AA Rankings for 2/3/13
Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2013 9:39 am
With playoff-type atmospheres in arenas all around the state this past week, it’s clear we’re coming down to the wire in the high school hockey season. Your first week of February top 15:
1. Hill-Murray (18-2-1)
-As expected, the Pioneers rolled to two easy wins over Classic Suburban competition. Their schedule over this stretch of the season makes for a sharp contrast with the nightly drama going on among the teams below them; we’ll have to see if that affects their play when they finally face a quality opponent again. While Mahtomedi is decent, there isn’t much reason not to expect more of the same this coming week.
This week: Thurs at Mahtomedi, Sat vs. Henry Sibley
2. Benilde (15-5)
-The good news: Benilde won its only game this past week, which is enough to hold on to the #2 spot. The bad: it was ugly and raised those persistent doubts about this team’s defense, as they gave up five goals to Holy Family. This, of course, leads to the same argument we’ve been hearing all along: the Red Knights overcame similar struggles last year, including a loss to Moorhead at the same point in the season in which they gave up six goals. Come mid-March, that will either seem like a sound insight that speaks to the strengths of the Benilde coaching staff, or it will go down as an excuse used to cover up a glaring flaw. Which will it be? This week could give some clues—first, the defense faces the ultimate test against Shattuck, and the Eden Prairie game is also a very interesting one.
This week: Wed vs. Shattuck-St. Mary’s, Thurs at St. Francis, Sat at #13 Eden Prairie
3. Duluth East (17-4)
-The Hounds kept up their methodical pace this past week, adding a signature win over Minnetonka to improve to 4-1 against Lake teams, and earning some measure of revenge for last season’s Lakeville South debacle. They certainly do not have the scoring depth of many of the teams around them, but they seem to be playing quite well as a team, especially in their biggest games. The Hounds go on the road for their four playoff tune-up games; the biggest of those is Monday’s visit to archrival Cloquet, which is never easy, and Lakeville North turned some heads last week, losing to Jefferson in overtime and blowing out rival South.
This week: Mon at Cloquet, Thurs at Lakeville North, Sat at St. Michael-Albertville
4. Minnetonka (15-5-1)
-It was an exhilarating week for the Skippers, as they narrowly lost to Duluth East before pulling off a dramatic overtime victory over Edina. Both games were nearly dead-even, and illustrated just how wide open the title chase is this season. Like the Hounds, their recent success is the result of hard work up and down the lineup, even if a handful of stars tend to carry most of the scoring load. Two wins this week will lock up the Lake title, and a win over Wayzata would also assure a top-2 seed in 6AA.
This week: Thurs at Hopkins, Sat vs. #7 Wayzata
5. Eagan (17-3-1)
-A convincing win over Burnsville slides the Wildcats a little bit higher, and though Prior Lake put up a tougher fight, they are now all but assured of a South Suburban Conference championship. There is an awful lot to like in this team’s depth, balance, and scoring prowess, though special teams seem to be something of an issue. The week ahead is a bit less demanding, as they face a mid-level section opponent in Hastings and a Lakeville North team that did manage to give them a one-goal game the first time around.
This week: Thurs at Hastings, Sat vs. Lakeville North
6. Edina (16-5)
-Like Minnetonka, the Hornets had a week of thrilling hockey, pulling out a one-goal win over Eden Prairie before falling to the Skippers. They’ve been a bit shaky in back lately, giving up four goals in each of their last four games against top teams, plus six to Holy Angels. In general, the teams that are getting the best play in their own zone are the ones moving up in the rankings right now, and the Hornets are not among them at the moment. On paper this week offers a respite from the Lake Conference meat-grinder, but Cretin has given the Hornets some trouble over the years, and has been playing very good hockey of late.
This week: Tues vs. Cretin-Derham Hall, Sat at Hopkins
7. Wayzata (17-4)
-This week, it’s the Trojans’ turn to slide to the back of the top 7 despite not losing. Needing overtime to get by Osseo is not an encouraging sign, and adds to a string of less-than-ideal recent results. Still, this past week was a good chance for them to get back in the W column, and they can now head back into the Lake Conference fray and attempt to atone for their recent struggles. Both games this week are section games, and two wins would give them a good shot at the 2-seed in 6AA. Even if they lose to Eden Prairie, they are probably secure with the 3-seed unless the Eagles get a few more big wins.
This week: Thurs vs. #13 Eden Prairie, Sat at #4 Minnetonka
8. Blaine (15-4-1)
-The Bengals had been somewhat forgotten in recent weeks, as they were rolling through the Northwest Suburban while the rest of the state’s top teams squared off against one another. No longer, now that they have a commanding 8-3 win over Centennial under their belts. The victory locks up the top spot in 5AA, and if they can stay hot, they could easily break up the group of seven top teams we’ve had for the past few weeks. Next up is a big section game against Elk River, whom they beat by a single goal in early January.
This week: Thurs vs. #14 Elk River, Sat vs. Champlin Park
9. Prior Lake (13-7)
-After giving Eagan a much better run than Burnsville did this past week, I’ve slipped the Lakers ahead of Burnsville in anticipation of their meeting this Tuesday. Despite the lack of overwhelming talent, this pesky team has been doing a very good job of hanging in there with everyone they play, and they show no sign of abandoning that trend. A win over the Blaze should lock up the 2-seed in 2AA, while a loss would leave them at #3.
This week: Tues at #10 Burnsville, Thurs vs. St. Michael-Albertville
10. Burnsville (12-8-1)
-The Blaze’s lack of depth reared its ugly head in a loss to Eagan this week, and a surprisingly close game with Apple Valley has this team in danger of slipping backwards in the rankings at the wrong time of year. They can forget about those struggles in a hurry if they have a big week this week, but further issues could drop them to the 3-seed or perhaps even the 4-seed in 2AA.
This week: Tues vs. #9 Prior Lake, Sat at #15 Bloomington Jefferson
11. Grand Rapids (14-4-3)
-The Thunderhawks added another quality win in Moorhead on Saturday, and they seem to be picking up some steam offensively after a fairly slow start to the season in that regard. From here on out they play nothing but Class A teams, including two Iron Range Conference opponents this week.
This week: Tues at Hibbing, Fri vs. International Falls
12. Centennial (15-4-2)
-A lopsided loss to Blaine drives the Cougars out of the top ten. While the record is still superb, they have two rather unsavory ties in recent weeks, and the one real bright spot on their list of achievements—the Duluth East win—was a long time ago. This week’s road trip to Elk River will be a big test for this squad, as they look to stay out of the box and get that early-season strong defense back in order.
This week: Thurs at Anoka, Sat at #14 Elk River
13. Eden Prairie (10-10-1)
-Continued positive signs out of the Eagles this past week, as they lost a tight affair with Edina and beat Hopkins by ten, after winning by only one in the first meeting. Still, to really move up much further, they’re going to need a big win. Their last four games, all against top seven teams, will give them every opportunity to get one, and with the first three of those coming against 6AA opponents, they could certainly shake up the section, too. We’ll see if the Eagles can finally break through.
This week: Thurs at #7 Wayzata, Sat vs. #2 Benilde-St. Margaret’s
14. Elk River (13-8)
-A narrow win over Maple Grove keeps the Elks steady here in toward the back of the top 15. The week ahead is a big one: a win or two could really disrupt the Northwest Suburban and cause some concern for the rest of 7AA. With Centennial in particular limping a bit lately, this is the Elks’ chance to get a quality win.
This week: Thurs at #8 Blaine, Sat vs. #12 Centennial
15. Bloomington Jefferson (13-8)
-The narrow win over Lakeville North looked like another less-than-ideal result, but the Jaguars broke out on Saturday in a 5-1 win over Eastview. That game aside, neither the Jags nor Burnsville have been putting up particularly sharp results lately; their meeting later this week will be key, as each looks to build some momentum before sections and a shot at knocking off Edina.
This week: Tues at Apple Valley, Sat vs. #10 Burnsville
The Next Ten
White Bear Lake (12-8-1)
-A three-win week has the Bears climbing further up the rankings; the shutout of Forest Lake in particular is a strong win. With seven wins in their last eight games and two one-goal losses to top teams immediately before that, they’re showing signs that they could give Hill a real run if it once again comes down to those two teams in the 4AA playoffs. They still have some work to do, though; after a second straight game against Park, they have a big conference battle with Cretin on Saturday.
Cretin-Derham Hall (14-6-1)
-The streaking Raiders have won nine of their last ten, and though they haven’t played a ranked AA team this year, their consistently strong play in an otherwise muddled conference is worthy of some attention. This week’s game against Edina is a huge one; even if they lose, it will give us some idea of how much of a chance they have against Eagan in 3AA. After that they host White Bear in a game that could bring them very close to the Suburban East Conference crown.
Cloquet (12-6-2)
-The Jacks couldn’t muster a signature win against Eden Prairie or Hermantown, which means they’re still on the outside looking in. This week’s Duluth East game will be their last chance to make a statement in the regular season, and they follow that up with a key section game against Andover.
Holy Family (13-6)
-The Fire did a good job of hanging with Benilde, but turned around and dropped a conference game to Mound, which keeps them out of the top 15. The firepower to give one of the big four in 6AA a tough game is there, but they’ll need to avoid penalties and lock down on defense if they want to have any chance at an upset. With the loss, they should be locked in as the 5-seed in 6AA. They have three games this week, but Holy Angels is the only opponent that might have a shot at them.
Moorhead (10-9-1)
-Lost to Grand Rapids in their only game, which does little to change their standing. The week ahead is not easy, as they go on the road; Thief River Falls has been one of the hottest teams in the state of late, and Bemidji is fresh off a win over Roseau, and gave the Spuds a one-goal game back in December.
Eastview (12-8-1)
-The Lightning’s bid to continue moving up suffered a setback against Bloomington Jefferson this past week. With Cretin’s hot streak, they are looking more and more like a 3-seed at best in 3AA, unless they can beat Eagan again in two weeks. First, they have to deal with road games against struggling Lakeville South and a Rosemount team that beat them last time around.
Maple Grove (11-11)
-The Crimson kept up their consistent act, losing narrowly to Elk River and beating Armstrong. Andover poses their biggest challenge this coming week.
Tartan (18-3)
-With no one else jumping out in this part of the rankings, we might as well give the 18-3 Titans a plug. There is nothing resembling a quality AA opponent in those 18 wins, but they have beaten some capable Class A teams in Thief River Falls and Rochester Lourdes. They play St. Thomas for a second time this week; simply keeping the game close would be a positive sign here.
Lakeville North (8-12-1)
-We go from a team with near-zero quality opponents and a strong record to a team with heaps of quality opponents and an awful record. But there are some positives to be found here: an early-season win over Eden Prairie, one-goal losses to Eagan, Prior Lake, and Jefferson in January, and most recently, a big 7-2 win over Lakeville South. With South (8-13) on 5-game losing skid and facing some tough opponents in the last few weeks, that should be enough to get the Panthers the top seed in 1AA. The week ahead is not an easy one; after Rosemount, they face Duluth East and Eagan. We’ll see if they can turn some of those close losses into an upset.
Forest Lake (12-10)
-Another team worthy of a mention; though they’ve lost some rough ones, their only recent losses are to Duluth East and White Bear Lake, and they are the only team to beat Cretin since the holidays. The Rangers have a chance to pick up some wins this week, with SEC bottom-feeder Park and Hastings, who has struggled in their past few games, on the docket.
Watch list: Brainerd, Mounds View, Andover, Roseau
Some 8AA notes, as two teams in that section have sagged out of the rankings:
-Brainerd’s record is sharp, but one-goal wins over Willmar do not scream “top 25 material,” and the recent loss to Roseau looks worse, given the Rams’ struggles.
-Roseau’s early season offensive prowess seems to have abandoned them, and this week’s loss to Bemidji drops them out of the rankings. It also probably cost them a shot at the 2-seed in 8AA, unless Brainerd takes an unexpected stumble. But if they beat St. Cloud Tech this week, they should be assured of the 3-seed, and they have the front-end talent to make a run.
Only two weeks to go in the regular season. Next week we’ll give one last preview of probable section seeding, and after that, it’ll be time to put everything on the line and preview the section tournaments. There are plenty of big games out there this week—head out and enjoy them, if you can.
1. Hill-Murray (18-2-1)
-As expected, the Pioneers rolled to two easy wins over Classic Suburban competition. Their schedule over this stretch of the season makes for a sharp contrast with the nightly drama going on among the teams below them; we’ll have to see if that affects their play when they finally face a quality opponent again. While Mahtomedi is decent, there isn’t much reason not to expect more of the same this coming week.
This week: Thurs at Mahtomedi, Sat vs. Henry Sibley
2. Benilde (15-5)
-The good news: Benilde won its only game this past week, which is enough to hold on to the #2 spot. The bad: it was ugly and raised those persistent doubts about this team’s defense, as they gave up five goals to Holy Family. This, of course, leads to the same argument we’ve been hearing all along: the Red Knights overcame similar struggles last year, including a loss to Moorhead at the same point in the season in which they gave up six goals. Come mid-March, that will either seem like a sound insight that speaks to the strengths of the Benilde coaching staff, or it will go down as an excuse used to cover up a glaring flaw. Which will it be? This week could give some clues—first, the defense faces the ultimate test against Shattuck, and the Eden Prairie game is also a very interesting one.
This week: Wed vs. Shattuck-St. Mary’s, Thurs at St. Francis, Sat at #13 Eden Prairie
3. Duluth East (17-4)
-The Hounds kept up their methodical pace this past week, adding a signature win over Minnetonka to improve to 4-1 against Lake teams, and earning some measure of revenge for last season’s Lakeville South debacle. They certainly do not have the scoring depth of many of the teams around them, but they seem to be playing quite well as a team, especially in their biggest games. The Hounds go on the road for their four playoff tune-up games; the biggest of those is Monday’s visit to archrival Cloquet, which is never easy, and Lakeville North turned some heads last week, losing to Jefferson in overtime and blowing out rival South.
This week: Mon at Cloquet, Thurs at Lakeville North, Sat at St. Michael-Albertville
4. Minnetonka (15-5-1)
-It was an exhilarating week for the Skippers, as they narrowly lost to Duluth East before pulling off a dramatic overtime victory over Edina. Both games were nearly dead-even, and illustrated just how wide open the title chase is this season. Like the Hounds, their recent success is the result of hard work up and down the lineup, even if a handful of stars tend to carry most of the scoring load. Two wins this week will lock up the Lake title, and a win over Wayzata would also assure a top-2 seed in 6AA.
This week: Thurs at Hopkins, Sat vs. #7 Wayzata
5. Eagan (17-3-1)
-A convincing win over Burnsville slides the Wildcats a little bit higher, and though Prior Lake put up a tougher fight, they are now all but assured of a South Suburban Conference championship. There is an awful lot to like in this team’s depth, balance, and scoring prowess, though special teams seem to be something of an issue. The week ahead is a bit less demanding, as they face a mid-level section opponent in Hastings and a Lakeville North team that did manage to give them a one-goal game the first time around.
This week: Thurs at Hastings, Sat vs. Lakeville North
6. Edina (16-5)
-Like Minnetonka, the Hornets had a week of thrilling hockey, pulling out a one-goal win over Eden Prairie before falling to the Skippers. They’ve been a bit shaky in back lately, giving up four goals in each of their last four games against top teams, plus six to Holy Angels. In general, the teams that are getting the best play in their own zone are the ones moving up in the rankings right now, and the Hornets are not among them at the moment. On paper this week offers a respite from the Lake Conference meat-grinder, but Cretin has given the Hornets some trouble over the years, and has been playing very good hockey of late.
This week: Tues vs. Cretin-Derham Hall, Sat at Hopkins
7. Wayzata (17-4)
-This week, it’s the Trojans’ turn to slide to the back of the top 7 despite not losing. Needing overtime to get by Osseo is not an encouraging sign, and adds to a string of less-than-ideal recent results. Still, this past week was a good chance for them to get back in the W column, and they can now head back into the Lake Conference fray and attempt to atone for their recent struggles. Both games this week are section games, and two wins would give them a good shot at the 2-seed in 6AA. Even if they lose to Eden Prairie, they are probably secure with the 3-seed unless the Eagles get a few more big wins.
This week: Thurs vs. #13 Eden Prairie, Sat at #4 Minnetonka
8. Blaine (15-4-1)
-The Bengals had been somewhat forgotten in recent weeks, as they were rolling through the Northwest Suburban while the rest of the state’s top teams squared off against one another. No longer, now that they have a commanding 8-3 win over Centennial under their belts. The victory locks up the top spot in 5AA, and if they can stay hot, they could easily break up the group of seven top teams we’ve had for the past few weeks. Next up is a big section game against Elk River, whom they beat by a single goal in early January.
This week: Thurs vs. #14 Elk River, Sat vs. Champlin Park
9. Prior Lake (13-7)
-After giving Eagan a much better run than Burnsville did this past week, I’ve slipped the Lakers ahead of Burnsville in anticipation of their meeting this Tuesday. Despite the lack of overwhelming talent, this pesky team has been doing a very good job of hanging in there with everyone they play, and they show no sign of abandoning that trend. A win over the Blaze should lock up the 2-seed in 2AA, while a loss would leave them at #3.
This week: Tues at #10 Burnsville, Thurs vs. St. Michael-Albertville
10. Burnsville (12-8-1)
-The Blaze’s lack of depth reared its ugly head in a loss to Eagan this week, and a surprisingly close game with Apple Valley has this team in danger of slipping backwards in the rankings at the wrong time of year. They can forget about those struggles in a hurry if they have a big week this week, but further issues could drop them to the 3-seed or perhaps even the 4-seed in 2AA.
This week: Tues vs. #9 Prior Lake, Sat at #15 Bloomington Jefferson
11. Grand Rapids (14-4-3)
-The Thunderhawks added another quality win in Moorhead on Saturday, and they seem to be picking up some steam offensively after a fairly slow start to the season in that regard. From here on out they play nothing but Class A teams, including two Iron Range Conference opponents this week.
This week: Tues at Hibbing, Fri vs. International Falls
12. Centennial (15-4-2)
-A lopsided loss to Blaine drives the Cougars out of the top ten. While the record is still superb, they have two rather unsavory ties in recent weeks, and the one real bright spot on their list of achievements—the Duluth East win—was a long time ago. This week’s road trip to Elk River will be a big test for this squad, as they look to stay out of the box and get that early-season strong defense back in order.
This week: Thurs at Anoka, Sat at #14 Elk River
13. Eden Prairie (10-10-1)
-Continued positive signs out of the Eagles this past week, as they lost a tight affair with Edina and beat Hopkins by ten, after winning by only one in the first meeting. Still, to really move up much further, they’re going to need a big win. Their last four games, all against top seven teams, will give them every opportunity to get one, and with the first three of those coming against 6AA opponents, they could certainly shake up the section, too. We’ll see if the Eagles can finally break through.
This week: Thurs at #7 Wayzata, Sat vs. #2 Benilde-St. Margaret’s
14. Elk River (13-8)
-A narrow win over Maple Grove keeps the Elks steady here in toward the back of the top 15. The week ahead is a big one: a win or two could really disrupt the Northwest Suburban and cause some concern for the rest of 7AA. With Centennial in particular limping a bit lately, this is the Elks’ chance to get a quality win.
This week: Thurs at #8 Blaine, Sat vs. #12 Centennial
15. Bloomington Jefferson (13-8)
-The narrow win over Lakeville North looked like another less-than-ideal result, but the Jaguars broke out on Saturday in a 5-1 win over Eastview. That game aside, neither the Jags nor Burnsville have been putting up particularly sharp results lately; their meeting later this week will be key, as each looks to build some momentum before sections and a shot at knocking off Edina.
This week: Tues at Apple Valley, Sat vs. #10 Burnsville
The Next Ten
White Bear Lake (12-8-1)
-A three-win week has the Bears climbing further up the rankings; the shutout of Forest Lake in particular is a strong win. With seven wins in their last eight games and two one-goal losses to top teams immediately before that, they’re showing signs that they could give Hill a real run if it once again comes down to those two teams in the 4AA playoffs. They still have some work to do, though; after a second straight game against Park, they have a big conference battle with Cretin on Saturday.
Cretin-Derham Hall (14-6-1)
-The streaking Raiders have won nine of their last ten, and though they haven’t played a ranked AA team this year, their consistently strong play in an otherwise muddled conference is worthy of some attention. This week’s game against Edina is a huge one; even if they lose, it will give us some idea of how much of a chance they have against Eagan in 3AA. After that they host White Bear in a game that could bring them very close to the Suburban East Conference crown.
Cloquet (12-6-2)
-The Jacks couldn’t muster a signature win against Eden Prairie or Hermantown, which means they’re still on the outside looking in. This week’s Duluth East game will be their last chance to make a statement in the regular season, and they follow that up with a key section game against Andover.
Holy Family (13-6)
-The Fire did a good job of hanging with Benilde, but turned around and dropped a conference game to Mound, which keeps them out of the top 15. The firepower to give one of the big four in 6AA a tough game is there, but they’ll need to avoid penalties and lock down on defense if they want to have any chance at an upset. With the loss, they should be locked in as the 5-seed in 6AA. They have three games this week, but Holy Angels is the only opponent that might have a shot at them.
Moorhead (10-9-1)
-Lost to Grand Rapids in their only game, which does little to change their standing. The week ahead is not easy, as they go on the road; Thief River Falls has been one of the hottest teams in the state of late, and Bemidji is fresh off a win over Roseau, and gave the Spuds a one-goal game back in December.
Eastview (12-8-1)
-The Lightning’s bid to continue moving up suffered a setback against Bloomington Jefferson this past week. With Cretin’s hot streak, they are looking more and more like a 3-seed at best in 3AA, unless they can beat Eagan again in two weeks. First, they have to deal with road games against struggling Lakeville South and a Rosemount team that beat them last time around.
Maple Grove (11-11)
-The Crimson kept up their consistent act, losing narrowly to Elk River and beating Armstrong. Andover poses their biggest challenge this coming week.
Tartan (18-3)
-With no one else jumping out in this part of the rankings, we might as well give the 18-3 Titans a plug. There is nothing resembling a quality AA opponent in those 18 wins, but they have beaten some capable Class A teams in Thief River Falls and Rochester Lourdes. They play St. Thomas for a second time this week; simply keeping the game close would be a positive sign here.
Lakeville North (8-12-1)
-We go from a team with near-zero quality opponents and a strong record to a team with heaps of quality opponents and an awful record. But there are some positives to be found here: an early-season win over Eden Prairie, one-goal losses to Eagan, Prior Lake, and Jefferson in January, and most recently, a big 7-2 win over Lakeville South. With South (8-13) on 5-game losing skid and facing some tough opponents in the last few weeks, that should be enough to get the Panthers the top seed in 1AA. The week ahead is not an easy one; after Rosemount, they face Duluth East and Eagan. We’ll see if they can turn some of those close losses into an upset.
Forest Lake (12-10)
-Another team worthy of a mention; though they’ve lost some rough ones, their only recent losses are to Duluth East and White Bear Lake, and they are the only team to beat Cretin since the holidays. The Rangers have a chance to pick up some wins this week, with SEC bottom-feeder Park and Hastings, who has struggled in their past few games, on the docket.
Watch list: Brainerd, Mounds View, Andover, Roseau
Some 8AA notes, as two teams in that section have sagged out of the rankings:
-Brainerd’s record is sharp, but one-goal wins over Willmar do not scream “top 25 material,” and the recent loss to Roseau looks worse, given the Rams’ struggles.
-Roseau’s early season offensive prowess seems to have abandoned them, and this week’s loss to Bemidji drops them out of the rankings. It also probably cost them a shot at the 2-seed in 8AA, unless Brainerd takes an unexpected stumble. But if they beat St. Cloud Tech this week, they should be assured of the 3-seed, and they have the front-end talent to make a run.
Only two weeks to go in the regular season. Next week we’ll give one last preview of probable section seeding, and after that, it’ll be time to put everything on the line and preview the section tournaments. There are plenty of big games out there this week—head out and enjoy them, if you can.
