St. Cloud Tech
11. Elk River (5-2-1)
-The Elks had a solid Edina tournament, pulling out a tie with Eden Prairie and then making some noise in the 7AA race with the win over Grand Rapids. There are some good young forwards on this team who may give them the scoring punch they’ve been missing for the past few years, though it seems they’re not on the level of the very best quite yet.
This week: Thurs vs. Osseo
12. Grand Rapids (5-3)
-This week’s ranking dilemma: how far do you drop a team that went 0-3 against three other top 15 squads while missing its star defenseman? The Edina tournament exposed some depth issues on this team, and they didn’t really stand out in any area. With or without Bischoff, they have some work to do.
Still, this is also a good time to recall the 2006-07 Thunderhawks. They had gone to the state title game the year before and had high expectations, but in part due to an injury to Patrick White, they scuffled some during the regular season, lost badly to East, and wound up the 3-seed in a deep 7AA. They finished second at State once again that year. They may have to aim to repeat that formula this time around.
This week: Thurs at Duluth Marshall
13. Wayzata (5-2-1)
-Got upset by a tough Prior Lake team, but bounced back with a dramatic overtime win over Hill-Murray in Aldrich. Those sorts of ups and downs are probably to be expected as they come together as a team this year. They have two games this week; they’ll be favored in both games, but as with Prior Lake, both could knock them off if they’re not careful.
This week: Tues at Bloomington Jefferson, Thurs at Roseville
14. Hill-Murray (3-3)
-A tough loss to Wayzata sets the Pioneers further back; like the team right above them, they’re in for some growing pains. This sets up their annual regular season meeting with White Bear, which will have a different flavor to it than in recent years. In addition to aiming for revenge from last year’s debacle, it’s their chance to assert themselves in the top spot in 4AA.
This week: Thurs vs. White Bear Lake
15. Lakeville South (2-2)
-Finding a #15 is not easy, so I’ll go with the team that we know has some talent and put up some big scores this week, albeit against weaker competition. If they want to separate themselves from this messy group of teams in the 15-25 range, they could do so with a couple of wins this week against opponents who are also in that group.
This week: Mon at White Bear Lake, Thurs at Bloomington Jefferson
In the Mix
Centennial (2-3-1)
-The record isn’t pretty, but they’re staying within a reasonable margin of some of the top teams they’ve played. The Cougars have a big week ahead, with a game against an Andover squad that’s making some noise in the conference, and then a road trip up to Duluth.
Brainerd (7-0)
-Continue to roll along against weak competition, and it’s still hard to measure how much these wins are worth. This week we’ll finally get a better idea of where they actually belong, when they host section rival Bemidji in the teams’ only meeting this season.
Andover (4-3)
-Two more wins in the conference keep them looking pretty sharp in the early going, lopsided loss to East aside. They can make a serious bid for a top-4 seed in 7AA. A game against Centennial this week will tell us if they’ll truly be among the top teams in the Northwest Suburban.
Bemidji (4-3)
-Rough week for the Lumberjacks, who drop from the rankings after mustering only one goal in games against Thief River Falls and Warroad. They can put all of that behind them if they take care of business in Brainerd this Thursday.
Apple Valley (3-2-1)
-The Eagles have been fairly steady since the rough opening loss to Minnetonka, and the 4-1 win over up-and-coming Prior Lake is a sign they can’t be taken completely for granted. On Thursday, we’ll learn if they have a prayer of making a run at Eagan.
White Bear Lake (4-2-1)
-Appear to be the team to beat in the SEC, if there is such a thing in such a balanced conference. They have a pair of non-conference games this week, which will give us a better idea of where they fit in with the rest of the state. Time to see if they can make it two in a row against Hill; the top spot in the section is there for the taking.
Prior Lake (3-2)
-They’ve been all over the map so far; the upset of Wayzata was another big step forward for this program, but losses to Woodbury and Apple Valley keep them from really moving any higher in the rankings. A big test against Burnsville this week will tell us how much of a factor they might be in 2AA.
Bloomington Jefferson (0-3-2)
-How long can a winless team stay in the picture? A lot will depend on how well they handle Wayzata and Lakeville South, both of whom they face this week.
Roseville (6-1)
-Lost in brutal fashion to Stillwater--they scored on themselves with the goalie pulled on a delayed penalty--but otherwise are clipping along at a decent rate in the SEC. The Wayzata game this week will be their first real test.
Roseau (1-3-1)
-The lopsided loss to Moorhead was not a good early sign, but they have time to climb back into the 8AA race as they gain experience.
Stillwater (4-0-1)
-It hasn’t exactly been pretty, but the Ponies are still undefeated. Their game against Minnetonka gives them a chance to make a statement. For now, they’re at the head of the muddle of SEC teams that comes next in the rankings.
This is what I get for copying down schedules before the year begins and not bothering to back-check them.